Ian Schechter is a serial entrepreneur. He has sold multiple e-commerce businesses and has an expertise in growing business from 0-7 figure revenue within 12 months. He has his MBA and is a prolific traveler and adventurer. One of the must read business books of the summer is Ian Schechter Bestseller ‘Breathe, Focus, Attack: A Triple – Threat System for Creating the Life You Want’. In an exclusive interview we caught up with Ian to discuss not only his book but also his thoughts on business and the art of closing a deal. This is what he shared up with us.
In your words what does the term serial entrepreneur mean?
Serial entrepreneur is someone who doesn’t stop with one business. Someone who pursues opportunity even if they have an already successful business.
Talk you us behind your bestselling book titles: ‘Breathe, Focus, Attack: A Triple – Threat System for Creating the Life You Want’. How did it come into existence and what are three takeaways that every entrepreneur should know about this book that set its apart from the rest?
I wrote this book because I know how hard it is to start going after your goals. The hardest part is taking that first step. We build up goals to be so big that it is very daunting to start moving towards them. I wanted to write this book to help others make this process a little more manageable. I think the process is pretty applicable in most facets of life. Take a breathe, analyze the problem and focus on what is the small step you can take now and attack. Some takeaways that make this book great….. one of them is that this book is very approachable and conversational. I’m trying to introduce concepts that are easy to digest and very applicable. I introduce these easy concepts and also pair them with actionable items at the end of my chapters that help push people to take action. I’m not going to win a Pulitzer here, and that isn’t the goal. I’m trying to help people with a small push in the right direction.
You’ve sold multiple e-commerce business in the past what would you say was one your biggest challenges that you faced throughout the process and how did you overcome them?
I think the biggest challenge in the process of a sale is easily the creation of the business in the first place. That and the anxiety and stress of waiting for an offer and waiting for a deal to close after all the due diligence and the legal work.
Now that your book has become a bestseller is there anything else in the works with regards to writing a sequel to ‘Breathe, Focus, Attack’? Have you thought of perhaps going on tour with speaking engagements? What is in the pipeline for Ian Schechter in 2020 especially given the obstacles that all of us are facing during the Pandemic?
I have thought about it all. One of the main goals now is to give back and help mentor people who are pursuing starting their own business but don’t have that example in their circle of someone else who has done it and become successful. I want to help those people succeed. The pandemic has pushed progress forward even faster in the migration to e-commerce. People need to know there are a plethora of ways to capitalize on this and that they have skills or ideas that can work!
Bonus Question
What are your top three business books of all time that you have either learned from and adapted to your own philosophies?
I will be honest. I don’t read a ton of nonfiction and when I do I don’t read much in the way of business books. I usually read to go on an adventure that takes me to other worlds and expands my imagination. I think that has helped me tremendously. So I will shout out my top 3 books of all time. Lord of the Rings for getting me into reading and beginning my love for a great story. Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage for showing me what we are truly capable of against unimaginable odds.
The Name of the Wind, another fantasy book that is just amazing and keeps me coming back to re read it year after year.