Killing It: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your Head Without Losing Your Heart

by Sheryl O'Loughlin Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

Overview

The former CEO of Clif Bar, Co-founder of Plum, and serial entrepreneur offers insights about launching and growing a business while maintaining a fulfilled life in this practical guide filled with hard-won advice culled from the author's own sometimes dark, raw experiences. With a foreword by Steve Blank.

Aspiring entrepreneurs are told that to launch a business, you must go all in, devoting every resource and moment to making it work. But following this advice comes at an enormous personal cost: divorce, addiction, even suicide. It means sacrificing the intangibles that make life worth living.

Sheryl O'Loughlin knows there is a better way. In Killing It, she shares the wisdom she's gained from her successful experiences launching a company from the ground up (Plum), running two fast-growing companies (Clif Bar and REBBL), and mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs (Stanford University). She tells it like it is: If you don't invest in your wellbeing, your business will not succeed, nor will you.

Sheryl knows firsthand the difficulty of balancing the needs of her growing family with her physical and mental health, while managing other work and life challenges. In this warm, honest, and wise handbook, she gives you the essentials for killing it in business-without killing the rest of your life.

Filled with real-life examples and anecdotes, Killing It addresses common questions including:

• How do you prepare your significant other for your business venture?
• How do you time launching and growing your business with the ebb and flow of family life?
• How do you find joy in the day-to-day?
• How do you maintain meaningful, supportive friendships?
• How do you walk away and start again?

The ultimate life and business course, Killing It gives entrepreneurs the tools they need to start their enterprise and thrive-both in the office and at home.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Sheryl’s personal experience as a leader, mentor, and founder gives her the ammunition to deliver more than just platitudes. Killing It is the kind of practical advice entrepreneurs need to thrive in the world of churn.” — Professor Irv Grousbeck, Consulting Professor, Stanford University Graduate School of Business

“Are you ready to be an entrepreneur? Sheryl O’Loughlin’s book, Killing It, is the perfect guide to help you answer that question. Jam-packed with real-life stories of what it truly takes to be successful, Killing It also provides a wealth of sage advice and critical questions to ask yourself and your team as you get your company from the idea stage to the exit.” — Denise Brosseau, serial entrepreneur and author of Ready to Be a Thought Leader?

“Killing It! is a relevant and incisive look at what being an entrepreneur is really about. Sheryl’s deeply personal account provides authentic insight into not only the much-lauded upsides of entrepreneurship, but also the considerable toll it can take on one’s relationships and well-being. This is a must-read for female leaders in particular, who are too often expected to be all things to all people.” — Betsy Holden, Senior Advisor, McKinsey & Co., Former CEO Kraft Foods

“Killing It is like the emotional handbook for entrepreneurs. Without a sustainable work life balance your business will not thrive.” — L. Hunter Lovins, President Natural Capitalism Solutions

“A must-read for anyone looking to become an entrepreneur or stay in the game.” — Brian Krumrei, Partner at TSG Consumer

“Killing It is a testament to the years of experience Sheryl has an entrepreneur. Her advice is savvy and hard-won. If you aspire to start a successful business, and live your life, this is necessary reading.” — Dr. William Silver, Dean , School of Business and Economics, Wine Business Institute, Sonoma State University

I adore this book. Entrepreneurship is one of the most difficult-and yet most rewarding-career paths anyone can take. In Killing It Sheryl brilliantly captures the ups and downs of her own journey and distills them into a guiding principles every entrepreneur should use. — Nancy Duarte, bestselling author and CEO of Duarte, Inc.

Sheryl O’Loughlin brings a unique and deeply personal perspective to what it means to launch a successful start-up. Sheryl opens up about the true costs, as well as the joys, of entrepreneurship. This book is a trusted companion for business leaders. — Michael Farello, managing partner at Catterton

A thought-provoking and honest work by a successful entrepreneur with insights into the realities and issues of starting and running a business. Highly recommended. — Library Journal

So many aspiring entrepreneurs have no idea what they’re in for when dreaming about their start-up. Sheryl O’Loughlin’s Killing It! condenses decades worth of hard-earned wisdom into a compelling and personal manual for success both as an entrepreneur and a human being. — Jon Owsley, managing partner at Catterton

I adore this book. Entrepreneurship is one of the most difficult-and yet most rewarding-career paths anyone can take. In Killing It Sheryl brilliantly captures the ups and downs of her own journey and distills them into a guiding principles every entrepreneur should use. — Nancy Duarte, bestselling author and CEO of Duarte, Inc.

Jon Owsley

So many aspiring entrepreneurs have no idea what they’re in for when dreaming about their start-up. Sheryl O’Loughlin’s Killing It! condenses decades worth of hard-earned wisdom into a compelling and personal manual for success both as an entrepreneur and a human being.

L. Hunter Lovins

Killing It is like the emotional handbook for entrepreneurs. Without a sustainable work life balance your business will not thrive.

Nancy Duarte

I adore this book. Entrepreneurship is one of the most difficult-and yet most rewarding-career paths anyone can take. In Killing It Sheryl brilliantly captures the ups and downs of her own journey and distills them into a guiding principles every entrepreneur should use.

Professor Irv Grousbeck

Sheryl’s personal experience as a leader, mentor, and founder gives her the ammunition to deliver more than just platitudes. Killing It is the kind of practical advice entrepreneurs need to thrive in the world of churn.

Brian Krumrei

A must-read for anyone looking to become an entrepreneur or stay in the game.

Michael Farello

Sheryl O’Loughlin brings a unique and deeply personal perspective to what it means to launch a successful start-up. Sheryl opens up about the true costs, as well as the joys, of entrepreneurship. This book is a trusted companion for business leaders.

Denise Brosseau

Are you ready to be an entrepreneur? Sheryl O’Loughlin’s book, Killing It, is the perfect guide to help you answer that question. Jam-packed with real-life stories of what it truly takes to be successful, Killing It also provides a wealth of sage advice and critical questions to ask yourself and your team as you get your company from the idea stage to the exit.

Betsy Holden

Killing It! is a relevant and incisive look at what being an entrepreneur is really about. Sheryl’s deeply personal account provides authentic insight into not only the much-lauded upsides of entrepreneurship, but also the considerable toll it can take on one’s relationships and well-being. This is a must-read for female leaders in particular, who are too often expected to be all things to all people.

Dr. William Silver

Killing It is a testament to the years of experience Sheryl has an entrepreneur. Her advice is savvy and hard-won. If you aspire to start a successful business, and live your life, this is necessary reading.

Library Journal

01/01/2017
O'Loughlin (cofounder, Plum Organics; former executive director, Ctr. for Entrepreneurial Studies, Stanford Graduate Sch. of Business) shares her experiences and expertise as an entrepreneur. This book is divided into two parts: "Getting Ready—What You Really Need To Know" and "Doing the Work." The first section includes chapters on how to balance running a business with one's personal life—how it impacts marriage, family, and friendships. O'Loughlin also addresses working effectively with partners and coworkers. She candidly addresses the "dark side" of entrepreneurship that she experienced, including anorexia, issues in family life (hardships as a result of time spent away from family), and negative comments she experienced from friends. In the second part, O'Loughlin discusses the nitty gritty of starting and running a business and how to know when to walk away from an entrepreneurial venture. She also covers elements of entrepreneurship such as risks, financing and obtaining start-up funds, effective decision making, and dealing with stress. VERDICT A thought-provoking and honest work by a successful entrepreneur with insights into the realities and issues of starting and running a business. Highly recommended.—Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Queens, NY

MARCH 2017 - AudioFile

Cassandra Campbell narrates this personal business lesson with a dramatic flair that supports the author’s message without calling attention to her own outsized talent. At once sultry and focused, her vocal approach will help listeners hear this as the type of wisdom we all seek from our teachers and mentors. The author, a principal at several mission-oriented companies, says that entrepreneurs are part of a tribe—people with an unstoppable drive to bring good companies into the world. They’re authentic and generous with their employees, partners, and investors but often neglect their own emotional and physical well-being. Highlighted by candid stories of the author’s own struggles, this memorable lesson is full of intuitive advice from a business leader who’s clearly learned how to keep her head on straight while being at the center of a growing enterprise. T.W. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170066445
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	12/06/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

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