Who is Max Lewis?: 37 Chapters ∞ 37 Lessons ∞ $37 Million by Max Lewis: is a fascinating story about how Max Lewis turned his small propane company into a $37 million business. Lewis takes readers along from the start of the company to the sale of it for $37,000,000.
Pairs With: 100 Grand candy bar but $100,000 is just the start 😉
Overview
Who is Max Lewis?: 37 Chapters ∞ 37 Lessons ∞ $37 Million by Max Lewis is a fascinating story about how Max Lewis turned his small propane company into a $37 million business. Lewis takes readers along from the start of the company to the sale of it for $37,000,000.
This one is for you if you have been disappointed by CEO’s business biographies in the past. Max Lewis is not your average founder who only writes about how brilliant and successful he’s been. Lewis shares the good, the bad, and the ugly that he encountered while building his propane empire.
Although one may think that a story about a propane business sounds boring let me assure you that it is not. Lewis’s story is surprisingly captivating, inspiring, and motivating. And I was excited to read it every morning because I knew it would hype me up for the day!
This book just makes you want to take action toward your own dreams.
Layout
This book is broken into 37 bite-sized chapters and covers everything from negotiations to manifesting. At the end of each chapter, Lewis provides a “Reflection Point” where he wraps up the chapter and drives home the points of that chapter.
This book is a combination of a personal memoir, a business biography, and a self-help book. It’s also a workbook because Lewis provides space for readers to jot down notes at the end of each chapter following his end-of-chapter journaling prompts. These reflection questions range from, “What are your beliefs around money” to “Who are the people in your life who motivate and encourage you? How could you spend more time with them?”
This book is an enjoyable read for many reasons but one of the reasons is the bite-sized chapters that are quick and to the point. There’s nothing worse than long drawn-out chapters that seem to never end. Chapter length and my attention span are inversely proportional. The shorter the chapters the longer I am able to stay focused with the book.
Motivational and Educational
This is one of the first books I’ve read by a successful business owner that I’ve continued to think, “Wow I need to meet this person!”
One of my main complaints with books written by CEOs is that they typically sound like rah-rah corporate handouts that do not provide many (if any) actionable takeaways. However, Lewis’ book is the complete opposite.
Lewis helps readers apply what he has learned by giving concrete advice and guidance. He also encourages readers along the way with inspiring quotes or uplifting anecdotes.
I really enjoyed reading about how Lewis approached obstacles and went about solving problems. After learning about why a problem was happening, Lewis would look for creative solutions that were not immediately obvious.
For example, at one point Lewis was struggling to keep delivery truck drivers. After digging into the reason why drivers were leaving, Lewis improved working conditions, updated the pay scale, and implemented a creative way that drivers could make even more money while also helping the overall business. What Lewis discovered was that when he paid his workers more, he ended up making even more!
Conclusion
This is an excellent book for business owners or anyone aspiring to open a business. It is also a great read for anyone looking to be motivated and inspired to chase their own dreams. Lewis provides 37 short but thoughtful chapters about how he built his small propane business into a large successful company. Don’t let the idea of reading about a propane company bore you and stop you from reading this one! This book is about so much more than propane. It’s about business mistakes, learning opportunities, and triumphs. It is motivational, inspiring, and action-packed for anyone who also dares to dream big.
P.S. If you enjoyed this one you may also like Power Failure by William Cohan. Although Power Failure is about the massive corporation GE, it is also about business decisions and leadership.
