In 2022 I set myself the challenge of reading 20 books. I managed 15. Could have made it to 17 if two on my list hadn’t been so boring that I had to give up – they were totally not my cup of tea.
But I digress…
Over the past few years, I discovered a love for business and marketing books I didn’t know I could develop. And so I thought I’d share my favoruite finds from the last couple years with you today.
My top 5 business books
Not every book in this list might techniclaly classify as a business book but since reading them benefitted my business in one way or another, I’m just going to ignore that. Some of my favourite books are more aimed at self-development and mindset over strict factual business advice – yet for me personally, they were invaluable to helping me build a successful, sustainable business.
Fortune Cookie Principle – Bernadette Jiwa
It’s been a while since I’ve read this book but I remember I really liked the message of it.
It’s basically imagining that the story your brand is based on is a *fortune cookie*. The cookie is your product or service. But as we all know, nobody really cares about the cookie – we all just want to read the little message inside. So the fortune is the thing that people really want and connect with. That’s much bigger than your product itself.
The book talks about how to define your purpose and with that define a vision for your brand and business. Through using examples of well-known businesses and campaigns, Bernadette Jiwa explains how all of her theory looks in the real world and shares examples of how any business can use those principles to build a successful brand.
I really liked the variety of examples given in the book and the focus on purpose and value throughout.
Be a free range human – Marianne Cantwell
A friend of mine recommended this book to me. It’s really aimed at people who haven’t started their business yet or are still at the beginning. And while I might not be the target audience, I actually really enjoyed this book and all the very hands-on tips that are given throughout.
I very much recommend this book to anyone who’s thinking about starting a business but isn’t sure where to begin.
Playing Big – Tara Mohr
One day this summer I had a video assignment that took me to visit a charity shop. After my work was done, I browsed the bookshelf. I try to mainly buy second-hand books these days. It’s not just about saving money but choosing pre-loved items over brand-new things just makes them feel more special to me.
This book stood on the shelf for £1 and it was literally calling for me.
I read “Playing Big” and felt like Tara Mohr was speaking to me directly for a lot of the time. It’s about women playing small, using excuses and filler words that reduce the impact of what they are trying to say.
When I finished this book I gave it to my sister because I really felt like she needed to hear all of Tara’s messages. And if I could, I’d hand it to every woman I’ve ever worked with!
Get Rich, Lucky Bitch
In 2020 I started to think about money in a way I never have before. It was a slow process. And then I discovered Denise Duffield-Thomas, an Australian money coach who wrote two books that I had given a wide berth until then. I didn’t like the titles and I really didn’t like the book covers.
Yes, I’m someone who judges a book by its cover. I’m ok with that.
“Get rich, lucky bitch” has been recommended to me by a few people and I finally gave in. And it actually changed my life!
Sounds dramatic? Maybe!
But before reading it, I never really realised the many blocks I had that prevented me from ever making more money. This book kickstarted my journey into manifesting, visualisation, vision boards and believing that the universe is there to look out for me.
This book is an excellent intro to understanding why some people will never be rich and how you can change that for yourself. Granted, I’m not rich (yet). I’m not even sure that’s really important to me but it changed the way I think and speak about money and it helped me be more confident about finances.
Read it!
You are a badass at making money – Jen Sincero
Last year I read Jen Sincero’s book “You are a badass”. I should probably read it again. Like every year.
This year, I picked up her sequel called “You are a badass at making money”. Once again, this book changed so much for me. There are a few messages in there that I don’t 100% align with but I took what resonated and inhaled it. It raised my energy to a whole new level of wanting to play bigger, be more self-assured and believe in myself like I never have before. It turned my head upside down and motivated me to get things done.
I have a feeling this is a book I can read every other year and take new ideas from it every time.
It’s another 100% recommendation!
Funnily enough, all the books I recommended have been written by women. That wasn’t on purpose but last year I did notice that business books written by men just don’t resonate with me as much. The female voice in all of these books above just hits differently.
I encourage you to check out my recommendations. See if you can pick up a used copy or check your local library. Reading books can not just get pricey over time, you might also run out of space to store them. I actually now like to pass books on to friends if I feel like they can benefit from them. For me, it’s all about sharing the knowledge and the lessons these days.
If you’ve read any of these books or have some others you think I might like, message me and share them, please!
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