book

Lots of people talk about writing books…but few of us ever do the hard work of putting pen to paper.

Well, my brother Greg Curhan did. He had an idea swirling around in his head about a thriller set in Los Angeles during the Rodney King riots. And instead if musing about it. He wrote it down, and then instead of waiting for someone to want to publish it, he published it himself with the help of Kickstarter.

Kickstarter is an interesting concept where friends, family, even complete strangers can help fund independent creative projects.

The book is called Indomitable Spirit, it’s available on Amazon.com and it’s a damned good read. You might think as his sister I’m a bit biased, but I’m actually a pretty discerning reader and it really is very good.

My brother’s actions got me thinking again about what separates the dreamers from the doers.


The more I work with entrepreneurs the more I realize that a common trait in many of them is a bias to action. Not just the ability to come up with great ideas (so many people have them).


But rather the passion, drive, and let’s face it…the guts to go that extra step and to put the blood, sweat and tears into something. To make the time necessary to get stuff done. To move past the excuses, the procrastination of  “some day” and just commit to action.

This means staring down the naysayers, keeping focused, finding a 25th hour in a 24 hour day.

It also means being unafraid to fail and also to be willing to put something out there even if it’s not perfect.

My latest mantra:  “one idea in the marketplace is more valuable than 100 in a fancy presentation deck”.

Tonight is my brother’s 50th birthday and we’re kicking it off with a book signing party. His  dream – the one so many of us have of writing a book-  is now available in paperback and Kindle editions.

As my former boss Richard Branson likes to say “screw it, let’s do it.” I bet he would be proud of my brother Greg, I know I am.

What’s your twist?

How do have you moved  beyond ideas to action?

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Julie
Julie is the Founder and CEO of BrandTwist, a brand consultancy that helps entrepreneurs and corporations build stronger, more profitable brands.

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