Shortform Books

Seth Godin: Branding & Price Help You Reach the Right Audience

What is it about Coca-Cola’s brand that makes it so effective? What should you consider when setting a price for your product or service? According to Seth Godin, branding and price are powerful tools. Used well, they can help you align your product’s story with the story that your audience tells. In This Is Marketing, he explains how to leverage branding and price effectively. Keep reading to understand how to use these important tools to your advantage.

How to Improve Work Relationships (+ Why It’s Important)

Do you talk to your coworkers much? How can you improve work relationships and enjoy your job more? Making friendships on the job may not seem like the biggest priority at work, but it doesn’t mean you have to distance yourself from your coworkers. In fact, The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz advises you to cultivate healthy relationships while working. Learn how to improve work relationships and, in turn, your life in general.

How to Evaluate Your Relationships’ Place in Your Life

Why should you evaluate your relationships? What are things to look out for as red flags in relationships? Some relationships just aren’t meant to last forever. If you feel as though a relationship is taking a negative toll on your life, you need to take a step back and assess how important it is to you. Here are the factors you need to evaluate in your relationships, according to Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud.

The Negative Effects of Procrastination on Your Health & Wallet

What are the negative effects of procrastination? How does procrastination affect your health and finances? Procrastination doesn’t just prevent you from getting work done. It can have a drastic impact on your health and finances if it gets out of control. Check out the negative consequences of procrastination to see why you need to get your work habits in shape.

Tara Brach’s RAIN Technique: A Guide to Everyday Mindfulness

How is mindfulness applied to everyday life? What’s the difference between the RAIN technique and the STOP technique? At a Buddhist conference, former ABC News anchor Dan Harris heard Tara Brach speak about loving and accepting yourself as you are. She presented a technique that he found helpful in applying mindfulness in everyday situations. Keep reading to learn about the RAIN technique and how it might benefit you as it benefited Harris.

Examples of Geopolitics: Geography Shapes the World Stage

Why does China seek out Africa’s resources? Why have India and Pakistan wanted control of Kashmir? Why has Korea been colonized and invaded so often? Geography shapes the way that nations interact with each other. Tim Marshall explains that, on the international stage, nations use trade, diplomacy, and military force as they vie for access to geographical bounties—troves of resources, trade routes, and defensive features. Read on to find several examples of geopolitics from Prisoners of Geography.

How to Stop Beating Yourself Up: 5 Ways to Forgive Yourself

Are you too hard on yourself? How can you stop beating yourself up over little mistakes? Making mistakes is part of being human, but many of us chronically beat ourselves up for not being perfect. Over time, that critical self-talk can evolve into debilitating shame that prevents us from pursuing opportunities in life and showing up authentically for ourselves. With this in mind, here’s how to stop beating yourself up and begin showing up for yourself with the care and compassion that you deserve.

Why You Should Focus on Your Smallest Viable Market (Seth Godin)

How to Find Your Target Audience and Competitors

Should you try to sell your product to everyone? What’s the best way to allocate your marketing budget? Seth Godin says that, to be effective at marketing, you must first understand what people need and then seek to fill that need. But, you can’t be all things to all people, so you must apply focus to your marketing efforts. You have to identify your core audience and serve them well. Read more to understand what Godin means by your “smallest viable market.”

How to Unlearn Dysfunctional Family Patterns in Adulthood

What common patterns in dysfunctional families would you recognize? What can you do personally to improve your relationship with your family? Each family is unique in its own way, and all of them come with their own problems. As Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz point out in The Good Life, these problems usually arise from negative patterns that get passed down. Let’s look at how to unlearn these dysfunctional family patterns to improve relational dynamics.

How to Judge Someone’s Character: The 3 Types of People

Can you judge a book by its cover? What type of people are the worst at relationships? In Necessary Endings, Henry Cloud says that to determine who to let go of in life, you must assess relationships based on your impression of the other person’s character. Cloud claims that character is predictive of whether or not people will be receptive to change and feedback. Keep reading to learn how to judge someone’s character.