Winging It: Stop Thinking, Start Doing: Why Action Beats Planning Every Time

by Emma Isaacs

Overview

A call for women everywhere to forget perfectionism and start winging it.

Emma Isaacs forgot to draw up her life plan. She doesn’t have a list of five-year goals, and she doesn’t believe in work-life balance. Yet somehow she’s managed to found a multimillion-dollar global organization, become a highly sought-after speaker and media commentator, and be recognized as a prominent voice in women’s leadership—all while raising six young children.


So how does she do it all? She dives in headfirst and wings it.


Women are notorious over-preparers and underestimators when it comes to their own readiness to try something new. But as Emma teaches, what most often holds us back are our own fears, excuses, and doubts. With her revolutionary manifesto, Winging It, Emma has written a rallying cry for all women to “do the things that scare you, build your wealth, make an impact, fail lots, and get up and try again.”


Through hilarious stories, targeted prompts, and timeless advice, Emma will inspire you to get clear on what really matters and go after your dreams, one messy step at a time. Get ready to stop hiding behind the safe option or the perfect plan—and start winging it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683646907
Publisher:	Sounds True, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/15/2020
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	1,020,259
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Emma Isaacs is the founder of Business Chicks, a highly sought-after keynote speaker, and a media commentator on topics around female leadership and entrepreneurship. She has worked with the world’s greatest thought leaders and businesspeople, including Sir Richard Branson, Elizabeth Gilbert, Dr. Brené Brown, and Diane von Furstenberg, and has been featured in Cosmopolitan, InStyle, Marie Claire, and the Today Show.

A modern-day role model, Emma proves that anything is possible for anyone wishing to strive for more in their lives and careers. As a business owner by the age of 18, property investor by 19, and millionaire by 23, Emma Isaacs has entrepreneurship in her DNA—she’s also a bestselling author and mom to six kids under age 11.

Emma doesn’t believe in work-life balance, preferring to advocate for a full life where people are in constant evaluation of what they truly want from it. A fearless leader, with seemingly never-ending courage to spare, Emma inspires thousands with her boundless energy and ability to see possibility wherever she goes. For more, go to businesschicks.com.

Table of Contents

This Book is for you iv

Just Start 1

You Can't Control Anything Outside of You 17

Getting Ahead 53

Cultivating Relationships 75

Running a Business 97

Don't Call Me Superwoman 135

Money Is Not a Dirty Word 153

The People Equation 167

Over to You 195

Special People 209

Notes 211

About the Author 219

Editorial Reviews

07/13/2020

An exuberant guide to getting motivated and working toward one’s goals arrives from Isaacs, a first-time author and the founder and CEO of networking platform Business Chicks. Rejecting the “idea of having your life in perfect equilibrium,” Isaacs writes that she simply tries “to bring more health and sanity into my life” whenever she can, without worrying about getting it completely right. Isaacs bolsters her advice with stories from her career, and illustrates the importance of listening to one’s intuition by recounting her ill-fated partnership with a high-flying event producer whose promises always seemed a little too good to be true, though Isaacs “couldn’t quite put my finger on why.” The book shines the most when Isaacs delivers her message of banishing fear of failure, realizing that everyone is just making it up as they go along, and having “the flexibility to pivot and weave when the situation calls for it.” When she ends by asking “what are you waiting for?” readers are likely to feel she’s asking a very good question. Gutsy and go-for-the-gold, this caffeinated guide delivers. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Gutsy and go-for-the-gold, this caffeinated guide delivers.” —Publishers Weekly

“Emma is one of the smartest and most impressive entrepreneurs I’ve ever met. In Winging It, she distills her ideas about business, life, and relationships into principles that anyone can apply to improve upon their own lives.” —Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Everything Is F*cked

“Emma is an entrepreneur who has stayed the course and created an overnight success story that’s been over twenty years in the making. She has proven that patience, persistence, and the way you treat people are critical elements in running a thriving company. Winging It is the culmination of the past two decades’ worth of experiences and deserves a wide audience. Bravo!” —Alli Webb, cofounder of Drybar

“Winging It will show you how to map out what’s important to you, stay focused on achieving your goals, and thrive.” —Arianna Huffington, founder of HuffPost and Thrive Global

“Emma Isaacs is a true force of nature and a role model all women can learn from.” —Diane Von Furstenberg, founder of Diane von Furstenberg

“Winging It stands high above the other ‘self-help’ books of this era. Emma Isaacs is no lightweight. This book is rife with profound thinking and common-sense solutions to all the business and personal hurdles we all face on a daily basis. Bravo to Emma and Winging It, a courageous and comprehensive blueprint for striving toward our potential in every aspect of our lives.” —Diana Nyad, author, journalist, motivational speaker, long-distance swimmer

“Emma didn’t invent women. She just showed up to lead them.” —Seth Godin, entrepreneur, bestselling author, speaker

“As any entrepreneur will tell you, the path to success is winding and never linear. To succeed takes tremendous grit, a great deal of smarts, and a lot of sacrifice too. It takes asking for help, building your network, and getting up more times than you fall. What’s unique about Emma’s story is that she’s an entrepreneur through and through—someone who has never worked for anybody else and has had to figure out how to scale and build momentum without always having the answers to guide her. Winging It is an inspiring and practical resource for anyone looking to get ahead and master the game of entrepreneurship.” —Marc Randolph, author, cofounder and first CEO of Netflix

“Emma’s energy and enthusiasm for business shine brightly.” —Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group

“Emma Isaacs has created an ongoing forum to allow women’s voices to be heard. She has championed the empowerment of women for many years and will continue to be an innovator and disruptor for years to come.” —Deborra-Lee Furness, actor, director, activist

“Throughout my entire career, I was winging it all along! I never had a clue how to do it all until I did, and now I know I’m not alone. Emma doesn’t just make it all look so easy—she charges into her life as a great big adventure, and we can’t help but jump in too! Her energy is contagious, her optimism infectious, and her ‘no holds barred’ bravery makes us all determined to never shrink ourselves no matter what the odds are.” —Jane Wurwand, cofounder of Dermalogica

“More vital than ever are people who have found the courage to forge their independence and find power on their own terms. Emma is a strong example of a woman who is willing to step out of comfort to be a role model for others, and ultimately show us that whatever we’re seeking is possible if we believe it to be so.” —Alyssa Milano, actor, producer, activist

“Emma is the type of person who just makes things happen. Every one of us can learn something from the way she conducts herself and her attitude toward life and business.” —Kate Hudson, actor and cofounder of Fabletics

“Winging It is the call to arms we all need. It’s the encouragement we seek and the reassurance we crave to truly step forward, arms outstretched, and ask for what we want.” —Amy Cuddy, PhD, social psychologist, Harvard University executive education teacher, bestselling author of Presence

“Now more than ever we need to hear the voices of strong female role models in every aspect of society. Emma Isaacs’s visionary leadership has provided a platform for those voices in communities around the globe. Her work empowering women personifies influence in action and models the way for stepping into your own leadership zone with courage and confidence.” —Lois Frankel, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office, president of Corporate Coaching International

“A lot of people put pressure on themselves to do everything well every day—be an amazing friend, be great at their job, be a supportive spouse, and a perfect parent. But my philosophy has been more about giving yourself permission to be ‘well-lopsided,’ and Emma is a person who lives and breathes that philosophy. She’s a role model and guiding light for anyone wanting to achieve similar success in business and life, and Winging It is a manual to get you there!” —Randi Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media

“Emma Isaacs is a BOSS. And she is a delight. She is kind, and she is smart, and she is grounded, and she is brave and funny.” —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love

From the Publisher