Every year I have a number of books that I want to read that year. And each year I find some absolute gems that completely changed my perspective on a specific topic and therefore changed my life. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing with you five of those books, so they can change yours too.
Show Links:
- The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi*
- I’m So Effing Tired by Dr. Amy Shah*
- Smarter Tomorrow by Elizabeth R. Ricker*
- Episode 034 – The Entrepreneur’s Energy Trifecta
- The Audacity to be Queen by Gina DeVee*
- Be by Jessica Zweig*
- Winging It by Emma Isaacs*
- DM me on Instagram
*As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn commissions on qualifying purchases.
Show Takeaways:
- Listen in to hear about the five books, all written by women
- Learn why I choose these book and some of my top takeaways
- Understand why I often choose books from different perspectives than mine
Rather read than listen? ⬇️
Every year, I have a book goal. A number of books that I want to read that year. And each year I find some absolute gems that completely change my perspective on a specific topic and therefore change my life. So, in today’s episode, I am sharing with you 5 of those books so they can change yours too.
So, I am specifically talking about books this week because if you are like me, you are already making your reading list for 2022 or your Wishlist for the holidays. I mean who doesn’t love to get books!?! But this list is intentional as a woman entrepreneur.
Because as I’d scroll through Pinterest or Instagram, I would see these lists of books every entrepreneur must read and at least 9 of the 10 books, if not all 10 out of 10, were written by men. And while I appreciate the contribution those men have made and have consumed a LOT of those books, I feel that many women who are creating kickass books are still being overlooked in favor of the “ classics”. So here are five books all written by women and guaranteed to change your life.
The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi
So, I will admit I was a little skeptical about this book at first. I had seen others in my acquaintance circle reading it and it had been on my list for awhile and while I was painting my house last month, I finally started The Lazy Genius Way as an audio book. What I love about this book is that it gives us permission to go all in on the things that matter to us, while applying shortcuts, automations, or “lazy” solutions to the things that just don’t. And as I read this right before we moved into our new home and right before I started making 2022 plans, it put a new spin on how I wanted to spin my time, making space for the things that are important to me, while eliminating or outsourcing or automating other things that weren’t as much of a priority TO ME. For example, it is important to me that I have a full office space that has a door so I can give this business the dedicated time and attention it needs. So, in our 3-bedroom house, we don’t have a guest room and no my office doesn’t become a guest room when family comes to visit. We have a project table specifically for my puzzle or painting projects in the middle of the family room, because doing puzzles is important to me. I have a giant organized pantry and fridge because creating healthy and easy meals for myself and my family is important to me. The amount of smart light bulbs in my house or physically doing the vacuuming myself is NOT important to me so I let that be my husband’s domain or the robot vacuum domain. I highly recommend this book if you find that you are having some difficulty giving yourself permission to prioritize your time and space. Also, one of my new favorite quotes came from this book: “Stop applauding chaos as the only indicator of vulnerability.”
I’m So Effing Tired by Dr. Amy Shah
Oh my goodness, this book (along with a book called Smarter Tomorrow by Elizabeth R. Ricker) is what has sparked a lot of my goal focus for 2022. We all want to look better and feel better and have all the energy to do all the things that we want to do, and Amy Shah’s book is brilliant. And if it sounds familiar, that is because I talk about it in Episode 034 – The Entrepreneur’s Energy Trifecta. But the reason it is so awesome is that it takes something as complicated as our bodies creating and using energy & how to leverage that, and breaks it down into totally actionable, accessible experiments that you can do at home to ultimately stop being so damn tired all the time. It combines circadian fasting— which has to do with when you eat— and adding in more veggies and decreasing foods that increase inflammation — what you eat — and how you deal with stress with simple movement & herbs. For any ambitious entrepreneur who wants more energy to get more out of their day without the inevitable burnout, this is your book!
The Audacity to be Queen by Gina DeVee
Okay, so for any of my woo-averse listeners, I want to preface this by saying: this book may take you out of your comfort zone. And that is not a bad thing. I listened to this audiobook on my drive to Nashville back in September which took me approximately 11 hours. This book was perfect for that drive except for one thing – I couldn’t do any of the journaling prompts or exercises because I was driving! But this book was still amazing. I was talking back to the audio book, agreeing and confirming her message. It felt like the warm, women-empowerment, permission-giving message that so many women need to truly live into who they are and how they want to grow into their life. Gina shares the steps, exercises, meditations, prayers, and journal prompts to release all forms of self-doubt and self-sabotage so you can discover the best version of you. If you want to step into 2022 as a complete Queen, confident in who you are and where you are going, go check out this book.
Be by Jessica Zweig
Keeping with the self-empowerment train, this next book was eye-opening and life-giving. But with a personal brand twist to it. Jessica is a personal branding expert, empowering you to show up unapologetically as yourself to leverage and increase your self-worth & net-worth…. WHAT?! That is the dream, right? Especially in the age that we are coming out of, of Pinterest-perfect, airbrush-filtered, and perfectionism running rampant, opening it up to be raw and real and truly you. And not in an authenticity as a buzz word way. But tactical, step by step help in creating a personal brand that communicates to the world who you really are. It is truly brilliant. So if creating a personal brand is on your list for 2022, I highly recommend this read.
Winging It by Emma Isaacs
And finally this book by Emma Isaacs had to make the list. At first glance, one would assume that I would be opposed to the idea of winging it, the idea of just doing something without a plan. The girl who literally maps out plans for a living. But, I challenged myself to listen to a different perspective and you know what I found? Our outlooks on life and business aren’t that different. Emma’s philosophy is that you aren’t going to ever get anywhere if you wait until you are 100% ready and know everything you need to know. There is going to be a lot of learning along the way, much like I learn into experimenting with basically anything and everything. You try something and figure it out as you go. You just jump. Action plans and vision and goals just make sure you are jumping in the right direction. I also listened to this book while I painted my house and not only was it a delightful listen, it was an accessible manifesto inspiring women to “do the things that scare you, build your wealth, make an impact, fail lots, and get up and try again.” If taking the big first scary step has evaded you up to this point, I highly recommend this is your next read.
Action Step:
I always like to end each episode with an action step that you can take right now to help you move forward and begin to implement immediately. Here is your action step for this episode: Go add one or all of these books to your wishlist or reading list.
