Business is personal. A statement on life as a business owner. Being the leader of your own life is the greatest lesson in business. Your business is personal, as it is yours. We live in a fast-paced, overconnected world. Relying on your own instincts and knowing the dreams you hold for your version of success, ambition and happiness will ensure you have the life you want and not the life you compare yourself with. Business Is Personal shares the areas of business that are rarely discussed but have been learned the hard way by Penny and others. The emotions we need to understand, the mind we can be in control of, and tools Penny learned following years of hard work and many challenging moments. Penny has poured her heart into this book, and it is incredibly revealing.
I have known of Penny since the days when Ecademy was formed but never really knew her story, until now. Her book takes you through this journey, her (ad)ventures with Ecademy et al, and provides a heartfelt insight into the emotional journey many entrepreneurs face. You feel a connection to both Penny’s story as well as your own and realise you aren’t as ‘alone’ as you may feel as a business owner and that there are resources out there to help you on this journey. Penny also mentions several of these in the book, as well as links to them on her website.
The book does not provide any forensic analysis of the ventures Penny has been a part of (this would be a whole different book) but discusses the experiences and the key lessons learnt which apply to all of us. If you have read even a few personal development books, you will see some recurrent themes such as fitness (mental, spiritual and physical), key business skills you will need, and also the need to invest in yourself continually. There is also much more to be gained in the pages as it keeps every step of its terrain map grounded and balanced. Other books in this space sometimes feel like they set the goals we should seek so far out from our reality that they are unattainable. Penny does not and it feels like she is coaxing you out of yourself and onto the next step in your journey – as a good coach should do.
I would recommend this book to anybody seeking to improve themselves and their business, as well as gain an insight into what it feels like being an entrepreneur.
