ABOUT THE BOOK
"Perfect book for these uncertain times." —Steve Forbes, Chariman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media
"Richie Norton has written a book about courage. The courage to do work that matters and to do it with your heart and your soul. Go make something happen."
—Seth Godin, author of The Icarus Deception
What if the smartest people in the world understand something that the rest of us don’t? (They do.) What if they know that in order to achieve success, they will sometimes have to do things that others may initially perceive as stupid? The fact of the matter is that the smartest people in the world don’t run from stupid, they lean into it (in a smart way).
In The Power of Starting Something Stupid, Richie Norton redefines stupid as we know it, demonstrating that life-changing ideas are often tragically mislabeled “stupid.” What if the key to success, creativity, and fulfillment in your life lies in the potential of those “stupid” ideas? This deeply inspiring book will teach you
-How to crush fear, make dreams happen, and live without regret.
-How to overcome obstacles such as lack of time, lack of education, or lack of money.
-The 5 actions of the New Smart to achieve authentic success. No more excuses.
Learn how to start something stupid—the smartest thing you can do.
Drawing on years of research, including hundreds of face-to-face interviews and some of the world’s greatest success stories past and present, Richie shows you how stupid is the New Smart—the common denominator for success, creativity, and innovation in business and life.
ABOUT THE AUTHORRichie was named one of Hawaii’s Top Forty Under 40 “best and brightest young businesspersons” by Pacific Business News at age 29. He is a ChangeAid award winner for outstanding accomplishment in international development, international relations, humanitarian aid and academic achievement. He is also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
Richie is the CEO of Global Consulting Circle, a boutique international business development consultancy. He is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Starting Something Stupid (Shadow Mountain Publishing), as well as the popular eBook and audio book, Resumes Are Dead and What to Do About It (Shadow Mountain Publishing).
He is a sought after speaker and consultant for the corporate growth and personal development industries. Richie has shared the stage with bestselling authors such as Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen M.R. Covey, author of The Speed of Trust and Kevin Rollins, former CEO of Dell Computers.
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REVIEW
I am a fan of inspirational nonfiction, which this book definitely is. My problem is following through on what I learn. I did appreciate thoroughly the ideas that Norton so clearly articulates. The idea that 'stupid is the New Smart.' He points out that many of the things we, as a society, take for granted today were considered, 'stupid' when they were first proposed. Things such as the telephone, the automobile, satellites, landing on the moon were all scoffed at by many influential people before becoming a reality. Yet do to the convictions and determination of certain individuals those things have become a big part of modern society.
Of course, acting on a dream or course of action that others consider stupid requires a certain kind of mindset. And 'stupid is the New Smart' is not the same thing as unhealthy stupidity where the risk is rarely if ever worth the price. Unhealthy stupidity needs to be avoided while ideas that are considered stupid but really aren't should be pursued. That doesn't mean that it is an easy process however, because it most certainly is not. Pursuing something that those around you consider stupid takes courage and a firm belief that the possibilities of success are worth the risk.
I especially liked the idea that Norton expresses in a relatively simple statement: Live to Start, Start to Live. I think what he means is that we will never know where an idea might take us if we don't give it a shot. That does not mean however that we should rush into things. One does need to make sure that there is a good possibility of success and that the idea really is the New Smart. It reminds me of the statement: You reap what you sow. I believe he is trying to say that you can't reap anything if you never sow anything. And it is in trying new things and following our dreams that we really start living. If we wait for life to come to us, we will be waiting a long time for something that may never happen.
A thought-provoking and inspiring read, I can recommend this book with ease. While especially appropriate for business owners there is much here that is appropriate for anyone with a dream.
Very nice article. I'm amazed that you're also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt like me.
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