NickVenturella.com 5-3-15

Feeding by Reading

May 03, 2015

I subscribe to a couple of monthly business magazines.  Right now it's Inc. Magazine and Fast Company.

Maybe you do too.

If you're like me at all, you end up getting about two months' worth of magazines stacked up before getting a chance to read through them.

Well, this weekend I got a chance to catch up on my business magazine reading.

What I love about reading the stories of other entrepreneurs’ journeys is that they get my brain spinning in all sorts of directions.

When I read these articles it gives me a glimpse into how other entrepreneurs approach various situations, some of which are similar to what I might be going through with my own endeavors.

Other times I'll get an idea from an article profiling a company in another industry and think, "why wouldn't that work for my industry?" 

Some of the best ideas I get come to me this way and from industries of which I am not actively a part.

I also find parallels when I read such stories.  For example, tech start-ups seeking VC funding are not that different than bands in the late '80s and into the '90s looking to get signed by a major record label. Hungry young start-ups (bands) vie for the attention, and financial backing, of venture capitalists (major record labels) to finally make it. 

If you're not taking time to freely read some things that get your mental wheels turning in new directions you could be working yourself right into a rut.

It's important to constantly spark your imagination and feed your brain.  Reading is a great tool to do that, and if it helps to keep you from being distracted with social media and other apps, pick up a hard copy magazine or a physical book and read that instead of the Kindle or iPad.

How are you making connections from what you're reading toward your pursuits?  Hit reply and let me know.

Thank you,