When I was given the book “Shoe Dog,” an autobiography written by Nike’s founder Phil Knight, as a Christmas gift, I knew I had to read it. Nike is one of my favorite brands and I love sports, especially basketball. So, I read the book in two months and it is the only book that made me cry—if you want to know why, read on and watch the video. In this episode, I will be sharing with you my key takeaways from this great book. Phil Knight’s success story is a must-read, especially for freelancers and entrepreneurs like us who navigate uncertainty and creative ideas every single day of our lives. KEY TAKEAWAYS Here are my favorite stories and key points from “Shoe Dog”: * What “shoe dog” means* How Phil Knight, a runner himself, came up with the crazy idea that was Nike* Japanese society in the 1960s, just a decade after the Second World War* Phil Knight’s adventures in pursuit of his idea of importing shoes from Japan to the United States* Why Phil Knight had to return to Manila Hotel * Where the name “Nike” came from (and why your favorite shoe brand was almost named “Dimension 6”)* How Nike pioneered “influencer marketing” by working with athletes* How Nike became one of the first American companies to open factories in China* How Nike responded to criticism and bad publicity concerning the working conditions of one of its factories* The $35-logo misconception* The tragedy that Phil Knight, already a billionaire at that time, had to go through QUOTE “I’d tell men and women in their midtwenties not to settle for a job or a profession or even a career. Seek a calling. Even if you don’t know what that means, seek it. If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt.” – Phil Knight “So that morning in 1962 I told myself: Let everyone else call your idea crazy . . . just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where “there” is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop.” – Phil Knight SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Our community will be having a Freelancers & Entrepreneurs Meetup on March 2, 2019. The meetup will run from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Ground Up Business Solutions space located at Werco Arcade, Lot 18, Dr. A. Santos Ave. (or Sucat Ave.), Paranaque City. While we freelancers work for ourselves, we don’t have to do it all alone. If you are looking for support and new friends, we would love to have you join us. For more info about the meetup, please visit: www.freelanceblend.com/meetupmar2019 LINKS * Grab a copy of the awesome book “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight using this link: http://amzn.to/2EbAvqX* In case you missed it, here’s that link again on our upcoming Freelancers & Entrepreneurs Meetup: www.freelanceblend.com/meetupmar2019* To watch other useful Facebook Live replays please visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/freelanceblend. To be notified when I do another Facebook Live call,