Editor’s Note: I think my Avett Brothers music count is getting high but this one, off their “Carpenter” album is amazing. My son, Timmy, and I have declared this song as our new life “theme”.

Editor’s note: Our foundation has enjoyed our work in my little town, Ashtabula, since 2009 that started with loans to five entrepreneurs. We didn’t know we were doing a lot of the stuff Mr. Feld recommends in his book so it’s very rewarding to learn we followed a similar path to the work done in Boulder, CO, one of America’s most famous entrepreneurial ecosystems. We’ll remain a “poor man’s Boulder” but will continue to happily follow their lead, now more specifically having discovered this book and their movement, Startup Revolution. The most important part of this book, good for ANY business venture, is Brad’s down to earth philosophical but very actionable advice, such as: “Leaders of startup communities must be entrepreneurs. Everyone else is a feeder into the startup community.” Thanks to Robert Hatta for recommending (and buying) me this book.

"Up to a point a man's life is shaped by environment, heredity, and movements and changes in the world about him; then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be. Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate. Everyone has it within his power to say this I am today; that I will be tomorrow."

Editor's Note: This is a very difficult book to read for me. Yet I will read it at least two more times. I was raised in an atmosphere where it wasn’t always right to say what was on your mind and so I still maintain many techniques which get me around conversations instead of through them. This is especially true with those closest to me personally and in business. This book causes me to want to change. Scott’s basic themes are “a fierce conversation is one where we come out from behind ourselves into the conversation and make it real” and “the conversation is the relationship.”

Editor's Note: An obscure but long time favorite of mine, David Wilcox, wrote this song many years ago. It came back to me though while I was writing this month's blog about Jake and Father Welsh. It's an upbeat song that reminds us that life can only be lived well one day and one moment at a time.

"You can only make money by being right about something that most people think is wrong.

Editor’s note: This is the best business book I’ve read in a year or more. Mr. Sinek uses simple, if sometimes repetitive language and tangible examples to support the concept that great businesses are centered on “why” they exist rather than “what” and “how”. Sinek teaches forming your “why” and also how to use your “what” and “how” to maintain and build that “why”. He also tells of those who found their “why” then lost it. He thinks, and I quite agree that people prefer buying from and working for organizations with a clear purpose beyond making widgets.

Editor’s Note: Alright, picture me at 19 years old still in the college angst of “what’s the meaning of my life?” The song will make more sense that way as I can still remember singing along with my friend, Bobby Jackson, on the deck of our apartment when it was playing. I’m a pure child of the 60s electronic rock and roll and as such I loved Edgar and Johnny Winter as much or more than their more famous brethren. This song features a simple, haunting keyboard and strings behind Edgar’s bluesy, pleading voice – yep I’m a sucker.