Sample of Jewish Business Guide

Free Pickles! book 22/4/09 17:14 Page 1


Free Pickles!Secrets of Jewish Business Success

For more information about Free Pickles, please contact:Adam Bass – [email protected]

Marcus Freed - [email protected]

ConfidentialNo part of this typescript may be reproduced or divulged to any third party or utilised in any way, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of Adam Bass andMarcus Freed. © Copyright Adam Bass and Marcus Freed 2009. All rights reserved.



Short Synopsis 2

Style 3

Authors 4

Adam Bass – Biography 5

Marcus J Freed – Biography 5

Section Outlines 6

Sample Chapters 9

Detailed Chapter Index: 15

Index


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FREE PICKLES! Secrets of Jewish business success

Short SynopsisJewish wisdom is over 4000 years old and has contributed to thecreation of civilization as we know it. In this book, you will learnthe secrets of this ancient tradition and how tried-and-tested prin-ciples, that have been honed over generations, can help you laysolid foundations for your business.

What are the Jewish pointers towards success in business? Howcan Jewish tradition inform someone who is running a businessor starting one? “FREE PICKLES! Secrets of Jewish business suc-cess” tells you how. This enriching reading experience will leaveyou feeling motivated, inspired and focused on making the mostfrom your working life. The blend of Biblical examples and real-life business stories creates a book that is hard to put down, andcan be read in short bite-size sessions or in one longer sitting.This unique combination of business and ancient wisdom willhelp you find your spiritual path to financial success.

Why take your business Biblical? The origins of business go back to the beginning of history whena talking snake sold Eve forbidden fruit, Noah executed the firstcontingency plan and Abraham negotiated a rescue package totry and salvage Sodom and Gomorrah. To take the Israelites outof slavery Moses had to lead massive organisational change and,many generations later, King Solomon founded the first corporateHQ in Jerusalem. As a religion that is founded on Biblical study,Judaism has a lot to say about business.

Through a series of Biblical stories, anecdotal tales, rabbiniccommentaries and much more, FREE PICKLES! Secrets of Jewishbusiness success is the first user-friendly guide to collect some ofthe most helpful Biblical business wisdom and present it in amodern way that will appeal to business owners, employees,investors or, indeed, anyone who’s ever worked and wants to


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become more successful. Readers of this book will learn practicalbusiness lessons imbued with the wisdom of generations, and feelthat their business knowledge has improved whilst receiving aspiritual uplift - it’s good for the bank balance and the soul.

StyleThe book is an A5 sized, easy-read that presents some of the bestJewish wisdom combined with practical and engaging businessexamples. Written in a tone that is witty, upbeat and doesn’trequire any prior knowledge, it presents ideas in a way that isentertaining and relevant to people of all cultural backgrounds.Each page has a specific business lesson based on a Biblical andmodern day example, rabbinic commentary or anecdotal refer-ence – the book can be read in a linear manner or by dipping inand out. The lessons will be referenced at the back of the book formore scholarly readers, enabling deeper learning without compro-mising the easy reading style.

A typical page might have the following five-part structure: [title][background] [quotation] [commentary] and [business principle][examples of application from real life].


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Authors: FREE PICKLES! Secrets of Jewish business success is written byAdam Bass, an entrepreneur, branding and marketing expert,and Marcus J Freed, a writer/performer, educator, and commu-nications specialist. Adam has launched several successful busi-nesses including the UK’s first on-line recruitment websitewhich he sold after raising finance, and recently a successfulbrand consultancy. Adam writes regularly for marketing maga-zines. Marcus has run a training and communications businessfor the last 10 years, tours the world performing Biblical come-dies and teaches Biblical spirituality through yoga. Marcus isthe editor of A Seventh Day, A guide to the Sabbath which hasbeen in print for twelve years, undergone three imprints andhad global distribution. He regularly writes and records forBBC Radio, has appeared in feature films and on television.


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Adam Bass – BiographyStarted his business career by launching two magazines. Aftermaking a small loss for 2 years, the publishing business becameprofitable overnight when it was decided to stop printing andstart distributing brochures. In 1994, Adam launched an on-linegraduate recruitment business and sold the business in 2001after achieving a valuation of over £1M. He has subsequentlylaunched a brand consultancy working with clients such asNews International, EMI, and Arjo Wiggins to increase brandequity and generate additional profits. Adam is a regular contributor to Innova magazine, Brandchannel, andBrandlicensing.co.uk

Marcus J Freed – Biography In 1999 Marcus established City Drama, recently re-branded asFreedthinking, providing communications consultancy anddrama-based learning programmes to organisations includingVolkswagen, SAB Miller, Property Week, the Crown Estate andNabarro, as well as several local government departments.Marcus trained at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art,University of Birmingham (B.A. in English Literature &TheatreStudies, First Class Honours), University of London (M.A. inLiterature, Culture & Modernity), Blechner College (YeshivatHaMivtar, Israel, postgraduate studies), the Institute forContemporary Midrash (Practitioner training) and TripsichoreYoga (Yoga teacher training certification). Marcus regularlybroadcasts for the BBC and has performed solo shows at venuessuch as The Roundhouse, The New End Theatre and The Bull,with additional tours to international theatre festivals in Bogotaand Edinburgh. The plays, which include Solomon: King, Poet& Lover, The Madness of King Saul, and The Watford StateCircus, have now been seen in over 20 countries. As a writer hecontributes to national newspapers including The Independentand co-edited the successful book A Seventh Day.


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Section OutlinesThe book is organised into ten sections which loosely followthe journey of a people who go from an oppressed slave cultureto a formidably-organised, highly functioning nation withsophisticated rules to manage commerce, social services andspiritual organisation. Each chapter combines real Biblical andmodern business examples in a way that is meaningful, inspiring and instructive.

SECTION ONE: Working for yourselfFreedom from a slave mentality is the only way to break freefrom eternal employment where you are working hours forsomeone else, but it isn’t easy. These chapters discover what itmeans to make a true sacrifice and why freedom is such a difficult choice – it’s easier to stay a slave to Pharoah and keepon building someone else’s pyramids, while they take the profitand the credit.

SECTION TWO: LeadershipGreat leaders often begin with a clear vision of what needs tobe accomplished. We look at some of the greatest visionariesbeginning with Moses, the reluctant CEO. Compared to the successful industry leaders of today we review how Biblicalprinciples can help develop leadership skills.

SECTION THREE: Laying Solid FoundationsSetting and maintaining high standards is an essential ingredientof business success. Extrapolating from the 10 commandments,Jewish law has strict regulations that cover virtually every


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aspect of daily life. By examining how these regulations aredeveloped, codified and adapted to modernity, we learn howbusinesses can establish a core set of business principles thatwill grow with their business.

SECTION FOUR: How to Get AheadThe Bible and Talmud are replete with examples of difficultnegotiations between man and man and between man andGod. We document some of these struggles including Abraham,Honi the Circle Maker and a bunch of Sodomites, looking athow the quality of negotiations can affect the outcome, whetherthe end goal is self-serving or for the greater good.

SECTION FIVE: CompetingAll businesses encounter competition. We look at the key battles in Biblical history including Jacob and Esau’s battle forthe family narrative, and the Israelites struggle for nationhood,to understand how to win and cope with winning.

SECTION SIX: Riding the Investment cycleAs the first financial adviser, Joseph was an expert in countercyclical investment. With additional input from King David andthe prophet Jonah, we look at approaches to riding the invest-ment cycle to understand how to weather the storms and makethe most of the sunshine.


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SECTION SEVEN: Building a TeamA clear culture and team spirit make the whole greater than thesum of the parts, ensuring that a company can survive andrebuild, even in the face of overwhelming calamity. By lookingat the key elements that create a strong culture, and shares asacred mission, this section will demonstrate the importance ofspeaking the same language throughout an organisation ratherthan ascending into a babbling Tower of Babel.

SECTION EIGHT: Entering the Big TimeRapid growth can be detrimental to business, creating a stagnant and risk-averse culture. Whether it’s Abraham bettingeverything he has or the Children of Israel winning battle afterbattle as they move through the desert in tribal formation thelessons from this section explain the Biblical principles behindgrowing an organisation quickly and effectively.

SECTION NINE: Human ResourcesGetting lots of people to do what you want in the way that youwant, is probably the hardest part of running a large organisation.We look at some of the tried and tested techniques of Biblical manand woman management and their modern day counterparts.

SECTION TEN: Leaving your legacyKnowing when to let go is a fine art, timing is everything. We seehow the great prophets sustain their vision, comparing Moses andElijah who hand over to likeminded successors while King Saul killshimself rather than seeing his unlikely protégée take the crown.


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SAMPLE CHAPTERS


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Start by Believing in YouThe mission of the Jewish people after leaving Egypt was toserve God and enter the land of Israel which borders Egypt.Instead they ended up wandering nomadically in the desert for40 years. After successfully leading the Jewish people out ofEgypt, Moses sent out 12 spies to scout out the neighbouringpromised land of Israel, to find out if the people were numerousand strong and if the land was fertile. The report that came back was not good:

“We cannot attack that people, for it stronger than we….All thepeople that we saw in [the country] are men of great size …and we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we musthave looked to them . “

The spies report is charged with opinion about themselves. Theyquickly go from free men back to being liberated slaves. As a resultof their lack of belief, the whole Jewish people are condemned towandering around in the desert for another 38 years before thewhile the generation that emerged from slavery dies out.

In research, the functional drink scored the lowest possiblescore in taste tests, often being described as ‘medicinal’ itscolour was a pale yellowy green. The prognosis for the productwas not good. The way Red Bull viewed themselves, however,was as a radical alternative to every other drink on the market –they were not surprised with the bad taste test results. It tooktime, but their infectious self-belief eventually spread through totheir customers, creating a radical new drinks category rightunder the noses of Coca Cola and Pepsi. Their own self-beliefenabled them to go against conventional wisdom and stealenormous market share with a tiny marketing budget and a radically different approach. Doubt based on negative researchmight have paralysed the entire Red Bull project and the energydrinks category along with it.


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Large companies rarely have the will to take big risks becausethey have too much to lose. This creates big opportunities forfearless upstarts who can steal a march with new technologyand high risk new business models. Don’t let large competitorsintimidate you. See them as giants – slow and cumbersome,unable to turn quickly, in danger of falling over from a greatheight – and recognize that their presence is the sign of a fertilemarket that you can steal from under their noses. Muchresearch is coloured by opinions of those who have never seenwhat you are intending to do before, and cannot believe it is possible. Lack of belief can paralyse a project, leading to missedopportunities. Fear of large competitors should not deter you, youwill require enormous amounts of both luck and self-belief inorder to succeed. The more you believe, the luckier you will be.


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Maintain a Spotless ReputationOne of the biggest sins in Jewish Law is lashon hara, that isquite literally, the sin of an evil tongue.

The story goes of a man who goes to visit a rabbi to apologiseto him. He says “Rabbi, someone told me that you were steal-ing the funds from the synagogue and I thought it was truebecause I saw you with a large sum of money. I spread theword to everyone I met, telling them all that I thought you werea thief. I recently found out that you had not stolen the money Isaw you with but had just received a big donation. I would like toapologise and make it up to you. Please tell me what should I do?

So the Rabbi says: “Take two large pillows into the forest andrip them to shreds, make sure you distribute the feathers to thefour winds, and then come back and see me and we’ll talk.” Sothe man does what the Rabbi tells him and takes his pillowsinto the forest, tearing them into small pieces and spreading thefeathers everywhere, and then goes back to the Rabbi and says:“Rabbi, I have done what you told me. What should I do now?”

“Now,” says the Rabbi, “I’d like you to go back and pick up allthe feathers!”

“What!” says the man, that’s impossible, there’s no way I canpick them all up.

“So it is with my reputation” says the Rabbi, “once you havespoken about me in this way, you can never repair it.”

A spotless reputation can take a lifetime to build up and 2 minutes to destroy, but while you have it, it is the most valuablething you can own. Some scholars say that while you commitlashon hara about other people, the devil commits lashon haraabout you. lashon hara works in two ways, 1) you say some-thing bad about someone and it isn’t true, 2) you say something


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bad about someone and it is true. Neither of these are permissi-ble. In fact, the second one could be considered worse. Once GeraldRatner had called his own products ‘crap’ there was no way back. Itwas bald faced truth but it destroyed his and his product’s reputation.

If you cannot recognize the value of a spotless reputation, thereis no point in starting a business because you will generate nobusiness through word of mouth. Similarly if you spend your timedragging down others’ reputations, you will eventually devalueyourself. Everyone in your organisation should be aware that theyare representing your company’s reputation, from top to bottom,make sure that they understand its value and their responsibilityin protecting it.


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The Price Is Right, Just Don’t Be The First To Set It

When Abraham’s wife Sarah dies, he visits the neighbouringHittites to buy a burial cave. The purchase process for this landis told in great detail with Abraham obeying all the necessaryformalities, eventually however he gets to the nitty gritty:

“Let me pay the price of the land; accept it from me, that I maybury my dead there.” And Ephron replied to Abraham, saying tohim, “My lord, do hear me! A piece of land worth four hundredshekels of silver – what is that between you and me? ”

Abraham goes through all the formalities necessary to acquirethe piece of land he wants. There’s lot of bowing and interced-ing, and faux generosity where the land is offered as a gift outof politeness, but Abraham insists on completing a real transac-tion and buying the land forever - leaving the pricing issue untillater is out of the question. As a result of his tenacity andpatience, Abraham forces Ephron’s to declare a price for theland in the spirit of a friendly negotiation.

Nobody wants to set a price. If it is accepted too readily thenperhaps it should have been higher, if it is too high, perhaps itwill kill the deal completely. In negotiations, fear of setting aprice, is actually fear of commitment. If there is no comparableproduct or service that you can use as an indicator, your bestbet is to do everything you can to make the other side set the price.

Ryanair, Easyjet and other low cost airlines have all made abusiness model out of letting customers setting the price.Instead of giving a fixed price for a ticket, these airlines providespecial deals and reward customers who carry less baggage,can reserve earlier, are prepared to check-in on-line or will travel at 6 A.M.. The low cost carriers’ variable prices allowscustomers to choose their own package and set the priceaccording to their own budget and requirements.

Where possible, remain polite and provide options, but let yourcustomer set the price they want to pay.


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Detailed Chapter Index


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Working for yourself1) Let my people go 2) Saying is doing3) Is what you were born to do 4) Destroy to create5) Believe or miss out for 38 years6) Just do it – now7) Tear up the safety net8) Tamar – when prostitution is acceptable

Leadership9) The Akiva principle 1: Realising the Vision10) ’The Reluctant CEO” – Moses on the Job11) Leadership – asking for help is a sign of strength12) Leadership is in your hands13) Korach, Face down not face off – how to handle dissenters 14) Leadership and delegation - yitro’s advice15) Bilaam – listen to your donkey 16) It's Lonely at the Top’ - An interview with God

Laying solid foundations17) Create the debate18) Set the standard19) The most valuable thing you’ll ever own20) Cornering the market21) Planning for disaster22) Creating your festivals

How to get ahead23) Make double sided promises24) Negotiation part 1 – man with God (Abraham for Sodom)25) Negotiation part 2 – honi the circle make26) Negotiation part 3 – man with man (Abraham + ephron)27) Negotiation part 4 – man with jews! (don’t jew me down)28) Negotation part 5 – bad contracts, Sarah and Hagar


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Competing29) Competing 1 – Jacob and Esau30) From Lepers to victory – never underestimate your chances 31) Bilaam – don’t trust every compliment32) The spoils of war can ruin you33) And bless me also… - the quest for total victory34) Letting go, Pharoah and when to accept defeat

Riding the investment cycle 35) Raising finance – let him worry 36) The 7 year itch and how to control it37) Dealing with failure – King David… 38) Jonah and why sometimes it’s better to be wrong

Building a Team 39) One voice, one mission40) Story telling – tie the mission to your origins41) If you can read Bet you can teach Aleph42) The exception is proof – live long and prosper43) Same time tomorrow – how to keep the message alive 44) Speak the same language, keep the same time – wherever you are 45) Eat special meals together – building a team46) Create sacred space and intimate moments – ban electricity

and email and let things happen47) Ruth – a real team player

Entering the big time48) Abraham and Isaac, sometimes you have to bet the farm49) Counting down to success50) Tribal formation – managing large projects (the Desert Plan)51) Externality – make offerings to acknowledge success rather

than build up hubris 52) Identifying a leadership challenge53) Solomon - Serving many Gods


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54) ‘Maintaining the integrity of the message – Reb Yehuda the Prince writes down the law’ (Oral)

55) Akiva Principle No. 2: ‘How to survive when 48,000 of your people die in a plague’.

Human Resources56) The art of the genuine apology57) Men and women are different – get over it58) buy for 2 sell for four – the secret of success59) Elijah – a still small voice amidst the thunder60) 'Samson Brings the House Down’ – getting out of difficult situations61) Spear Throwing – or, How Saul dealt with a difficult

employee (ie David) 62) ‘Interim Management and Golden Calves – choosing your managers...’63) Yael, female leadership and driving a tent

For more information about Free Pickles, please contact:Adam Bass – [email protected]

Marcus Freed - [email protected]

ConfidentialNo part of this typescript may be reproduced or divulged to any third party or utilised in any way, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of Adam Bass andMarcus Freed. © Copyright Adam Bass and Marcus Freed 2009. All rights reserved.




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Sample of Jewish Business Guide