Book Report – Scrappy by Terri Sjodin

Everyday people need to be scrappy to get ahead in life. When you can’t count on $1M of seed capital from your rich daddy, you must “have the determination of a street fighter, to work smarter, to be willing to work harder when you need to.” This is the gospel according to Terri Sjodin as expertly outlined in her terrific new book, Scrappy. Reading it is inspiring on the level of cranking the soundtrack to Hamilton; the strings swell, the bass pumps, and you too are standing on the bow of a ship headed to a new land, declaring there’s a million things you haven’t done but oh, just wait. What’s best about the book is that it celebrates common folks who rise above the fray in pursuit of their goals. If you’re full up on business books extolling the virtues of Jobsie and Zuck, surely you will appreciate Sjodin shining the spotlight on ordinary business owners, consultants, and salespeople who employ simple yet crafty ideas to advance a cause.

Sjodin collects stories and compiles them into themes surrounding attitude, strategy, and execution. First off, we need to get over what she calls the mysterious “they” problem, the one from which we allow this so-called shadowy group to loiter in the corners of our minds, convincing us that whomever it is we’re not calling on doesn’t really need our offering(s) anyway. It’s clear the author has a no-excuses policy with her clients, not allowing them to blather on about all the reasons why things can’t or won’t happen. “When you feel a little beaten up and tired,” she writes, “it’s sheer will and a scrappy attitude that keep you committed to your vision.” She wants us to get knocked around by intentionally seeking challenges and actually practice being comfortable with getting uncomfortable, saying it’s no different than extending runs in preparation for a marathon. [Editor’s note: It is illegal to peel those pompous 13.1 and 26.2 stickers off people’s bumpers, tempting as it is to do so.]

With a sharpened attitude and mindset, we’re ready to have some fun with gamesmanship. One of the better discoveries Sjodin reveals is the “3×5 Rule” by which we are to take three minutes to learn five things about a prospective target (or five minutes to learn three things about them – the order matters not). The key is to exercise curiosity about others and invest some energy to better understand the person with whom you’re meeting. She outlines how to leverage your new knowledge, to be interested without coming off disingenuous, and to spend even a few dollars being thoughtful in up-front approaches and follow-up. To master such behaviors, the author suggests being mentored, something she’s benefited by her entire career. Included is a helpful reminder that Daniel-san learned the scrappiest move of all time – The Crane, as if you didn’t know – from Mr. Miyagi, hall of fame mentor. Was it but a single session to master the maneuver? Of course not. For Daniel to outwit Sensei and take out Johnny in the finals, thus avoiding being dragged from the arena in a body bag (swept leg and all), he had to log countless training-and-observation hours, learn to maintain balance in the rough surf, and then practice time and again on that random log protruding from the beach. He became the best around and nothing’s ever gonna keep him down. Let’s go and do likewise.