When you run around an oval track, or down an empty road, you have no real destination.

The rewards are few and far from guaranteed. In writing about his idea to start a running shoe company, Knight observed, “ Few ideas are as crazy as my favorite thing, running. The motivation can, or as Knight seems to suggest, must come from within yourself. I’ve found that too many people operate their businesses as if it were only a means to an end - making lots of money, selling lots of stuff, being “successful.” All of that can be true, but it also seems that running a business can be an end unto itself. Running a business is - or should be - like running itself. So here a just a few of the gems of wisdom that I gleaned from Shoe Dog: And while I agree with Gates’ assessment that it doesn’t seem Knight set out to teach the reader anything, I do think it conveys some important lessons and observations about starting a business and building a brand - and that is what I want to share here. I suggest you read Bill Gates’ write-up about the book which perfectly captures its essence. This wonderful book combines corporate memoir (Knight recounts some of the most significant moments in the early years of Nike’s founding) with personal confessional (Knight reveals with surprising candor his fears, vulnerabilities, and mistakes). When Phil doubted pursuing his mission after extreme setbacks he reminded himself that “life is growth, you grow or die” which always got him back on track.Today I break with my usual Brand Book Bites format of author interview and book overview to share about the book Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. Secondly how close Phil came to the business closing down on so many occasions that you have to read the book to believe it, with bank account closures, freezing funds, product to market timing issues, global supply and demand problems… The two things I found most remarkable were firstly whilst Phil was hungry at gaining traction in the market, the majority of the book explains how his loving family supported him whether that was his dad with the initial funding, his wife Penny’s relentless support or his loyal friends (partners) throughout the toughest of times “getting help is just a part of a lifelong search for wisdom”. It was such a detailed personal account of Phil’s journey to founding Nike it made it so relatable, whether that’s resilience to knock-backs, hiking for a few weeks around Japan in your 20s, or pursuing a passion which society throws eggs at – I’m sure those who threw unpleasantries at his running group in the 60s were wearing Nike shoes in the 80s! This is the best story I’ve ever read, it’s also the most recommended, so thank you to everyone who recommended it, it finally got to the top of my wish list.

Shoe book nike