Shoedog
I want you to add this book, Shoedog, to your reading list. Why? Because it’ll light a fire under your ass and relight the flame in your head that tells you “yes I can.”
As a kid of the 80’s and 90’s I was a fan of Nike, a huge fan. I wore the shoes, the apparel, had the posters on my walls.
I’m not sure when or why it happened but we grew apart.
When we moved to Portland in 2018, Nike suddenly came to the forefront of my mind again. Every other person I bump into works there. Their swoosh is everywhere. I drive by their stunning headquarters several times a week.
Then, in the summer of 2019, I read this book. And the day I finished it I was doing an airport run to pick up my husband. The airport was about 75 minutes from where we were staying for the summer, and coincidentally the exact amount of time I needed to finish the audiobook of Shoedog, that I hadn’t been able to put down since I started it three days prior.
When I pulled up to the airport to pick up my husband the book had just ended and tears were still streaming down my face. I’d been crying off and on for the last hour of the book.
As an entrepreneur, slogging through, paving my own path, never certain of my next step, this was the perfect book for me to read.
You're an entrepreneur too, so I know you get me on this one. 😜
Phil Knight was so honest and detailed about his journey. It inspired the heck out of me. And it told me a lot about the fabric that built the Nike brand.
I remember the Bowerman series coming out and owning several pairs, but not knowing what that meant. I’m honored to now know.
As I stepped out of the car to hug him, I had to wipe some tears. I explained I’d just finished a book.
My hubbie: “Was it good?”
Me: “It was SO frickin’ good. I need to go buy some Nikes.”
Thank you, Phil Knight.
Make it an outstanding day.
