Book Review: Shoe Dog

Shoe Dog is a must read for business owners from all walks of life. It is the story of Phil Knight entrepreneur and founder of Nike and the empire he has built in just 80 short years of life. 

Key Takeaways:

Overall, Shoe Dog is a page turner! I think I read the whole book in two days!

Fear does not have to stop you. During his journey Nike was a crazy idea. Blue Ribbon.. reselling Japanese shoes. Running was anything but popular. People thought you were nuts. You have to been the one to see things through. 

You don't always have to have a perfect vision, but you need to be willing to figure it out! You just need to start! 

If you're going through hell...keep going... you are going to be so knocked down. So tired that you can barely think strain, but you just keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

The use of environmental factors as catalysts for company growth and expansion. Japan with globalization. The internet with Google! 

The downside that can come with that. Phil Knight had the FBI called on him and got hit with massive tariffs as the world was catching up to globalization! 

One of the best takeaways was the insight to a IPO that this book offers! Not only the monetary side, but the psychological side too. 

Favorite Part:

I am a cheesy romantic so, of course, I loved with Phil met his wife Penny! He was an Accounting Professor at the University of Oregon and she was top of the class. She started to offer help with various projects and over time they realized they loved each other. Penny was a strong partner in building the foundation of Nike and her dedication and loyalty to her husband is very admirable. It would be very interesting to read a book from her eyes on the development of Nike in the early days. 

Parting Thoughts:

Phil Knight signs off with sharing how Nike was a wild ride and very painful at times. It was hard for him to see it at the time that he was building something so big and he states that if he could go back and do it all over again-all the suffering, building, surprises-he would!

Phil Knight shares that if you want to be an entrepreneur you've got to be prepared for long hours and dark moments.

I love the mentality because it can be hard to see at times, but it reminds you to find joy in the journey. 

"The cowards never started and the weak died along the way. That leaves us, ladies and gentlemen, us."