8 Valuable Resources for Industrial Business Leaders

Every day, we use 2.5 quintillion bytes of data posting on social media, pinging GPS signals, downloading music — essentially, just living in the digital world. Do you know what a quintillion is? It’s one million, raised to the power of five. It’s one thousand, raised to the power of six. It’s a one followed by 18 zeros. It’s a big number. Suffice to say, we’re making heavy use of the digital resources at our disposal.

We have the ability to leverage data to reach business prospects and access all types of industry resources at the click of a button, but with so many options available, this can quickly become overwhelming. It’s challenging enough to stay on top of work, manage employees and projects, and keep an eye on the bottom line, let alone keep up with ever-shifting trends. 

As President and CEO of Thomas Publishing, most of my time is spent in meetings, on phone calls, and in brainstorming sessions, but I still make a point to spend about an hour each day reading up on new digital technologies, trends and opportunities, browsing social media feeds, and reading industry blogs.

I’ve been asked by colleagues here at Thomas to share some of my favorite reading material and resources that have become “daily habits” for me. I thought this list might also be helpful to you. 

1. Thomas Network

So you likely anticipated this one would be on the list, right? But my own platform is a part of my daily habit list. We run the world's largest platform for product sourcing and supplier selection for the industrial markets.

Oh, ok, so “you’re kind of a big deal heh,” you might be thinking? Well, yes we are, but we take this responsibility very seriously, and I find using my own product every day helps me better serve our users and customers.

I also learn a ton about where industrial markets are moving that I can also share with our customers.

2. REDEF

Sometimes referred to as “interest remixes,” REDEF’s original, pop culture-angled takes on the media industry are invaluable for professionals across all types of industries. Chief Curator and CEO Jason Hirschhorn has created a truly original forum to dissect emerging trends in media and examine how they affect us both as consumers and business leaders.

Hirschhorn, who has a long list of accolades and years of experience in business and technology, has also set up a daily newsletter packed with great reads and fresh takes on the way media is evolving. If you’re interested, you can sign up.

3. Seth Godin

Among many achievements, Seth Godin helped legitimize direct marketing. He’s well-known in the marketing space for his insight on branding and content. I’ve read many of his books, and folks on the Thomas Marketing Services team saw him speak last year at the INBOUND marketing conference. 

I visit his blog regularly, but I’m usually led there by the daily update that arrives in my inbox. This email isn’t like most newsletters — it’s zen-like in its simplicity but manages to cover everything, from managing your career to growing a brand. 

4. Michael Wolff

Michael Wolff is a truly brilliant analyst. He’s written a number of books, but his caustically hilarious, deeply informative “Burn Rate: How I Survived the Gold Rush Years on the Internet” got a lot of people’s attention in 1998. Since then, he’s gone on to write other books, tackle other projects, and co-found the groundbreaking news site, Newser.

Newser aggregates top headlines and succinctly summarizes major news stories in a smart way. I turn to it when I need a quick, easy way to catch up on the day’s events. 

5. Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss made a name for himself perfecting the "4-Hour Work” method, but he prefers to call himself, simply, a “researcher.”

In his podcast, which I try to listen to at least once a week, he interviews and studies successful people, from chess champions to business leaders. Ferriss asks questions about their processes and routines, invites them to share their favorite resources and time-management tricks, and tries to identify commonalities in their habits and mindsets.

6. Harvard Business Review

I’ve lost count of how many Harvard Business Review articles I’ve saved.

There are dozens (maybe even hundreds) of business resources online, but HBR does the single best job of providing very practical, immediately applicable advice and information for general business professionals.

The difference, for me, is that these articles are typically written by practitioners with decades of experience in their respective fields, which brings invaluable context and perspective to their advice. 

7. Thomas Friedman

Thomas Friedman, New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, has written several books, dealing with globalization, foreign affairs, and technology. His latest work, “Thank You for Being Late,” was released late last year, and I highly recommend adding it to your reading list.

In “Thank You for Being Late,” Friedman connects the rampant acceleration of technology to the tipping point we’ve hit in global markets. He does a fantastic job making deeply technical and economic issues accessible and understandable, offering great insight into today’s shifting landscape. 

8. Investopedia

Investopedia is a fantastic resource for financial news, but I find their daily “Term of the Day” newsletter to be very well executed. Besides looking great, with a consumer-driven feel, its content is always insightful and engaging.

Each day, financial terms such as “hard fork,” “ethereum,” and “zero day attack” float to the top of my inbox; I find myself saving these emails and digging them up before meetings with the finance team. 

Final Thoughts

Today, with the ability to easily connect with people who can provide fresh insight and different points of view, we’re in a better position than ever to build upon our knowledge and advance our business opportunities and careers. 

While each of these resources provides a unique take on the state of media and technology today, they’re connected by a common thread: They all provide practical, digestible information. Curating the right mix of resources for your specific goals will help you and your company stay at the forefront of new innovations and trends.

I’d love to hear what you would add to this list. Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or tweet at me to share ideas!