Book ~ "Decisions" (2012) Jim Treliving

From Goodreads ~ Jim Treliving is a police officer turned pizza king. An affable prairie boy, he took the leap from the RCMP and started to build a global empire. In his first book, Jim shows why today, he’s not only surviving, he’s thriving in a volatile 20th-century global market. For Treliving, success involves hard work and taking a measured, principled approach to making decisions, because successful people make decisions and act. Unsuccessful people freeze in the face of choice. 

"Decisions" is for budding entrepreneurs and fans of the CBC’s "Dragons’ Den", for those who want the story behind the scenes. But it’s also for people who want to understand how lasting success is built and how steady wealth is created. It’s for people who want to make wiser decisions in business and in life, and become true leaders in their chosen field. 

I'm a fan of Dragons' Den and like Jim Treliving (he's the only original Dragon left).  He seems fair on the show but doesn't put up with any BS.  So I was interested in reading his story.

Jim was born in a small town in Manitoba.  While stationed in Edmonton as a Mountie, he became friends with Gus, who along with his brothers, had owned a couple Boston Pizza restaurants and was the franchisor for others in western Canada.  At this point, he had no idea what pizza even was!  Jim liked the restaurant lifestyle and saw the possibilities.  He quit the RCMP and opened a Boston Pizza franchise in Penticton, BC.  There he met George Melville, who ended up became his business partner (and still is).  Jim and George eventually bought the chain.  There are now Boston Pizza restaurants in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.  In addition, they also own Mr. Lube among other things.

This book is about how Jim makes decisions and the decisions he's made along the way.  He makes decisions about work with his heart, about money with his head and about people with his gut ... so he's emotional about work, practical about money and instinctual about people.  At the end of each chapter, there is a checklist for making the first life decision, for becoming a decision maker, making decisions about money, etc.

I enjoyed this book.  I found it interesting and honest.  I liked the writing style ... I could hear Jim's voice.  What comes through is his passion, loyalty and strong work ethic.