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Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less
A step-by-step guide to enjoying the roller-coaster ride of growth -- while getting the most out of life as an entrepreneur. A growth-focused approach: The book is divided into three sections, which cover planning for fast growth, building a company for fast growth, and leading for fast growth. Each topic the author covers -- from creating a vision for the company's future to learning how to generate free PR for a developing company -- is squarely focused on the end goal: doubling the size of the entrepreneur's company in three years or less. A down-to-earth action plan: Herold's experienced-based advice never gets bogged down in generalities or theory. Instead, he offers a wealth of practical tips, including: How to design meetings for maximum efficiency; How to hire top-quality talent; How to grow in particularly tough markets; How to put together a board of advisors -- even for a smaller company; How even the busy entrepreneur can achieve a work/life balance.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2011
134 people are currently reading
933 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
October 2, 2020
Great insight on how to build a solid work culture set on rhythms of touches of substance. To create clear communications and alignment does not take over-thinking, but simplification. Employees should know expectations and results and this is best done with transparent processes.
September 21, 2019
Good read with good tidbits.
Top take aways:
Start with vivid vision. Focus on WHERE, not how.
Learn from others R&D (RIP OFF AND DUPLICATE).
Reverse engineer goals and projects by starting with the end!
Employees must have goals to drive them. They must be specific and measurable.
Brand everything! Give meeting room names!
Put up vinyl sayings for motivation such as CAN YOU IMAGINE... and have employees post 3 year visions, core values, etc.
When employees do a good job, force them to take the rest of the day off!
Care about helping employees achieve their personal goals more than their work they're doing and they'll and they'll help you build your company!
Here are GOAL CATEGORIES:
Things they would like to buy.
Activities that they'd like to do.
Subjects they want to learn.
Hobbies they want to pursue.
Personal goals they like to achieve.
Places they'd like to visit.
Ask yourself what one thing you can do today to raise the energy level of your team!
Interview question: How much do you need to earn during year 1? Year 3?
Actively verbalize your side:
When you...
I feel...
I need...
How do you feel...
Always have an AGENDA for your meeting.
WEEKLY ACTION REVIEW (WAR) MEETING:
What went well last week?
What didn't go well?
Where am I stuck?
What are the top 3 things I'll be working on this week?
DAILY HUDDLE MEETING:
Standing only. 7 Min. 10:55 - 11:02
Share key metrics (sales numbers).
Explain what it means (revenue vs budget).
Department update (rotate each day) discussing top 3 quarter ROCKS. Then what working on.
Frustrations/Missing Systems. No blame. One person takes it to solve.
Cheer. Make it fun to end on a high note.
MARKETING comes down to FOCUS!
27 Hits: It take son average 27 views of your logo, product, ad, etc before they buy!
HANDWRITTEN NOTES AND PICS: Send a fun pic of the two of you with a handwritten note, they will SAVE THIS AND POST!
FOCUSED DAILY MARKETING: Be CREATIVE and CONSISTENT! Ex: POST it notes on cars, hang flags, etc.
Look at your KPI'S every week to ensure leveraging all resources where they need to be focused!
When riding the roller coaster of business you have two choices. You can either hold on for dear life and scream we can wave your arms in the air and laugh because either way you're still riding the roller coaster.
COMPRESS TIME: Charles Schwab lesson: Write out top 6 priorities need to do tomorrow, then out in order. Pull out every 15 minutes and keep working in #1 and can't move on until done.
LETTERS TO SELF:
Set boundaries as can do more with less.
Don't bring problems home. Don't give your family the leftovers.
Listening.
Outcome over process.
Midday socializing offsite.
Stop doing and start leading. Pull someone in to model for them when you're doing.
Inspect what you expect.
Have clear roles. Use scorecards to keep on track.
Always use deadlines.
Reverse engineer the future. Write down dreams and work backwards.
Top take aways:
Start with vivid vision. Focus on WHERE, not how.
Learn from others R&D (RIP OFF AND DUPLICATE).
Reverse engineer goals and projects by starting with the end!
Employees must have goals to drive them. They must be specific and measurable.
Brand everything! Give meeting room names!
Put up vinyl sayings for motivation such as CAN YOU IMAGINE... and have employees post 3 year visions, core values, etc.
When employees do a good job, force them to take the rest of the day off!
Care about helping employees achieve their personal goals more than their work they're doing and they'll and they'll help you build your company!
Here are GOAL CATEGORIES:
Things they would like to buy.
Activities that they'd like to do.
Subjects they want to learn.
Hobbies they want to pursue.
Personal goals they like to achieve.
Places they'd like to visit.
Ask yourself what one thing you can do today to raise the energy level of your team!
Interview question: How much do you need to earn during year 1? Year 3?
Actively verbalize your side:
When you...
I feel...
I need...
How do you feel...
Always have an AGENDA for your meeting.
WEEKLY ACTION REVIEW (WAR) MEETING:
What went well last week?
What didn't go well?
Where am I stuck?
What are the top 3 things I'll be working on this week?
DAILY HUDDLE MEETING:
Standing only. 7 Min. 10:55 - 11:02
Share key metrics (sales numbers).
Explain what it means (revenue vs budget).
Department update (rotate each day) discussing top 3 quarter ROCKS. Then what working on.
Frustrations/Missing Systems. No blame. One person takes it to solve.
Cheer. Make it fun to end on a high note.
MARKETING comes down to FOCUS!
27 Hits: It take son average 27 views of your logo, product, ad, etc before they buy!
HANDWRITTEN NOTES AND PICS: Send a fun pic of the two of you with a handwritten note, they will SAVE THIS AND POST!
FOCUSED DAILY MARKETING: Be CREATIVE and CONSISTENT! Ex: POST it notes on cars, hang flags, etc.
Look at your KPI'S every week to ensure leveraging all resources where they need to be focused!
When riding the roller coaster of business you have two choices. You can either hold on for dear life and scream we can wave your arms in the air and laugh because either way you're still riding the roller coaster.
COMPRESS TIME: Charles Schwab lesson: Write out top 6 priorities need to do tomorrow, then out in order. Pull out every 15 minutes and keep working in #1 and can't move on until done.
LETTERS TO SELF:
Set boundaries as can do more with less.
Don't bring problems home. Don't give your family the leftovers.
Listening.
Outcome over process.
Midday socializing offsite.
Stop doing and start leading. Pull someone in to model for them when you're doing.
Inspect what you expect.
Have clear roles. Use scorecards to keep on track.
Always use deadlines.
Reverse engineer the future. Write down dreams and work backwards.
January 17, 2015
I try to rate books as a '5' based on their ability to change my world view or my behavior-'Double Double' has already changed my behavior in my job. This book is chock full of ideas and resources, if you tried one idea per month, it could take you several years to try all the suggestions made by Cameron Herold. It is written to business owners, but I don't doubt that as a Manager I will continue to benefit greatly by some of these suggestions as I eager give them a try, and have adopted at least two so far. If you are a Manager or up, you must read this book! Then think deeply!
March 9, 2024
This was recommended to me through a business group so I picked up the kindle version (as the paperback is over $40!) which isn't my favourite format for non-fiction. But I made the right decision because at $40 I would have felt quite ripped off.
The book hasn't aged well - those technology chapters need updating. (PDAs get a bit of real estate and there is a whole chapter on why employees need laptops) But putting that aside, I just didn't find anything new that hasn't been said before in many ways by many people. Set goals, look after your people, have systems and keep developing are essentially the take-aways. I didn't feel like there was a lot of practical application provided on how to do what the title says, but perhaps those very new in business or without a lot of business background will find this more enlightening.
The book hasn't aged well - those technology chapters need updating. (PDAs get a bit of real estate and there is a whole chapter on why employees need laptops) But putting that aside, I just didn't find anything new that hasn't been said before in many ways by many people. Set goals, look after your people, have systems and keep developing are essentially the take-aways. I didn't feel like there was a lot of practical application provided on how to do what the title says, but perhaps those very new in business or without a lot of business background will find this more enlightening.
December 17, 2017
This book has a chapter on making sure everyone has a laptop
This book is dated in places, cliche in others ("Be a good listener!"), and disregards entire industries in others ("You don't need designers, just get crowdsourced spec work!").
If you've read any business book you've heard all the advice in here before.
This book is dated in places, cliche in others ("Be a good listener!"), and disregards entire industries in others ("You don't need designers, just get crowdsourced spec work!").
If you've read any business book you've heard all the advice in here before.
June 10, 2018
Great book for it’s time. Understandably, some of the advice is already dated. Drives home lots of lessons learned from his own experience, which I appreciate. Does a decent job of breaking down such a big task into bite-size focus areas. While some might say it’s not worth reading, I’m glad I didn’t listen to them. It’s a short read and worth the couple of hours it took.
April 23, 2015
I have never known of a company who wouldn't like to double the size of their revenue and profit. With Cameron Herold’s book Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years of Less you will have a clear outline on how to do just that. While I will be targeting my BetterBookClub book review towards those C-Level people, even if you are not an entrepreneur or CEO of a company there is still a lot of information that you can gather from this book to be able to support those people in those positions. It is for that reason why I constantly recommend this book to companies for their BetterBookClub program.
Herold’s book is divided into easy to digest chapters that any busy CEO/entrepreneur could pick up and read. The key to this book is to be focused, which you will read about throughout the book. The first chapter directs the reader to find their Vision, what Herold refers to as their “Painted Picture.” By design, this chapter is first for a reason. If you don’t know what you want your company to look like in the future (think culture, staff, values, etc.) then there is nothing that neither this book nor any other can do to help you. After reading chapter one put the book down and really think about what you want and need within the framework of your company. Once you have that picture in your head you can get the information out to others on your team. When they see your vision then it is that much easier for them to help you get there. Teams need to be on the same page and when tough decisions come up everyone can reflect back to the painted picture to help in decision making. As Herold said, “Everything must be on target and geared toward that specific growth goal.”
To get your Painted Picture out of your head and onto actual paper, think of all of those crazy ideas that you have for your business. I am sure that some of the ideas might even get laughed at if you brought them up at a board meeting. However, it is important to write these down using the technique called “mind-mapping.” This process is simply jotting down all of your random thoughts, dreams, and aspirations instead of writing out formal sentences. The other important part of creating a Painted Picture is to not focus on “how” you will get things accomplished. Instead, focus on “where” you want to be. A person does not have to be creative in order to be able to create a Painted Picture. No one needs to be Picasso, just follow the questions that Harold lists out and you will quickly have your three pages of details that will help guide you during growth.
According to Herold, after you have your Painted Picture, the next step is to be focused on growing quickly. The key areas of growth that a company needs to focus on are: hiring, communication, meetings, marketing, public relations, productivity, and technology. Herold also guides companies through what to do when growth is slow. (I’ll give you a hint, it’s not going to be easy to read if you are making excuses for the lack of growth. My other hint is that the chapter is worth reading even if your company is having steady growth.)
Having a Painted Picture and being focused on fast growth isn't enough. Herold says that a company also needs to focus on leadership. He talks the reader through what is known as the Transition Curve and what to do and not do at each of the four stages. This curve will either help a person and their company through a crisis or the company will crash and burn. (Harsh, I know, but also very truthful.)He also goes on to through steps on how to be more productive like time management and staying focus.
To me, Double Double is a great business book because it provides the reader with tools that they can start using today. Instead of Herold being vague about topics he provides actual examples and lists names of businesses and products that have worked well for him. Are you looking for an organization that will help you with your entrepreneurial growth? Check out EO. Are you looking for tips on work-life balance? Here are some proven ones from Herold himself. Need tips on staying focus? Herold has those as well. Do you need a better chair? Buy Herman Miller Aeron chairs. Do you need a wireless headset? Check out Headsets.com and the ones that are manufactured by Plantronics. Herold cuts out the guess work in so many areas by providing these real-life examples that can save you time.
As I mentioned before, this book is good for people in various positions within their company. A great takeaway tool that Herold provides is interview questions. These questions have been gathered by him through various resources over the past several years. Each group of questions is based on different character traits that you would like to learn about from a prospective employee such as: problem solving, career goals, communication, decision making, etc.
With focused planning, focused building, and focused leadership you will see your business grow. And if you need help staying focused, Herold also provides you with “Focus Points” at the end of the book. However, don’t just skip to that part because you will miss a lot of very valuable information.
Happy Reading!
Herold’s book is divided into easy to digest chapters that any busy CEO/entrepreneur could pick up and read. The key to this book is to be focused, which you will read about throughout the book. The first chapter directs the reader to find their Vision, what Herold refers to as their “Painted Picture.” By design, this chapter is first for a reason. If you don’t know what you want your company to look like in the future (think culture, staff, values, etc.) then there is nothing that neither this book nor any other can do to help you. After reading chapter one put the book down and really think about what you want and need within the framework of your company. Once you have that picture in your head you can get the information out to others on your team. When they see your vision then it is that much easier for them to help you get there. Teams need to be on the same page and when tough decisions come up everyone can reflect back to the painted picture to help in decision making. As Herold said, “Everything must be on target and geared toward that specific growth goal.”
To get your Painted Picture out of your head and onto actual paper, think of all of those crazy ideas that you have for your business. I am sure that some of the ideas might even get laughed at if you brought them up at a board meeting. However, it is important to write these down using the technique called “mind-mapping.” This process is simply jotting down all of your random thoughts, dreams, and aspirations instead of writing out formal sentences. The other important part of creating a Painted Picture is to not focus on “how” you will get things accomplished. Instead, focus on “where” you want to be. A person does not have to be creative in order to be able to create a Painted Picture. No one needs to be Picasso, just follow the questions that Harold lists out and you will quickly have your three pages of details that will help guide you during growth.
According to Herold, after you have your Painted Picture, the next step is to be focused on growing quickly. The key areas of growth that a company needs to focus on are: hiring, communication, meetings, marketing, public relations, productivity, and technology. Herold also guides companies through what to do when growth is slow. (I’ll give you a hint, it’s not going to be easy to read if you are making excuses for the lack of growth. My other hint is that the chapter is worth reading even if your company is having steady growth.)
Having a Painted Picture and being focused on fast growth isn't enough. Herold says that a company also needs to focus on leadership. He talks the reader through what is known as the Transition Curve and what to do and not do at each of the four stages. This curve will either help a person and their company through a crisis or the company will crash and burn. (Harsh, I know, but also very truthful.)He also goes on to through steps on how to be more productive like time management and staying focus.
To me, Double Double is a great business book because it provides the reader with tools that they can start using today. Instead of Herold being vague about topics he provides actual examples and lists names of businesses and products that have worked well for him. Are you looking for an organization that will help you with your entrepreneurial growth? Check out EO. Are you looking for tips on work-life balance? Here are some proven ones from Herold himself. Need tips on staying focus? Herold has those as well. Do you need a better chair? Buy Herman Miller Aeron chairs. Do you need a wireless headset? Check out Headsets.com and the ones that are manufactured by Plantronics. Herold cuts out the guess work in so many areas by providing these real-life examples that can save you time.
As I mentioned before, this book is good for people in various positions within their company. A great takeaway tool that Herold provides is interview questions. These questions have been gathered by him through various resources over the past several years. Each group of questions is based on different character traits that you would like to learn about from a prospective employee such as: problem solving, career goals, communication, decision making, etc.
With focused planning, focused building, and focused leadership you will see your business grow. And if you need help staying focused, Herold also provides you with “Focus Points” at the end of the book. However, don’t just skip to that part because you will miss a lot of very valuable information.
Happy Reading!
February 5, 2024
Good. It’s more like a handbook of methods than timeless principles.
However, the central point (what he calls a Vivd Vision) is a great timeless principle: Dream first and then figure out how to make that dream a reality.
Believe and do.
However, the central point (what he calls a Vivd Vision) is a great timeless principle: Dream first and then figure out how to make that dream a reality.
Believe and do.
March 14, 2017
It's a great book that brought home a lot of things I already knew.I like the idea of a three year vision and leaning into the future.Reverse engineer everything.
July 26, 2017
great book i would recommmend it for sure for anyone looking at online businesses.
December 21, 2017
Some of the stuff here is dated, but most of it is rock-solid advice. I learned a lot about some of my most stressful problem areas from reading this.
January 16, 2018
I didn't think this book offered anything new that wasn't already out there. Maybe it's good for people who aren't exposed to a lot of business articles.
December 22, 2018
Несмотря на мотивационные ноты, очень практичная книга. Каждая глава - отдельный инструмент/идея.
April 13, 2020
Kind of book to have your desk in work and read a chapter every now and again .
October 13, 2020
Cameron did a great job sharing his years of experience into an entertaining and actionable book. A must read for owners and second in commands.
June 18, 2021
Je l’ai fini il y a un bon bout maintenant et j’arrive pas à me souvenir d’une chose… donc ça en dit long ;)
October 20, 2022
Great practical book with a focus on business and private life and the interaction of the two. Highly recommended.
March 12, 2023
I was very disappointed with the content as it seemed a bit obvious.
I've read Vivid Vision and a lot fo that was repeated here.
I did get value out of the the final chapters and the appendix
I've read Vivid Vision and a lot fo that was repeated here.
I did get value out of the the final chapters and the appendix
August 12, 2023
solid read
I got some good stuff from it for building my business, and some aspects were not as applicable but that’s to be expected.
I got some good stuff from it for building my business, and some aspects were not as applicable but that’s to be expected.
December 19, 2024
there’s nothing new in this book
This book is long on tropes and short on insights. Therefore it only seems fitting to leave a review with even less details.
This book is long on tropes and short on insights. Therefore it only seems fitting to leave a review with even less details.
September 17, 2025
Most of this book is about the author bragging. I don’t feel like it was worth the time.
March 11, 2017
Great read - easy to implement ideas to improve culture and operations!
February 19, 2012
I think that perhaps for those people who haven't read a lot of business books then this would book would provide some revelations. However, to an experienced business reader there are not a lot of revolutionary things contained within. I was expecting somewhat more definitive steps and process on how to grow a business.
I also felt that the books was somewhat restricted by the authors inference to his own experience. I understand that this is in many ways the best method of conveying what works and what doesn't but I found the constant reference to that experience to be somewhat limiting in getting the concepts across. It would have proven more successful perhaps if reference and example had been made to other businesses and business leaders rather than referring to what appeared to be a unique set of experiences.
That said I did find some worthwhile information from the book on the subject of employee relationships and how to improve that aspect of a business. It is always good to hear other people's opinion on working with people as you can never really find one process that works for all.
So in summary, probably not a book for the experienced business reader but certainly has value for people new to business development.
I also felt that the books was somewhat restricted by the authors inference to his own experience. I understand that this is in many ways the best method of conveying what works and what doesn't but I found the constant reference to that experience to be somewhat limiting in getting the concepts across. It would have proven more successful perhaps if reference and example had been made to other businesses and business leaders rather than referring to what appeared to be a unique set of experiences.
That said I did find some worthwhile information from the book on the subject of employee relationships and how to improve that aspect of a business. It is always good to hear other people's opinion on working with people as you can never really find one process that works for all.
So in summary, probably not a book for the experienced business reader but certainly has value for people new to business development.
November 13, 2015
Cameron Herold is well know in entrepreneur circles as the go to guy for business advice. Sadly, only a few could benefit from his experience and wisdom when it comes to growing your business. However, we now have the complete recipe to double revenue and profit in 3 years or less. This book touches many aspects of business and will sometimes seem counterintuitive, such as creating outstanding company culture by giving all employees 5 weeks of paid vacation. At first, this might sound insane, but upon reading the reason behind the gesture, you can truly comprehend the wisdom contained in this book.
Just doing the painted picture exercise is a valuable tool in itself and if the book ended there (chapter 1), I would have felt satisfied with my investment in this book. Cameron's recipe for success is clearly explained and specific steps are laid out to follow, which will guarantee growth.
If your business has flatlined, or is not lifting off, this book will be worth it's weight in gold. Start reading, start applying and starting doubling.
Just doing the painted picture exercise is a valuable tool in itself and if the book ended there (chapter 1), I would have felt satisfied with my investment in this book. Cameron's recipe for success is clearly explained and specific steps are laid out to follow, which will guarantee growth.
If your business has flatlined, or is not lifting off, this book will be worth it's weight in gold. Start reading, start applying and starting doubling.
July 25, 2013
I mistakenly expected this book to give me a series of tactical steps to grow business.
Not so - but when I pause for thought, that much is obvious.
What CH does deliver is a set of strategies around behaviour, rather than tactics around performance.
The book is a beginners guide to self-development and leadership and embraces many of the standard ideas from that world - a trip down memory lane and a timely reminder to get my shit straight if I want to succeed.
I enjoyed it, have already recommended it to clients and will continue to do so.
As always, the client has to do the work after reading the book.
Homework for the reader?
1. sort yourself out
2. build a team
3. reverse engineer your business from 100% growth in 3 years back to what you have to do in the next 90 days to begin that journey.
Couldn't have come at a better time for me.
Not so - but when I pause for thought, that much is obvious.
What CH does deliver is a set of strategies around behaviour, rather than tactics around performance.
The book is a beginners guide to self-development and leadership and embraces many of the standard ideas from that world - a trip down memory lane and a timely reminder to get my shit straight if I want to succeed.
I enjoyed it, have already recommended it to clients and will continue to do so.
As always, the client has to do the work after reading the book.
Homework for the reader?
1. sort yourself out
2. build a team
3. reverse engineer your business from 100% growth in 3 years back to what you have to do in the next 90 days to begin that journey.
Couldn't have come at a better time for me.
December 1, 2015
Good, bite sized book of basic growth advice. Starts with a unique and visioning mechanism that I know from personal experience in working with Cameron, is very powerful. Covers the importance of culture, hiring for DNA and skill, communications, the right kind of marketing, how to run effective meetings and time management. Great concise read for all entrepreneurs.
November 4, 2013
This book... Is amazing, if you are ever going to run a business this is a must read no matter what! This is definitely a book i would recommended to anybody who wants to improve their business. I don't own a business but when i do this is be GOAT. Read this apply it and you will achieve so much.
March 23, 2014
Although there are not new strategies revealed in this book, there were several practical takeaways. Some of the ones I am implementing include: 1) top 5 to do list 2) painted picture 3) weekly meetings with managers that are goal focused 4) letters to himself I thought were spot on.
April 12, 2016
There were a few ideas in this book that would help grow your business. It is a good aggregation of ideas to give you a framework or checklist. The book not only provides some good insights to deal with business grow, but also has some personal tactics to keep things in balance.
October 3, 2011
Very inspiring with a lot of helpful tips and tricks.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews