Braun Ink Launches Braun Collection, Multi-format CEO Biography Series

May 14, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Laura Sheridan
EMAIL: laura@vivalabrand.com

Billion or Bust: Growing a Tech Company in Texas, a book by Lanham Napier, former CEO of Rackspace®, is the first release in the Braun Collection.

Cleveland, OH – The premier business biographers at Braun Ink have released Billion or Bust: Growing a Tech Company in Texas, the short, action-packed story of how former Rackspace CEO, Lanham Napier, pursued his passion for creating jobs in his home state of Texas. Billion or Bust also is the first release of the Braun Collection—compelling business-leader stories delivered in a variety of educational formats.

Mr. Napier, a fifth-generation Texan, loved his home state and creating jobs. He joined the managed hosting company, Rackspace, in 1999 as CFO. Fast forward to 2011 when Mr. Napier, now CEO, guides Rackspace to its first $1 billion in revenue. His book includes personal anecdotes on converting defunct mall space to corporate headquarters; growing Fanatical Support, the Rackspace term for radically good customer service; strategies for competing against Amazon, Google, and Microsoft; how to create jobs outside Silicon Valley; handling worsening relationships with co-executives; and conducting an IPO road show in volatile financial markets.

In addition to the printed book of Billion or Bust, Braun Ink has produced companion products including a study guide, chapters summary, presentation and video that enable corporate leaders and college instructors to share the Rackspace story using the format most effective for their audiences. The Braun Collection also offers the option to conduct a video call with Mr. Napier.

Billion or Bust is the first book in the collection. “I’m thrilled to release our first book in the Braun Collection,” Rebecca Braun, president of Braun Ink, said. “Lanham Napier’s authentic story of the ups and downs of his time at Rackspace is a short book that can have a big impact on business. Braun Collection is a collection of multi-topic, multi-format executive memoirs and biographies–our difference is that instead of offering how-to guides, our authors and subjects share their authentic stories of struggle and success. This lets readers decide what was done well and not-so-well—a process that enables business people to develop their own strategies for navigating their professional challenges,” continued Ms. Braun.

Billion or Bust and the companion products are available for purchase at braunink.com, and the book is also available at Amazon.

About the Braun Collection

Developed for business professionals, educators and students, the Braun Collection consists of business leaders’ stories of growth and struggle offered in several formats. This customized approach allows leadership training professionals, university professors and other instructors to pick the formats that work best for their students. The entertaining, multi-format memoirs and biographies represent a contemporary alternative to the single-format business case study.

The Braun Collection includes books with short, action-packed chapters; comic book-style storyboards; audio books; presentations; chapter summaries; study guides; and video calls with executives. Visit [link] to see the formats offered or to learn how to purchase Lanham Napier’s story of leading Rackspace, Billion or Bust, in book, e-book, video, presentation or chapter summary format.

About Braun Ink

Braun Ink specializes in writing, producing and publishing memoirs and biographies, speeches and storyboards for business leaders, retired executives and corporations. It also is the exclusive creator of popular BizBios—trading card-sized biographies that feature customized icons and tell executives’ stories in under 50 words. Please visit braunink.com to learn more about Braun Ink’s custom writing and book production services.

“Rackspace” and “Fanatical Support” are registered trademarks of Rackspace US, Inc.

  • News & Updates

Using Comic Books in the Classroom

When using a comic book, business educators have the opportunity to develop these business competencies in students. Such competencies are in high demand in the business workplace.

Ask students to:

  • SUMMARIZE and SYNTHESIZE the actions, images, people, and topics.
  • DEVELOP ARGUMENTS about and CRITICALLY APPRAISE key actions and decisions made by executives.
  • OFFER SUPPORT for their arguments using text and facts.
  • REFLECT ON how the comic book characters’ views and actions compare and contrast to their own.
  • SHOW CURIOSITY about business leaders through asking questions of the main subject/CEO, if the LIVE VIDEO VISIT option is chosen by educators.

Using CEO Memoirs & Biographies in the Classroom

Memoirs and biographies combine the case method with more immersive and experiential learning because readers are immersed in the story and narrative. Narratives are arguably the most effective way to teach and learn in general. Studies have shown that students consistently recall information tied to storytelling better than material presented without storytelling. Organizational psychologists have found that learning from a well-told story is remembered “far longer” than learning derived from facts and figures and that facts are 20 times more likely to be remembered if they’re part of a story.

Braun Collection books and comic books enable business educators to use narrative to enhance the learning experience of their students. Further, it seems that people who read narratives that “oscillate” (i.e., the narratives do not offer a story of clear ascent or descent but rather a story of oscillating successes and failures) have better resilience later in their own lives and careers when making their own decisions. This is because they have reference points (the prior narratives) that consist of patterns of oscillation as opposed to clear-cut ascent or descent2. As we know in real life, decisions rarely involve clear-cut ascent or descent situations. Braun Collection materials do  show neither deeply flawed heroes nor perfect decision makers, rather people who deal with the ups and downs of the issues and
opportunities in their lives and careers.

When using a True Business Adventure Tale (CEO memoir or biography), business educators have the opportunity to develop these business competencies in students. Such competencies are in high demand in the business workplace.

Ask students to:

  • SUMMARIZE the actions, people, and topics and SYNTHESIZE all the information into the theme of the book. Synthesizing key topics and themes is important in business.
  • DEVELOP ARGUMENTS about and CRITICALLY APPRAISE key actions and decisions made by executives. Being able to develop and appraise various actions is important in business.
  • OFFER SUPPORT for their arguments using text and facts as opposed to pure opinion and conjecture. Knowing how to offer factual, even if not scientific, evidence is important in business.
  • REFLECT ON how the subjects and authors views and actions compare and contrast to their own. A level of appropriate reflection is shown to build a level of warmth and relationships that matter for business.
  • SHOW CURIOSITY about business leaders through asking questions of the authors, if the LIVE VIDEO VISIT option is chosen by educators. Asking good questions is a vital business skill.