by Greg Hilton | Jan 22, 2025 | Good Stuff, Knowledge Bomb, SOCO Members, Why We Hustle
How To Get Your Groove Back, by Whitney Balish, Cruise Director at SOCO
Easing Into The New Year
The holidays are magical, but they also have a way of throwing us off our routines. And if there’s one thing I love, it’s a good routine. As we swap twinkling lights for task lists, it’s important to ease back into work without losing the spark we felt during the holiday season. Here’s my take on getting back into the groove—one step at a time.
1. Change Your Scenery
Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh perspective. For me, this means heading to our SOCO BullStreet space. It strikes the perfect balance: cozy and inviting, yet designed to keep you productive. Plus, it’s surrounded by parks and exciting new developments, making it easy to reset with a quick walk or take in the energy of the neighborhood. Whether it’s finding a new corner in your favorite workspace or simply rearranging your desk at home, a fresh environment can be a total game-changer. ✨
2. Curate a New Book List
As someone who loves books (and book clubs), the new year is my favorite time to organize my reading list—but not just any reading list. I’m a mood reader, so I organize my books by mood instead of genre or title. That way, I can dive into a book that matches how I’m feeling at the moment. There’s something magical about going into a story a little blind, without remembering exactly what it’s about. It makes every read an adventure, and I always find myself enjoying books more when I let the story surprise me. Whether you’re looking for something uplifting, thrilling, or thought-provoking, a mood-based list keeps the inspiration flowing and makes every pick feel like the perfect one. Here are some of our favorite business and self help books you should have on your radar in 2025. 📚
3. Keep Comfort and Ease in Your Routine
Speaking of Getting That Groove Back The holidays may be over, but that doesn’t mean comfort has to go with them. I’m all about creating a workspace that feels good—whether that’s sipping on my favorite tea in a well-loved mug, adding a soft cardigan to my chair, or turning on a playlist that keeps me in the zone. Bringing small touches of comfort into your routine helps ease the transition back to work and makes even the busiest days feel a little lighter. 🙌
4. Get Outside and Explore
Sometimes the best way to reset is to step outside, and Columbia makes it easy with so many amazing places to enjoy fresh air. Whether it’s a quick walk in one of the city’s beautiful parks, a stroll along the Riverwalk, or even just sitting in a sunny spot with a notebook, being outdoors can clear your mind and boost your mood. It’s a great way to recharge, spark new ideas, and appreciate the vibrant community around us. Bonus: it’s also a great excuse to check out local spots you’ve been meaning to explore! Here are some of the best spots for doing just that from our friends at Experience Columbia. 🌲
5. Make Lists, But Keep Them Realistic
The new year often feels like a race to accomplish everything. I’ve learned that realistic lists are the key to staying on track without feeling overwhelmed. I prioritize tasks that align with my goals and allow space for flexibility. Progress doesn’t have to mean perfection; even small steps can add up to big wins. Plus, there’s nothing more satisfying than crossing things off a well-loved notebook or planner.
Here’s to starting the year with new energy, fresh ideas, and maybe even a little leftover holiday cheer! Let’s make 2025 the year where we thrive in work and beyond. 📋
by Greg Hilton | Jan 10, 2025 | Good Stuff, Knowledge Bomb, SOCO Members, Why We Hustle
A Curated List of Biz and Self Improvements Books With ❤️ From SOCO
For Success To Be Unavoidable, Growth Is Required 🎯
I’m a student of growth. I’m not talking about “hockey stick scalable growth strategies”. 🤮. I don’t really subscribe to that kind of growth. I’m talking about sustainable, repeatable and regular growth on all fronts: personal, relational, physical, and yes professional/entrepreneurial. Because let’s face it…that’s the reality for 99% of us who have decided on a different path for our lives. It’s slow, it’s messy and it’s littered with obstacles and distractions. But, regardless of your path, learning from yourself and others along the way is REQUIRED.
This Is The Year ❤️
Personal growth doesn’t happen by accident. So, if this is the year that you’ve decided to up your personal growth game and/or transform your business (bonus points if you set a reading goal for the year), then this post is for you. The team at SOCO put this list of our favorite business books together with contributions from SOCO members as well.
25 Books for 2025 📖
These books cover a wide range of topics from business models and systems to mindset and culture. We picked some luminaries and world class thought leaders as well as some lesser known, but rising folks taking a really interesting spin on common business topics. Some of these are absolute classics (worthy of a re-read) and some might not be on your radar. All are worth your investment of time. And you are worth the investment.
Which are your favorites? Hit us up on LinkedIn if we missed any that need to make the list.
#1: “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey
About: Transform your life and business with Covey’s powerful principles for personal growth, leadership, and productivity—building lasting success from the inside out.
The Big Lesson: You’re in the driver’s seat. Take proactive control of your life by focusing on personal growth, prioritizing what matters most, and maintaining integrity.
#2: “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz
About: Michalowicz flips traditional accounting on its head, urging businesses to prioritize profits first, ensuring sustainable growth and financial health in any economy.
The Big Lesson: Flip the script on the “bottom line” and make it the most important thing in your company. The top of the priority list.
#3: “Clockwork” by Mike Michalowicz
About: This one is a STAPLE in our peer groups at SOCO. So, so good. Streamline your business by making it run like clockwork. Michalowicz shows how to create systems that free you from daily chaos and build lasting success.
The Big Lesson: Your business isn’t a real business until it can run without you. Get to it.
#4: “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell
About: Gladwell uncovers the hidden factors behind extraordinary success, emphasizing hard work, timing, and opportunity over raw talent for achieving greatness.
The Big Lesson: Put in the work. It’s much more valuable than your talents.
#5: “The One Thing” by Jay Papasan
About: Achieve massive results by focusing on what truly matters. Papasan reveals the power of prioritizing one key objective for productivity and success.
The Big Lesson: Want to win? Focus your efforts and maximize your impact.
#6: “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu
About: What the what? This book was written nearly 2,500 years ago and is still making top 10 lists today. Sun Tzu’s timeless strategies on leadership, conflict, and competition offer deep insights for business leaders seeking tactical advantages in an ever-changing market.
The Big Lesson: Strategic success in business, like warfare, requires careful planning, adaptability, and the wise use of resources to outmaneuver competition.
#7: “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki
About: This book changed our founder’s life 25 years ago. Kiyosaki challenges traditional views on wealth, stressing financial literacy and the importance of investing, entrepreneurship, and owning assets to create lasting financial independence.
The Big Lesson: Investing in assets, rather than relying on a paycheck, is the key to building long-term wealth and financial freedom.
#8: “Buy Back Your Time” by Dan Martell
About: Martell provides a blueprint to reclaim your time, overcome burnout, and scale your business effectively, empowering entrepreneurs to work smarter, not harder.
The Big Lesson: The key lesson is that time is your most valuable asset— know what you cost your company and delegate tasks to others so you can focus on high-value activities that propel your business forward.
#9: “Four Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferris
About: Ferris teaches how to design a life of freedom, automate business processes, and outsource tasks, giving you more time and less stress while achieving greater success.
The Big Lesson: Can you actually only work 4 hours a week and be successful? Probably not. But, you should try.
#10: “Atomic Habits” by James Clear
About: Clear shows how tiny, incremental changes lead to extraordinary results. Master the art of habit-building to create lasting success in business and life.
The Big Lesson: I love this take on “1% Every Day” and think this is actually the way big changes are made. A great book to help you develop some of those “atomic” habits.
#11: “10x Is Easier Than 2X” by Dan Sullivan
About: Sullivan argues that aiming for 10x growth forces you to think and act radically differently, making it easier to achieve extraordinary success than small improvements.
Why We Like It: We can get caught up in small thinking. Sometimes, it’s better to step away, cast a wide wide vision and go for something bigger than you ever have before.
#12: “The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael E. Gerber
About: An instant classic. Gerber explains why most small businesses fail and how to implement systems that create repeatable success, turning your business into a sustainable, scalable enterprise.
The Big Lesson: Successful businesses are built on systems and processes, not just the entrepreneurial spirit and grit.
#13: “Blue Ocean Strategy” by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
About: Kim and Mauborgne reveal how to create new market spaces, making competition irrelevant. It’s about innovation, differentiation, and building value where others aren’t looking.
The Big Lesson: Instead of competing in crowded markets, create new, untapped spaces where there are less knuckleheads. 🤣
#14: “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth
About: Duckworth explores how persistence, passion, and resilience are key drivers of success, often more than talent, and how anyone can cultivate “grit” for business success.
The Big Lesson: The most important factor for success is perseverance and passion…especially when the shit hits the fan.
#15: “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
About: Hill’s classic distills principles for success, emphasizing the power of mindset, goal-setting, and unwavering belief to create wealth and personal achievement.
Why We Love It: 80 years later and Hill’s timeless principals still hit home for us. So much has changed, but his core rules have not…which is why this book is so rad.
#16: “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek
About: Sinek teaches that businesses rooted in purpose and a clear “why” inspire loyalty, attract talent, and create long-term success through a deeper connection to customers.
The Big Lesson: The “golden circle” of why, how and what will drive incredible business success if you can answer those simple questions.
#17: “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” by Daniel H. Pink
About: Pink debunks traditional motivational tactics, revealing that autonomy, mastery, and purpose drive higher performance and deeper satisfaction in the workplace and beyond.
Why We Love It: It helped me think differently about how to hire, manage and support my team. It also helped me understand my own behaviors better. A must read.
#18: “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain
Cain highlights how introverts bring invaluable qualities to business—creativity, strategic thinking, and innovation—offering a fresh perspective on leadership and success.
Why We Love It: About 35% of all people self-identify as introverts. This book flips the script that “to be successful in business, you must be outgoing.” Power to those of us that listen!
#19: “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins
About: “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins encourages readers to release the need to control others, focusing instead on personal growth and well-being. The central lesson is that by allowing people to be themselves, you conserve energy and foster inner peace.
The Big Lesson: Just like Morpheus said: “Free. Your. Mind.” Control the controlables and don’t stress about the rest. We could all use a little more of this juice.
#20: “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” by Elizabeth Gilbert
About: Gilbert inspires you to embrace creativity, conquer fear, and live a bold, meaningful life. Perfect for business leaders seeking fresh, innovative ideas to grow their ventures.
The Big Lesson: Embrace creativity without fear or perfectionism; allow your ideas to flow freely, and you’ll unlock new possibilities for growth and fulfillment.
#21: “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
About: Another absolute classic! Carnegie’s timeless principles of communication, empathy, and persuasion will transform your business relationships, turning acquaintances into allies and clients into loyal customers.
The Big Lesson: Building genuine relationships, showing empathy, and listening actively build a stronger “bridge” to success than anything else you can do.
#22: “Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis
About: Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis is a self-help book that encourages women to take ownership of their lives, overcome self-doubt, and pursue their goals with confidence. The book is a blend of memoir, motivational advice, and practical guidance.
The Big Lesson: Forget the lies we tell ourselves—embrace your potential, take ownership of your life, and pursue your dreams unapologetically.
#23: “Rework” by Jason Fried
About: Did you know that our other company, Period Three, was one of 37 Signal’s (Basecamp) first 100 customers? We’re fans. Fried challenges outdated business conventions, offering fresh, practical advice on how to start, grow, and manage a successful business with fewer resources and more innovation.
Why We Love This: Jason Fried is like the “anti-tech bro” tech founder. He goes against the grain and keeps things simple. Simplify business practices, avoid unnecessary complexity, and focus on what truly matters.
#24: “Good To Great” by Jim Collins
About: We’d go to some sort of business jail if we didn’t include Good to Great. Collins identifies the key factors that separate exceptional companies from the merely good, providing invaluable insights on leadership, discipline, and strategic focus for business growth.
The Big Lesson: The most successful companies focus on disciplined action, hire the right people, and maintain a long-term vision while staying true to core values.
#25: “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh
About: Cofound of Zappos, Hsieh (Rest In Peace) reveals how a commitment to happiness—both for customers and employees—can drive innovation, brand loyalty, and company growth, transforming businesses into thriving cultures.
The Big Lesson: Focus on customer and employee happiness along with a thriving culture. Forget everything else.
RIP Tony Hsieh. We miss you.
Speaking of Learning & Growth… ⛰️ 🤝🏽 🙌
Did you know? We have over 200 members from just about every discipline/background under the sun. We’re a melting pot of talent, ideas and skillsets. And you could be a part of it for as low as $199/mo. From workspace, to social/professional networking and peer mentoring groups…we’re building a community purpose built to support ambitious working professionals like you. Hope you’ll join us today!
by Gene Crawford | Oct 17, 2024 | Communal Podcast, SOCO Members
In this episode, Ley Linder, CEO of Crescent Behavioral Health, shares his inspiring journey from gerontologist to entrepreneur. Growing up surrounded by individuals with intellectual disabilities, Lee’s personal experiences fueled his dedication to advocating for marginalized groups and transforming healthcare. He emphasizes empathy and human connection in caregiving, highlighting the importance of understanding the deeper functions that drive behavior. Ley also shares a poignant story about the power of touch in caregiving and reflects on the unexpected challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship in expanding his impact on the behavioral health field.
From a young age, Ley developed a personal passion and deep curiosity around behavior. When he was a boy, his parents would bring home intellectually disabled and special needs patients who had nowhere else to go. Ley lived with, ate with and interacted with some of society’s most vulnerable members. It was around the dinner table and in his parent’s practice that his curiosity was converted into a passion that has seen him sit with and serve thousands of patients with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- He’s a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and an approved provider of Intensive Behavior Intervention services.
- He has a Master of Arts in Gerontology and a Master of Education, with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis
- He specializes in behavioral gerontology and the behavioral presentations of neurocognitive disorders, in addition to working with criminal offenders with intellectual disabilities.
- He’s spent over 30 years sitting with and serving people with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities
- He’s the founder and CEO of Crescent Behavioral Health Services
- He’s an award-winning writer and a regularly cited contributor to national publications such as HELEN The Journal of Human Exceptionality, The National Down Syndrome Society’s “Aging and Down Syndrome Guidebook” and others.
He’s on a mission to transform the quality of people’s lives through the unspoken language of behavior. We have the power to radically improve the quality of our healthcare, our relationships with others and how we fundamentally do what we do as humans.
Listen where you normally get your podcasts:
Or Listen Below:
Episode Chapters:
(0:00:10) – Entrepreneurial Journey of Behavioral Analyst
(0:03:28) – Life’s Mission
(0:10:28) – Touching Hearts
(0:24:07) – Analyzing Complex Behavior Functions
(0:36:13) – Navigating Complex Behavioral Dynamics
(0:48:14) – Expanding Impact Through Clinical Expertise
by Greg Hilton | Sep 13, 2024 | Good Stuff, Knowledge Bomb, SOCO Members, Why We Hustle
Cofounder Greg Hilton shares his take on the “rules of engagement” for working with others. 😂 😭 😍
People: Can’t Work With Them, Can’t Succeed Without Them
When’s the last time you got something big done all by yourself? It happens, but it’s rare. Why? Because we’re social creatures? And big, hard, scary things are best done with others. .
I’ve spent my professional life in client services, nearly 12 years (whaaat?) building the SOCO Community, 10+ years serving clients at Period Three and nearly 20 years working to build a stronger, more connected entrepreneurial community in my adopted home state of South Carolina (particularly in Columbia, SC). I’ve seen every kind of human and personality. I’ve worked with stellar ones and really despicable ones.
We’re All In The People Business
I’ve been thinking a lot how so much of my success can be linked back to working with people I really trust and strong relationships. If you look back at your most successful interactions with others, you’ll notice patterns and commonality. Over time, I’ve learned to try and leverage a set of values or rules whenever I work with others.
The 10 Immutable Laws of Working With Others
Here’s my take on how to find success in working with other people, whether as a boss, a client, a partner or a collaborateur (or collaboratrice).
#1: Live The Golden Rule (Even When Other’s Don’t)
Regardless of how people treat you, do your best to treat them the way you want to be treated. I’ve found that if you give it out (in whatever form), you’ll get it back more often than not. But, It’s your value…not necessarily everyone else’s
#2: Boundaries Are Table Stakes
Boundaries are absolutely REQUIRED to have a healthy and productive relationship with someone. But, it’s on you if you don’t communicate and enforce those boundaries.
#3: Clarity Is Kindness
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen small miscommunications end up turning into major issues down the line. You want to get more out of people? Communicate clearly. Be clear. Set clear expectations.
#4: Accountability is Another Love Language
Everyone talks a good game, but I’ve found that almost everyone benefits from having a little accountability in their lives. Most of us struggle to be accountable for ourselves. So, help the folks in your circle honor their commitments b/c you care about them. If you business partner isn’t living up to their end of the bargain, it is your OBLIGATION to have that painful conversation with them. #sorrynotsorry
#5: Behavior is a Language
“Watch What They Do, Not What They Say” is a classic line that is so so so very true. Work with people that actually speak with their actions. Hat tip to Ley Linder on this one, who’s taught me a ton about behavioral analysis.
#6: Shared Values Are More Important Than Ever
You can work with people that might not share your perspective on things. Hell that’s healthy and can create some amazing results (in creative work for example). But, I think it’s hard to work with people (like in the trenches work) with whom you don’t share some fundamental commonality in values.
#7: Seek To Understand
To get the most out of people, try to understand what drives and motivates them. You’re likely to get a much better outcome having this knowledge in hand. And remember, every single person you work with at some stage in your relationship is going through some stuff that’s rocking their world.
#8: Avoid Selfish People
Actively avoid those that don’t put other’s needs first. I don’t mind “enlightened self-interest”, but there are those people who cannot help but figure out what THEY can get out of the situation first. That doesn’t lead to long-term trust (or results).
#9: Share Ideas Freely
Some folks want to lead. Some folks want to follow. But almost everyone wants to be a part of something meaningful. So, be the person that drops big ideas that inspire people to think and act differently.
#10: Be Kind
Just be kind people. Don’t let people take advantage of you, but put kindness into the world.
Speaking of Teams… 🏕️ 🤝🏽 🙌
Looking to crank up the ole’ collaboation? SOCO is a great kickstarter for you or your team. From workspace, to social/professional networking and peer mentoring groups…we’re building a community purpose built to support ambitious working professionals like you. Hope you’ll join us today! And don’t forget about our fabulous meeting rooms that are designed to help your team crush more meetings.