Welcome back to Your Win-Win Teacher Business. This is our first episode in the Business Book Club series and as you likely saw in the title, today’s book is called Zen Guitar.
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Read the transcript:
Janice Cook 0:00 Welcome back to Your Win-Win Teacher Business. This is our first episode in the Business Book Club series, and as you likely saw in the title, today’s book is called Zen Guitar.
Janice Cook 0:14 You’re listening to Your Win-Win Teacher Business, a podcast for teacher authors who want to make a big impact in the world for teachers and students, and have fun doing it. I’m your host, Janice Cook, here with a pep talk to start your week off strong. Some seasons of running a business feel hard and sticky, but it shouldn’t feel like that all the time. Let’s make your business a win-win together.
Janice Cook 0:39 Before we get started, let’s talk about why I wanted to include a business book club in this podcast at all. I’m guessing you have lots of business books collecting dust on your bookshelf. They’re there because someone said they had helpful gems of knowledge that had the potential to help you on your business journey. And while that may be true, you’ve never opened them. I often wish there was a version of First Chapter Friday for adults, because starting a book is the hardest part for me. But once I get rolling and I’m hooked, I finish a book pretty quickly. So each month in our shared space here on the podcast, I’m going to share a favorite book from my bookshelf. If it speaks to you, seek out a copy and read it for yourself. If it doesn’t speak to you, or you truly don’t have the capacity to read a book in this season, just enjoy the small bits and pieces that were shared within this podcast episode.
Janice Cook 1:42 So why am I sharing this book, Zen Guitar? As you may remember from the very first episode of this podcast, I come from the world of music. While I was learning how to perform at an elite level, there were many books shared with me by master teachers, and this book was one of them. This book will probably never be suggested to you by someone in the world of business, but in my walk of life, I’ve learned some lessons from the world of music and some lessons from the world of business. Some of my favorite moments have been when I take lessons from outside the traditional teacher business space and bring them into the circle to apply them here.
Janice Cook 2:28 I’m also sharing this book because I’ve read it multiple times. My copy is so worn that I bought a copy on Kindle to prepare this episode. And if you look for commentary of others who have read Zen Guitar on YouTube, you’ll see their copies are worn too, and they talk about gifting this book to others many times. What high praise for a book! That makes me want to lean in and notice this book on a deeper level. So if you’re feeling curious and open to inviting a new voice into your mind, you might enjoy the bite sized chapters of Zen Guitar. This might be a book to pair with your morning cup of coffee. One or two chapters while you enjoy your coffee, before you dive into the role of serving others? That might just hit the spot.
Janice Cook 3:22 You know, I feel strongly about you running your business in the way that your heart wants. In the book, they talk about the lessons being tea and how it’s up to you to add your hot water. I love that visual so much. You see, there are so many ideas in the world of business – things you could try, things you might want to add or subtract from your business, but they may or may not be your cup of tea. Add your hot water with intention. Make this business, this cup of tea, your way. That’s the only right recipe.
Janice Cook 4:07 Do you remember the early days of learning to walk, learning to read, learning to swim, learning to ride a bike, learning to play an instrument, learning to cook your first recipe, learning to make your first TPT product? What did that feel like? Thrill? Wonder? Pride? Excitement? Possibility? How would the trajectory of your business change if you sat down every day with that same beginner’s mind and spirit? It’s okay to realize that you’ve lost touch with that feeling, but now is a great time to go find it again and get curious about how a small shift for free could change the game for your business this year.
Janice Cook 5:01 Reading this book about the white belt stage of martial arts and how the belt becomes dirty and frays over time, it really made an impression on me and brought me back to the feelings of times when I’ve been a beginner. And it also reminded me that I’m very much still a beginner right now, and that being a beginner is not a bad thing.
Janice Cook 5:26 Goals are great, but they are steps and celebrations along a path that truly has no end. I needed to hear that reminder in this book. Your teacher business is not a marathon that is 26.2 miles in length. There is no training manual and there is no finish line. The scariest and most frustrating part of running a business might be that there is no instruction manual and there is no finish line where a medal is hung from your neck and you have achieved a goal. But at the same time, the more I learn about how entrepreneurs are wired, the more I realize that they thrive on the fun, the excitement, and the unknown. They love, writing their own story, trying bright ideas, learning from the outcomes, and letting them inform the next step on their path.
Janice Cook 6:23 This book talks about the yin and the yang and a continuous circle that never ends. While this visual made an impact in one way, as I was on my beginner’s journey as a musician, it brings up completely fresh reflections as I ponder my beginner’s journey as a business owner. And while martial arts begins with a white belt that becomes dirty and turns black, that black belt then frays from practice and starts to turn white again in a special way. And that light bulb moment keeps me coming back to this book again and again over the years.
Janice Cook 7:03 So maybe you’ll read this book and maybe you won’t, but either way, thank you for letting me share this small story from my bookshelf and from my heart. If you’re feeling stuck and ready for a fresh perspective, consider this unexpected gem of a book. And remember you don’t have to run your business alone. Read books and talk about them with your biz besties. Share about this book on Instagram and tag me at teacherjaniceva. Slide into my DMs anytime to talk about the ups and downs of running a business. Leave a review on Apple podcasts and share a takeaway from this book with others to help them on their journey. This is the year we stop trying to run our businesses alone.
Janice Cook 7:50 Thanks for making this podcast a part of your day to grab a link for the book we discussed today, as well as look at a growing list of all my favorite things, go to cookfamilyresources.com/my-favorite-things I’ll also leave that link in the show notes for you. And if this podcast is becoming one of your favorite things, please consider heading to Apple podcast to share a review so that I can connect with and support even more teacher business owners. See you in the next episode.
