Leveling Up My Approach to Applying Knowledge: Insights from a Successful Entrepreneur

Reflecting on key books that drive success, Avil Beckford explores how strategic reading and applying knowledge can lead to entrepreneurial growth.

Welcome to the first episode of Read with Avil — a new series I’ve been wanting to start for a few years now. But why now? Well, recently, I watched a video where entrepreneur Dan Henry shared a pivotal moment in his career: the four books that helped him generate over $30 million when he applied the knowledge within them. This got me thinking about my journey with books and knowledge application.

I realized something crucial: while I have read many books and have applied what I've learned, I’ve yet to reach the level of success that I aspire to. I reflected deeply on why this is, especially after realizing that I had already read two of the books Henry credited with his success. So, what was I missing?

As someone who is always reflecting and questioning, I dove deeper into this thought process. And the conclusion I reached is this: I’m not yet thinking and acting at the level of highly successful entrepreneurs. That’s the missing piece. To level up, I need to elevate my thinking and application of the knowledge I acquire from books. This realization led me to revisit some essential resources that could help me get there.

The Missing Link: Rich Habits

In my search for an answer, I remembered a book I had read: Rich Habits by Thomas Corley. In the book, Corley explores the daily habits of wealthy individuals, and one habit that stood out to me was their commitment to daily self-improvement. Self-improvement is something I already practice. However, it’s clear that I need to go deeper.

Another habit highlighted in Rich Habits is the concept of "rich thinking." People who achieve great success are optimistic, enthusiastic, and most importantly, they have a growth mindset. They don’t see failures as obstacles. They see them as opportunities to learn and grow. It’s a mindset shift that I’ve adopted, but I know I need to keep strengthening it. I’ll dive deeper into Rich Habits in future episodes, but it’s clear to me now that adopting a mindset for success is critical to accelerating my progress.

Four Books That Made an Entrepreneur $30 Million

The four books that Dan Henry credits with his success are:

Sam Walton: Made in America by Sam Walton
Exactly What to Say by Phil Jones
The Game by Neil Strauss
Object Lessons for a Year by David J. Claassen

Out of these, I’ve already read Sam Walton: Made in America and Exactly What to Say. While both books provided valuable lessons, I hadn’t fully applied the insights. After watching Dan Henry’s video, I felt inspired to revisit them — and let me tell you, I see them differently now.

Revisiting Sam Walton: Made in America

Sam Walton: Made in America chronicles the life of the Walmart founder and gives deep insight into his business mindset. It’s a story of perseverance, innovation, and attention to detail. As Dan Henry highlighted, Walton was obsessed with testing and refining every aspect of his business. He paid attention to the smallest details, constantly optimizing operations to create efficiencies.

Reading my book notes again through the lens of success made me realize just how much Walton’s obsessive focus on details contributed to his success.

Exactly What to Say: The Power of Words in Business

The second book I’ve read is Exactly What to Say by Phil Jones. I first came across this book before 2020 when Sarah Arrow recommended it to a group of us. I saw it as a helpful tool for sales conversations. The book is filled with powerful phrases that can persuade, influence, and move conversations forward.

When I taught a course called Sales Accelerator, this book was one of the key resources. Sales leaders in the course found it incredibly useful because it provided actionable phrases that helped them close more deals. The reason Dan Henry made millions using this book is clear. He consistently applied these phrases in his sales conversations, multiplying his results.

I’ve recently started applying these phrases in my sales copy. While it’s still early to see the full impact, I’m excited about how these simple, yet effective phrases can elevate my messaging.

Object Lessons for a Year: The Book That Changed Everything

Since watching Dan Henry’s YouTube video, I’ve read Object Lessons for a Year by David J. Claassen. It’s an interesting choice because it’s a Christian book written for children. Don’t let that deter you. Dan Henry reworked the lessons from this book to apply to sales, marketing, and negotiation. After reading it myself, I understand why Henry found it so valuable.

One lesson that stuck with me was the concept of a coffee filter. The coffee filter is used to separate the coffee grounds from the brewed coffee. When I think about this in the context of my own work, it’s a metaphor for strategic reading. As an educator and strategist, I teach a workshop called Applied Knowledge is Power, where I help people read strategically to gain knowledge faster.

In strategic reading, I teach the concept of filtering out extraneous information — much like a coffee filter. Most non-fiction books are filled with fluff, too many case studies, or irrelevant details. The key is to identify and focus on the critical 20% of a book that gives you 80% of the value. This is the essence of strategic reading and applying it will help you maximize your learning and development.

I see now how this lesson, along with many others from Object Lessons for a Year, can enhance my work and increase my impact.

Changing the Game: Leveling Up My Thinking

Watching Dan Henry’s video and reflecting on my reading habits has been an eye-opening experience. I’ve always been committed to applying the knowledge I gain from books. However, I now see that the way I approach this application needs to evolve. It’s about thinking like the highly successful entrepreneurs whose habits and mindsets I’m studying.

As I continue to level up my thinking and to apply knowledge strategically, I’ll be diving deeper into the books that have shaped my journey. I’ll be sharing more insights with you in future episodes of Read with Avil, so stay tuned!

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let’s grow together, level up our thinking, and take our businesses and lives to the next level — one book at a time.

About Avil

Avil Beckford is the Founder of The Invisible Mentor and the Art of Learning Leadership Academy. Her podcast is called The One Problem. You can find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Next Steps

If you liked this article, join my membership site, the Art of Learning Leadership Academy, to access my Bookish Notes. They’re book summaries on Steroids.

Categories: : book recommendations