About The Book

 What others are saying…

I literally could not put it down. I think it was because I could relate so much to many of the situations David described. I could feel tension building in myself as I read the accounts of various financial and personnel crises. But after each chapter, I found myself too tempted to read one more to stop until I had finished the whole book. David’s book does a phenomenal job of recreating his incredible life story–and just barely comes up short of being there with him as things happened.

-Steve Barley,
CEO, Lawyer’s Staffing+Medicus Staffing

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15 Bedtime Stories contains a wealth of experience that entrepreneurs, potential entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurship students will find interesting and helpful. It describes real challenges faced by most entrepreneurs at some time or other. As such, it is valuable as a tool to help anticipate problems and determine how to prevent or resolve them before they become serious. The book is especially relevant to entrepreneurs in service businesses, although any entrepreneur will benefit from reading it.

-Dr. Jeff Harrison,
The W. David Robbins Chair in Strategic Management; Robins School of Business

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University of Richmond David Ingram’s 15 Bedtime Stories should find a place on the night-stands of entrepreneurial hopefuls everywhere. Each of his stories focuses on a key challenge faced by anyone starting a business. Ingram first describes what the challenge is and why it’s important to address; his voice is clear, engaging, and authentic. Then he offers a bottom line takeaway–”the moral of the story”–followed by practical suggestions for reflection and action. Don’t let the breeziness of his prose and the ease of reading fool you–this is a truly useful primer for navigating the wilds of new business creation.

-Erika Andersen,
Founder, Proteus International, Inc.;
Author, Growing Great Employees and Being Strategic

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Better to learn from the experiences shared in 15 Bedtime Stories than to learn the hard way-firsthand! Of the entrepreneurs we fund, those who succeed avoid most of the common mistakes because they can see them coming. This book can help you be prepared–because in any business you start, there are wrong turns at every intersection.

-John Backus,
Founder and Managing Partner, New Atlantic Ventures

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15 Bedtime Stories That Keep Entrepreneurs Awake at Night is a must-read for everyone interested in starting a business. David Ingram is living proof that if you can dream it, you can do it, and he did it well.

-Hugh F. Gouldthorpe,
Senior Vice President, Owens & Minor;
Head Cheerleader, Quality and Communications;
Author, I’ve Always Looked Up to Giraffes

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The book is very captivating and well-written. Each chapter reveals a little more about the man behind the company, which is a story in itself. I find myself wanting to read more from and about David Ingram!

-Tim Burress,
Cofounder and President, Cohesive Knowledge Solutions, Inc.;
Co-author, The Hamster Revolution

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David Ingram’s book is a fantastic read. It is essentially fifteen stories that cover common sense and a few unexpected ideas on starting and running a world-class business. Entrepreneurs need to know how to lead a firm and avoid the truly damaging pitfalls that lead to failure. David’s stories can save a CEO a lot of heartache.

-David R. Barrett,
Founder and CEO, Barrett Capital Management, LLC;
Past Chairman, Virginia Council of CEOs

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Terrific common sense served in bite-sized digestible portions full of the right vitamins and minerals for a healthy growing business–well done.

-Doug Tatum,
Chairman Emeritus, Tatum LLC; Author, No Man’s Land

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The principles and lessons discussed in 15 Bedtime Stories That Keep Entrepreneurs Awake at Night can be applied to many different business settings, so I added it to the reading list for all my graduate and undergraduate management classes.

-W. Lee Grubb III, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of Management,
East Carolina University

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W. Somerset Maugham was asked the secret to writing a great novel.  He said, “There’s got to be a man behind the book.” A few pages into the introduction to 15 Bedtime Stories That Keep Entrepreneurs Awake at Night, you know there’s a man of integrity behind this book. What a pleasure to read such clear, straightforward writing (no gimmicks or jargon) that communicates much-needed insights in a unique and interesting way. More importantly, there is a humanity here–a commitment to serve–that is rare and oh-so-welcome. David Ingram shows how to run an entrepreneurial business that makes a positive, profitable difference for all involved. Read it and reap.

-Sam Horn,
Communications Consultant;
Author, POP! Stand Out in Any Crowd