I went into the Inevitable Box looking for a feel good book for entrepreneurs that encountered ups and downs along the way only to find glory on the other side. Boy was I in for a ride that took me down a road, at times that was very uncomfortable as it made me confront issues and realities about my own business that weren’t so pretty! Kudos to Clarke for putting the truth out there that so many of us as business owners need to face and deal with. I was surprised at the amount of times certain things happened in Clarke’s life until the lesson was eventually solidified, isn’t that the truth for all of us sometimes. No one ever said being an entrepreneur was easy, requiring passion and discipline unlike anything else most folks will ever deal with in their life. So often the entrepreneur goes through incredible challenges only to come out the other side and say, OH, that’s what God was trying to say! Great read and reminder that anything great comes at a price, the real question then being, what are you willing to pay?

The Inevitable Box is a view into the life and mind of an entrepreneur, but it’s so much more than a business book. It’s about overcoming personal obstacles, but it’s much more than a self-help book. Never before have I read a work of non-fiction where the author was willing to be so vulnerable. Clarke Allen gives us a glimpse into his world during some of his darkest moments, and we get to watch him use them to inspire action. This book is super inspirational across the board, not just to those who are starting their own business ventures, but to anyone who has worked hard, gotten knocked down, and fought to get back up.

Starting off with a bang, TIB begins with a carnal view into what it is really like to be a business owner and the incredibly dark moments that we have all had and ends the incredible highs that we hope for.

We all know the cliches of being an entrepreneur. When you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. You are really good at that; you should start your own company. True BUT what we do not know or hear about are authentic accounts of what a life as an entrepreneur really looks, feels and most importantly lives like. As someone that has and still successfully owns and operates small businesses ranging in size from 10 – 100+ people, I can truly say that this book is worth reading. It connected and hit my core like no other.

Clarke takes the entrepreneurial journey and tells his story, in full & sometimes cringe-worthy detail. TIB is filled with his honest accounts of the ebbs and flows of life, great victories and failures, emotional breakthroughs and breakdowns, mentors and negative influences as well as life altering epiphanies and letdowns. Clarke’s brutal honesty allowed me to connect with myself in a way that I asked the really tough questions. Why do I do what I do? Do I enjoy it, does anyone? Why are there so many failures along with seeming success? After reading, I can truly say that I have improved my efficiency and enjoyment in life and in business. The book ends on a very positive note and truly demonstrates that what matters is that when we find our why, life changes.

To put a final cap, if you feel like you are the only one succeeding and struggling at the same time, do yourself a favor and read this book because you are not. Thank you Clarke for your honesty and for helping to bridge the gap in entrepreneurial theory and reality.