What is the title of your book?

Down to Business: 51 Industry Leaders Share Practical Advice on How to Become a Young Entrepreneur

What inspired you to write a book?

More than 50% of our generation say they want to be their own bosses. The purpose of this book is to, first, inspire young people to follow their passion early. And second, provide access to the experienced backing of 51 industry leaders who have already succeeded.

Did anyone help you write your book?

This book wouldn’t have been possible without my co-author, who’s a lifelong friend and neighbor of mine. We researched, pitched, and conducted every interview together. Our friendship made working together fun and navigating difficult times more manageable. This book also wouldn’t be possible without our agent at The Knight Agency and editor at Random House, plus countless friends, mentors, and interviewees along the way.

Why did you choose to write about business?

The entrepreneurial mindset is the number one thing recruiters are looking for, but nobody was providing a blueprint for how to acquire that. We wanted to provide this roadmap for young leaders, because these skills are necessary both for our careers and to solve the big problems our generation will have to face. Beyond business, we also discuss the value of college, benefits of social media, and life advice.

How long have you been working on this book?

We started this book four years ago during the pandemic. It was an opening for us to interview and speak to people because everyone became familiar with this thing called “Zoom” overnight.

Who is your intended target audience? 

Readers K-12, but any age group can learn something.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process?

Editing. We had to take 800+ pages of content and shorten it down to less than 400. It’s difficult to look at a product you’ve made and scrap half of it. While that was hard to let go, we luckily had guidance on all things fact checking and copy editing.

Where can people find your book?

Barnes & Noble, Target, or anywhere else books are sold!

The full list is linked here at the Penguin Random House site:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723699/down-to-business-51-industry-leaders-share-practical-advice-on-how-to-become-a-young-entrepreneur-by-fenley-scurlock-and-jason-liaw /?ref=PRHAE9FD11FD8AD&aid=3942&linkid=PRHAE9FD11FD8AD