Living Simplified - The Essence of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

/ Prior Business Consulting/
Living Simplified - The Essence of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

Success generates choices - both for people and societies. As Greg McKeown describes in his 2014 New York Times bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, any individual that becomes successful will have access to increasing choices as others come to recognize them as being capable of managing greater responsibility. Yet, even for the average person, technology and the success of modern American society as a whole has made a greater volume of choices accessible than ever before. Virtually limitless access to information, dozens of software-driven shortcuts to managing everyday tasks, high-speed travel, constant connectivity and more has left us with a dizzying array of options for how to invest our time and energies.

This article distills Essentialism into three core paradigm shifts proposed in his book that can help you understand the essence of what it means to be “an Essentialist,” and to live a more focused and meaningful life.

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Timeless Principles in a Social World: From How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

/ Prior Biz Consulting/
Timeless Principles in a Social World: From How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Some ideas stand the test of time because they tap into something profoundly true buried deeply in human nature and even nature itself. Nearly a century ago, Dale Carnegie published How to Win Friends and Influence People, well before the boom of self-development and communication literature flooded the modern marketplace. His simple but incisive insights for dealing with people have sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, defined an entire genre of content, and been considered by Time Magazine and many other sources (even the Library of Congress), to be one of the most influential books in American history, and even all-time. 


Much of Caregie’s work was birthed from his belief that it is possible to change other people’s behavior by changing one’s behavior towards them. In a social world of unprecedented connectedness fueled by communication technology and mass media, these principles are as important and potent as ever. Never before in human history has it been possible for nearly limitless instantaneous interactions with people across the world, so here is a reminder of some ideas for dealing with people that may just change their behavior, and your life for the better…

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Business Planning: Navigating the Early Stages of Business Growth

/ Prior Business Consulting/
Business Planning: Navigating the Early Stages of Business Growth

Small-businesses and start-ups range widely in their problems, patterns, and journey, and categorizing those experiences in a meaningful and useful way can be challenging. Yet, despite the uniqueness of their process, almost all entrepreneurs share a similar set of responsibilities. While timeframes, product complexity, organizational structures, and strategic goals vary, every entrepreneur faces at least three core responsibilities for their business: Survival, growth, and direction. These shared responsibilities occur continuously, simultaneously, and yet sequentially, since only if/once successfully managing one can the others be effectively addressed. Therefore, these ongoing activities might also might be considered as three cyclical stages of progress that all small-business owners face.

This article will discuss three core questions that any business owner should be able to answer clearly, concisely, and specifically at any stage if they want to navigate the difficult cycles of growth.

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