The More You Hustle, The Luckier You Get

Much like the term “parentpreneur,” the book The More You Hustle, the Luckier You Get by James Oliver Jr. can be thought of as the joining of two themes.  James’ story about his life and family, although far from over, could be a book unto itself.  Likewise, the knowledge he shares about what he’s learned creating and developing his company, WeMontage, could also be a book unto itself.  But when combined, the sum of the two is much greater than the parts, and this is the primary reason that The More You Hustle, the Luckier You Get works so well.

Right out of the gate, James defines the word “parentpreneur” as he sees it fitting his concept:

“Being a parent is one thing. Being an entrepreneur is another. And being a parent-entrepreneur, or Parentpreneur, is a tertium quid”, he writes.  He then goes on to define tertium quid for those like me who aren’t familiar with the term:

“Tertium quid = A third thing that is indefinite and undefined but is related to two definite or known things.”

From there, he tells the story of how his life as a parentpreneur developed, telling the birth stories of both his twins and his business.  Both came with many challenges and forced James to be able to multi-task to manage everything.  It’s very fitting that the cover of the book portrays him with seven arms that are taking care of both business and parenting tasks.  While he only has two arms, his story makes it seem like he has and needs all seven of them.

On the entrepreneur side, one thing that comes across crystal clear is the real and compelling struggle of someone trying to start a new endeavor from scratch.  You may have heard advertisements and pitches (usually for things like flipping houses or joining a multilevel marketing network) that tote all of the positives of starting up a new business, but leave out the struggles and growing pains involved.  Not so in “The More You Hustle, the Luckier You Get”.  Early in the book, James states that 80% of new businesses fail within the first 18 months.  While he insists on having a positive outlook and can-do attitude as being essential, he’s not blind to the fact that being a new entrepreneur is extremely challenging and there are many ways to fail along the way.  These are highlighted in the book, to exemplify some of the pitfalls that he ran into, and how he overcame them.

On the parent side, despite how much he wants to be a successful entrepreneur, James never loses sight that being a dad is ultimately the most important thing he will be.  He states the inspiration for staying the course is not for his own success, but rather for the example he will be setting for his children.  When circumstances led to him being a stay-at-home parent, he got over the initial thought that he was a failure, and instead “realized the twins were only going to be this age once, and it could be a really special bonding experience for the kiddos and me; so I decided to focus on that, and not feel like a failure.”  He discusses how he balances parenting and work tasks, and ends up having time for both.  if you follow James on social media (which you should), you’ll be treated to some adorable pictures and videos of his kids as he spends his days as an at-home parent.  He clearly is able to put work aside when needed, and explains how in the book.

Those trying to achieve success with their own business will find some tips in response to things that James has experienced.  Whether it be dealing with demanding customers, making pitches, or discussing how Groupon almost killed WeMontage, a small business owner will certainly learn some things from James.  Having successfully navigated both the tough streets of Brooklyn and the demanding classrooms of Morehouse and the University of North Carolina, James has and shares both practical and educational smarts to pull from in order to solve problems.  In addition to the practical tips, James sets a mindset for how he defines his own success, and how others can similarly define theirs.  His message is ultimately one of inspiration and hope.  That’s why it’s no surprise that the last chapter of the book is called “Faith, Hope, and Love”.  It’s with those three things that James believes you can be a successful parentpreneur.

For more information and to buy the book, check out www.themoreyouhustle.com