One thing I bet you might not know about me? Reading is a huge hobby of mine. I’m a total bookworm and most days I wake up before Drew just to open my book back up and read until he rises. It’s how I start and finish each and every day, no matter what. I literally cannot turn the lights out unless I read (even if it’s only a paragraph or two before my eyelids close!)

I remember at my sister’s bachelorette party, we got back to the hotel at 2AM and while all the other girls were still toasting champagne, I was in bed reading. So today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite, most life-changing books that I believe every girl boss should have on her shelf.

10 Books Every Girl Boss Should Have on Her Shelf

1. Purple Cow by Seth Godin – on building a brand that stands out based on your strengths and uniqueness! I love this book because it challenges us to really be willing to stand out and be different!
2. Launch by Jeff Walker – the secret formula to sell almost anything online. Game changer! The first time I read this, my mind was blown at how simplified launching can be and I took pages of notes!
3. Ask by Ryan Levesque – looking for insights into what your target audience is thinking? Wondering how you can survey your audience? What questions you need to ask? What to do with responses? Check this out!
4. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist – This book is a total gamechanger, a convictor (in the best ways) and a reminder that life is happening daily whether we are present for it or not. I write about the impact this book had here!
5. Chasing Slow by Erin Loechner – This book helped me to look at life in a new way, to chase slow, to stop glorifying busy, and to really lift my eyes. You can hear more from my amazing friend, Erin, on the podcast here!
6. 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam – This book helped me to figure out how to really figure out when my best working hours are, how to create a schedule and decipher where my time is best spent! Here’s what it taught me about the perfect work from home schedule here.
7. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert – This book left me highlighting paragraphs for days. It helps me look at my ideas differently, how to honor the right ideas, and what to do when you are building a business and sometimes paralyzed by fear.
8. Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis – This book left me laughing and feeling less alone. It’s like Rach lived in my head with the stories she told and the lessons she shared. This is a must read! You can hear from Rachel on the podcast here!
9. The 4-Hour Work Week  by Tim Ferriss- This book made me realize that my dreams weren’t that far fetched and that I could make them happen without letting them take over my life. Read if you need a kick in the pants to turn that side hustle dream into a reality.
10. A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman – For anyone struggling with feeling like a fraud as an artist or creator, this one is for you. You were made to create and Emily helps you to see the impact of pursuing your creative passions. Listen to more from Emily on the podcast here!

To Do List or Hobby?

Here’s the thing though, I think far too often as entrepreneurs we put this pressure on ourselves to know all-the-things. Read this blog, that podcast, this book, that course and it can be a full-time job in itself. Instead, I’d challenge you to think about the fact that time should be used taking action on the things you already know you should be doing.

Stop consuming so much, stop believing that everything everyone else says is the exact path and way and start experimenting and simply trying things out. Trust me, as an educator, podcaster and blogger – I wholeheartedly believe there is great knowledge to gain from external sources and you should absolutely pursue that. My point here is more that you should be selective in who you allow to influence you, who you choose to learn from and where you are investing your time.

Summer reads for the successful entrepreneur

Do you remember when you were in school and you got assigned summer reading (and if you were like me, you put it off until the week before school started?) Now, as an adult, I wish I found myself in a book club being able to discuss recent reads and having accountability to crack open a new book spine and enter an imaginary world!

Lately, I try to keep reading as a hobby as something enjoyable, not just another thing on the to-do list and although I believe the books listed above will absolutely move the needle and help you in your business, I wanted to also give you some books I’m loving for the sake of entertainment and turning my brain off to relax. These are the ones I’m consuming while resting, before bed, and the minute I wake up! Here’s what I’ve been loving this summer!

1. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
2. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
3. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
4. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer
5. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

A final tip: those educational business books? Try them out on audible and listen to them and save your reading time for some fiction! Tell me, what are you loving this summer that I should add to my list? Any other books for girl bosses I should add to my list?

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