‘The Purpose Is Profit’

Do you feel the pull to start your own business? Tired of working for others and dealing with office politics, eager for control and more money? Ed ‘’Skip’’ McLaughlin certainly felt it. When he left his high-level corporate position to start not one but two new businesses, his colleagues’ reaction was disbelief.

One of his businesses did fail, but the other thrived. McLaughlin bootstrapped it into an Inc. 500 company and later sold it to a Fortune 100 company. Now, you can learn from his experience — what to do and what not to do
— to create your own successful startup. “The Purpose Is Profit” eliminates the mystery of becoming an entrepreneur. You will learn why distinctive competence trumps passion, where and when to get funding without losing control, how to build an entrepreneurial brand that lasts, why profit should be factored into every business decision, and how ethical behavior breeds trust and unlocks profit. As a bonus, “The Purpose Is Profit” includes two manuals: “The Startup Roadmap” details the 21 steps you should take to build a profitable business, and “The Startup Funding Guide” delivers the tools you need to fund your business. ♦

‘Leadership: In Turbulent Times’

Doris Kearns Goodwin draws upon the four presidents she has studied most closely — Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson — to show how they recognized leadership qualities within themselves and were recognized as leaders by others. By looking back to their first entries into public life, we encounter them at a time when their paths were filled with confusion, fear and hope. “Leadership” tells the story of how they all collided with dramatic reversals that disrupted their lives and threatened to shatter forever their ambitions. Nonetheless, they all emerged fitted to confront the contours and dilemmas of their times.

No common pattern describes the trajectory of leadership. Although set apart in background, abilities and temperament, these men shared a fierce ambition and a deep-seated resilience that enabled them to surmount uncommon hardships. At their best, all four were guided by a sense of moral purpose. At moments of great
challenge, they were able to summon their talents to enlarge the opportunities and lives of others. This seminal work provides an accessible and essential road map for aspiring and established leaders in every field. ♦