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Caremark founder James M Sweeney on Fixing Healthcare – News Release

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Caremark founder James M. Sweeney was laser-focused on getting people out of hospitals by creating options for high-tech healthcare at home — an idea that was revolutionary at the time and spawned an entire industry. How can today’s innovators focus on fixing healthcare? Sweeney shares wisdom from 14 healthcare startups that raised $2 billion in capital, $30 billion in exit value, and saved or extended the lives of millions.

Please refer to the press release below for additional information. Reach out to get a review copy of the book or schedule an interview here: https://creativeinsecurity.com/press-kit/

Healthcare Needs Dramatic Innovations: Here’s What Tech Experts Should Know, According to Caremark Founder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

EL PASO, Texas, Dec. 18, 2024 — Caremark founder James M. Sweeney is credited with starting the high-tech home healthcare industry — a revolutionary concept that provided safer and more humane care while also sparing the exorbitant costs of certain in-hospital treatments. Today, Sweeney says, healthcare needs dramatic innovations like this, but if tech companies entering the space want to be successful, they need to account for healthcare’s inherently unpredictable outcomes.

James M. Sweeney discusses perspectives on healthcare and fixing healthcare in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgSUsu8M-Hg

James M. Sweeney perspectives on healthcare innovation - video thumbnail

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“When you have seen one patient, you have seen … one patient,” Sweeney writes in his new book, Creative Insecurity: Lean Into the Unknown and Unleash Your Inner Misfit. “Healthcare is a complex system because of variability in the human body and the regulatory environment involving insurance and hospital bureaucracies.”

In Creative Insecurity (co-written by Rhonda Lauritzen), Sweeney reveals a treasure trove of practical wisdom — including crucial insights for the tech sector — gleaned from launching 14 successful healthcare companies that saved or extended millions of lives and eventually generated $30 billion in exit value. All of this from a man who admits he “felt like a square peg in a round hole until I started my first company.”

Aiming to inspire restless, would-be entrepreneurs; those who feel stifled by corporate bureaucracy; and creatives who feel insecure, Sweeney shows readers how to reframe their uncertainty into excitement and motivation, and how to view their differences as superpowers for innovation.

Key principles he covers in Creative Insecurity include:

  • Failing your way to success.
  • Succeeding with the “no-quit gene.”
  • Knowing what and when to quit. “Don’t marry a mistake.”
  • Conducting a “premortem” for any new venture or project.
  • Differentiating yourself as a monopoly of one.
  • Defaulting to the “you point of view.”
  • Recognizing that being first is more important than being right. Know when to “be a cheetah.”
  • Going after the most prestigious target in an industry. “The bell cow effect.”
  • Empowering your team so they are more excited on Monday morning than on Friday night.
  • And much, much more.

Sweeney’s actionable insights, compelling examples and timeless wisdom will help those with an unquenched creative spark free their mindsets, lean into the unknown and ultimately achieve the full measure of their potential.

“One of the most powerful phrases you can learn in your career (and life) is, ‘Tell me more,’” Sweeney added. “If you want to have vision, see what other people miss and mitigate risk, practice saying this. You will be amazed at what you learn.”

Creative Insecurity – book details

Creative Insecurity: Lean into the Unknown and Unleash Your Inner Misfit

Publisher: Post Hill Press

Release Date: December 10, 2024

ISBN-13: ‎979-8888455395

Available from Amazon.com

###

TIP SHEET

The press release above may be published in part or entirety by any print, broadcast or internet/digital media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.

Reviews, photos, links to previous interviews and Q&As are available upon request.

About the Authors

James M. Sweeney is a serial entrepreneur who started 14 healthcare companies with original ideas, none of which have failed. He has raised $2 billion in capital and generated more than $30 billion in exit value. His companies have saved or extended the lives of millions of people. He has been acknowledged as the founder of the multi-billion-dollar home infusion therapy industry, having founded Caremark, the industry pioneer and leader. Today, he mentors startup founders and other professionals in the art of “failing your way to success.”

Co-author Rhonda Lauritzen is a professional biographer with multiple published books and is a regular speaker at international conferences. She has an MBA from the University of Utah, served as CEO of her family’s business and as a state college VP. She founded Evalogue.Life in 2016.

For more information, please visit https://creativeinsecurity.com, or connect with James Sweeney on LinkedIn (James M. Sweeney), Facebook (James M. Sweeney), Instagram (james.m.sweeney) or YouTube (@JamesMSweeney).

All Options for Obtaining the Book:

https://creativeinsecurity.com/order/

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Feron

Ascot Media Group, Inc.

Post Office Box 2394

Friendswood, TX 77549

news@ascotpr.com

www.ascotmedia.com

281.333.3507 Phone

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Best business books for Christmas - open book with white pages and a red ribbon

Best Business Books for Christmas Gifts

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When my team suggested I write a short article on best business books for Christmas gifts, I wondered how I could possibly narrow the list down to a manageable number. The Bibliography for my new book, Creative Insecurity, has around 40 books on it and something like twice that number of articles. g

The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen:

The late Dr. Clayton Christensen was a Harvard Business School professor and a friend of mine. His groundbreaking book is a must-read for anyone in business. He outlines how startups can sneak up on entrenched markets and overtake them by starting at the low-end of innovation. Likewise, it is a cautionary tale for anyone in an established industries.

  • Clayton M. Christensen. The innovator’s dilemma: The revolutionary book that will change the way you do business. New York: Harper Business, 2011.

Think Again and Originals by Adam Grant

Our book draws on research by Wharton Professor Adam Grant. His book Think Again provided excellent research on the tremendously needed skill of changing your mind in the face of new information. Originals is an excellent read for all creative people and contrarians.

  • Grant, Adam. Think Again: (New York: Penguin Books, 2017)
  • Grant, Adam. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know, (New York: Penguin Books, 2023)

Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All, by Jim Collins

You may have already read Built to Last and Good to Great by Jim Collins and his team. Have you read one of the more recent in his series, Great by Choice? This is an especially compelling read related to managing insecurity, which is another word for uncertainty. One of the best ways to overcome the negative feelings related to uncertainty is to manage risk and over-prepare. Collins gives excellent, research-based treatment to these ideas in the same bestselling style as his other books.

  • Collins, Jim, and Morten T. Hansen. Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All, (New York: HarperCollins, 2011), Kindle Edition. Collins, Jim. Good to Great, (New York: Harper Business, 2001)
  • Collins, Jim. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap & Others Don’t, (HarperCollins. Kindle Edition). Collins, Jim. How the Mighty Fall, (JimCollins.com, 2009)

The Dip by Seth Godin

One key principle in my book, Creative Insecurity, is the no-quit gene. Grit is one of the most important traits any of us can cultivate in business and life. In this short, delightful book by Seth Godin, he examines the idea of figuring out all the things you should quit so you can focus on the one you must stick with no matter what. This like the advice I give founders to “major in the majors. Don’t major in the minors.”

  • Godin, Seth. The Dip: A Little Book that Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick), (Audible Studios, 2007)

The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

The One Thing has a similar theme as The Dip, by Godin above. It offers practical tips for how to focus on your most important priorities.

  • Keller, Gary, and Jay Papasan. The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results, Rellek Publishing Partners, Ltd, 2013)

Creative Insecurity: Lean into the Unknown and Unleash Your Inner Misfit

I am biased, but my new book would make an excellent Christmas gift for anyone with a big idea or untapped potential.

You can get it here: https://creativeinsecurity.com/order/

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

Rick Rubin is a legendary music producer and his short book will put you in a positive mindset and ultimately be the best business books for christmas gifts.

Rubin, Rick. The Creative Act: A Way of Being, (New York: Penguin, 2023).

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

This is now a classic for a reason. It is on battling the war of resistance, and offers excellent mindset advice for anyone trying to get out of your own way. These are some of the biggest issues I see when I am coaching founders, leaders, and creative young people who want to reach their potential.

  • Stephen Pressfield, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, (New York: Black Irish Entertainment LLC, 2018).

Bonus book – Quarks of Light by Rob A. Gentile

This is not a business book but it is one of my favorites from recent years. Rob A. Gentile had a near-death experience and then a heart transplant. His experience will expand your mind and heart.

Related article: 5 books for a positive mindset cross link: https://creativeinsecurity.com/blog/5-books-for-a-positive-mindset/

Title, "5 books" next to a stack of vibrant books" on a neutral background

By James M. Sweeney and co-author, Rhonda Lauritzen

Best Business Books for Christmas Gifts Read More »

Expressing Gratitude: the word Gratitude is overlaid onto a Thanksgiving table with the book Creative Insecurity showing on a phone next to a plate.

Expressing Gratitude – Ideas From a Self-Help Positive Thinking Book

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This month I want to talk about the importance of expressing gratitude in the workplace and other aspects of our lives. For this article, I draw ideas from my forthcoming self-help, positive thinking book, Creative Insecurity.

One of the most important traits any leader can cultivate is humility, which is one of three that make up what I call, “The Contrarian’s Trifecta.” This trifecta includes vision, humility, and the no-quit gene (or grit). Humility is the most important of the three traits, the bedrock of the others. You can succeed for a while on two out of the three, but hubris is ultimately the great undoer. I think of humility as more of a habit we learn and practice than something we are born with. That is good news, right? To show greater humility in all we do, practice the discipline of gratitude.

Four Key Ways to Express Gratitude

In this article, I share three key ways to express gratitude that are personal to me and my co-author.

  1. Through a list or journal
  2. Through service
  3. Through love and respect
  4. Through what is called a “gratitude visit.”

Expressing Gratitude Through a Journal or List

Being grateful rather than entitled bears so many benefits that I’m sure you already know. Here is one way I cultivate this attitude. I have a practice of writing a gratitude journal each morning. In it, I list people I am grateful for by name. Currently, this list has thirty-eight names on it. This practice is a form of prayer for me and sets an intention for my day that comes from a place of abundant gratitude. It sets the tone for my work. At the close of each day, I pause and think, “Was this a plus day or a minus day?” I can’t remember the last time I had a minus day. I am grateful for them all.

Expressing Gratitude Through Service

At this phase in my life, I am still interested in building, but my focus is wholly on paying forward all the blessings and benefits I have experienced in life. I know there is no possible way to catch up, but I’ve got to try. There are several ways that are rewarding to me. One is by mentoring others. Sometimes this is with business founders; sometimes, it is with young people, and sometimes it is through the Stephen Ministries. Since my capacity to do one-on-one mentoring is limited, I decided a few years ago to write a self-help, positive-thinking book. I am thrilled that (Creative Insecurity) is now a reality. Positive mindset books have had a profound effect on my life, and if mine can influence at least one person, then it will be worth it.

Recently, I accepted the call to serve on the board of the board of OUR Rescue, a nonprofit aimed at ending the tragic issue of child trafficking. I realized I had to do something around this issue because how could I be so blessed and stand by while children are enslaved?

A young woman wearing an OUR Resue shirt speaks with a microphone. Serving others is one way of expressing gratitude.
Image attribution: https://ourrescue.org/

How can you increase your own desire to serve selflessly? When proceeding with a project or an action, ask yourself your motive. Are you doing it for yourself, for credit, for self-importance, for financial rewards, or are you doing it for a cause? Humility comes more naturally when you’re devoted to a cause instead of being devoted to yourself. If you’re doing it for yourself, work on an honest attitude adjustment. You can’t fake this. When you’re genuinely devoted to serving others, the no-quit gene follows.

Expressing Gratitude Through Love and Respect

The final and most important discipline of humility is love. When you love others, you will serve and respect them. You will be unselfish about your work, and your ego will naturally stay in check. It begins with loving yourself. Love is the most vital force in the universe and should underscore everything we do. When we come at our work from a place of love, things have a way of working out. The ego has an easier time sitting in the corner. Why? Because love takes up all the space. There is little room for ego if your heart is bursting with love. You will also be more motivated to persevere in your work when you are doing it from a place of service. The no-quit gene and humility strengthen each other.

Respect has been one of the core values in each of my companies. We once did a whole product launch around the single word “respect,” and the notion of giving pharmacists the respect they deserved and often lacked in the hospital environment. We also photographed patients, elevating them as the center of all we did.

In this era of being people multi-tasking and being distracted, it has become far too common to treat wait staff in restaurants and cashiers as though they are not even there. I make it a point to use people’s names and open doors for others. I treat my housekeeper with the same respect as any CEO or dignitary, opening her car door and expressing my gratitude for her.

Expressing Gratitude Through a Special Visit

The gratitude visit idea comes from New York Times Bestseller, The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have an Extraordinary Impact, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. The idea is to express gratitude to someone who blessed your life but you have not thanked before. It might be a teacher, coach, mentor, or friend. This challenge is not only to thinkof this person but to do an exercise called a gratitude visit.Here is what you do. Think of someone who had a profound impact on your life, someone who you never reached out to and told how they influenced you. Then, sit down and write that person a letter telling them specifically what they did to make a difference in your life. Ideally, deliver the letter in person.

Here is what Chip and Dan Heath say about the benefits:

 “Researchers have found that if you conduct a gratitude visit, you feel a rush of happiness afterward—in fact, it’s one of the most pronounced spikes that have been found in any positive psychology intervention…Better yet, researchers say, this feeling lasts. Even a month later, people who conducted a gratitude visit were still happier than their peers in a control group.” – Chip Heath and Dan Heath 

I hope this article has given you an idea or two for how to better express gratitude. In doing so, cultivate the discipline of humility.

By James M. Sweeney and co-author, Rhonda Lauritzen

Expressing Gratitude – Ideas From a Self-Help Positive Thinking Book Read More »

Intro to The Contrarian’s Checklist

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I want to introduce you to a tool my co-author and I call The Contrarian’s Checklist for testing your entrepreneurial ideas. An essential part of entrepreneurship is vetting your big ideas. It’s too easy to fall in love with your idea and fail to see a fatal flaw. As I am mentoring entrepreneurs in business and others in my work with the Stephen Ministry, I walk them through a series of Socratic questions to help them discover their own answers. My questions use branching logic, so there is no set formula, but as Rhonda and I worked on this book, we pulled from actual sessions with entrepreneurs and compiled a checklist to simulate the process.

You can get The Contrarian’s Checklist free here or by filling out the form at the bottom of this page.

Why “contrarian?”

I include the word “contrarian” in the title of this checklist because I have been a contrarian throughout my entrepreneurship career. It is important to pick ideas that are new enough that you can lead the market or radically upset existing markets. I have built habits around asking these questions:

  • Why are we doing it this way?
  • Is there a better way?
  • What am I missing?

Is The Contrarian’s Checklist just for new startups?

This decision-making framework is useful whether you are just starting or you have an existing business or project. Either way, it’s critical to stay focused on the big picture. Choose tasks and projects that will yield the most benefit.

Hence, it contains the questions I would ask about your venture if we could sit down together. That checklist comes from years of doing this with founders and other leaders.

The Contrarian’s Checklist will help with fundraising

Once you have sufficiently vetted your idea, you will shift from seeking counsel to an environment where you pitch your idea to others. For example, you might gain an audience with investors, customers, or employees. My approach is to first listen to as many objections as possible from friendly sources such as a mentor or a prospect where the outcome is inconsequential. I want to hear every question before I am on the spot. Likewise, when I’m the mentor, I grill the startup team so they can field the toughest questions from me first. This exercise gives them a chance to rehearse in a friendly setting. The Contrarian’s Checklist also simulates a session you might have with a potential investor, preparing you for questions they are likely to throw your way. I have a lot of experience with raising capital, beginning with my first startup (Caremark). Caremark received funding from the most prestigious venture capital firm in Silicon Valley at the time, Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers. Since then, I have taken companies public, bought and sold them, and raised many rounds of capital. My goal here is to help you prepare.

The Contrarian’s Checklist will help you turn insecurity into preparedness

Preparation is one of the biggest ways to turn negative insecurity into an advantage. Feeling anxious about the unknown is not a bad thing, it’s what you do with it that can turn positive or or negative. You choose to reframe your concerns into creative insecurity. In other words, when you feel insecure, you use that as motivation to intensively prepare.

Creative insecurity = excitement for the unknown - image includes an old ship with sails

Related article: What is Creative Insecurity?

Categories of questions in The Contrarian’s Checklist

  • Major in the majors
  • Is it a product, or is it a business?
  • Is your solution head-slappingly obvious?
  • Is this idea different and new?
  • Can you be first?
  • Who is on the team?
  • How committed are you?
  • But are you marrying a mistake?
  • Do you have the necessary resources?
  • What is your go-to market strategy?
  • What is your bell cow?
  • What is your elevator pitch?
  • What are people’s questions about your idea?

The checklist also includes a section on conducting a “premortem,” a valuable exercise to imagine why a business or project might fail. You can then mitigate pitfalls.

Intro to The Contrarian’s Checklist Read More »

What is creative insecurity? Text appears next to a photo of James M. Sweeney in sunglasses looking contemplative

What is Creative Insecurity?

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 What is the concept of Creative Insecurity? That is the title to my new book, and it is one that bears some explanation. In this article, I give an overview of what it means.

Insecurity relates to uncertainty

First, if the word “insecurity” makes you feel squeamish, you are not alone. The Oxford Dictionary definition carries negative connotations, including anxiety, a lack of confidence, and a feeling of being open to danger. One word of the formal definition is neutral and not necessarily negative, That word is uncertainty. Simply put, we feel insecure when a situation or outcome is uncertain. You might just as readily feel excited about an unknown outcome as you might feel anxious.

While most people think of insecurity as bad, it is neither inherently positive nor negative. Instead, this trait has opposite polarity, meaning that it has both positive and negative effects. It all depends on what you do with it. The choice is yours to lean into creative insecurity as a powerful growth catalyst or let fear-based overcorrections become a destructive force in your life.

Creative insecurity = excitement for the unknown - image includes an old ship with sails

How does insecurity make you feel?

What makes you feel insecure today, right now, as you are reading this? You might feel unsure about the future or whether your abilities will measure up to a challenge. Imposter syndrome plagues nearly everyone. You may feel like a misfit, out of place in your current environment. Perhaps you must respond to threats coming your way.

It is possible and healthy to develop creative responses to the inherent insecurity in life. You have a choice of what to do when faced with uncertainty. A positive approach is curious, open to improvisation, and ready to learn. It is an alert state of being, not a fearful one.

Creative insecurity is present in new beginnings

If you are having difficulty wrapping your head around positive insecurity, let’s begin by looking for examples in your life. Can you think of a time when you felt the thrill of a new beginning? If so, you have experienced positive insecurity. The exhilaration of new love, starting a job, or kicking off a project are all times of uncertainty that bear the markers of hopeful excitement. If you enjoy exploring and delay turning back because you’ve got to see what is around the next curve, you know the feeling of positive insecurity.

That feeling has been present in me with every new venture I have started. I get the biggest kick out of the early steps. Opening a new box of business cards or seeing a fresh logo on a website makes me feel like anything is possible. No matter my age, I always sense that my biggest deal is still ahead.

You may not be the thrill-seeking adventurer type, but perhaps your personality gravitates toward exploring in different ways. Are you blessed with an insatiable curiosity that causes you to pull on a thread until you untangle its mysteries? You might be driven to solve a problem in your work or to answer a call driven by the question, “What about this subject is so interesting?” Curiosity is a potent form of creative insecurity. The discovery process is invaluable because it reveals more knowledge. While setting out for the unknown might be scary, curiosity can motivate us to push through our fears.

Creative insecurity is the opposite of toxic insecurity

Now, let’s address the other dark side: how fear of insecurity can manifest as hubris, an inflated ego, or narcissistic tendencies. Hubris is an insidious form of toxic insecurity. You might think arrogance stems from too much confidence, but the opposite is true. As counterintuitive as it may seem, hubris stems from too little confidence, or a fear of insecurity. Hubris is an overcorrection for feelings of self-doubt or unworthiness. It feeds on fear of being small or irrelevant. In short, toxic insecurity is an attempt to compensate for feelings of what is missing, not an over-abundance of self-worth.

Toxic Insecurity - image of a man inside a glass jar with the lid on it. He looks contemplative

Creative Insecurity is a positive mindset

In business (and life) it is critical to manage our mindset. When I was a teenager I started reading self-help books and others to help me have a positive mindset. I have been a lifelong believer in aphorisms. It is so much easier to overcome insecurity when you make positive thinking a habit. I owe so much to the many authors who have influenced me, and I hope my book can pay it forward, even a small amount.

Related article: 5 books for a positive mindset

Creative Insecurity asks, “tell me more”

A person who embraces creative, humble insecurity will say, “Tell me more,” when confronted with new or uncomfortable information. They will pan the landscape seeking new information. They will use feelings of imposter syndrome to spur them into greater preparation.

Insecurity can put you in a state of readiness

Author Liz Wiseman addresses the idea that insecurity is more positive than most people realize in her book Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work. She explains that mastery does not bring about happiness. Instead, her research shows that people feel alive when they solve problems and grow. Contentment wanes after achieving a goal.

In this article, Wiseman states, “As our challenge level goes up, our personal satisfaction also goes up.” The real danger comes when you reach the top and stay there. “When we linger too long on a plateau,” she says, “a little part of us starts to die.”

The takeaway? Don’t get comfortable. An easy life will leave you emotionally dissatisfied without knowing why. Wiseman quotes the great poet, Khalil Gibran, “The lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host, and then a master.” That is why retirement is so dangerous. Many people become sedentary and lose the spark of being challenged. People who sink into those habits lose vitality and some even die soon after leaving their careers.

In contrast to stagnation, Wiseman describes a “fire walker” position. It is an off-balance stance, thus causing forward movement. Fire walkers are careful, but they walk very fast. “You have never heard of a fire stander,” she says. Fire walkers are insecure on those coals. The lesson: if you feel hot coals under your feet, then paralysis is your enemy. Keep moving.

Insecurity has opposite polarity

In summary, rather than labeling insecurity as wholly positive or negative, it can be both. Insecurity has opposite polarity; it can be beneficial or toxic depending on whether you fear it or learn to roll with it. Harmful insecurity can lead to unhealthy reactions that are related to the body’s fight-or-flight response. Some flee or become stuck in analysis paralysis. Others come out swinging with a reckless disregard for facts.

Alternatively, you can reframe anxiousness into excitement. You can lean into your feelings of insecurity by scanning the landscape for risk. You can use it as motivation to become better prepared. These actions will result in more confidence as you venture into the unknown.

By James M. Sweeney and co-author, Rhonda Lauritzen

What is Creative Insecurity? Read More »

Foreword to Creative Insecurity by Dean Kamen

Foreword to Creative Insecurity by Dean Kamen

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Jim Sweeney and I met many years ago and, for a number of years, our careers crossed paths frequently due to our common interest in improving healthcare. During those years, we often saw eye-to-eye on the impact that emerging technologies could and should have on the healthcare system. When I was asked to write the foreword to Creative Insecurity, I agreed because of this history with Jim. However, as I started reading, it began to feel more like an obligation than something I was eager to do. I am a very slow reader and have little tolerance for the endless prattle that comes out of many business books these days.

I took a deep breath and sat down to at least skim the book. Eleven hours later I had read it straight through and found myself in strong agreement with many of the ideas in Creative Insecurity. There are so many memorable lines, and in fact, some I am sure I have said myself.

Embracing Failure

Like Jim, I am not afraid of failure. It isn’t my favorite thing, but I happen to be an expert on the topic. I believe that for every step backward, you should try all the harder to take two steps forward. As long as you embrace the failure and move past it faster than most, you can get three times the experience and still end up ahead. I would rather have either a spectacular failure or a spectacular success than die in the warm death of mediocrity.

Not only did I find this book to be personally interesting because I know so many of the people and companies mentioned, but also because it has a compelling vision. Each time I reached a place where I thought, “I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that,” a next paragraph would follow presenting another, more nuanced facet of the argument. It gives the right examples and delivers a balanced perspective.

I wrote this foreword to Creative Insecurity because I think many people will find this book insightful, especially anybody who has ever tried to start a business, or wondered whether they should start a business, and if so, when they should start a business.

Three books on a white background - Creative Insecurity: Unleash Your Inner Misfit

Creative Insecurity will encourage people to do something that matters instead of just making small, incremental improvements. This book will light a fire for anyone with a creative side, and I especially hope newly minted business school graduates will take the time to read it.

About Dean Kamen

Dean Kamen is the legendary entrepreneur best known for inventing the Segway. However, he is proudest of other world-changing breakthroughs, many in the medical field. These include the insulin pump he developed in his parents’ basement in 1973, a portable dialysis machine, a robotic arm for humans, the iBOT stair-climbing wheelchair, and a revolutionary machine that provides safe drinking water to developing countries. He is an icon in Manchester, New Hampshire and he also founded the non-profit FIRST®. This 501(c)(3) charity inspires youth from all nations through a robotics sport and celebrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) leadership and innovation.

Foreword to Creative Insecurity by Dean Kamen Read More »

Creative Insecurity by James M. Sweeney - an entrepreneurship book - shows both the print and ebook covers on a wooden table

Upcoming Entrepreneurship Book: A Look at James M. Sweeney’s Successful Startups

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While some entrepreneurship books are written by academics, James M. Sweeney is a serial entrepreneur who founded fourteen companies. He aimed to write a leadership book useful to both founders and restless young professionals. Creative Insecurity is an entrepreneurship book that will help anyone lean into the unknown, manage risk, and develop traits for success. It ranks among the best books for positive mindsets and business success. In this post, we share some of his street cred. 

logos for some of the companies founded by James M. Sweeney: Caremark, Coram, Cardionet, and Clarify Medical

High Praise for James M. Sweeney on Page One of the Wall Street Journal

First, his serial entrepreneurship was the subject of a laudatory, Page One Wall Street Journal article which cited his “strong track record,” “dogged persistence,” and “clairvoyance.” As a result, much of his repeated success has been attributed to vision. Sanford R. Robertson, chairman of Robertson Stephens and one of the original fundraisers for Kleiner Perkins, said, “Jim can see farther into the future than most people do, and he’s been able to take advantage of it. This vision is a key element explored in his entrepreneurship book, Creative Insecurity.

Photo of the Wall Street Journal's Page One Feature of James M. Sweeney

Founder of the high-tech home healthcare industry

James M. Sweeney founded Caremark, the pioneering leader of the multi-billion-dollar home infusion therapy industry, earning recognition as the industry’s founder.

Capital raised

In his first business, Caremark, Sweeney sought and received backing from the prestigious Silicon Valley venture capital firm, Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers. In all, he successfully took four companies public, led a Leveraged Buyout Organization (LBO) resulting in a 650% return to investors and 77% IRR in less than four years, raised over $2 billion in financing for his various companies including $500 million in venture capital, $700 million in debt financing and $400 million in two IPOs. The $2 billion invested resulted in $30 billion exit value.

For decades, he has bought, sold, or taken public over 20 healthcare product and service companies. Consequently, his entrepreneurship book, Creative Insecurity, draws on these experiences to offer valuable insights into business success.

About Caremark, Inc./Home Health Care of America

James M. Sweeney founded Caremark in 1979 to offer home healthcare services. Caremark is the first company to bring complex intravenous therapies out of the hospital and into patients’ homes. This approach allowed patients who had been hospitalized for weeks or indefinitely to receive therapy safely and comfortably in their own environments—whether at home, on vacation, or away at school.

Caremark grew from a startup to a company with over $2 billion in revenues, serving hundreds of thousands of patients annually. According to an article in the New York Times, Sweeney founded Caremark (originally Home Health Care of America) after he “… realized that a considerable number of hospital patients requiring intravenous therapy and nutrition did not need to be hospitalized.” The company was profitable in six months and, within seven years, had opened 75 centers around the U.S. CVS ultimately acquired Caremark in 2007 for $24 billion.

CardioNet (BioTelemetry)

The first company to provide heartbeat-by-heartbeat monitoring, physician reporting and urgent response for patients as they went about their normal daily activities.  CardioNet technology, combined with service center support, allowed for quick diagnosis of patients with episodic, potentially life-threatening heart problems. This swift diagnosis enabled timely treatment for conditions that are otherwise difficult to detect. CardioNet ultimately sold to Philips in 2021 for $2.8 billion. Jim Sweeney started this company in 2000. 

CAPS

CAPS is a “just in time” IV medications preparation service for hospital pharmacies and clinical trials, allowing a high-technology, state-of-the-art level of quality control nationwide in preparing complex, high-risk intravenous medications, and nutritional formulations.

Coram Healthcare

James M. Sweeney was the Coram Healthcare venture starting in 1994.  It is a specialty home infusion services and tube feeding company created as a leveraged buyout (LBO). Later on, CVS purchased Coram in 2013 for $2.1 billion.

Clarify Medical

While Jim was not the founder of Clarify Medical, he rebranded it, raised venture capital and got the product to market. This was the first company to provide Narrow Band UVB therapy, used to treat chronic skin diseases such as psoriasis, vitiligo, and eczema through a “smart” patient handheld device, without the need for multiple weekly visits to the physician’s office. This is done while remaining supervised by the physician, linked through their smartphones. Recently, 7 Wire Ventures invested $18 million in the company, which was started in 2017

Kids Set Free

Kids Set Free, a 501(c)(3) foundation, actively supports agencies and organizations that combat Child Sexual Exploitation. Its objective is to raise capital to address identifiable bottlenecks that hamper investigating, arresting, and prosecuting perpetrators on a timely basis.  Its goal is to successfully provide capital and aftercare support throughout the United States on a city-by-city, region-by-region basis. 

Coaching and mentoring

In addition to his role as a founder and chief executive, Jim regularly mentors professionals and individuals for success. He helps people turn toxic insecurity into creative insecurity, to get out of their own way, and achieve bigger dreams than they ever thought possible. He volunteers through the Stephen Ministry and through The Church of St. Clement in El Paso, Texas. 

In closing, Creative Insecurity offers a wealth of positive mindsets and is a compelling entrepreneurship book. James M. Sweeney, a venerable startup entrepreneur with deep knowledge of business success, and his co-author Rhonda Lauritzen, wrote this upcoming bestselling entrepreneurship book.

James M. Sweeney and co-author Rhonda Lauritzen sitting on a patio outside wearing sunglasses

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Title, "5 books" next to a stack of vibrant books" on a neutral background

5 Books for a Positive Mindset

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When I was a teenager, I started reading books for a positive mindset, and these books changed my life in profound ways. In this article, I share five of the best positive thinking books that shaped my work in Creative Insecurity.

First, a little backstory. Shortly after I turned 16, I got an after-school job making deliveries throughout a hospital in San Diego. As I made my rounds, I saw much that troubled me about hospitals. At the same time, I was walking around the hospital while repeating aphorisms in my mind. These came from the positive thinking books I was reading at home. The words in those self-help books helped change the trajectory of my life because they validated my belief in what I could do. Even at that young age, I already had a vision for my future. I knew I wanted to do something to fix what was wrong with hospitals. And that is precisely what I did. (You can read more about my journey starting healthcare companies here). 

At this blessed phase in my life, I wanted to write a book on success principles that would share what I have learned along my entrepreneurship journey of starting fourteen companies. It is my fondest hope that Creative Insecurity will help even one person find success by seeing what you are capable of in the same way that other authors did for me. 

James M. Sweeney sitting at an iron table with his hands clasped and chin on his hands

What are the best books for a positive mindset? Here are three favorites. 

1. The Power of Positive Thinking

As a young man, I devoured The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and latched onto his advice: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” That idea impacted me and made me have a positive mindset. They helped shape my philosophy that entrepreneurs should seek the biggest ideas possible. I now believe that “It takes as much time to do a big idea as a small one.” The Power of Positive Thinking helped plant that seed. Pick a goal worthy of your talents—shoot for the moon.

Cover image: The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale

2. Think and Grow Rich

I also internalized principles from Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. He famously wrote, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Hill is among the foremost authors in the positive thinking space, and I am greatly indebted to him. When you start with a positive vision, you have a roadmap for where you want to go. Great leaders have this kind of positive vision. 

3. Grit, by Angela Duckworth

 A recent book added research behind my belief that successful people have “the no-quit gene.” That is a synonym for Grit. Here is one excerpt from our book, Creative Insecurity, which references Duckworth’s findings in her book Grit: 

“Since I was a teenager, I have maintained a lifelong practice of repeating aphorisms and positively visualizing an outcome. Cynical people may reject these ideas as trite, but empirical evidence shows it works. Angela Duckworth cites studies done on animals and meta-analyses of studies about human behavior. This research shows that people who believe they have control over their development try harder and are more persistent than those who see their traits as genetic. Her findings make sense. If you believe you may eventually find a solution, you’ll be motivated to keep looking. But if you think there is no point, you will almost certainly give up, guaranteeing you won’t find a way.” 

4. How Will You Measure Your Life

Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen is best known for his groundbreaking book, The Innovator’s Dilemma, which helps people understand the role of disruptive innovation across industries. That is an essential book for any leader or entrepreneur, but here I want to talk about Christensen’s success principles for life. He was a good friend of mine and one the best men I have ever known. He was extraordinarily intelligent but also the very embodiment of humility. His other book, How Will You Measure Your Life,challenges each of us to imagine the end of our time on Earth and then work backward from the outcome we want. When he passed away in 2020, I doubt Clayton had many regrets. He had lived an exemplary life that was an inspiration to me. I hope his book inspires you.

Cover image: How Will YourMeasure Your Life? By Clayton Christensen. Finding Lifelong fulfillment using lessons from some of the world's greatest businesses

5. The Cleveland Clinic Way

Another exceptional book is The Cleveland Clinic Way, written by Toby Cosgrove. He is the former CEO of the Cleveland Clinic. Cosgrove’s life is one of beating the odds as he overcame dyslexia and other setbacks to become a world-renowned heart surgeon. He also served as CEO of the second-most prestigious healthcare system in the world. It is an institution known for innovation. One quote says, “The enemies of innovation are powerful. One of the most insidious is an excessive reverence for tradition.” Under Cosgrove’s leadership, they did away with traditions such as physician parking and visiting hours, thus allowing families to visit when they can. He credits Cleveland Clinic for being an organization that has “a high tolerance for renegades.” 

I hope you get as much out of these positive mindset books as I have. 

P.S. It was hard to pick just five of my favorite books for this short post because my bibliography references more than eighty other books on success, leadership, and entrepreneurship. I am indebted to many authors for influencing my life and making my book better. 

By James M. Sweeney

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Entrepreneurship Book Highlight: Creative Insecurity by James M. Sweeney

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Creative Insecurity by James Sweeney is a treasure trove of practical wisdom for achieving business success. This book isn’t just for startup teams; it’s for anyone looking to cultivate a positive mindset and thrive in their professional and personal lives. Set to be one of the must-read business success books, it provides invaluable insights for all readers.

About James M. Sweeney

James M. Sweeney, the mastermind behind Creative Insecurity, is a serial entrepreneur with a legacy of success that spans multiple industries. Jim, as he is known to friends, is celebrated for his groundbreaking contributions, especially in the healthcare sector.

Success that matters – helping patients

Regardless of any financial success, James M. Sweeney feels proudest of the fact that his companies have saved or extended the lives of millions of people. The healthcare industry acknowledges him as founder of the multi-billion-dollar home infusion therapy industry, having founded Caremark, the industry pioneer and leader. 

Startup funding and venture capital received

James M. Sweeney’s entrepreneurship prowess is evident in his ability to raise capital. In his book, Creative Insecurity, he tells how he first sought funding from Silicon Valley’s prestigious venture capital funds, starting with Kleiner Perkins. It would be natural to feel insecure approaching such big names, but Jim had been reading positive thinking books.

Instead of shrinking away, he leaned into what he didn’t know. He spent weeks knocking on every investor’s door. He honed his pitch until he was ready to approach the one he ultimately wanted: Kleiner Perkins. Following their “yes,” he has taken companies public and raised $2 billion in capital. Overall, he has generated more than $30 billion in exit value. 

The company Jim keeps – colleagues in leadership

Jim has partnered with the world’s most well-respected hospitals, including The Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. In Creative Insecurity, Jim also shares stories about some dear colleagues, some of whom have also written leadership books. They include fellow contrarian Dean Kamen, who is a legendary entrepreneur and inventor of the Segway. Toby Cosgrove was the former CEO of Cleveland Clinic and author of The Cleveland Clinic Way. The late Clayton Christensen of Harvard Business School authored the groundbreaking business classic, The Innovator’s Dilemma. 

Humanitarian entrepreneurship

Recently, Jim has turned to humanitarian work by founding Kids Set Free, Inc., with a mission to successfully address the sexual trafficking of children in the United States on a city-by-city basis. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

James M. Sweeney’s backstory

When James Sweeney was 15 years old, he went to work full-time at a hospital in San Diego, delivering supplies. It was an eye-opening experience because he had access to virtually every nook and cranny during the four years he worked there.

In the years that followed, James found himself appalled at all the things he saw that should not have happened: medication errors, fatalities, cover-ups. He was so saddened. So, his entire career has been built around starting companies that have been alternatives to hospitalization. That’s what he really cherishes more than anything else. When standing before God one day, he hopes that those things will offset everything else.

A Life of Learning and Mentorship

Today, he lives in El Paso, Texas, after moving around to wherever his companies needed him. He has traveled to 75 countries and, at times in his career, spent as much time flying as he did on the ground. People often ask about his favorite place to live, and he always answers, “Where I am right now.”

Jim finds the most fulfillment in mentoring entrepreneurs, helping young professionals achieve business success, and guiding individuals in his community to have positive mindsets. He wrote this book to reach more people. He says it will be a success if it can help even one person overcome imposter syndrome and reach their potential.

This focus on fostering a positive mindset is a central theme in Creative Insecurity, distinguishing it as a notable entry among books for positive mindset development.

Mindsets for success

In Creative Insecurity by James Sweeney, he shares the principles and strategies that have guided his extraordinary career. Whether you’re seeking to overcome imposter syndrome, secure venture capital, or simply improve your mindset, this book offers invaluable insights. Jim’s story is a testament to the power of creative insecurity—embracing uncertainty to unlock unprecedented success.

Pre-order your copy of Creative Insecurity by James M. Sweeney now and be among the first to learn from a master entrepreneur when the book is released in December. Don’t miss out on one of the most anticipated business success books of the year.

If you have any questions about the book or would like to discuss potential speaking engagements, contact Jim by submitting a form now.


Follow Jim on social media to stay updated on his latest insights and activities.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560835508629  

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