Andy Frisella NOTE: Click on the image or title of each book on the following pages to find it on Amazon. But a warning: the show is not for delicate flowers or snowflakes. I provide that list. I actually take a step further and riff on some of the key ideas or lessons I’ve learned from some of the books and people that I’ve been influenced by.com/podcast. Keep Killing It. A WORD FROM ANDY A lot of our MFCEO Project listeners. but in some cases. Either way. I’m just going to talk about an idea that I thought was helpful—practical and actionable. you should check us out: themfceo. social media followers and friends have asked me to list my favorite books. I’m not necessarily going to talk about the one big idea that they are known for. 1 . It’s for people who want to be the mother fucking CEO of their own lives and are tired of all the rainbows and unicorns bullshit they experience in other places. In this booklet. I hope this list is helpful to you. If you came across this booklet and you’re not an MFCEO Project listener. for quality. You should not strive for good. PART 1 5 Badass Books with 5 Badass Principles BOOK #1 THE LOMBARDI RULES by Vince Lombardi BADASS PRINCIPLE: “Chase perfection. That will NOT take you to elite levels of success.” That’s what Lombardi says. people play to the level of their expectations for themselves. Execution is rarely perfect. They play to the level of their expectation of themselves. When it comes to mindset. You should strive for PERFECTION. We’ve talked about this before: Average people play to the level of their opponents. or even excellence. The average person has a “good enough” mentality. 2 . you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your life. You’ll find more good thoughts in the The Lombardi Rules. But that’s not the fucking point. But the EXPECTATION has to be perfection. THE DIFFERENCE is that their expectation is PERFECTION! Here’s the reality: You won’t always do things perfectly. Truly successful people are no different.” MY TAKE: “If you settle for nothing less than your best. That’s the only way to maintain an elite level of excellence in everything you do. (I think of Seth Godin. I just can’t fucking say this enough: STOP Looking for some new. That’s exactly what I’ve done. Check out Awaken the Giant Within and Unlimited Power. Do them. original. 3 . Period. In other words. etc – who come up with some pretty original business or marketing ideas. IT DOESN’T FUCKING EXIST. never-tried-be- fore formula for success. leaders. They might communicate those princi- ples and actions in a way that is new and innovative. Then copy them. BOOK #2 AWAKEN THE GIANT WITHIN by Tony Robbins BADASS PRINCIPLE: “Success leaves clues. There are people in this world – authors. Look at every truly successful person’s life and you’ll see “clues” (as Tony calls them) of what made them successful.” MY TAKE: Tony is a big proponent of modeling strategies that have proven to work. But the core ideas and actions are the SAME from person to person to person.) But here’s the reality: At the core of their life. Period. It’s not rocket science. find someone who is doing what you want to do and living the life you want to live and FUCK- ING COPY what they do. Tony says that in a lot of his books and writings. the principles and actions that made them successful ARE NOT FUCKING ORIGINAL. Hardly ever in life will you ACT and do EVERYTHING WRONG. EVERYBODY can struggle with self- doubt and self-confidence. the whole “what if I fuck things up” is a fucking excuse. It’s like when some nerdy guy asks a hot girl out. But you need confidence to be successful. Execution. but at least she’s nice about it. The more you act. or procrastinate something. She says no. BOOK #3 THE MAGIC OF THINKING BIG by David Schwartz BADASS PRINCIPLE: “Action Cures Fear” MY TAKE: Here’s the reality: EVERYBODY is afraid to step out and attempt something great. the more confident you’ll become. I guess we’re doing this!” Now the asterisk hole is going to say: “Well what if you act and you fuck things up? That will undermine your confidence. it’s a crazy phenomenon: That movement creates confidence. And that’s what feeds fear. The more confident you become. You need a little swag. Very few people in life just have a natural sense of confidence. but HOLY SHIT I actually asked. I’m going to do it again and again and again!” And the thing is. 4 . He might say. And that contributes to confidence as well. How do you overcome fear and get confidence? ACTION CURES FEAR. It’s hard to explain but the confidence comes from the ACTION not the result. “Well hell yeah. right?” No. That’s why I’m all about ACTION. And knowing what you did wrong – you learn. that gives your brain time to think of all the way that things might go wrong. Here’s the thing: When you are indecisive. The longer you put things off. Your body moves ahead and your brain says. the more you start taking control of your life. but you’ll build confidence based on what you did right. But when you ACT. This isn’t so hard. You’ll have mixed results at first. “I didn’t get her to say yes. the bigger the feel will be. We have to be intentional about using them. They are assets that most of us don’t use. you have just begun the process because in each of these cases. But the elite people – the people on the highest level of success ACTIVELY THINK AND TALK about their plans and desires AND they ACT. The way we use them leads to results. or on a reminder note on your fridge. But we do have to use them. put it on your cal- endar. We don’t take advantage of them. Moderately successful people ACT but maybe don’t talk enough. BOOK #4 THE LAW OF ATTRACTION by Michael Losier BADASS PRINCIPLE: “In the moment you think about a new desire. There’s a huge power in our thoughts and desires and words.” MY TAKE: The reason I like this idea – the reason it has been in- fluential to me – is that it recognizes that our THOUGHTS AND DESIRES AND WORDS are just like actions. 5 . I just can’t emphasize this enough: average people TALK and DON’T ACT. you are giving your new desire attention. It’s not an either/or. talk about it. It’s a both/and. energy and focus. write about it. character is des- tiny. the bottom line is that your character and the culture of your business – hell. you have to be a good person and do the right fucking thing. For organizations. culture is destiny. IMPROVE Yourself. BOOK #5 DELIVERING HAPPINESS by Tony Hsieh BADASS PRINCIPLE: “For individuals. Because let’s be honest: You are the driving force of your business. Everything about the business flows out of who you are. Personally. And the culture of your business will flow out of that. So before you try to improve the culture of your business. Your business culture will follow you. I got that from Tony’s book Delivering Happiness. All the time.” MY TAKE: For me. your whole life – are tied to one an- other. 6 . You have to be hard working and loyal and pos- itive and all that shit. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS WORTHLESS. CRUSH IT by Gary Vaynerchuk This is a classic. This is a must-read for taking your passion or interests and build- ing an empire. It’s one of the books that—along with Tony Hsieh’s Deliv- ering Happiness—helped me become a millionaire. His approach to custom- er service and sales hugely influenced my own. Some of the examples in the original version are now dated. But his basic idea is a killer one: you can design a life and work situation for your- self where you aren’t a slave to someone else. You can have the freedom to dictate your focus and work schedule. CUSTOMER LOYALTY IS PRICELESS by Jeffrey Gitomer Like his other books. 7. but the principles are proven and timeless. PART II Quick Thoughts on 17 Killer Books (In No Particular Order of Importance) 6. The title of the book pretty much tells you what it’s about. 8. THE 4-HOUR WORK WEEK by Tim Ferriss Ferriss has some interesting ideas and they are not for everyone. This book shows you how. 7 . Gitomer completely turns the conventional wisdom upside down and shows a better way of thinking. Read it to develop your competitive mindset. ALL IN: HOW THE BEST MANAGERS CREATE A CULTURE OF BELIEF AND DRIVE BIG RESULTS by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton The subtitle pretty much explains the contents. It’s a heavy. this book is a classic. the author. This book is fucking awesome. is. deep book. THIRD CIRCLE THEORY: PURPOSE THROUGH OBSERVATION by Pejman Ghadimi My friend PJ is one of the smartest dudes I know. 8 . He basically breaks down the thought-processes and practices of the success/wealth mindset and explains it in this book. 12. ALL MARKETER’S ARE LIARS TELL STORIES by Seth Godin It seems like Godin was talking about promoting your business by telling stories and being authentic before anyone else was. Incredible book. But Tim Gro- ver. RELENTLESS: FROM GOOD TO GREAT TO UNSTOPPABLE by Tim Grover Honestly? I have never met anyone as competitive as I am. And the people he worked with and interviewed are. It’s essential to shaping your approaching to marketing your brand or yourself. 10. too. and not what I would call easy reading.9. 11. Whether he was or not. But it’s worth it. 15. JAB. Many lessons learned that anyone can apply. JAB. and practices. WOODEN: A COACH’S LIFE by Seth Davis Don’t just read books by great and successful people. 9 . LAMBORGHINI: 40 YEARS by David Jolliffe I’m a car guy. HOW TO SET UP YOUR BUSINESS FOR UNDER $1000 by Dan Fleyshman and Branden Hampten The MFCEO Project episode with Dan is one of our best ever. 14. He was a great man on and off the court. It’s a great story of the develop- ment of an incredible company. 16. JAB. principles.13. This is a short and simple but thorough book that does exactly what the title says. RIGHT HOOK: HOW TO TELL YOUR STORY IN A NOISY WORLD by Gary Vaynerchuk Another classic on marketing and messaging. This is an incred- ible book about his life. Few coaches have dominated like UCLA’s John Wooden. so I had to include this one. I bought a copy for every person who works for me. Must-have for anyone starting out in entrepreneurialism. Read books about great and successful people. Cardone is a master salesman and entrepreneur and knows what it takes to succeed.17. 10 . THE 10X RULE by Grant Cardone I love Uncle Grant! Basic idea of this book: whatever your goals are. you should aim 10 times higher and plan to do 10 times more work than you think. And they’re pretty easy reads. Roane shares helpful tips for engaging people in small talk to going deeper in conversation. FACE TO FACE: HOW TO RECLAIM THE PERSONAL TOUCH IN THE DIGITAL WORLD by Susan Roane I really like this book a lot. PART III Vaughn The Impaler’s 7 Books for Making an Impact Successful people make an impact on other people. and more detailed than How to Win Friends and Influence People. right off the bat. HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE IN THE DIGITAL AGE by Dale Carnegie Since it was written in 1936. That’s what Andy talked about in epi- sode 78. 11 . she builds a great case for how inter- personal skills can help help you make more money. Among other things. There’s a reason why: In simple language. Want to improve your impact. these books will help you sharpen your skills for greater success in any area of life. this book has been a perennial bestseller. It’s eminently practical. the use of social media. Carnegie offers proven princi- ples and techniques for connecting with others in meaningful ways. too. And. This particular version has been updated to address modern issues—most notably. 1. for your gain and the good of the world? With topics ranging from interpersonal dynamics to character development. 2. to influence. Kawasaki. inspire. the material in this book is not rocket science. a very successful Holly- wood producer. HOW TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS IN 30 SECONDS OR LESS by Milo O. PERSUADE. 5. What makes this book uniquely helpful is the concept of influencing people by delighting them. AND ACTIONS by Guy Kawasaki In many ways. TELL TO WIN: CONNECT. and compelling. Guber. ENCHANTMENT: THE ART OF CHANGING HEARTS. MINDS. concise. AND TRIUMPH WITH THE HIDDEN POWER OF STORY by Peter Guber Few things are more effective for capturing the imagination and leaving an impact on people than good storytelling. 4. ask questions. shares the basics for how to spin a yarn or share an anec- dote. pay attention to body language…that sort of thing. 12 . who is/ was the chief brand evangelist for Apple. You can find it in most books on influence: Smile. Frank helps you be clear. knows a thing or two about persuasion. 3. Frank The title says it all. and yes—gain income. In this short but extremely valuable book. Maxwell shares some important principles and techniques for character development. Regardless of your reli- gious or philosophical background. or just wanting to powerfully influence people. This is a must-have. In this book. and Cialdini This is a simplified version of Robert Cialdini’s classic work Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. I think you’ll find it helpful. YES! 50 SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN WAYS TO BE PERSUASIVE by Goldstein. 6. Who you are over the course of your life will have far more impact than what you do in a particular moment. BEYOND TALENT: BECOME SOMEONE WHO GETS EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS by John Maxwell Making an impact on the world isn’t ultimately about communication skills and interpersonal tricks. whether you are in sales. 7. 13 . It’s about being the right kind of person. customer service. The principles are backed by tons of studies and are very applicable. Martin. com ABOUT VAUGHN THE IMPALER Vaughn Kohler. international speaker. speaker. Connect with Andy Instagram: @andyfrisella Snapchat: @MFCEO-1 Facebook: facebook. and—in his words—”reg- ular dude. He is the host of an extremely popular and top-rated business and success podcast. editor. ABOUT ANDY FRISELLA Andy Frisella is a successful entrepreneur. 1st Phorm International.com/andrewfrisella Website: themfceo. most notably. aka “Vaughn the Impaler” is a writer. which designs. entrepreneur. which can be found on iTunes. he considers himself “a point person for people of impact.” Connect with Vaughn Instagram: @vaughnkohler Twitter: @vaughnkohler Website: vaughnkohler. With a special interest and expertise in interpersonal communication and influence. Stitcher. and the co-host of The MFCEO Project.kohler 14 . manufactures and distributes nutritional supple- ment products.com/vaughn. and SoundCloud.” He founded and leads six companies in various industries.com Facebook: facebook. The MFCEO Project. and SoundCloud WATCH VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE www. LISTEN TO THE MFCEO PROJECT www.youtube.com/podcast Episodes also available on iTunes.com/themfceoproject 15 . Stitcher.themfceo.