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If your heart’s not in your business, why are you?
Discover the seven essential principles that will help you build a business sensitive to today’s economic and social realities, one that is profitable, customer-focused and in tune with your own beliefs, needs and goals.
Leading life and business coach, Rasheed Ogunlaru tears off the jargon and delves into the beating heart of what makes businesses really work. Throw your heart into your business, it will pay dividends.
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For people who run their business with heart and soul
One of the best business books I ever read. For people who run their business with heart and soul, this book is a treat and very reassuring as well. There are a lot of tips to take on board and its very “down to earth” approach makes it easy to use the tips and advise in practice. Additionally I liked the language used and the examples given. I really enjoyed reading it. Highly recommended!
Having Soul in your business
What I like about this book is that it challenges you to be true and honest about what you want out of your business life. The book uses lots of proven management theory, but applies the personal touch to it (the clue is in the title !). I have given this book to colleagues who are thinking about the next step in their careers. It works really well… it feels like giving advice as a gift
Inspirational and practical guidance
Soul Trader is a 360 degree blueprint for anyone aspiring to or already running a heart-centered business. Rasheed combines inspiration with practical application in an engaging and accessible way that enables readers to feel they are not alone on their journey. The blend of personal insight, anecdotes and practical coaching tools make it a valuable resource to reach for when seeking solutions to specific business challenges, or just a reminder of the bigger picture.
The Author’s Introduction
The back cover
More Reviews
Great advice for the entrepreneurial soul
I’ve read many of Rasheed’s works, but the Soul Trader is probably the one that has resonated with me the most. A stylish looking book packed with tips and stories from entrepreneurs and Rasheed on doing business from the heart. It’s the way I work, I just hadn’t found a name for it yet! Soul Trader aims to help you bring the passion back into your business and remember the reason you first started out in business. It offers practical steps to help you improve your success in the future. My well thumbed copy shows that its a book that you can read in one go or dip in and out of. Highly recommended and a great tool in every entrepreneur and aspiring entrepreneurs tool kit.
Great advice for the entrepreneurial soul
As a business owner having previously read countless, ‘how to be successful’ books, I found Soul Trader to give an entirely new and fresh perspective on growing my business. Rasheed Ogunlaru spots a fundamental common denominator to business and personal success that consistently gets overlooked. Soul Trader gives practical tips and exercises to easily; re-calibrate, re-charge and re-invigorate both you and your business. And the best bit for me in these tough economic times is that virtually all the ideas don’t cost anything. This easily read book has numerous anecdotes and case studies to illustrate what’s clearly a proven approach. It’s simple to read, simple to digest, and very simple to do. For me, simply a ‘must buy’.
Put the heart back into your business this year
Rasheed gets right to the heart of what it means to do what you love and do it from the heart. I’ve run my business for seven years and although I love it, I knew I had to have some difficult conversations. When I first picked up Soul Trader, the ‘Conversations’ chapter caught my eye. I acted on the recommendations in this chapter with brilliant results and then went on to read the rest of the book.
This book is so well-written and clearly laid out that it’s easy to use either to work through or to get some tips on how to deal with specific issues.
I’d recommend this lovely book to experienced and new business owners alike.
This needs to be the next book in your business library
Rasheed has written a trusted resource with page after page of great ideas to help guide you to a place where your work gives back to you and others, not takes your energy away.
He covers the whole entrepreneur from their personal vision to putting together a simple business plan, raising capital and the human aspects of business. Being an avid reader of business books, this is a simple resource that I can go back to find new perspectives, and the exercises are a great way to re-orient your own vision as you find your business calling.
Highly recommended.
Opens your heart and clarifies/pacifies your mind
I have run my own business for over 10 years. In that time I’ve been through many peaks and troughs and have read possibly hundreds of books relating to business. I recently came across this book and have to say that it stands head and shoulders above the rest. The author, Rasheed Ogunlaru asks us, “If your heart is not in your business, then why are you?” What a question! That’s just one of the gems that set my heart ablaze. The book is also beautifully laid out and each chapter lead me seamlessly to a place of clarity and rekindles the passion and love for myself, and my business, and has reminded me why I got into business in the first place. I highly recommend this book, and rate it with 5 stars. I’ve just ordered 5 more copies for xmas presents! Do yourself and your business a favor and buy this book, if not for yourself, then for someone you love!!!
I feel this book is a must for entrepreneurs new and seasoned
This review is from: Soul Trader: Putting the Heart Back into Your Business (Paperback)
I was fortunate enough to have been given a copy of ‘Soul Trader’ by Rasheed Ogunlaru. I was going to Corfu for a break and started reading it at the airport. By the time I had landed in Corfu I had read over half of this very informative book; I couldn’t put it down and so I felt compelled to write this review. I feel this book is a must for entrepreneurs new and seasoned.
Soul Trader takes us on a journey through 8 chapters of entrepreneurial best practises and “know how’s”, starting with knowing who you are and what your passion is. This leads us building a business we will love and that we are passionate about. Rasheed sums this up nicely in chapter 2 “In sight, in mind, in heart”.
The journey continues with Rasheed encouraging us to find and build upon our inner strengths – looking at our beliefs about our self and creating the attitude of an athlete. We are asked to look at our desires, our fears and our relationships and to investigate how this may impact our business and how we communicate with the people around us, from people we immediately work with to the people in our network.
There is a chapter on creativity that allows us to “be at our best” and to use our time more effectively. We are guided through Rasheed’s very simple, but very effective, 2 page business plan that helps us to create the right business model – not only helping us to have a direction with our business but also to not get so lost in it all – we need to have time to relax with friends and family. I cannot emphasis how important this is for any budding entrepreneur.
So, once we have created our business how do we maintain it? What are our attitudes and beliefs about us being leaders? What do love and compassion have to do with the way we run things? All these questions are answered succinctly and intelligently and we are, once again, encouraged to put out heart and soul into what we love doing.
This book is a great guide for anyone wanting to start their own business. It is also a great manual for the more practised entrepreneur. Rasheed uses real life situations and examples of people that he has worked with – I cannot recommend this enough.
Soulful and practical at the same time
I have known Rasheed for several years now and have always been impressed at his ability to combine the heart and the head. His workshops are full of soul searching but also really practical things to take away and work on.
It is great that he has managed to convey these two strands so successfully in his book. Strongly recommended for anyone in the early stages of business start-up, but useful for anyone in business.
Remarkable Book!
I had the privilege of receiving a copy of this book even before being displayed here on Amazon. I took the book with me on my summer holidays, so I could use my time wisely when travelling on the plane. A good recommendation here is `always’ get an inspirational book when travelling….you will be surprised to see how much you can learn while travelling. I read this book over my summer holidays, and I can express enough how interesting and insightful Rasheed’s words are – not only inspirational, but intelligent words full of interesting and challengeable questions – I always like the way Rasheed approaches the subjects of life and business – he does not split them, but on the contrary, he is able to put them together in a such a way that when reading his words you feel part of the conversation.
This book is a must read for those who are really into business, or perhaps thinking to move into business now – or even those who feel they have a mission to accomplish in this planet. I feel exactly like that! And will revisit the book to get more knowledge and inspiration in order to accomplish my dream of becoming my own boss, and more than that, to make a difference in this planet. Soul Trader is and will be a book to revisit every time you feel you need to be re-invigorated about your life and business.
Thank you Rasheed for this great book – your time in creating a book like this one reveals your real desire to help people in our society.
Having Soul in your business
What I like about this book is that it challenges you to be true and honest about what you want out of your business life. The book uses lots of proven management theory, but applies the personal touch to it (the clue is in the title !). I have given this book to colleagues who are thinking about the next step in their careers. It works really well… it feels like giving advice as a gift
Inspirational Writing
This is an exceptional book which helps the reader to operate from their heart and soul, and not just their brain, in order to achieve outcomes that are holistically satisfying.
Rasheed Ogunlaru is a gifted writer, and I am so very pleased to have the gift of his book. Read it it with the expectation that you’ll be inspired to get real results.
Wonderful gift for the fledging entrepreneur
Fabulous!
I read this whole book in one sitting. Over the course of an early evening, through the night and into the early hours of the morning…
I’ve probably read most of the very well-known business/motivational books from Napoleon Hill through to Dale Carnegie and everyone in between. This author however, has very skilfully managed to create a conversation between the reader and their heart, which ultimately leaves one feeling completely inspired and in my case, re-invigorated and enthused about improving the relationship I have with everyone within my business orbit.
His eight C’s are just an absolute must for anyone both starting out in business, and also for those who’ve been running their own show for a while.
A lot of both heart and soul has been spread liberally throughout this book and I will be re-visiting it regularly to make sure I’m trading not only with my heart – but also my soul…
A book about business
What I love about this book is that it is not just a book about business. This is a book about human culture and the way in which we show up as human beings, this book is great for the individual and great for the person with many companies, projects, ventures. What I have taken from this book is the great questions Rasheed poses which challenge you to look deeper into the reasons you do what you do. I have come away thinking to myself and asking what impact am I having on the world and every living thing. How can I create the future with my conscious decision NOW. This is an exciting look at what conscious business may look like as we evolve into new states of being and co-create new structures as we allow the ones which haven’t served us to dissolve along with the business they have provided. My hope is we even create a new word for business too. If we put the heart into business I see our ways of exchanging gifts and services becoming more harmonious for all involved. These are exciting times if you are not living in fear. Soul Trader has soul. Thank you Rasheed for taking the time to create a book from authenticity and with a desire to help people and the world.
A must read
I read this book and have recommended it to many others. It is a great guide for anyone thinking of going into business, but it is also useful for those who aren’t. Good sound advice based on real life examples. Excellent!
Soul – the missing part of starting a business
Soul Trader is an important book. It plugs the gap in so many start-up books which talk about making sales and making money but neglect the vital need to build something around your personal values and beliefs. If you are taking the first steps into business I highly recommend you work through Soul Trader to create a strong foundation for serving your customers and making a difference. It’s an easy read, nicely structured into bite-sized chunks with plenty of thought provoking questions to ponder on. Deserves a place on your Kindle or mobile device so you always have it with you.
Inspiring, practical advice
‘Soul Trader’ is an important book for anyone seeking to start or grow a business. Rasheed understands people – and people make businesses work. The book is not about gimmicks or gadgets, but about the real-world relationships that create value because they are driven by values. Essential reading!
Be inspired, be challenged. But above all else, be rewarded by reading this book.
Something in here for the entrepreneur, large or small. The book manages to inspire and challenge without resorting to schmaltz or psycho-speak. There are genuinely helpful tips and advice on almost every page. Like others, I have met the author personally; the book successfully manages to encapsulate his naturally warm personality and boundless enthusiasm. Rasheed’s face to face sessions in London are also well worth attending.
Both a source of inspiration and practical tools, Soul Trader keeps on giving
Rasheed’s book strips away the complexity of being an entrepreneur and reveals to you that you already have everything it takes to be successful. The book is both conversation and anecdotal – making for easy and interesting reading with lots to compare to your own experiences – and complex in that you can get as much out of it as you choose to.
And there in lies the beauty – a reading of the book in and of itself is a self-reflection of where you are at in your own journey. Being equally full of tools to complement the ideas, this book is practical, inspirational, accessible, and an extremely useful reference to keep going back to. With each re-reading of a section or chapter, assuming you’ve taken genuine actions on that point, you’ll gain new clarity and perspective on what your next steps should be.
Thoroughly recommended.
Truly inspiring for all entrepreneurs
I have read the book and been to 2 of Rasheed’s workshops and can’t express how helpful it has been to bring the love and soul back into my business at times where I needed guidance and focus.
This book is great to align your personal goals and visions with your business plan. It will also give you great tools to structure your thinking and define a clear action plan.
An absolute must read and a book you can go back to year after year for tips and advice on how to keep a constant thread in your life and business goals, be in line with your customer’s needs and always keep the soul in your business!
One of the best business books I ever read.
For people who run their business with heart and soul, this book is a treat and very reassuring as well. There are a lot of tips to take on board and its very “down to earth” approach makes it easy to use the tips and advise in practice. Additionally I liked the language used and the examples given. I really enjoyed reading it. Highly recommended!
At last, a book putting heart before profit!
When people start up their business often it is because they have a good idea, or can see a gap in the market place. Running a Business is not for the faint hearted and sometimes it is easy to forget why you are doing it. Soul Trader is a fab book really connecting you to your business and exploring the why behind it, the passion, and helps clarify what it is you are doing and subsequently, bringing into focus your offering and how it differs from other peoples. In today’s business world it is important to figure out who you are, both as a business and as an individual leading the business.
I very rarely do reviews for books but as a business consultant myself, I found the book to be a easy to read journey in how to create the best business you can, for both you and your customers, putting heart and passion before profit. It could be tempting to skip over some of the simple questions or exercises in the book, thinking of course I know my customers, my vision but once you start to try to answer them it really brings to you a clarity that will change the way you think about your business.
Inspirational and practical guidance
Soul Trader is a 360 degree blueprint for anyone aspiring to or already running a heart-centered business. Rasheed combines inspiration with practical application in an engaging and accessible way that enables readers to feel they are not alone on their journey. The blend of personal insight, anecdotes and practical coaching tools make it a valuable resource to reach for when seeking solutions to specific business challenges, or just a reminder of the bigger picture.
A great book for anyone starting or running a business
Unlike many business help books there is no prescribed list of ‘to-dos’ in Soul Trader, rather, Ogunlaru encourages people to draw on their personal strengths and understand why they are running a business in the first place and use those values as a spring board toward building a business that is purposeful as well as commercially and personally enriching. Split into 8 chapters entitled Clarity, Customers, Courage, Cooperation, Conversations, Creativity, Compassion, and Change, the book asks you to understand yourself, your motivations and strengths and how to make the most of them in order to become a successful entrepreneur.
If you’re starting your own business or have been in business for a while and feel you need a fresh perspective then I encourage you to give this book a go. It isn’t over-crowded with business jargon and scary milestones. I think if there is one text that has influenced the way we sell, market, and interact with our clients then ‘Soul Trader’ is it.
Great title for an excellent book
Soul Trader is a book that I would include on the list for all my coaching clients whether they are working in a business or entrepreneurs. Rasheed does not disappoint. It is well laid out with a great structure of the eight C’s which are relevant, informative and really easy to follow. What a beautiful and daring choice of colour for the book cover and the great symbol of the heart cushion on the chair (that’s a great image to use for your branding Rasheed). I really found the book bursting with some really good tips here like the section in sight, in mind, in heart on page 56. His essential message of bringing heart and head together flows effortlessly and gracefully through the book and is a message all businesses and organisations need to get. In one sitting Rasheed has brilliantly brought together his effervescent wisdom, energy and inspiration. I highly recommend Soul Trader.
Full of little gems
Although this book wasn’t exactly what I expected, I found some real nuggets of wisdom within it. Ogunlaru’s style is conversational and anecdotal which makes the book approachable and friendly and I especially enjoyed his take on ‘reframing’ selling to make it into a valuable exchange.
Overall, Ogunlaru’s book is perfectly suited as an introduction to doing business in a soulful, heart-centred way, probably best for new entrepreneurs, or those completely unfamiliar with this practice. Definitely worth a read.
Recommended!
I was at a crossroads in my career and in the process of reviewing giving up corporate world to branch out on my own when Soul Trader was recommended to me. While there are several books in the market that deal with career change, Rasheed’s approach is the most simplified, easy-to-follow and practical one that I have come across.
In my view, Soul Trader is much more than a book geared towards those who currently run their own businesses. For me, it’s a must-read if you are considering changing career, monitoring or tracking your current career or simply want some practical hints & tips on how to get more fulfillment out of your current career. I particularly enjoyed the piece about having a plant on my desk at work so that I can bring more of the outdoors to my office and personalising my space. This actually works!!! Now when I’m on a challenging conf call I focus on the plant and it helps me respond more calmly & professionally – simple but effective! Other days, the plant simply reminds me of the things I enjoy outside of the office which can be quite energising.
While I haven’t made any major career changes at the end of the book, I am now much more aware of my values, skills and overall mission in life. This alone is quite an accomplishment! Rasheed recommends taking 10 mins per week to review these as well which I’ve found really beneficial as it helps remind me of my passions in life and means I now tend to make better decisions during the week. With a more balanced approach to working life I have since taken some baby steps to start my own music & alternative health business in the evenings/weekends to test the waters and see if this would be viable long term. Surprisingly, by doing this, my day-to-day job seems more enjoyable as I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket which works for me. Overall, I would say this is book I will revert to time & time again and highly recommend you buy it & watch the transformation unfold…
The book is a fantastic read
This is an amazing book. Well written its a help book that actually helps. I definitely recommend this book and the authors workshops at the British Library
Practical, inspiring and well written
Since buying his book I’ve attended a workshop run by the author and it is obvious he cares passionately about the subject of putting your heart into business. It is a book underpinned by both a philosophy towards business and a highly practical guide to how to achieve success – as Rasheed would point out, whatever success means to you. It even has a two page business plan template that is all you need to form an action plan that will help you to deliver your personal and business objectives.
The content is carefully and sensibly laid out to take you on a journey from knowing what success means to you and understanding your own values through to the practical aspects of how you can grow yourself and your business. It addresses building relationships with others, whether they are customers, suppliers or employees. It covers winning business in a way that doesn’t involve the `hard sell’ and how to deal with change and creativity.
Whether you are starting out in business or ready for a rethink about the why and how of your existing business this book is a must have as part of the support and inspiration you will need.
I’ve personally used the exercises in the book to help me with my own business and to remind me about the why I do what I do as well as the how to do it. Thanks Rasheed, a great book.
Rasheed is an inspiration
A different style to Rasheed’s other books, so was curious to find out more. After 3 years of running my own business and finding myself at a crossroads, Rasheed’s words have inspired me in taking the next steps. His wealth of experience and his genuine passion for helping people, really add credibility to what he writes. I loved the section on getting a good life/family balance, for me if this is working well my creativity and passion in my work just flow naturally. This book is a great resource and has been a wonderful reminder for me on what’s important in life. I will keep picking up this book whenever I need some healthy reminders!
Find your true path
A very useful self coaching book which helps you find what is right for you. The heart is where the decision is made, the brain then is engaged to realise the true path which gives you balance and peace in life. The book is a practical guide and if you follow the simple exercises you will find out more than you expected. It is refreshing to see a writer take this approach as we are often bombarded with the hard sell of success. In future success belongs to those who can perform at their best. The anecdotal evidence presented here suggests happier people perform best and ultimately this leads to success without the unhappiness, especially if it is founded on your true self. As Rasheed writes in the book – be who you are. That takes some time to explore and this books helps you get there step by step. At this price it represents excellent value and a fraction of a typical coaching session.
Creative guy, great outlook on living
I had originally bought the audio version of this book and enjoyed listening to it, yet, I needed to have the paper version of the book. Two reasons, 1. I can listen to audio and read along which will enhance my experience with this book. 2. Besides being able to enjoy the audio version, I wanted to see the graphs and charts contained within the book so I can actually map out and chart my course.
I have personally met Rasheed and I can honestly say that he is 100% living his message, Rasheed is passionate about his message and passionate to share and truly cares to help you put ‘Soul’ into your business. I know that this books deals with business, it’s not that difficult to transfer that over to your own personal life.
Being passionate is the key here, yet, in order to be passionate, you have to have clarity about who you truly are, without clarity, you’re business, life’s direction is like wandering in the fog. Having clarity about who you truly are, this along with other techniques will steer you to your true nature.
I know in my own life and the beginnings of being in business, I wish to be a “Soul Trader” it’s not just about making money, it’s the people that come along who are your customers, suppliers and many others, to make up the jigsaw pieces to the business. It’s a moral obligation of any business to take heart and have heart when in business, doing so, I believe will bring the people (customers), acquaintances that are drawn to your message and the way of doing business.
You Need This Book
I’m still reading Soul Trader, so this is a review-in-progress. What’s important about this book is that it will resonate with reluctant entrepreneurs as well as the determined business owner. The “make a million now”, “you can do it” guides are terrific for those who already have the fire in their belly. Many people today are tiptoeing hesitantly (or being forced) into entrepreneurship. There’s a sensitivity about Soul Trader that will be reassuring for many making those first, anxious steps. Rasheed Ogunlaru is also strong on the personal tactics (for example, about deploying your network of contacts) that, again, will be practical and important for novice entrepreneurs. More to come…