Although I don't admit it when out in public, I'm a CPA. Luckily, I'm married to a woman who is okay with the fact that her husband dorks out over numbers. (To be fair, though, she doesn't admit that I'm a CPA in public either.) Since I left public accounting to start my company, friends and advisors have told me that the conflict between the "entrepreneurial" and "CPA" ways of thinking would drive me crazy. I hate to admit it, but in some senses, they're right. Take revenue,

We work with many vendors in the book industry, and we've seen all sorts of personalities, styles, business practices and policies. Sure we've seen our share of bad eggs, but in most cases, we have had great relationships with our vendors. This has given us many advantages over other publishers -- not the least of which are low prices, superior information, and great customer service. Our strong vendor alliances are no coincidence -- we've learned over the years how to cultiv

It seemed natural to, at some point, blog about great books. I am, after all, a publisher. In order to make this list credible, though, I have not included any of the books we have published, or even books by authors whom I know or I have met. So, then, if I have published your book, or if I know you, please do not be offended that your book is not on this list. What follows is a list, in no particular order, of 10 great books that every entrepreneur or employee of an entrepr

This was my second year in Omaha for the most famous annual corporate meeting in the world. Berkshire Hathaway has been an American icon for years, and the recent drama surrounding David Sokol made this year's meeting, held on April 30, extra special. I found the event fantastic and walked away with some great pearls of wisdom. Warren Buffett, the "Oracle of Omaha" and Berkshire's legendary chairman and CEO, and Charlie Munger, Buffett's deputy, were on their A-games and did

Every four years our country elects a new president. Then, after a few months of relative silence, the process begins again. It feels like there is always some angle to cover whether it’s an election year or not. And the rhetoric gets worse and worse every cycle. If you're still enjoying the soap opera between the politicians, give it a few days, and no matter who you want to win, you'll be going crazy. Other than complain about the non-stop campaigning, what can you do?

Much of the rhetoric we’re hearing in the media today talks about the huge gap between rich and poor. Politicians of all parties discuss this issue, but none get to the root of the problem. It’s true that the gap between the richest 10 percent of the country and the remaining 90 percent is growing, but from that point on, most politicians get it wrong. The gap is increasing because all sides are making more money. Yes, the top 1% are getting richer, but that also means the e

The sky is falling. The economy is in the tank. Your 401(k) will soon be worthless. No one is spending. Job cuts are swift and deep. We're all going to die painful deaths. Right? Nope. We all go through tough economic times, but they are the best times to make real money. People who pay close attention to the market, the economy, and the world can make lifetime of wealth in these periods of time. It just comes down to the right perspective. Think about it this way: A forest f

There is no single aspect of any business more important than cash. In fact, it's the only really unifying element of all businesses -- cash is the lifeblood. It's the reason you're in business, it's what you're trying to get, and it's how you can measure your success. I've heard countless CEOs say that they don't have time to worry about cash. "That's why I have a CFO/Controller/accounting department," they argue. I can't think of a more ignorant comment for someone to make.

Some of the best innovations we've had in business come from what I call the Meteorite Plan. The premise is, what would you do if a huge meteorite crashed directly into your problem, destroying it and the framework for it in one fell swoop? Your visualization of this scenario may vary (you can replace the meteorite with any sort of disaster) but the results will provide you with a new perspective based on needs, not limitations. The Meteorite Plan works best with a problem th