Tarkenton - The Power of Failure: Succeeding in the Age of Innovation

PRAISE FOR

THE POWER OF FAILURE

With The Power of Failure, Fran Tarkenton creates a motivating paradigm for entrepreneurs by showing that fail fast, fail cheap, succeed faster is a mind-set as well as a practical and necessary approach to business. Fran was a great friend to our founder, Harland Stonecipher, and continues to be an invaluable partner to LegalShield, and someone to whom I turn for inspiration and counsel.

JEFF BELL, CEO of LegalShield

Having worked with Steven Jobs, Bill Gates, Michael Milken, Rupert Murdoch, Bob Iger, and Alex Gorsky, I consider myself the Forrest Gump of American businesscertainly the luckiest guy on the planet. But Ive never met a smarter, more intuitive, and more inventive CEO than Fran Tarkenton. The great Bear Bryant of Alabama said he always wanted an ideal in players: mobile, agile, and hostile. He wanted Fran Tarkenton. And always will. Fran is in the Hall of Fame of Entrepreneurs.

SCOTT MILLER, CEO of Core Strategy Group

Frans generosity and fierce commitment to learning shine through on every page of his latest book. Few entrepreneurs would ever dream of being so forthcoming with their struggles and failures, but Fran embraces every lick hes ever taken, both on the field and off, as opportunities to learn and grow. That generosity coupled with his no-nonsense storytelling are why this book will have such a positive impact on your personal and professional life.

BOLAND T. JONES, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of PGi

Fran Tarkenton made a remarkable transition from Hall of Fame quarterback to successful entrepreneur. In this engrossing book, he shares his football and business experience to make a compelling case that losing is the key to winning. I dare you not to stand up and cheer while reading it.

ADAM GRANT, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take

In his new book Fran Tarkenton brings to life the fact that failure is an immensely powerful fact of life and business. Fran is an exceptional mentor, business partner, and friend, and as I read this book I found his personal stories and candor around his struggles and failures deeply inspiringI have no doubt they will hit home for every entrepreneur, business owner, and executive in personal and meaningful ways. Read this book and join the failure revolutionlet the F-word set you free!

MICHAEL J. PIRES, Founder and Former CEO, HR411.com, and DVP, Business Development at ADP, LLC

As a self-made founder, CEO, and entrepreneur with over thirty years in business and seven hundred franchises worldwide, I can honestly say that Fran offers sage advice in an open, honest, and very genuine way. Frans insight and recommendations transcend traditional concepts and offer real-world solutions for leadership, managing and embracing change, and building a lasting business enterprise.

Failures in life and business can often times take a long time to see coming. Frans ability to relate to his days on the fieldwhere every successful play sets the team up one step closer to their goal of scoring and ultimately winningis a valuable lesson in itself. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is building or growing a business or who just wants to set themselves on a course to self-improvement and enrichment.

STEVEN GREENBAUM, CEO and Founder, PostNet International Franchise Corporation

The very first time I met Fran, he exemplified one of the key lessons that I have learned in my business and personal life. A true leader focuses on making others better as a result of what they dono more, no less. In that context, there really is very little difference between Fran as a Hall of Fame quarterback and Fran as a successful entrepreneur and teacher. In telling his story, he gives us all the permission we often need to take the failures we all frequently face and build on themwith a generousness of spirit and innate desire to learn that is always refreshing.

MALCOLM MCROBERTS, Senior Vice President, Small Business Services, Deluxe Corporation

It is a widely held belief that doctors know hardly anything about the world of business. There is probably a fair amount of truth to that, but thankfully we are good learners as well. The man I have turned to for education over the years is Fran Tarkenton. Besides having enviable energy at seventy-five years old, he is a world-class explainer and teacher. In his latest book, he takes on the age-old concept of failure, and puts a muscular new spin on it.

Surely we all know real success hardly ever comes without real failurebut hearing the narrative from one of the greatest professional quarterbacks to play the game gives it a level of clarity and significance. I have had the good fortune of being able to call on Fran Tarkenton and benefit from his experience, judgment, and powerful wisdom. Now that wisdom is available to everyone by simply turning the page.

SANJAY GUPTA, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Emory University, and CNN Chief Medical Correspondent

THE POWER OF FAILURE

Copyright 2015 by Fran Tarkenton

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, website, or broadcast.

Regnery is a registered trademark of Salem Communications Holding Corporation

First e-book edition 2015: 978-1-62157-436-1

Originally published in hardcover, 2015

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This book is dedicated to Linda, my wife and partner for the past twenty-three years. She shares my passion for knowledge and has been a perfect partner in my quest for greater understanding. Linda has been more than just a great companion, shes used her personality and intellect to help me build and maintain a tremendous network of friends who share their own unique experiences with us and add to our invaluable repository of knowledge gained through trial and failure.