Guitar Lessons: A Life's Journey Turning Passion into Business

ISBN: 0470937874

Author: Taylor, Bob

Condition: New

The inside story of the founding and growth of Taylor Guitars, one of the world's most successful guitar manufacturersBob Taylor mixes the details of his experience as a tradesman and cofounder of Taylor Guitars, a world-famous acoustic and electric guitar manufacturer, with philosophical life lessons that have practical application for building a business.From the a-ha moment in junior high school that inspired his very first guitar, Taylor has been living the American dream, crafting quality products with his own hands and building a successful, sustainable business. In Guitar Lessons, he shares the values that he lives by and that have provided the foundation for the companys success.Be inspired by a story of guts and gumption, an unwavering commitment to quality, and the hard lessons that made Taylor Guitars the company it is today.Q&A with Author Bob TaylorAuthor Bob Taylor What inspired you to write this book?The opportunity was presented to me, and the time just seemed right. Sometimes, I think, if you do these things too early, its a waste of time. In our case, it seems as if everything is right for people to want to read the book.How would you describe Guitar Lessons to someone who has little knowledge of Taylor?Its a book of business lessons learned through experience and told in story form. Its the story of starting a business as a teenager based on a craft I fell in love with, and really, how it turned into a major business by bringing great people in with me and persevering through the years.Is there content in the book that will surprise existing Taylor Guitars owners?I think people familiar with the company will see it as a more in-depth and candid story than what they are going to read in a blog, article, or company profile. In a book format, theres enough time to go into depth. There are lots of Taylor guitar owners. Weve sold a million guitars, and 750,000 of those have only recently joined our customer base in the last six or seven years. This will give them a better insight into our story and where we came from.What lessons do you want readers to leave with?The main lessons are that it takes perseverance and the ability to knock down obstacles as you go. Theres no singular thing that acts as a turning point in a business and gets you to finally make it. There may be 25 things that you need to solve for your business to be successful. Maybe you have to get to where eight or nine are solved just to stay in business, and then you go from there. But you must continue to own something, whether it means learning how to do production, marketing your products, or taking care of employees. You can run a car with six pistons, but it takes all eight pistons to fire for the car to really run great.