A Book Review: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

People with passion start movements, disrupt industries and change the world for the better. A real life example of passion was displayed by Phil Knight, the founder of Nike. I recently read his book Shoe Dog for the second time. Phil Knight was a college runner at the University of Oregon then went on to get his MBA from Stanford. He founded a company called Blue Ribbon and sold shoes out of his car before eventually founding Nike. 

Phil Knight persevered through countless struggles with manufacturing, financing, lawsuits and competitors. The company was constantly on the brink of bankruptcy for 16 years until they finally went public in 1980. The constant theme is that when you do something that you love you are able to rise above the stress and uncertainty and solider on. He was fanatical about running and turned what he loved into a multi-billion dollar company. Stories like his are inspiring and remind us that it’s possible to live your dream. You should never settle for the status quo and always keep a growth mindset. People like Phil Knight are inspiring because they are willing to do whatever in takes to make their dreams a reality. 

This paragraph from the book eloquently describes the thoughts of someone who truly loves what they do, "When you make something, when you improve something,when you deliver something, when you add some new thing or service to the lives of strangers, making them happier, or healthier, or safer, or better, and when you do it all crisply and efficiently, smartly, the way everything should be done but so seldom is- you're participating more fully in the whole grand human drama. More than simply alive, you're helping others to live more fully, and if that's business, all right, call me a businessman."

What are you doing to live out your passion and improve the lives of others? It's a new year and we should all strive to improve the human condition and make this world a healthier, happier and safer place. 

Aaron