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Re-read Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike for book club. Initially read it in 2017 and enjoyed reading it again.

It's a powerful story about believing in yourself and the power of dreaming big. Phil Knight traveled throughout Europe while trying to determine what to do with his life. He had run track and became interested in selling track shoes. He visited a shoe manufacturer in Japan and on the spot indicated he had a business in Oregon and wanted to buy shoes from them. Initially he named the company Blue Ribbon after the blue ribbons hanging in his childhood bedroom from competing in track meets.

The book follows the ups and downs as a start up that experienced massive growth but was thrown out of two banks because their margins were thin and they were constantly cash strapped. There are fascinating litigation battles around trademarks, contracts, and custom fees.

Runner Steve Prefontaine was one of the first athletes that Nike endorsed and he died at age twenty-four in a car accident.

When they finally started paying attention to advertising, some of their earlier ads included the phrase, "There is no finish line." Another ad indicated, "Beating the competition is relatively easy. Beating yourself is a never-ending commitment."

Highly recommend! This is a book about a business that reads like a corporate thriller.