7 Life Lessons From Nike’s Co-founder for the people in their 20s
I just finished reading Shoe Dog, a Memoir from Phil Knight, the creator of Nike.
I am pointing it out below — the things anyone, especially people in their 20s should keep in mind the anecdotes that I learnt from Phil:
1) Grab the opportunity while you can.
Phil saw that most of the shoes sold in America were being manufactured in Germany. He also was seeing Kodak, importing cameras from Japan, was in high growth. Thus he believed that Japan was the future, and he started Blue Ribbon, his first shoe company which imported shoes from Japan.
2) Choose a carrier which has something to do with your deepest passion.
Phil was a passionate runner. He would run for miles when in stress. He, with his coach Bowerman, believed that athletes deserve better running shoes. That’s how they both became a “Shoe Dog” by creating Nike.
3) Travel as much as you can.
He had a checklist — most of them were about visiting places like the Pyramids, Himalayas, Ganges etc. Even when he was a broke guy in his early 20s, showed no worries to travel across the world. And that’s how he landed his first deal with one of the largest shoe manufacturers in Japan, Onitsuka.
4) Life is growth.
All the time he was faced with difficulties, he stuck onto one principle “You Either Grow or You Die”. At the moment when you stop your efforts towards achieving your dream, your life will end.
5) It’s okay to be wrong.
He confesses of describing Magic Johnson as “a player without a position, who’ll never make it to the NBA”.
Knight also regrets not being a good enough manager to avoid layoffs and for not spending enough time with his sons.
6) Luck plays a big role.
He acknowledges the power of luck. He says that hard work, a good team, brains and determination are invaluable, but luck may decide the outcome.
7) You won’t be able to relive.
Life is one at-bat, you won’t get another chance. Phil feels the same, urges every young entrepreneur, athlete and artists to take the biggest leap of faith to live the way you dream.
Hope this helps you in life.
Thanks for reading :)
[About the author: Jaison Thomas is an Entrepreneur, Speaker & Writer. He co-founded the digital marketing agency, Blusteak.]
The article was originally published here
