Shoe Dog - Phil Knight - Peak Life Brandon

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rating 5/5

Book Summary – Shoe Dog – Phil Knight

Date Consumed: April 2022

You Should Read If: you want to see the behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to create success or if you are jealous of the founder/entrepreneur life.

ISBN: 978-1501135910

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The Book in Three Thoughts:

Backpacking worldwide, lawsuits, massive success, and tragedy. This book has it all. It was funny, sad, inspiring, and educational, all told through an incredible story. Simply put, this was one of the best books I have read.
Nike was not an overnight success. Instead, Nike was decades in the making, starting from a humble beginning that we all can relate to, trying to borrow money from our parents to follow our dream.
“Shoe Dog” refers to someone completely obsessed with shoes. Phil Knight was indeed a shoe dog, and his obsession for shoes pushed him relentlessly to make one of the most outstanding companies in the world with little more than a purpose guiding him and a great group to help.

Key Takeaways

Regardless of the external success story someone or a business has, it is often a result of hard times and perseverance through struggle after struggle.
Things are seldom as bad or good as you expect them to be. Almost every up will be contrasted with a down; the hope is that the ups continually outweigh the downs.
The world gets jealous when someone succeeds and tries its best to get even. Therefore, before you even start, make sure you have the grit and tenacity to make it out the other side.

Impressions and general feelings about the book

It was refreshing to read how human Phil Knight is. As the founder of one of the world’s largest companies, it is easy to imagine him and the many other business moguls as superheroes that have non-stop success. Shoe Dog tells the much more realistic story of what it looks like to be a founder.
This book seamlessly blends business and life advice. It was helpful to understand just how much life plays into business (in this case, his passion for running, marriage, and friends) and how much business plays into life. If you can find a life that supports your business and a business that supports your life, you will be able to stay in the game longer than most and, therefore, can create something that most can’t.
The founder’s life is not a simple one. The stress is endless and the results are often marginal for decades. But for an entrepreneur, there is no other way. They need to create something. They need to leave their mark on the world.

Top 3 Excerpts

Excerpt 1

“I wanted to build something that was my own, something I could point to and say: I made that. It was the only way I saw to make life meaningful.”

Excerpt 2

“I’d tell men and women in their midtwenties not to settle for a job or a profession or even a career. Seek a calling. Even if you don’t know what that means, seek it. If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt.”