bookchickdi: business

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Monday, April 26, 2021

Le Deal by J. Byrne Murphy

Le Deal by J. Byrne Murphy

Published by Lyons Press ISBN 9781493060689

Trade paperback, $19.39, 304 pages

Business books aren't my usual cup of tea, but J. Byrne Murphy's Le Deal story of how his company brought the concept of high-end retail outlet shopping centers to Europe in the 1990s piqued my interest.

Murphy and his partners in McArthur Glen had some success opening retail shopping centers in the US, and saw their next move in taking the concept to Europe. The Savings & Loan financial crisis created havoc for many companies, including theirs, but Murphy and his partners believed this concept was a winner. They just had to find financial backing.

They believed their best move would be to start in England. The British were not keen on fashion outlet stores, afraid that they would hurt the big fashion shops in London. Why would people pay full price for clothes if they could get them cheaper in outlet shops? No, the big fashion houses would never go for that.

McArthur Glen explained that these outlet shops would be selling end of season clothes, directly owned and supplied by the big retail names themselves. Nonsense was the reply, the British do not want to shop at discount stores for fashion.

After convincing them of the concept, Murphy and his team discovered that they had competition in the form of a man they had come across before. Roger Morgan was a smart businessman, and they had had a good relationship- until now. It seemed that Morgan was always one step ahead of them, was he spying on them? Morgan "gazumped" them, a new term for me. In England, a real estate deal is not necessarily complete when the agreement is made. If another company offers more money even up to the moment before the closing, your deal can be "gazumped". That seems unfair.

Murphy moved with his wife to Paris, and he began to set the wheels in motion to open outlet centers in France. The steps that he had to take- from meeting with every politician in every small town they were looking at to site visits to winning approval to appeals to their win to eventually having their case before the French Supreme Court- are recounted in detail here.

The numerous political considerations in France were something Murphy and his team did not have to deal with in the United States. Every politician had an angle, and allegiances changed frequently. The disasterous EuroDisney experience hurt their credibility with the French as well. US businesses were not exactly welcomed with open arms.

I found the section where they were preparing for their grand opening in France most fascinating. As someone who worked in marketing in a mall, I could relate to all the preparations and excitement. McArthur Glen had to deal with possible protests from downtown merchants blocking the road and construction that was still going in inside the stores right up until the evening before the grand opening.

Le Deal is a business book that reads like a novel. From the differences in business culture in Europe to the criteria for site selection to the machinations of the politicians, it was all so interesting, and at times it feels like a thriller- will they get it done? You have to read it to find out how, and I recommend you do.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on J. Byrne Murphy's tour. The rest of his stops are here:

Monday, April 19th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Tuesday, April 20th: Instagram: @readingmama_reviews

Thursday, April 22nd: Musings of a Literary Wanderer

Monday, April 26th: bookchickdi

Tuesday, April 27th: Run Wright

Wednesday, April 28th: Instagram: @gracereads82

Wednesday, May 5th: Instagram: @megsbookclub

Thursday, May 6th: Jathan & Heather

Tuesday, May 11th: Man of La Book

Wednesday, May 12th: Instagram: @jenguerdy

Thursday, May 13th: Bibliotica

Friday, May 14th: What Is That Book About

Monday, April 5, 2021

No Pain, No Gaines by Chip Gaines

No Pain, No Gaines by Chip Gaines

Published by Thomas Nelson ISBN 9780785237914

Hardcover, $26.99, 190 pages

One the shows that put HGTV on the map is Fixer Upper starring the husband and wife team of Chip and Joanna Gaines, owners of Magnolia in Waco, Texas. Chip handles the demolition and remodeling of a house and Joanna does the creative and design of the home.

Chip is known as a goofy, funny, hardworking guy and he shares his philosophy of life and the things he has learned along the way in No Pain, No Gaines. Not the best student growing up, Chip found more value on hands-on, physical work.

He was a hard worker, a go-getter, even as a child, when he sold snacks at the local public tennis courts. In college, while others were having a good time, Chip had a lawn mowing business and earning nearly $30,000 annually. Sales always interested him, and he even had a stint selling books door to door.

When it became apparent that his career as a baseball player wasn't going to happen, Chip had to pivot. He was devastated at getting cut from the Baylor University baseball team, but meeting a guy who lost an eye in high school, and then had an aneurysm that led to brain surgery in college, woke Chip up.

Chip learned to "see the life in front of" him. He began to pay attention to life as it was happening around him, "ready to shift gears whenever necessary."

He also discovered the importance of having a network of people around him, people who will support and cheer you on. He gives his family- parents and sister, his in-laws- an opportunity to share their insights into and anecdotes about Chip that are so enlightening.

According to Chip, one of the most important things in understanding who you are involves making a list of Nonnegotiables, "a list of qualities that are an unwavering part of who you are", your core values. When your actions don't line up with your nonnegotionables, you become unmoored.

Gaines believes in taking chances, and listening to your gut. He says you also have to be willing to fail; as successful as he and Joanna are with their media empire (a TV network, retail store, restaurant, magazine, decor line at Target, etc.), they came close to declaring bankruptcy at one point.

I'm not someone who watched Fixer Upper, but I have to say that I found much to like in No Pain, No Gaines. I'm also not someone who reads a lot of self-help or business advice books, but much of Gaines' advice and experiences he shares are interesting, useful, and thought-provoking. It's written in an easy, conversational voice, and if you are a Chip and Joanna Gaines fan, you'll get even more out of this book.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Chip Gaines' tour. The rest of his stops are here:

Print review tour:

Monday, April 5th: Bookchickdi

Wednesday, April 7th: Mammanatty’s Raves and Reviews

Thursday, April 8th: Literary Quicksand

Friday, April 9th: Running Through the Storms

Monday, April 12th: @workreadsleeprepeat

Monday, April 12th: Palmer’s Page Turners

Wednesday, April 14th: Leighellen Landskov and @mommaleighellensbooknook

Thursday, April 15th: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife

Friday, April 16th: @books_faith_love

Monday, April 19th: Nurse Bookie and @nurse_bookie

Tuesday, April 20th: What is That Book About

Wednesday, April 21st: @stumblingintobooks

Thursday, April 22nd: A Bookish Way of Life

Friday, April 23rd: Pacific Northwest Bookworm and @pnwbookworm

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Eat Sleep Work Repeat by Bruce Daisley

Eat Sleep Work Repeat by Bruce Daisley
Published by Harper One ISBN 9780062944504
Hardcover, $25.99, 312 pages

Bruce Daisley, Vice President of Twitter Europe and host of the business podcast Eat Sleep Work, puts his expertise on the page in his new book Eat Sleep Work Repeat.

Using advice from experts in psychology, economics and behavioral science, and citing in his extensive bibliography popular books like Susan Cain's Quiet, Atul Gawande's The Checklist Manifesto, and Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, Daisley has 30 hacks to help people become more productive and happier at work.

The book is divided into three sections- Recharge, which has advice to make you more productive, Sync, which is geared towards team building, and Buzz, which gives the reader tips from successful teams.

Recharge is the section most relevant to individuals at work, and the section that I found most helpful. The first suggestion begins with multiple studies that posits that the popular "open plan" design of offices, where everyone works in cubicles and no one has offices, doesn't work well. Daisley's conclusion is that the noise and constant distractions of the open plan office create massive amounts of wasted time.

Studies show that people who work in open plan offices take "significantly more sick days", and that when they are at work, they are interrupted an average of every three minutes by coworkers with questions. (That reminds me of being a mom of a toddler.)

Younger workers tend to use headphones at work, a habit that older workers find offensive. However, studies show that people wearing headphones actually allow workers to concentrate on their tasks without being interrupted. Daisley suggests that headphones be allowed for part of the day, say in the morning, and then following the lunch break, no headphones are allowed, which encourages people to share ideas more freely.

Contrary to popular belief in many industries, like finance, working more hours doesn't mean that more work gets done. Dailey cites studies that have concluded that the human brain is hardwired to make a certain number of decisions per day and once you reach that limit, you can't make any more. The quality of decisions made after working more hours decreases significantly.

Daisley has also concluded that we should complete our most complex tasks before lunch, when our minds are freshest. Taking breaks are important, and he suggests taking a walk during lunch or even holding a meeting during a walk with colleagues can be productive. A change of scenery and fresh air can refresh the mind as well as the body.

Some suggestions Daisley has for employers include cutting the number of meetings in half, having dedicated meeting-free days, and hosting an alcohol-free "Happy Hour" in the office at the end of the week with snacks and beverages to encourage people to interact with colleagues (although he does mention that this may be unfair to parents who have to get home to children).

I found Eat Sleep Work Repeat to be an interesting read, both from the viewpoint of employees and employers. Daisley aggregates several studies, and uses his own vast experience, to share ideas that can make our workdays less stressful and more productive. Everyone can find something useful here and I recommend it.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Bruce Daisley's tour. The rest of his tour is here: