The difference between success and failure is right between your ears.
A big, hairy beast stands between you and your entrepreneurial success. Your fears, your doubts, every negative thought you have about yourself — they manifest as Mr. Monkey, and he'll exploit them ruthlessly to sabotage you and destroy your dreams. But only if you let him — this book will show you how to conquer the beast and make your dreams a reality.
What if the secret to success had nothing to do with your business plan?
In Mr. Monkey and Me, Mike Smerklo draws on a broad range of experiences and mistakes as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist — lessons earned the hard way.
Using wisdom collected from renowned founders he's built alongside, Mike developed the SHAPE formula: an actionable framework for the mental toughness any entrepreneur needs to start, grow, and run a successful business.
This isn't your typical entrepreneur junk food. It's "the other shit" — the non-obvious mental hurdles you have to overcome, the risks you have to take, and the sacrifices and mistakes you'll make along the way. Practical tools, honest stories, and the lessons you don't get in classrooms or business books.
Mr. Monkey and Me is the truthful and oftentimes harrowing story of entrepreneurship that too often goes untold. Mike Smerklo goes through the many challenges in building ServiceSource into a successful public company — not the least of which is actually learning how to control the ever-present doubting voice inside himself.
A perfect encapsulation of the negative inner dialogue we have with ourselves — and how to manage it.
By conquering self-doubt and using it to fuel your passion, Mr. Monkey and Me provides a thoughtful and provocative perspective on the entrepreneurial journey. Truly unique thanks to Mike's humor, mindset, and expertise.
Aspiring entrepreneurs, this book is a must read. Mike gives it to us straight — sharing his earned wisdom with humility, deep intelligence, and the comedy that makes this book such a thought-provoking and enjoyable read.
I've known Mike for almost two decades, both as an entrepreneur and more recently as an investor. He's got a unique set of experiences upon which to base the wisdom of Mr. Monkey and Me. Anyone in the startup world can learn a lot from Mike.
Mike Smerklo has lived every facet of the "real" entrepreneur life. Bootstrapped. Venture-backed. Hyper-growth. IPO. It's extremely rare to find this frontline expertise in one entrepreneur — and even rarer to find it in a single book. Candor, insights, inspiration, and results.
The world desperately needs more entrepreneurs. Mike writes an important, deeply personal, and quite entertaining book about one of the biggest challenges in being an entrepreneur — managing your psyche along the very challenging but often rewarding path. I wish I'd been able to read this twenty years ago.
Perhaps the toughest challenge of entrepreneurship has nothing to do with raising capital, scaling, or talent management — instead it's an ongoing battle between your ears. Mike pulls back the curtain on the battle so many face but rarely discuss.
A no-nonsense approach to entrepreneurship providing actionable and honest insight. Something most traditional business books don't do.
Mike speaks to the heart of everyone who's been mulling a great business idea for years but just doesn't have the courage to start. This book is for anyone on the edge of the diving board — wanting to dive into entrepreneurship but just needs one final push.
Mr. Monkey and Me is the perfect read for everyone who wants to know what running a business actually looks like before the million dollar company comes to fruition. Mike doesn't discourage anyone from entering startup life; rather, he encourages his readers to take the risk and gives them all the right tools to succeed.
The world needs entrepreneurs now more than ever to solve society's many challenges, but the standard advice completely misses the most fundamental tool required: the right mindset. Raw, real, and spoken-from-the-heart advice. A must read for anyone daring enough to be a creative founder today.
Mike weaves a spellbinding story that is sure to encourage the inner entrepreneur in all of us. I love the rare look into the hard-scrabble upbringing of a man who has since triumphed in the business world. Smerklo inspires us all.
In Mr. Monkey and Me, Mike has laid out everything no one tells you about starting a business. Not only has he given clear, cliché-free guidance, but it's an engaging read you won't want to put down. I can't recommend this book enough.
I love the emphasis Mr. Monkey and Me puts on the mental aspect of entrepreneurship. Mike's intentional focus on the SHAPE method is an angle that's rarely talked about and even less frequently written about.
Mike keeps his readers grounded in reality in this practical and entertaining guide to the ups and downs of his own entrepreneurial journey. He shows young entrepreneurs a path to success that might look less glamorous than what you see on TV, but one that is well-worn and time-tested.
Mike hit the nail on the head with this one — all entrepreneurs should read Mr. Monkey and Me and share with a mentee. Powerful perspective and advice.
Any entrepreneur suffering from imposter syndrome needs to read Mr. Monkey and Me. Mike takes on the stereotype alpha-male CEO and proves why all personalities have the potential to be great leaders.
Mike makes entrepreneurship tangible, exciting, and fulfilling without the usual clichés. Mr. Monkey and Me isn't about simply flaunting his (very considerable) success — it's also about vulnerability and sacrifice, preparing his audience for a unique approach to balancing life and work.
Mr. Monkey and Me feels more like a casual conversation with your successful buddy than a guide to entrepreneurial success. Mike is equal parts hilarious, genuine, and informative in his one-of-a-kind book.
Do you listen to someone who has watched a little golf on TV or someone who has won on the PGA? Mike took a business from nothing to a multibillion dollar public company. He walks you through his amazing journey in the most honest and open way. And you will never forget Mr. Monkey.
Mike's authenticity around the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurship is unrivaled. He speaks from the head, heart, and soul, and his story and counsel will inspire the next generation of leaders.
Part coach, part shrink, part colleague, Smerklo takes you down an entertaining journey of work and life — leaving you laughing and cringing, and better suited to lead an organization.
All entrepreneurs face countless gut-wrenching decisions. I was fortunate to have Mike in my corner to generously share his battle scars, sense of humor, and hard-earned wisdom. This book is classic Mike: thoughtful, vulnerable, really funny, and dead right.
Mike Smerklo knows that all entrepreneurs need to get comfortable being uncomfortable. After many successes and many failures, Smerklo learned that the correct way to lead is really somewhere in the balance. He teaches how to get comfortable with tension and find a way forward.
Mr. Monkey and Me offers a wonderfully refreshing combination of honesty and great storytelling that makes it a must for every entrepreneur's bookshelf — or at least those interested in the harsh reality of it all.
Mr. Monkey and Me is an essential read for any current or aspiring entrepreneur. At a time when we need entrepreneurs more than ever, Smerklo offers invaluable insights on the mental tenacity needed to build a successful business.
An honest review of the entrepreneur life that will make anyone who's been questioning if it's the right time to start their own business feel confident, informed, and excited.
I've never had a name for that negative voice in my head, but now I do. Nice to meet you, Mr. Monkey.
Growing up broke in Toledo, Mike Smerklo has gone on to achieve success few could imagine. Now he's written a book that tells us how he did it — and how we could as well. Authentic, practical, inspiring, and actionable. One of the best books on entrepreneurship I've ever read.
Mike Smerklo delivers pithy and personal lessons in Mr. Monkey and Me. His riveting experience with both gut-punch setbacks and exhilarating successes makes for an entertaining read — full of effective tools for young business owners to fine-tune their mental approach.
Smerklo uses his own unlikely and challenged upbringing as the backdrop to elucidate his entrepreneurial journey, then smartly outlines actionable tools he used to cut off the voices of doubt. Mike believes anyone can have the entrepreneurial spirit — they just need to know how to beat the monkey standing in their way.
Mr. Monkey and Me is a refresher course in what it truly takes to succeed as an entrepreneur — a no-BS account of a remarkable journey. It shines a light on the hardest part of being a successful entrepreneur: mastering your own fears and shortcomings.
An entertaining roadmap to conquer your self-doubt and work with authenticity toward your entrepreneurial journey.
Mike deeply understands the challenges and triumphs of being an entrepreneur, and applies his experience to help others handle perhaps the toughest challenge — wrestling with the voices between your own ears. Honest and vulnerable, Mr. Monkey and Me is a gift to current and future entrepreneurs.
Hilarious tone with serious takeaways. What better way to tell a story about entrepreneurship.
Smerklo's SHAPE framework is a comprehensive and actionable model for staying on track and keeping Mr. Monkey at bay. With great candor, humility, and humor, Mike has created an invaluable resource for anyone courageous enough to take the entrepreneurial leap.
Mike cuts right to the chase in Mr. Monkey and Me. His riveting experience with the ups and downs of entrepreneurship teaches young business owners how to fine-tune their mental prowess for the journey ahead — and come out on top.
There isn't a day that I don't think about the great things Mike did as a CEO, along with the "not great." I am extremely grateful for the lessons Mike taught me — and so excited that he is bringing these lessons to a wider audience.
Mr. Monkey and Me puts an emphasis on the mental fortitude needed in entrepreneurship — not as an afterthought, but as a foundation for success.
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