Get Big Fast and Do More Good: Start Your Business, Make It Huge, and Change the World

by Lance Kalish, Lance Kalish

Get Big Fast and Do More Good is a guide to modern entrepreneurship and accelerated brand-building from the founders of Yes To Inc, the company behind the breakthrough natural beauty brand Yes to Carrots.

Ido Leffler and Lance Kalish, two 29-year-old Australians with very different backgrounds and skills, cofounded their company in 2006 with little more than a dream and made it big. Yes to Carrots has become one of the biggest natural beauty brands in the world and is one of the fastest-growing skincare brands. Leffler and Kalish have accomplished it all while maintaining solid principles, investing in meaningful business relation¬ships, giving back to the community, and still making it home in time for dinner.

The authors started their business with nothing but chutzpah and great instincts for products with potential. They’ve since made lots of great decisions and some really, really bad ones, and are ready to share their hard-won secret to a strong, resilient, trusting partnership coupled with a great sense of humor.

Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Nonfiction, How To

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2013

About the author

Lance Kalish is a co-founder of Yes To.

Reviews

[Ed Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Wanted To Like It More

The co-authored startup story and business tips showed real promise. Yes To is a global brand that exploded onto the scene, and the stories of building the brand, the adversity and the lessons should make for a great read. But instead of a page turner, it was a bit tough sledding. The message was great, the lessons relevant and the authors relatable. It just lacked “it” for readability. If you’re a brand fanatic, you’ll probably love the book. For someone who didn’t know the brand from Ido - I mean Adam - it came up a bit short.

[Christi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about the two guys that started Say Yes to Carrots. I listened to this book on audible and their accents are very charming. They have great life stories and really keep things in perspective. Both of them are focused on giving back and living virtuous lives but they are also tons of fun.

[Ethan Villines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for a class. I enjoyed learning about both the authors' backgrounds and some of the cool stories they had in running their business, but overall not interesting. Really over played the idea of being passionate about what you're doing for a living. Did make me want to visit Australia though. Sounds like a great place.

[Rand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story and lessons, light on difficulties

I feel like they glossed over the real work and difficulties but there is a lot of real experience on display. This is a great read for any entrepreneur.

[Ty Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no one who does good, not even one

[Caleb Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read for a class assignment. It is a fine story, nothing profound. Wouldn’t recommend it as a book to pick up for any entrepreneur looking to learn how to start a business.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of hype around this book but I found it somewhat disappointing. To me it came across more as group of stories and experiences rather than in depth look at business. Don;t get me wrong, the stories are interesting and relevant but not as in depth as I was lead to believe from the reviews.

I think that I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the thinking behind the whole business development and what went on in the minds of the authors. They tell their story with plenty of emotion and maybe that is what the business success has been. Maybe, I would have been more satisfied with a third party telling the story and making the observations rather than the founders? I can't quite put my finger on exactly what is missing for me with this book.

I think it is still an interesting read and well worthwhile to understand the process that the writers have gone through in developing their business and making it a success. There is certainly something that you can learn from that.

In summary, to me this book is more a story than something on business development. That doesn't make it any less worthwhile but it was not quite to the level I was personally expecting.

[Uwe Hook · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first glance, the title of this book would seem to indicate that it's a "How to make it big in business" guide, but it's not. This is more of a long interview with Ido Leffler and Lance Kalish, the co-founders of Yes to Carrots.

Yes to Carrots is a very successful natural beauty and skin care products company. Ido and Lance are the 29 year old founders of this company. This book is an in-depth picture of these Ido and Lance - who they are, where they came from, how they started, how they handled the bumps in the road, their personal and business philosophies - all in their own words.

They are both very candid and very funny so even though this wasn't the book I expected, I enjoyed every second of it. These two men come from such different backgrounds, it's fascinating seeing how they interact and approach the challenges and successes they've encountered building their company.

If you know this isn't a "How to make it big" book, but would enjoy getting to know some guys who did, I think you'll enjoy this book as much as I did.

[H Keith Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a First Reads. I was concerned at first it was going to be a slow boring how to succeed in business type of read. However, almost immediately the narrative grabs you and pulls you in for a very enjoyable time. Honestly, I felt like I was shooting the bull with Ido and Lance as they told the story of how they rapidly came to be the Number 2 Natural Health and Beauty product business in the industry. Switching back and forth between Ido's voice, then Lance's, sometimes deteriorating into playful jabs at the other's expense, you honestly feel like are sharing in this journey with the. Oh, the advice and wisdom is still there, you just don't feel like you are being lectured, but rather being let in on a wonderful secret. I highly recommend for any entrepreneur.

[Devon Aguirre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very solid book on how to hone your entrepreneur instincts and how to act on opportunities. It wasn’t a step by step guide on how to become a success but I don’t really think that is possible to create. I learned some useful things from the Yes To guys. It was very interesting to take a look at their experiences and try to apply it to my situation and use their knowledge in my own flexible plan. I recommend this book as a short quick read that should be used as a case study rather than a ground up plan to start a business.

[David Peirce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up to tap into some entrepreneurial thinking after a few years in a corporate setting. I think there are several lessons in the energetic stories that the authors tell. A few of my takeaways: Be authentic. Be determined and have an energy level to match it. Go after big wins even if you don't know how you'll deliver. Brand the hell out of your product.

This isn't a business strategy book. It's a story of determination and resourcefulness. It's a good read.

[Ron Mellott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Know the authors story first

I guess the book would have been more impactful on me if I would have know the authors story before hand. I wasn't familiar with them or their company and I was expecting more of personal and career, business growth book instead of a biographical one about the authors and their partnership. Was a difficult read since my expectations were not in tune with the over all theme.

[Anthony Cheng · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a memoir about the founding of Yes To, 'Get Big Fast' got better as it went on, partly because the beginning sections are loaded with biographical info on the two founders. Once you get into the meat of Yes To's growth years, the lessons learned come fast. I took notes, which to me is a sign of a strong nonfiction work.

[JINSHAN ZHU · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Lots of valuable information, and well written. Non-fiction page-turner. No regrets at all of spending time on it. Will recommend to friends. Should be translated in other languages!!

[Rich Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the perspective shift of this book. it was an enjoyable read.

[amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads like the Catch Me If You Can of the business world. Super fun, and full of tips and experiences to learn from.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing earth-shatteringly new here about running a company, but an entertaining read nevertheless. They make a solid effort to run their business with heart and integrity, which is noteworthy.

[R.J. Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for the book goodreads! This book had a lot of information in an easy to read and remember style. This is a keeper. Once I start a business I will know just what to do. Thanks.

[Heather Lanfear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good entrepreneurial read that didn't make you feel like you were reading the typically dry business oriented book. Humorous & witty, these guys are awesome!

[Georch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story