Reviews
“This is a book I want to give to every one of our portfolio company CEOs. Entrepreneurship is an apprenticeship business. This book showcases examples and frameworks on how to learn leadership. This is not a preordained trait and all great business leaders learn from others!”
— Robbie Greenglass
Founder and General Partner of WaterLine Ventures
“Entrepreneurship is a constant balancing act—managing cash flow, making tough hiring decisions, and keeping the ship steady when everything feels like it's on the line. “Survival To Success” doesn’t sugarcoat the journey. Instead, it offers real, practical insights from people who have been in the trenches. It’s the kind of resource I wish I had when I was starting out.”
— Derrick Garrett
CEO of Zoundz, Inc.
“There is no more exciting, but lonely voyage than starting a company. Brooks and Starsia have provided the ideal companion for that ride. It is filled with valuable insights from successful founders who have made that trip.”
— Bob Higgins
Co-Founder Highland Capital and Causeway
Former Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School
“The “Invest in YOU” chapter is extremely important, not just for the CEO, but for the management team as well. All good leaders practice some form of self-reflection with monotonous regularity and knowing when to say when is extremely important, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Bottom-line, this is a great book that’s easy to read and will resonate with anyone who reads it and has a desire to improve their leadership skills.”
— Michael P. Driscoll
Executive in Residence and Adjunct Professor, University of New Haven
“Spend the first dollar you raise with the same care as if it’s the last dollar you have” spoke directly to me. This advice would have helped me in the early years having had many sleepless nights unsure how I was going to make payroll. The Invest in YOU chapter was one I wish I had followed. I would have been happier and healthier today.
As I read the book, I realized how lucky I was to receive your guidance and experience. Without you, we would not have been able to succeed.”
— Lou Gallo
CEO, Meditech Inc.
“A must-have for any CEO serious about scaling with intention. This book is packed with hard-won wisdom, real-world strategies, and the kind of insights that only come from experience. It’s an indispensable guide for leaders navigating rapid expansion. Brooks and Starsia provide the kind of strategic thinking and practical advice that CEOs crave but rarely find. It’s a must-read for anyone serious about building a high-impact organization.
A game-changer for any founder or executive serious about scaling.”
— Bart Epstein
CEO, Brains and Motion Education
“It’s easy to read and is super relatable to the challenges I’m facing right now as an entrepreneur. It’s overwhelmingly hopeful and structured around problem solving, rather than pointing out problems or blind positivity. A gap does indeed exist in terms of small business strategy and execution leadership literature for small businesses. The book is filled with examples and case studies that reinforce how to deal with it. The writing style is easy to read and appears as if getting advice from an old friend or confidante.
I would definitely recommend this book to my startup friends, with special emphasis at the angel/pre-seed stage.”
— Jonathan Lee
CEO, Pickle
“This book describes situations relatable for entrepreneurs, and then provides actionable steps on how to lead your business through challenges successfully. In addition, the authors offer practical tips for ways to invest in yourself so you can be a better entrepreneurial leader.”
— Candida G. Brush
Professor, Babson College, Franklin W. Olin Distinguished Chair of Entrepreneurship
“I only wish Survival to Success had been available many years before as I began my entrepreneurial journey - it would have saved me a lot of hard lessons learned! It is extremely hard to be an entrepreneur as this book points out, but the book also makes a strong cast that this type of career path can be amazingly rewarding. I was particularly taken with the sections which focus on the entrepreneur and their ability to manage the unmitigated stress and pressure. You have provided a more humanistic set up guidelines than I have ever seen. The comment “turn the tables and invest in you” is one of my personal favorites for take away value.”
— Larry Frye
CEO, Life Analytics, Inc.
“This book is loaded. It is very well written, engaging, with great real-world examples – an easy read – full of leadership gems broken down in simple enough terms that any leader picking up this book could turn to a chapter and implement meaningful actions. I think I stopped counting at 88 actions/ recommendations within the first few chapters.”
— Chuck Orzechowski
CEO, COO Forum
“How will I make payroll? How do I raise capital? Who should I hire? Such questions face the leaders of all small organizations, whether for profit or nonprofit. Survival to Success perfectly captures the unique challenges that small organizations pose - building a team, managing cash, establishing the culture - and offers invaluable, tested guidance for the organizational leader. This book is essential reading for the leaders of all small organizations, whether they have just founded a startup or whether they have been running an institution for years. To lead, one must keep learning, and Survival to Success has the lessons leaders need.”
— Adam R. Moore
President, Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation
“Survival to Success really spells out the challenges entrepreneurs face and how to deal with them. It is a succinct guide for the journey from which you will never look back!”
— Ed Miller
Chairman, WestWind Management ; Vice-Chairman, Sabre Yachts
“Survival to Success: Leading Small, High-Growth Enterprises does an excellent job capturing the unique challenges of entrepreneurial leadership. It stands out in providing clear, actionable ideas for leading an agile, customer-focused organization. I’ll be returning to this book often as we build a collaborative, high-functioning, and self-directed team within my company.”
— Sam Simons
President, COO, OEM Controls Inc.