Level Up

Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back

By: Stacey Abrams, Lara Hodgson, Heather Cabot

Narrated by: Lara Hodgson, Heather Cabot, Stacey Abrams

An inspiring and revelatory guide to starting and scaling a small business, from powerhouse duo Stacey Abrams and Lara Hodgson

Like many business owners, renowned politician and activist Stacey Abrams didn’t start a business because she dreamed of calling herself an entrepreneur. Her part-time post (and its $17,310 annual salary) as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives necessitated striking out on her own as a consultant—her first small business. Then, Stacey and her friend Lara Hodgson launched an infrastructure advisory firm—named Insomnia Consulting because they did their best thinking at 3:00 a.m.—and then another business, and then another.

Fifteen years into their entrepreneurial journey together, they have tackled the obstacles that many business owners face: how to grow sustainably, hire thoughtfully, and keep up with the Goliaths in your industry.

Now, for the first time, Stacey and Lara share their inspiring and relatable personal story and lessons learned the hard way to show how every business owner can confront the forces that conspire to keep small businesses small. Lauded for her “resilient, visionary leadership” (Barack Obama) and celebrated as a “passionate advocate of democracy” (Madeleine Albright), Stacey now brings her fierce sense of justice to the challenges that America’s business owners face. Level Up arms readers with the confidence, know-how, and savvy to overcome the obstacles that hold their businesses back.

Critic reviews

Praise for Level Up

“A fresh take on entrepreneurial endeavors and a love letter to small businesses everywhere… packed with insight and inspiration from two successful entrepreneurs.” -- Kirkus (starred review)

"Essential reading for every current and potential small-business owner...brilliantly written, deeply insightful." -- Booklist (starred review)

“… enormously validating… Small business owners who feel lost in the trenches should give this a look.” -- Publishers Weekly

"A practical, how-to manual with examples and actionable principles for founders looking to innovate, break free and move forward.” -- Financial Times

“Beyond the great wealth of business experience, expertise, and advice they bring to the table, the greatest example Stacey Abrams and Lara Hodgson offer may be in the partnership they have formed and sustained while building three companies together.” -- Porchlight Books

Awesome

Loved this real account of what it takes to launch a small business. Even if you are not starting or maintaining a business the story is great.

Great book!

I am not a small business owner. This is one of the best books I’ve listen to in a long time. I would imagine it would be super helpful to a business owner but it doubles as a self-help book.

Loved it!

As a women entrepreneur and daughter of immigrant entrepreneurs I related to the struggles of starting and running a business. My parents lost their business in 2009 as they were victims to what Now corp aims to solve (owed receivables that never were paid in time). What took over a decade my parents built to multimillion was lost in a matter of days. It was refreshing to be assured from a woman to woman that failure is just part of the journey. Thank you Lara and Stacey for sharing your story and for providing an actual solution to the problem!

Amazing and informative

The narration was perfect and easy to listen to. I loved the recap at the end of each chapter and it reinvigorated my want to start a business with all the ups and downs they went through, they persevered! It was perfect.. and shout out to Dr Bombays underwater tea party! One of our favorite spots in Atlanta! :)

Very Helpful

As a serial entrepreneur myself, this book gave me some insight into how others deal with the daily challenges they face, and it helped to inspire creative ideas about how to find solutions. There is a great outline of how the funding/financial system works, and which pitfalls to avoid if seeking investors or capital. This book is easy to understand with real life examples that most can relate to. Valuable content.