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Winging It
I'm about to welcome you into my world. Show you what works for me and share openly what hasn't. I hope that what you find in the pages of this book inspires you to dream up new ways to be kind to people and to think about how the game you're currently playing might be worthy of a bigger court. I hope it stretches your thinking about what's possible, and shows you that when you take giant leaps of faith, the only challenging thing will be some temporary discomfort.
Are you ready to wing it?
CEO and entrepreneur Emma Isaacs forgot to draw up her life plan, and she doesn't have a list of five-year goals. She doesn't believe in work/life balance - after all she has five children and heads up Business Chicks, Australia's largest community for women.
Like Sheryl Sandberg, who told us to 'lean in' to find success, Emma wants to show us that you can't plan every detail and wait for the confidence to kick in before you begin; instead, take action now, do what feels right and figure the rest out as you go along. In other words, you've got to learn how to 'wing it' rather than wait.
Drawing on her own life and the stories of the many men and women she has met and interviewed - from Sir Richard Branson to Bill Gates to Girlboss Sophia Amoruso - Emma tells us how to:
* Turn a dream into a job
* Turn a job into a business
* Network like a champion
* Protect your time for the things that matter
* Get fired up not ground down by the kids/career juggle, and
* Understand that sometimes failure is part of the brief.
Emma shows us that often the only thing holding us back is ourselves; that you can follow your dreams; and that there's no reason not to start doing so right now.
PRAISE FOR EMMA ISAACS
"Emma Isaacs is a true force of nature and a role model all women can learn from" Diane von Furstenberg
"Emma's energy and enthusiasm for business shine brightly" Sir Richard Branson
"Winging It will show you how to map out what's important to you, stay focussed on achieving your goals and thrive" Arianna Huffington
Are you ready to wing it?
CEO and entrepreneur Emma Isaacs forgot to draw up her life plan, and she doesn't have a list of five-year goals. She doesn't believe in work/life balance - after all she has five children and heads up Business Chicks, Australia's largest community for women.
Like Sheryl Sandberg, who told us to 'lean in' to find success, Emma wants to show us that you can't plan every detail and wait for the confidence to kick in before you begin; instead, take action now, do what feels right and figure the rest out as you go along. In other words, you've got to learn how to 'wing it' rather than wait.
Drawing on her own life and the stories of the many men and women she has met and interviewed - from Sir Richard Branson to Bill Gates to Girlboss Sophia Amoruso - Emma tells us how to:
* Turn a dream into a job
* Turn a job into a business
* Network like a champion
* Protect your time for the things that matter
* Get fired up not ground down by the kids/career juggle, and
* Understand that sometimes failure is part of the brief.
Emma shows us that often the only thing holding us back is ourselves; that you can follow your dreams; and that there's no reason not to start doing so right now.
PRAISE FOR EMMA ISAACS
"Emma Isaacs is a true force of nature and a role model all women can learn from" Diane von Furstenberg
"Emma's energy and enthusiasm for business shine brightly" Sir Richard Branson
"Winging It will show you how to map out what's important to you, stay focussed on achieving your goals and thrive" Arianna Huffington
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Published July 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
November 26, 2018
Full disclosure: Firstly, this will be ranty, and I'm not going to proofread it. Secondly, I'm a member of Business Chicks, the organisation that Emma runs (and no, I don't like the name either). She's done a whole lot of good and I do appreciate that BC is not just about cupcakes and warm fuzzies, the way a lot of women's events are.
That said, I probably have a lot more criticism for this book than I have positives.
Starting with 'why action beats planning every time,' which is the tagline on the front cover. This got me immediately offside, and made me even more annoyed when I realised it's one of those cases of it's not *exactly* what the author means, but it sounds good for the cover. In other words, she still does believe in appropriate planning, but wants more people to see the value of action, and of not waiting for 100% of the information 100% of the time. That's good advice! (And also kind of obvious. A lot of this book is obvious.) If you temper planning with action, and action with planning, and most of the time you're not going to have more than 60% of the information before you have to make a decision.
A lot of these type of books are written in a 'conversational' style which I don't necessarily mind. I do find so much of what she's saying here to be hugely contradictory or in some cases, just... plain wrong. Let's start with the opening anecdote. It's not much of a spoiler because this happens within the first 10 pages, but she opens with a tale about how she can only drive an automatic vehicle but she was given a manual hire car and because she was already late to a meeting, she drove the manual car.
This was not told as a cautionary tale, but as an opener along the lines of 'us women can do anything and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!' And I quote, 'most importantly I praised myself for having the guts to think I could attempt something so bold.'
Yes, really.
Firstly, maybe don't cut your schedule so fine that you're running late, that would be a good lesson to take away. And allow extra time for hire car disasters as they happen to the best of us.
Secondly, maybe don't open your book with something actually illegal. (Where I live, and where the story occurred, you can't drive a manual vehicle if you only have an automatic licence. If you don’t know that, you shouldn’t be driving.)
Thirdly, that was not just stupid or illegal, you were actually recklessly endangering the lives of other people on the road.
Not at all a good start. Especially not when this story is followed up by this gem. 'Let me be clear: winging it is not the reckless absence of a plan. Nor is it the complete lack of skill. It's about not being so set in a plan that it prevents you from being led in different directions.' Now, that's great advice, but it's absolutely ironic in the context of a story about a lack of a plan, lack of skill, and reckless behaviour.
Let's move on.
'Winging it means saying yes and working it out later.' I would personally temper this by saying listen to your gut, and if your gut says yes and it's not completely reckless, then this is a good route. But you also need to learn to say absolutely not, and to have a very good understanding of your capabilities and time management, or you'll burn out and leave a whole lot of people disappointed. 'I've learned that you simply must do the things that scare you. Just say yes, even when there's a part of you that wants to say no.' Well, this is sort of in direct contradiction to the earlier direction of go with your gut, if your gut says no. I suppose it depends on what part of you wants to say no, and why. If it's because you're scared of failure or scared of success, you can ignore your gut and say yes. If it's because something feels off, it might be better to trust your gut and say yes. Which is what she means, I guess, by ‘if it doesn’t feel right, it isn’t right.’ Do you see what I mean though? This quote kind of contradicts the previous one. You need to really know yourself and your gut to understand which concept you should apply in which situation. Early chapters encourage you to say yes to everything, and do everything you can, but later tells you to sit on your hands and NOT overcommit. And pick what you’re good at. And say no a lot. We literally have say yes to everything, followed by say no a lot.
There's also the encouragement to 'stress less' but huge sections of the book read like textbook lessons on how to stress your body MORE. I've learned a great deal about stress in the last couple of years, due to health challenges, and so much of what these women who 'have it all' advocate is just patently false or absolutely damaging in the long term. Something has always got to give. Launching into the US while heavily pregnant, barely sleeping, suffering from constant stress headaches, ulcers, cold sores, hyper-emotionality, and expecting your team to do the same is not just 'hard work'; it's not something I respect or admire. I have been in the situation of pushing my body beyond its limits and ignoring the warning signs it was giving me, and I have also worked for people who expect that kind of crazy level of commitment to indicate positive work ethic and it's a HELL NO from me. Newsflash: that's not work ethic, that's burnout waiting to happen. She admits that she’s not focused on her health at the moment, because she’s prioritising her business and her family. GUYS. That’s NOT A GOOD THING. If you sacrifice your health, you won’t be able to be there for your business and family!
Later in the book, she talks about how enthusiasm in her first job eventually meant she would run the company. Now I am ALL for enthusiasm, and I absolutely believe in and respect the idea that nobody is too important to empty a bin. Make yourself useful. However, implying that to get ahead you have to be the first in and the last out is not a healthy thing to encourage. Yes, ‘we’re drowning in entitlement, choking on mediocrity and dying from apathy’ (I SO AGREE) BUT the solution is NOT to kill yourself for your job. ‘You’ll do these things without thinking twice. They won’t feel like work.’ Oh honey no. Work is still WORK. It still COSTS you. It’s so damaging to tell people that if they do what they love it’s not work. It’s implied that to ‘earn the rosé’, you have to work yourself to death and love it.
On the flip side, Emma clearly understands the value of hard work (which I would personally distinguish from overwork) and has been that way from a very young age, which is something I very much admire. She's also pragmatic and quickly accepts change, which are qualities I identify with. Keeping calm during a storm, and getting to solution-finding as soon as possible doesn't mean you bottle it all up, it just means you limit your immediate freak out (especially if others are looking to you) and problem solve your butt off. And have an early night, take a boxing class, or cry on your husband's shoulder.
There's another quote 'if someone else deems you capable, you probably are.' Now I like this quote, in the context of sometimes we have blind spots of what we're capable of and we need someone else to hold a mirror up and show us we can do it. (A good manager is often great at doing this for their team, especially if combined with a 'fail well' philosophy.) This idea of other people showing you facets of yourself is one of the reasons I advocate for living in community, not in isolation. I don't think this needs to mean 'get validation from other people.' On the flipside, so much of the book is geared towards ‘strong independent woman’ that it seems a bit bipolar, seeming to suggest that you do need other people but at the same time you don’t?
Other random points:
-'Home birth. Given I was strong and healthy and my pregnancy was considered low-risk, this option really appealed to me.' PS Emma, this does a bit of a disservice to women in that even low-risk pregnancies can turn into dangerous situations extremely quickly. I am so happy that you had a positive experience here, but it's not just 'fear' that means other women have traumatic births.
-There’s a lot of great dot-point advice, some of which is self-evidently obvious and supported by anecdotal evidence (which I guess is usually the point of this kind of book) and some of it is really thought provoking and/or confirming. I’m with her on the importance of vulnerability, taking feedback, learning, and accountability.
- Another inconsistency: she talks about successful people always learning — Gates and Buffett spend so much time reading, studying etc…. but barely two chapters later she’s talking about controlling what you absorb. She doesn’t read, she doesn’t watch TV, she doesn’t buy magazines. So which is it? Expose yourself to a lot and learn, or keep yourself distant?
- Oooh boy. The shade at people who have kids and are super tired and it shows at work. Followed by ‘the importance of female entrepreneurs slash parents who have an intrinsic understanding of the challenges of working and raising children.’
- Low-key namedropping: “I watched as everyone fawned over him (‘What can I get you, Bill [Gates]?’ ‘Oh my goodness — I can’t believe you’re here and I’m meeting you!’) and generally made a huge fuss of him. I decided not to do any of that instead used the night as a mini social experiment. Of course, I shook his hand and introduced myself, but I didn’t try too hard; lots of eye contact and a warm, genuine smile for sure, but I didn’t fixate on how to impress him. Most smart people can smell bullsh*t a mile off, just as they can sense authenticity. For one reason or another, Bill sensed my trustworthiness. Later in the evening, we got talking, and that conversation lasted for hours.” I can’t tell you how hard I rolled my eyes at this. Followed by ‘I’m not telling this story to name drop, but because famous people are just like us.’ Cue more eye-rolling.
- I like that she says don’t quit your day job too soon — that’s counter to most of the rhetoric around starting your own business says just jump in head first and learn as you go. Come to think of it, which is actually what the rest of the book tells you to do…. (This book is so full of inconsistencies.)
-Another one: ‘when it’s time to step back so the business can move forward,’ followed immediately by ‘stay in control.’ Which is it?
-Just being nitpicky now but I also absolutely hate the mentality of begging for forgiveness rather than asking for permission. There's something about it that has always struck me as disrespectful and selfish, but it's held up here as a virtue. Ditto borrowing money from parents and never paying it back.
Look, I don't know what I expected opening this book, but it gets two stars for the good advice and content, but I can't give it more than that.
That said, I probably have a lot more criticism for this book than I have positives.
Starting with 'why action beats planning every time,' which is the tagline on the front cover. This got me immediately offside, and made me even more annoyed when I realised it's one of those cases of it's not *exactly* what the author means, but it sounds good for the cover. In other words, she still does believe in appropriate planning, but wants more people to see the value of action, and of not waiting for 100% of the information 100% of the time. That's good advice! (And also kind of obvious. A lot of this book is obvious.) If you temper planning with action, and action with planning, and most of the time you're not going to have more than 60% of the information before you have to make a decision.
A lot of these type of books are written in a 'conversational' style which I don't necessarily mind. I do find so much of what she's saying here to be hugely contradictory or in some cases, just... plain wrong. Let's start with the opening anecdote. It's not much of a spoiler because this happens within the first 10 pages, but she opens with a tale about how she can only drive an automatic vehicle but she was given a manual hire car and because she was already late to a meeting, she drove the manual car.
This was not told as a cautionary tale, but as an opener along the lines of 'us women can do anything and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!' And I quote, 'most importantly I praised myself for having the guts to think I could attempt something so bold.'
Yes, really.
Firstly, maybe don't cut your schedule so fine that you're running late, that would be a good lesson to take away. And allow extra time for hire car disasters as they happen to the best of us.
Secondly, maybe don't open your book with something actually illegal. (Where I live, and where the story occurred, you can't drive a manual vehicle if you only have an automatic licence. If you don’t know that, you shouldn’t be driving.)
Thirdly, that was not just stupid or illegal, you were actually recklessly endangering the lives of other people on the road.
Not at all a good start. Especially not when this story is followed up by this gem. 'Let me be clear: winging it is not the reckless absence of a plan. Nor is it the complete lack of skill. It's about not being so set in a plan that it prevents you from being led in different directions.' Now, that's great advice, but it's absolutely ironic in the context of a story about a lack of a plan, lack of skill, and reckless behaviour.
Let's move on.
'Winging it means saying yes and working it out later.' I would personally temper this by saying listen to your gut, and if your gut says yes and it's not completely reckless, then this is a good route. But you also need to learn to say absolutely not, and to have a very good understanding of your capabilities and time management, or you'll burn out and leave a whole lot of people disappointed. 'I've learned that you simply must do the things that scare you. Just say yes, even when there's a part of you that wants to say no.' Well, this is sort of in direct contradiction to the earlier direction of go with your gut, if your gut says no. I suppose it depends on what part of you wants to say no, and why. If it's because you're scared of failure or scared of success, you can ignore your gut and say yes. If it's because something feels off, it might be better to trust your gut and say yes. Which is what she means, I guess, by ‘if it doesn’t feel right, it isn’t right.’ Do you see what I mean though? This quote kind of contradicts the previous one. You need to really know yourself and your gut to understand which concept you should apply in which situation. Early chapters encourage you to say yes to everything, and do everything you can, but later tells you to sit on your hands and NOT overcommit. And pick what you’re good at. And say no a lot. We literally have say yes to everything, followed by say no a lot.
There's also the encouragement to 'stress less' but huge sections of the book read like textbook lessons on how to stress your body MORE. I've learned a great deal about stress in the last couple of years, due to health challenges, and so much of what these women who 'have it all' advocate is just patently false or absolutely damaging in the long term. Something has always got to give. Launching into the US while heavily pregnant, barely sleeping, suffering from constant stress headaches, ulcers, cold sores, hyper-emotionality, and expecting your team to do the same is not just 'hard work'; it's not something I respect or admire. I have been in the situation of pushing my body beyond its limits and ignoring the warning signs it was giving me, and I have also worked for people who expect that kind of crazy level of commitment to indicate positive work ethic and it's a HELL NO from me. Newsflash: that's not work ethic, that's burnout waiting to happen. She admits that she’s not focused on her health at the moment, because she’s prioritising her business and her family. GUYS. That’s NOT A GOOD THING. If you sacrifice your health, you won’t be able to be there for your business and family!
Later in the book, she talks about how enthusiasm in her first job eventually meant she would run the company. Now I am ALL for enthusiasm, and I absolutely believe in and respect the idea that nobody is too important to empty a bin. Make yourself useful. However, implying that to get ahead you have to be the first in and the last out is not a healthy thing to encourage. Yes, ‘we’re drowning in entitlement, choking on mediocrity and dying from apathy’ (I SO AGREE) BUT the solution is NOT to kill yourself for your job. ‘You’ll do these things without thinking twice. They won’t feel like work.’ Oh honey no. Work is still WORK. It still COSTS you. It’s so damaging to tell people that if they do what they love it’s not work. It’s implied that to ‘earn the rosé’, you have to work yourself to death and love it.
On the flip side, Emma clearly understands the value of hard work (which I would personally distinguish from overwork) and has been that way from a very young age, which is something I very much admire. She's also pragmatic and quickly accepts change, which are qualities I identify with. Keeping calm during a storm, and getting to solution-finding as soon as possible doesn't mean you bottle it all up, it just means you limit your immediate freak out (especially if others are looking to you) and problem solve your butt off. And have an early night, take a boxing class, or cry on your husband's shoulder.
There's another quote 'if someone else deems you capable, you probably are.' Now I like this quote, in the context of sometimes we have blind spots of what we're capable of and we need someone else to hold a mirror up and show us we can do it. (A good manager is often great at doing this for their team, especially if combined with a 'fail well' philosophy.) This idea of other people showing you facets of yourself is one of the reasons I advocate for living in community, not in isolation. I don't think this needs to mean 'get validation from other people.' On the flipside, so much of the book is geared towards ‘strong independent woman’ that it seems a bit bipolar, seeming to suggest that you do need other people but at the same time you don’t?
Other random points:
-'Home birth. Given I was strong and healthy and my pregnancy was considered low-risk, this option really appealed to me.' PS Emma, this does a bit of a disservice to women in that even low-risk pregnancies can turn into dangerous situations extremely quickly. I am so happy that you had a positive experience here, but it's not just 'fear' that means other women have traumatic births.
-There’s a lot of great dot-point advice, some of which is self-evidently obvious and supported by anecdotal evidence (which I guess is usually the point of this kind of book) and some of it is really thought provoking and/or confirming. I’m with her on the importance of vulnerability, taking feedback, learning, and accountability.
- Another inconsistency: she talks about successful people always learning — Gates and Buffett spend so much time reading, studying etc…. but barely two chapters later she’s talking about controlling what you absorb. She doesn’t read, she doesn’t watch TV, she doesn’t buy magazines. So which is it? Expose yourself to a lot and learn, or keep yourself distant?
- Oooh boy. The shade at people who have kids and are super tired and it shows at work. Followed by ‘the importance of female entrepreneurs slash parents who have an intrinsic understanding of the challenges of working and raising children.’
- Low-key namedropping: “I watched as everyone fawned over him (‘What can I get you, Bill [Gates]?’ ‘Oh my goodness — I can’t believe you’re here and I’m meeting you!’) and generally made a huge fuss of him. I decided not to do any of that instead used the night as a mini social experiment. Of course, I shook his hand and introduced myself, but I didn’t try too hard; lots of eye contact and a warm, genuine smile for sure, but I didn’t fixate on how to impress him. Most smart people can smell bullsh*t a mile off, just as they can sense authenticity. For one reason or another, Bill sensed my trustworthiness. Later in the evening, we got talking, and that conversation lasted for hours.” I can’t tell you how hard I rolled my eyes at this. Followed by ‘I’m not telling this story to name drop, but because famous people are just like us.’ Cue more eye-rolling.
- I like that she says don’t quit your day job too soon — that’s counter to most of the rhetoric around starting your own business says just jump in head first and learn as you go. Come to think of it, which is actually what the rest of the book tells you to do…. (This book is so full of inconsistencies.)
-Another one: ‘when it’s time to step back so the business can move forward,’ followed immediately by ‘stay in control.’ Which is it?
-Just being nitpicky now but I also absolutely hate the mentality of begging for forgiveness rather than asking for permission. There's something about it that has always struck me as disrespectful and selfish, but it's held up here as a virtue. Ditto borrowing money from parents and never paying it back.
Look, I don't know what I expected opening this book, but it gets two stars for the good advice and content, but I can't give it more than that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2019
Some useful nuggets.
However, I found it hard to take seriously from page 16. The cover states "Founder & Global CEO, Business Chicks." Then page 16 discusses her purchase of Business Chicks when the Marketing Director announces that it will be sold. Thus, making someone other than Emma Isaacs the founder.
However, I found it hard to take seriously from page 16. The cover states "Founder & Global CEO, Business Chicks." Then page 16 discusses her purchase of Business Chicks when the Marketing Director announces that it will be sold. Thus, making someone other than Emma Isaacs the founder.
September 30, 2018
I was all sold on Chapter 1 and sure there were some good nuggets in it to take on board. Overall though, I wish the book had been a bit more balanced on life and work regardless of whether you are an entrepreneur or not.
June 6, 2024
It’s shelved “don’t bother.” Truly useless narcissistic ramblings peppered with often stupid life and business ‘advice’. The author lost me in chapter one where she praises herself for driving a manual rental car without a manual license, (and in doing so potentially endangering hundreds of road users), just because she’s too busy/self important to go back and ask at the rental counter for an automatic.
If that doesn’t get you try the misuse of common sayings; there’s “..someone should have cautioned me to hold five...” Do you mean ‘hold fire’? or ‘take five’? And then there’s the old favourite “...when opportunity comes asking...” I always thought it was “...when opportunity comes knocking...” Read on if you like but you’ll never get those hours back again.
If that doesn’t get you try the misuse of common sayings; there’s “..someone should have cautioned me to hold five...” Do you mean ‘hold fire’? or ‘take five’? And then there’s the old favourite “...when opportunity comes asking...” I always thought it was “...when opportunity comes knocking...” Read on if you like but you’ll never get those hours back again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2018
I've laughed, cried, cheered and highlighted my way through this book for days now. Absolute page turner and a must read for anyone in business, no actually for anyone who needs to get out of their head and into action!! Winging it will captivate you, move you, inspire you, blow your mind and leave your heart feeling full!
August 28, 2018
As Business Chicks Global Founder and CEO, Emma Isaacs has much wisdom to share. If you're running a business, considering running a business or just want to be informed and successful in your life, read WINGING IT. Isaacs networks with intent, kindness, and consideration. Balance is key. Isaacs says: "DO find family rituals. DO buy in bulk. Delegate decisions. Buy everything online. DON'T be a hoarder. Live simply and lightly..." No wonder WINGING IT is endorsed by Sir Richard Branson and Arianna Huffington and many more successful entrepreneurs. Upon release, bookshops sold out. This book is a gem. Find it. Read it. Review it.
- Juliette Power, author of Juliette's Angel: Death Desire Destiny
- Juliette Power, author of Juliette's Angel: Death Desire Destiny
July 19, 2018
Loved this book. Couldn't put it down and read it well into the night! Thank you Emma for helping me take the leap - there's been something I've been putting off for a long time and now I know I just need to #WingIt!
September 6, 2021
Highly recommend for female entrepreneurs! This one hit right, at just the right time. I kept wanting to highlight and circle things (which I never do).
August 21, 2019
I did get some good points from the book on some things but I think if you have your own business, or have a family, you will get a lot more from it than I did. Only the financial part of the book resonated with me.
October 30, 2019
I absolutely loved this book! It was so raw, honest and open. There was no bullshit!
Emma is everything you want to be in a businessperson and human, she is kind, generous and not afraid of hard work. She truely is an inspiring leader!
Emma is everything you want to be in a businessperson and human, she is kind, generous and not afraid of hard work. She truely is an inspiring leader!
August 8, 2018
I listen to the audiobook. This was a new to me author and person. Great practical advice. Harder to remember when listening to the audiobook, but I enjoyed it being read by the author.
June 28, 2020
Inspiring & a good read to perk you up and propel you forward
August 14, 2022
This book gives you real tips that will help you in all aspects of your life: business, family, friends, be a leader, household, meeting people, etc.
I took notes and I will have to re-read it for all the great advices!
I took notes and I will have to re-read it for all the great advices!
January 24, 2023
I loved this book, more than I thought I would. It was also really easy to read and some seriously great tips on how to run and business well and how to be a good leader
April 10, 2021
This book had some really good advice on starting up a business as well as life tips on how to go for what you want in life!
September 6, 2020
This is a leadership book primarily for female entrepreneurs with children. The author is well connected and has great beginner's advice about starting a business, sales, celebrity experience, etc.
Although I have read many books like this, this one is great for women new to business and leadership.
#NetGalley
#WingingIt
Although I have read many books like this, this one is great for women new to business and leadership.
#NetGalley
#WingingIt
March 21, 2020
Emma Isaacs is a fountain of enthusiasm which bubbles through her writing and narration of the audiobook. Listening to her is like hearing from a good friend who peps you up and has your back but at the same time can shine a light on your faults without it being critical or negative.
I hadn't heard of Emma before finding this book, but I had heard of her company Business Chicks. Her tips on networking were good, as you would expect, though it's hard to be original because it's all pretty much been covered before.
Emma embraces challenges and is prepared to take the risks to go along with that, and hearing about that was interesting. I often say without risk there is no reward, and as I find myself getting older and more risk averse, Emma's encouragement is good to hear.
Her anecdotes of her encounters with the likes of Ariana Huffington, Richard Branson and Bill Gates also add the glam of life rubbing shoulders with great leaders to the book inspired me to follow her on Instagram.
Ultimately, Emma Isaacs lets everyone know that winging it can be one of the best ways to learn, grow and get things done. Although I do not endorse how she claims to have learned to drive a manual car by winging it and heading out onto a freeway after renting a car at the airport as I actually think that's just dangerous and I would have preferred to have heard a different example to that one.
I hadn't heard of Emma before finding this book, but I had heard of her company Business Chicks. Her tips on networking were good, as you would expect, though it's hard to be original because it's all pretty much been covered before.
Emma embraces challenges and is prepared to take the risks to go along with that, and hearing about that was interesting. I often say without risk there is no reward, and as I find myself getting older and more risk averse, Emma's encouragement is good to hear.
Her anecdotes of her encounters with the likes of Ariana Huffington, Richard Branson and Bill Gates also add the glam of life rubbing shoulders with great leaders to the book inspired me to follow her on Instagram.
Ultimately, Emma Isaacs lets everyone know that winging it can be one of the best ways to learn, grow and get things done. Although I do not endorse how she claims to have learned to drive a manual car by winging it and heading out onto a freeway after renting a car at the airport as I actually think that's just dangerous and I would have preferred to have heard a different example to that one.
October 1, 2019
I had heard of Business Chicks (through my network of female influencers) for a while, but wasn’t really aware of its founder: Emma Isaacs. So I decided to pick up this book.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this!
Going into it, I was expecting generic advices with some motivational quotes, similar to other books written by female entrepreneurs out there. I did get all of the above (it didn’t disappoint!), but what really stood out for me was the type of examples Emma used to illustrate her points. Her playground was bigger, the stakes were higher, and the people she interacted with had wider influence span and bigger impact in general.
I came out feeling inspired and tremendously motivated. This was a book that I would read multiple times over the years. Additionally, listening to the book through Emma’s own voice really added to the experience.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this!
Going into it, I was expecting generic advices with some motivational quotes, similar to other books written by female entrepreneurs out there. I did get all of the above (it didn’t disappoint!), but what really stood out for me was the type of examples Emma used to illustrate her points. Her playground was bigger, the stakes were higher, and the people she interacted with had wider influence span and bigger impact in general.
I came out feeling inspired and tremendously motivated. This was a book that I would read multiple times over the years. Additionally, listening to the book through Emma’s own voice really added to the experience.
July 21, 2018
There are a lot of self-help books out there. However few of them are written by successful women who have actually gone out there and made money (as oppose to designing a book with pretty graphics). This book was a delightful look-see into what it takes to have the chaos that surrounds Emma Isaacs. I particularly enjoyed aspects that Emma explored about finances, saying no, recognising failures and letting failures go. I think above all women often plan things which is lovely, but we often get given a blueprint of how our lives should be from childhood. "Winging it" helps to allow us to recognise often that approach needs to be thrown out the window.
June 29, 2020
The book has lots of little takeaway bits of information and I enjoy the little stories she tells about her life but I don’t think I could ever put this into action.
I feel like you need to be the right type of person or have a particular personality to “wing it”.
I’m a cautious person, I like plans, not a big fan of surprises, I think there is a bit much unknown with winging it.
That being said that’s just how I feel. Judging by reviews plenty of people think the book is fantastic and want to use it in their lives.
The “chapter” starting on page 286 and talking about investing in women. YES YES YES.
I feel like you need to be the right type of person or have a particular personality to “wing it”.
I’m a cautious person, I like plans, not a big fan of surprises, I think there is a bit much unknown with winging it.
That being said that’s just how I feel. Judging by reviews plenty of people think the book is fantastic and want to use it in their lives.
The “chapter” starting on page 286 and talking about investing in women. YES YES YES.
June 24, 2020
Entrepreneur and CEO of Business Chicks, Emma Isaacs, is very talented at many things - and apparently writing a book is one of them. In her debut autobiography, she proves that you don’t need a detailed plan or a university degree to be successful in life. Whether you’re an aspiring businesswoman or not, this book will light a spark in you to find success in whatever you do. One of the most entertaining nonfiction books on my shelf, I recommend you give this one a try.. you don’t need to know Emma Isaacs to love it, but I’m sure you’ll want to when you finish reading.
October 16, 2019
If you get past the first two chapters, I guarantee the rest of the book will be wonderful to read and learn from. I especially loved the ideas she shared towards the end on the topics of Money and People. Emma Isaacs has led a really eventful, experience-rich, and effort-rich life. Her stories are very inspiring and give one hope that we really can multitask and achieve many different things in life. This book is for women who want to grow, succeed and have fun along the way. Also, I listened to the audiobook and her energy and passion absolutely enhance the content of the book!
November 19, 2018
Really enjoyed Emma's wisdom, but found some of it a bit Business 101. Probably geared at a younger demographic akin to her business target market. She is certainly wise beyond her years... not many do what she did at 19 and 24. I did love her passion for uplifting women, upholding the sisterhood and all that, something I want to do more of. I didn't expect the cancer journey... it added an interesting depth to her story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2019
Emma Isaacs’ tips for aspiring entrepreneurs. Thought-provoking! Fascinating how different people are wired so differently. Her drive and need to create and challenge are so different to me. Her ability to take the initiative, ‘win’ (succeed in business), and keep moving are admirable. I’m not sure I agree with all her theories or aspire to be like Emma but it would be exciting to be a part of. And it’s good that there are people like her in the world.
December 2, 2019
This has to be the most inspirational and motivational book I have read. I loved taking my time through this book as it helped me with alot of work advices and businesses and how to move on as an entrepreneur. Emma Isaacs doesn't hold back in sharing her experiences as a mom and a women running a huge successful business. A definitely must read and you'll never want to put the book sitting on the shelves too long. I'll be using it as my bible throughout my career, definitely!
April 11, 2020
I'm really surprised and very impressed by this semi-autobiography. A very candid, helpful and open account of how a successful entrepreneur makes her world tick. I loved all the ideas, stories and examples without the enormous amount of drama these things generally come with in autobiographies. Really loved the layout of the book, which makes it almost like a little guide of "pick up this section when you get here or need it". Really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing Emma!
July 23, 2018
Shining through Emma's book is that she has written this with an absolute determination and belief to help women in our world. Her passion radiates through the pages, making it a beautiful read. I particularly found her chapters with clear action points, e.g. how to network and becoming financially savvy, incredibly helpful. Thank you Em!
January 11, 2019
One of the best books I read in 2018. Feels like you are having a brunch with Emma. She gave lots of practical advice and gets straight to the point. I've been following her on instagam for a while and wondering how she handles all of them as a businesswoman and a mom. Everything was answered in the book. A great one!
April 21, 2019
Firstly let me say I’m a Business Chicks member. I’ve seen Emma speak and have been in awe of her many times. To me there was nothing new in this book, however, it was a huge kick up the bum sigh some significant reminders to just get on with it! It was very timely for me who feels I am at the crossroads to just go for it. It will definitely be a book I refer to often.
May 6, 2019
Emma's positive attitude radiates with her "can do" attitude, I've laughed, cried, cheered and highlighted my way through this book and marked up pages. An absolute page turner and a must read for anyone in business, no actually for anyone who needs to get out of their head and into action!! Winging it will move you, inspire you, blow your mind and leave your heart feeling full!
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