When my business partner, Emma Bates, and I started Amplified NOW, several people recommended we buy the book Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters.

When someone recommends a book to me or talks on social media about how it changed their lives, I tend to buy it. At worst, it’s a waste of money. At best, it’s a cheap consultation. 

If somebody great is writing a book and gives away a lot of great stuff that you can learn from and apply, that’s the best thing that can come from a business book.

Two Essential Roles In Partnership

This book benefits those business owners bigger than a solo entrepreneur but is specifically written for those who have, or are looking for, a business partner. 

The premise of Rocket Fuel says that in every business partnership, there is an integrator and a visionary. My friend calls it a balloon and a string. 

The visionary is the big picture strategy person or the balloon. They are the source of groundbreaking ideas for your business. 

The integrator is the person who makes it all work or the string. They take all the ideas that the visionaries dream up and make them happen.

This combination has worked for other giant corporations such as Disney, McDonald’s, and Ford. 

Without an integrator, a visionary is far less likely to succeed, and without a visionary, an integrator can’t reach their full potential. 

As Emma and I read this book together, the first question I asked was, what role do you think we are in. She said that she was the integrator and that I was the visionary.

It was meant to be because that’s exactly what I thought too! 

If you are seeking out the right partner for your business, this book gives ideas for how to help visionary-minded and integrator-minded individuals find each other. There are also assessments to determine your role in a partnership, so you know who and what to look for in a potential partner.

A Framework For Your Partnership

The lasting power of Rocket Fuel is it gives you blueprints and a framework for monthly, quarterly, and annual meetings that we follow almost to the letter. We go by their rubric and talk about things that haven’t come up.

We discuss wins and challenges and how we are going to face them moving forward. 

Using the tools in this book makes me feel like we hired a consultant to help us be successful in our business partnership. So, if you have a business partner or the integrator and visionary ideas resonate with you, it’s worth it to pick up your copy of this book.

Rocket Fuel makes it clear that in a business partnership, you need a co-pilot. Aligning your practices with those recommended can make your business more successful and your collaboration more enjoyable.

If you’re considering forming a business partnership, I highly recommend you read this book to get some ideas and tips on making that relationship a successful one.

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We’d love to talk with you about the tools we’ve used to make our business successful!