About the Book

Story of my book

My name is Alex DeNoble and I am the author of The Entrepreneur Within. This book features inspirational stories of individuals who, for one reason or another, have decided to think and act like entrepreneurs inside of their existing organizations. As I dug deeper into my research, I realized there is a paucity of stories celebrating internal entrepreneurs. Most of the attention and credit in the popular press goes to startup founders; those individuals who may have risked it all to bring something new to the market. But I believe that the experiences of entrepreneurially-minded people, working within organizations, are just as compelling in their own right. Though different from the startup entrepreneur, these internal innovators face their own unique risks and challenges.

I wrote this book because I believe that there are many people currently working inside of existing organizations who have the talent and creative energy to help their organizations adapt and thrive in rapidly changing environments. Their stories of how they derived their inspirations and how they managed to navigate the corporate hierarchies and politics allowed me to develop a framework and offer a roadmap for others who may wish to embark on similar paths.

My Vision

My vision for this book is that it will find its way into the hands of individuals working in companies who may have impactful new business ideas, but lack knowledge or the confidence to shepherd their ideas through their organization’s hierarchy and culture. By learning how other people have overcome their own corporate challenges, I hope to instill within you the same sort of passion and confidence necessary to bring your ideas to fruition within your organization. I want you to see this book as a tool to help you in navigating this journey.

I also hope that corporate leaders will read this book and begin to develop internal programs to nurture and grow an innovative culture that supports productive entrepreneurial behavior. Additionally, I believe university instructors who teach classes in strategy and entrepreneurship will see the value in sharing these stories with their students, the next generation of entrepreneurs.

In this book, you will learn about the importance of strategically framing your idea in ways that make sense to corporate decision-makers, and impactful approaches for obtaining the necessary buy-in from key organization stakeholders. Additionally, you will gain insights on how to effectively plan for the implementation of your project after receiving corporate support to proceed. You will read about stories such as:

• How Todd Mitchell from Aqualung Corporation, working with a famous Olympian, introduced a new swim workout product into the company’s existing product line offerings

• How Joseph Keip from Michael Angelos Gourmet Foods Inc., while working with chefs from American Airlines, developed a turkey and cheese calzone as a way to break into the airline segment of the foodservice industry,

• How a timely home run by Marco Kuljacha of Grupo Prodensa in Monterrey Mexico paved the way for him to have the opportunity to open up a brand new territory for the company.

You will love this book if you believe that you have new business or process ideas that can help your existing company continue to grow and prosper. You will also love this book if, as a corporate leader, you see the value in promoting an innovative culture inside of your organization. Additionally, if you are motivated to inspire others (i.e. students, co-workers, mentees, etc.) to exercise their entrepreneurial dreams, this book is for you.

The Entrepreneur Within is a non-fiction book that speaks to internal corporate innovators, corporate leaders, and instructors who want to look at corporate entrepreneurship and innovation in a new way.