Our Top 8 Business and Personal Growth Books for 2020
Elizabeth’s Book Picks
Elizabeth here! One of the things that Alex and I included as part of our 2020 vision for HeiPro was prioritizing our business/industry education and personal growth. And what’s a great way to grow? Read books (yes, your mom was right)! We wanted to make sure we were taking the time to read (or listen to) books that would either help us grow as individuals, and/or grow the business-y side of our brains.
And so! We’d love to share what’s on our list this year, and know what’s on yours!
*Full disclosure, this post contains affiliate links!
#1 • Present over Perfect by Shauna Neiquest
Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living
Why We Picked It: Doesn’t the title just say it all? Especially when you have a growing business, it’s easy to think you must be doing all the things, ALL THE TIME. But one of the foundational principles that Alex and I got real clear on was that we want our business to be in support of the ACTUAL, beautiful lives we want. A big part of that is making sure that the hub-bub of running a business doesn’t overtake or overshadow the things that are most important to us: Our relationship with our husbands, our time with our kids, time for ourselves, having the time to go out with girlfriends, and generally have joi de vivre (joy of/zest for life). What do these things all have in common? Time and presence. And saying yes to the important things. To kick off our year, we want to learn how to be Present in the areas of our life we love the most, and leave perfection and running ourselves ragged wayyy behind and in the dust.
Hi! I’m Elizabeth, 👋🏻 the Creative Director & Co-Owner of HeiPro Digital.
#2 • Instabrain by Sarah Weise
The New Rules for Marketing to Generation Z
Why We Picked It: This book is on our list because it’s important to understand what’s around the corner in business and marketing. It delves into the habits and motivations of the next generation (Gen Z, which roughly covers people born 1997-2012). It might sound pretty nerdy, but the research is mind-boggling and totally fascinating! It explains how visual platforms like Instagram is literally forming the brains and development of an entire generation and their pop culture. Elements like visual aesthetic, authentic brand voices, and micro-influencers are the keys to unlock successful marketing to this generation. Which is something we want to know allllll about.
#3 • Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller
Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen
Why We Picked It: Coming soon to all HeiPro Digital websites: using the Storybrand strategy to create the layout of your website! This is another marketing book that has become a super important part of how we advise our clients and help them (and us!) clarify messaging. The Storybrand tagline is: Eliminate Confusion, Connect with Customers, Grow Your Company. ‘Nuff said, right? Teach me, please! To be perfectly honest, Alex has actually already read this one and is raving fan, and so I (Elizabeth) am playing catch up. 😬 Hence, it’s on our list.
#4 • Atomic Habits by James Clear
An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
Why We Picked It: Because goals are great, but they’re nothing if we don’t have the habits and systems to support them. I am (Elizabeth), admittedly, a goal-setting junkie, and too often find myself in a constant swing state of setting all the goals! I’ll take massive action for a week or two, schedule out all sorts of things for myself, and then...let it slide slowly and quietly away. And then the inevitable goal-setting hangover symptom: “I’m a failure because I’m not hitting my goals 😩”. False! I probably just failed at recognizing the habits I needed to build in order to truly support my goals. 💪🏻 So boom, this book made our list for personal growth reasons….but that also means our business will probably benefit as well!
#5 • Crushing It! by Gary Vaynerchuk
How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too
Why We Picked It: On the flip side of “Present over Perfect” we have a book all about hustle and crushing it. Yep, we’re well-rounded. 😜 In all honesty, I love it when people sometimes cut through all the feels and just tell you like it is, and “Gary Vee” (the author) IS that person to a T. Don’t believe me, just go check out his Instagram (@garyvee), but just a heads up that he swears like a sailor, so you might want to ear-muff your littles. This book seems like a goldmine of straight-forward, tell-you-like-it-is business advice and honest to goodness marketing pointers. Some of the other books on our list are pretty dense, so this one seemed like a good mix-it-up option.
#6 • Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine
Why We Picked It: Speaking of dense, this book is that, BUT...it’s all about setting up a highly effective profit strategy. (and that is fer sher #winning, so…here we are.) But actually, since we all want to make the coin and run profitable businesses, this should probably be on every business owner’s list. It outlines how allocate your income and expenses so that you’re setting yourself up for stability, covering all the bills (including taxes), paying yourself, and most importantly….putting profit first (*ba dum tsh*)
#7 • Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
Why We Picked It: Because we fell in love with Brené Brown when we watched her Netflix special “The Call to Courage”. Brené is a research professor and a specialist on shame, authenticity, and vulnerability. Wild, right? Imagine putting that on your business card.
Alex and I both agreed that we want to show up as leaders this year, and we know that one of the keys to that is developing our ability is to be bravely vulnerable with ourselves, with each other, with our team, and with the people around us (in real life and online). Another instance of personal growth that we hope will overflow into being strong and honest business leaders.
#8 • Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
Why We Picked It: The subtitle of this book is “A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals”. Yes. I’ll take that plan, please and thank you.
This is the second NY Times Best Seller by Rachel Hollis, and by far my favorite. I’ve already read it 2-3 times, and highlight/scribble notes in the margins every time. It’s a practical, but also a laugh-out-loud bible about how to get out of your own way and refresh your mindset, heart, and life. I love that it’s organized into sections that lead you through the journey of becoming aware of where you are, identifying what areas of your life you need to adjust, and then outlines the skills you’ll need in order to grow. For example, the chapters are divided into 3 sections:
1 - Excuses to Let Go Of
2 - Behaviors to Adopt
3 - Skills to Acquire
The thing I appreciate most about Rachel Hollis is that she’s honest with you about what it will take - and it mostly boils down to building the habits and finding the clarity and courage within yourself to live your best life, which can include everything: BEING YOU, being a working mom, being a badass business mogul, being a good friend, being a strong and loving wife, etc. etc.
So there you have it! What’s on your list? What should we add to ours? Spread the knowledge wealth and drop your favorite titles in the comments below!
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