Book Review: "You Call the Shots" by Cameron Johnson

Several weeks ago my wife purchased me a book at Borders bookstore titled "You
Call the Shots" by Cameron Johnson. When she brought the book home I looked
at the front and back cover and had very little interest in reading it.

After all, I had a "stack" of books on my desk waiting for me to read. So my
wife did the unthinkable. She read the "business" book. And, she loved it.

Let me tell you, my wife never reads "business" books. After seeing her
positive reaction, I put down what I was reading and started reading
"You Call the Shots."

It was amazing. No. It was fascinating. It captivated my attention. I
couldn't put the book down.

The book discussed the entrepreneurial ventures of Cameron Johnson, a successful
"kid" entrepreneur from Virginia. Cameron was no ordinary kid. When most kids
were busy playing sports and going to school, he was spending all his free time
building successful businesses. Keep in mind, this all started before
he even was a teenager.

The book illuminates his different business adventures over an approximate
12-year span. More importantly, Cameron discusses many of the lessons he
learned along the way.

Some of the key lessons (summarized) include:

1. Start Small: When you first start out as an entrepreneur, you should start
small. Don't feel obligated to sell everything you own. Keep your day job
while you build your business, part-time. If possible, work out of your home.

2. Look Close to Home for Great Ideas: Don't be under false impressions that you
need to live in a big city or move away to start a successful business. There
are opportunities for business ideas all around us. We all have "ideas" about
how we could improve something. We could easily turn these ideas into a
business.

3. Surround Yourself with Great People: No successful entrepreneur can succeed
without the help of others. If you don't get help from others, you are limited
to your own abilities. If you team up with other people who have different
strengths and skills than you, you can grow your business faster and bigger.

4. Make Your Own Tough Decisions: Entrepreneurs frequently make tough decisions.
To succeed, you should seek others input, when possible, but you should always
make your own decisions. Learn to trust your instincts.

5. Find Great Mentors: The easiest way to succeed in any venture is to find
mentors. You can learn from their mistakes, so you don't have to make the same
mistakes. You can find mentors locally and you can also find mentors by reading
books.

6. Seek Out Knowledge Every Day: Commit yourself to learning something new every
day. Read books. Become a student of your profession. If you learn one new
thing each day, how much better would your business be one year from now?

7. And so much more!

In summary, Cameron Johnson is a unique and successful entrepreneur. We can all
learn something from his story. This 260-page "must read" is a great investment
for $13.00.


To see a list of other "must read" books for entrepreneurs, visit my website at
http://www.charlesholmes.net/Recommended_Readings.html Charles Holmes is a successful author, entrepreneur and marketing guru.