Over time, our anxiety builds up; it either implodes or explodes. My anxiety has gotten me to that point several times. I'm Tiisetso Maloma and I am an Anxious Entrepreneur. Through the years I have stumbled across, and even formulated, some anxiety-defusing techniques. Entrepreneurship is nerve wrecking, especially when things are not going according to your plan. This is probably most of the time.This is because entrepreneurs, rightfully so, are always focused on achieving certain goals. We pursue opportunities we have always thought to be lucrative and this creates great expectations. We pine over visions, we obsess about how to reach those goals and even go as far as imagining how many units our products will sell. The funny thing is, nobody has control over reality and things don't always pan out the way we had envisioned them. Subconsciously, we are shaken when our expectations are not met and this gets us anxious and at times depressed. It should not come as a surprise that entrepreneurs are more prone to mental pains than the general population. A study entitled, "Are Entrepreneurs Touched with Fire", by Dr Michael Freeman, surveyed 242 entrepreneurs; 174 (72%) of them had mental health concerns, 118 (49%) had one or more lifelong mental health condition and 13 (5.4%) of them were suicidal - the numbers are rounded off. If you are doing the math right now, you will realise that some of them fell into all three categories. In contrast to entrepreneurs, the world's lifetime depression prevalence, as measured by the World Health Organization, ranges from 3% to 17%. I am the top-dog at being anxious and to make it worse, I dabble in a couple of projects all at the same time. Some call that Parallel Entrepreneurship. It is crazy. I am always anxious about multiple things. Anxiety plays out like this...It invades our productivity and therefore our goals. All it takes is to not see progress in a day, then a week or a month. The next thing you know, you are standing at the peak of the highest anxiety hill, depressingly recalling your record of failures and doubting your future.Well, this book tells of several anxiety-causing incidents, set in different situations, which you are likely to relate to. This book does not concern itself with defining anxiety or depression or any other mental disorders. It is not an academic journal either. It is fun. It is a collection of anecdotes, emotions, feelings, frustrations and philosophies that will show you that, when anxiety is removed from your entrepreneurial process, creativity reaches its optimum.You cannot be anxious and creative at the same time. Anxiety and creativity cannot coexist, so one must give way for the other. Anxiety trumps creativity and creativity trumps anxiety.The Anxious Entrepreneur is for aspiring and start-up entrepreneurs. It will get you in tune with the ventures you love and introduce you to robust ways of pursuing them. It will at best encourage you to look at new ways to deal with anxiety and at the very least provide you with some perspective.Unintentionally, this book is also about marketing and branding, which remains a headache for entrepreneurs, especially start-ups. It is also about:* Ways of coming up with unthought-of opportunities * Keeping you going with the bare essentials and making progress with limited resources * Tapping into your potential and making good ground * How to gain the hustle and refuel it* Testing business ideas without committing massive resources* How not to let the fear of 'failure reputation' stop and throttle you* Tactful networking

Over time, our anxiety builds up; it either implodes or explodes. My anxiety has gotten me to that point several times. I'm Tiisetso Maloma and I am an Anxious Entrepreneur. Through the years I have stumbled across, and even formulated, some anxiety-defusing techniques. Entrepreneurship is nerve wrecking, especially when things are not going according to your plan. This is probably most of the time.This is because entrepreneurs, rightfully so, are always focused on achieving certain goals. We pursue opportunities we have always thought to be lucrative and this creates great expectations. We pine over visions, we obsess about how to reach those goals and even go as far as imagining how many units our products will sell. The funny thing is, nobody has control over reality and things don't always pan out the way we had envisioned them. Subconsciously, we are shaken when our expectations are not met and this gets us anxious and at times depressed. It should not come as a surprise that entrepreneurs are more prone to mental pains than the general population. A study entitled, "Are Entrepreneurs Touched with Fire", by Dr Michael Freeman, surveyed 242 entrepreneurs; 174 (72%) of them had mental health concerns, 118 (49%) had one or more lifelong mental health condition and 13 (5.4%) of them were suicidal - the numbers are rounded off. If you are doing the math right now, you will realise that some of them fell into all three categories. In contrast to entrepreneurs, the world's lifetime depression prevalence, as measured by the World Health Organization, ranges from 3% to 17%. I am the top-dog at being anxious and to make it worse, I dabble in a couple of projects all at the same time. Some call that Parallel Entrepreneurship. It is crazy. I am always anxious about multiple things. Anxiety plays out like this...It invades our productivity and therefore our goals. All it takes is to not see progress in a day, then a week or a month. The next thing you know, you are standing at the peak of the highest anxiety hill, depressingly recalling your record of failures and doubting your future.Well, this book tells of several anxiety-causing incidents, set in different situations, which you are likely to relate to. This book does not concern itself with defining anxiety or depression or any other mental disorders. It is not an academic journal either. It is fun. It is a collection of anecdotes, emotions, feelings, frustrations and philosophies that will show you that, when anxiety is removed from your entrepreneurial process, creativity reaches its optimum.You cannot be anxious and creative at the same time. Anxiety and creativity cannot coexist, so one must give way for the other. Anxiety trumps creativity and creativity trumps anxiety.The Anxious Entrepreneur is for aspiring and start-up entrepreneurs. It will get you in tune with the ventures you love and introduce you to robust ways of pursuing them. It will at best encourage you to look at new ways to deal with anxiety and at the very least provide you with some perspective.Unintentionally, this book is also about marketing and branding, which remains a headache for entrepreneurs, especially start-ups. It is also about:* Ways of coming up with unthought-of opportunities * Keeping you going with the bare essentials and making progress with limited resources * Tapping into your potential and making good ground * How to gain the hustle and refuel it* Testing business ideas without committing massive resources* How not to let the fear of 'failure reputation' stop and throttle you* Tactful networking

An ethnographic study of China’s new elites and their rarified world of debauchery and corruption: “A must have book for China studies” (Choice). This pioneering investigation reveals the private lives—and the nightlives—of the powerful entrepreneurs and managers redefining success and status in the Chinese city of Chengdu. For more than three years, anthropologist John Osburg accompanied wealthy Chinese businessmen as they courted clients, partners, and government officials. Now he invites readers along on his journey through the highly gendered world of luxury karaoke clubs, saunas, and massage parlors—places designed to cater to the desires of elite men. Within these spaces, a masculinization of business is taking place. Osburg details the complex code of behavior that governs businessmen as they go about banqueting, drinking, gambling, bribing, exchanging gifts, and obtaining sexual services. These intricate social networks play a key role in generating business, performing social status, and reconfiguring gender roles. Yet underneath the façade, many entrepreneurs feel trapped by their obligations and moral compromises in this evolving environment. Osburg examines their deep ambivalence about China’s future and their own complicity in the major issues of post-Mao Chinese society—corruption, inequality, materialism, and loss of trust.

Marketing has become a dirty word, a source of mistrust and a nightmare for many entrepreneurs.But what if marketing didn't have to be pushy, soul stealing, and focused on hustle and hype? What if there was a way you could connect with clients authentically and in alignment with your values and still make money? What if purpose and profit could coexist in the business world? Enter the Gentle MARKETING REVOLUTION.Structured around three phases of transformation that revolutionize the traditional Ps of marketing, along with thought-provoking questions to guide the way, Santacroce lays out the necessary steps to replace the old way of marketing with a way that is aligned with your values, your story, and your own unique approach-with profound results. You are in business to share your gifts with the world. The Gentle Marketing Revolution is the compass you need on your journey!

Carly's goal for you: become a happy, healthy, successful, business-minded boss. Part self-help wisdom, part business school teaching, and part interactive workbook pages, plus real-life advice from 15 amazing, thriving entrepreneurs: this book is everything you need to know to turn your creative passion into a successful company. With clarity and approachability, this complete guide will teach you how to monetize your creativity with a sustainable operation: ideation and business plans, branding, bookkeeping, accounting, marketing, management, social media, and more. Maybe you want to become a social media influencer like Carly. Maybe you want to sell cake pops on the side. Maybe you want to design beautiful branding for small business owners, or maybe you want to run a coffee cart on campus! Whatever your idea, the same responsible business principles apply. With dedicated space for you to write down your own ideas, Carly will walk you through the process, step-by-step. Through it all, Carly will remind you of your true goal: you started your business to make you happy. That's not a bad thing! You can't field calls, answer emails, manage your accounts, and so on, if you're not taking care of yourself first. With firsthand wisdom, she'll encourage you to live a happy entrepreneur's lifestyle because YOU are your business's greatest asset. With insight from some of the best women in the entrepreneurial game, this book will become your most-trusted resource. Thank you to the owners of these amazing small businesses: Chappy Wrap, chloédigital, Sarah Flint, Sarah O. Jewelry, Lycette Designs, Margaux, Oui Create, Grace Rose Farm, Dudley Stephens, Diane Hill, Sara Fitz, BFB Hair and dae Hair, Addison Bay, and The Tiny Tassel!

Chronicling the true story of one entrepreneur's journey, The Mindful Entrepreneur provides a raw, brutally honest account of how to transform the frustrations, pain and struggles faced by countless business owners into stability, growth, freedom and meaning.