Brilliant Summer Reads for Entrepreneurs

Summer’s in full swing, and it’s the perfect time to get caught up on a little business reading. Are you looking for entrepreneurial inspiration and not sure what to read next? We reached out to our influential colleagues to find out about the business books they are enjoying this summer. Read on to be inspired by the books our B Corp Founders, Digital Marketing Influencers,  partners, and our staff are reading right now.

Great Summer Reads for Business

The Checklist Manifesto, by Atul Gawande

Suggested by Denise Taschereau of Fairware Promotional Products

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield

Suggested by Mari Smith, Facebook Guru About the book “Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success. The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline. Think of it as tough love… for yourself.”

21 Lessons for the 21st Century, by Yuval Noah Harari

Suggested by Gilad Babchuk of Groundswell About the book “Yuval Noah Harari’s 21 Lessons for the 21st century is a probing and visionary investigation into today’s most urgent issues as we move into the uncharted territory of the future. As technology advances faster than our understanding of it, hacking becomes a tactic of war, and the world feels more polarized than ever, Harari addresses the challenge of navigating life in the face of constant and disorienting change and raises the important questions we need to ask ourselves in order to survive.”

The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity, by Sally Kohn

Suggested by Mike Rowland of Junxion “As a talking head on Fox News, Kohn managed to stay calm and friendly, regardless of the mud-slinging that flew past. In this timely and often hilarious book, she talks about how we can beat back hate.” –Mike Rowland About the book “Look into the epidemic of hate all around us and learn how we can stop it. In The Opposite of Hate, Kohn talks to leading scientists and researchers and investigates the evolutionary and cultural roots of hate and how incivility can be a gateway to much worse.”

Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon, by Joe Dispenza

Suggested by Mari Smith, Facebook Guru About the book “The author of the New York Times bestseller You Are the Placebo, as well as Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself and Evolve Your Brain, draws on research conducted at his advanced workshops since 2012 to explore how common people are doing the uncommon to transform themselves and their lives.”.

The Clean Money Revolution: Reinventing Power, Purpose, and Capitalism, by Joel Solomon

Suggested by John Harrison of Ecotrend Ecologics About the book “Joel Solomon, impact investor and change agent, lays it on the line. The Clean Money Revolution is part memoir of an inspiring thought leader’s journey from presidential campaigner to pioneering investor, part insider’s guide to the businesses remaking the world, and part manifesto for a new vision of profit, power, and purpose.”

The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals, by Sean Covey

Suggested by Mari Smith, Facebook Guru About the book “The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) is a simple, repeatable, and proven formula for executing your most important strategic priorities in the midst of the whirlwind. By following the 4 Disciplines—Focus on the Wildly Important; Act on Lead Measures; Keep a Compelling Scoreboard; Create a Cadence of Accountability—leaders can produce breakthrough results, even when executing the strategy requires a significant change in behavior from their teams.”.

Scale or Fail: How to Build Your Dream Team, Explode Your Growth, and Let Your Business Soar, by Allison Maslan

Suggested by Michela Quilici, Marketing Expert About the book “In Scale or Fail, author Allison Maslan—who has successfully scaled ten companies from scratch and has guided thousands of small businesses to do the same—shares her revolutionary SCALEit Method ® for successfully growing, replicating, and expanding your business. She also shares pivotal mindset strategies she’s used to break the fear barrier as a trapeze artist so you can move past any obstacle, take strategic Big Picture risks, and fulfill your dreams of business expansion and skyrocketing profit.”.

Tipping Point – How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell

Suggested by Darian Kovacs of Jelly Digital Marketing & PR “I’ve yet to find a book that articulates ‘virality’ so well. Using case studies and historic references Malcolm breaks down how movements happen. He helps us as entrepreneurs understand the key elements needed to see our business grow and catch on with the general public. Every time I read this book I find new ideas and I’m inspired to keep analyzing how we’re setting our clients up for success for growth.  And hey, if you’re finding the concepts to be too much work in the book – you can always buy a can of viral spray https://jellymarketing.com/viralspray/” –Darian Kovacs About the book “The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate.”

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, by Gino Wickman

Suggested by Mari Smith, Facebook Guru “In Traction, you’ll learn the secrets of strengthening the six key components of your business. You’ll discover simple yet powerful ways to run your company that will give you and your leadership team more focus, more growth, and more enjoyment. Successful companies are applying Traction every day to run profitable, frustration-free businesses—and you can too.”

This Is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See, by Seth Godin

Suggested by Angela McGregor of Indalma Creative “His values and principles always ring true for me and help guide the way I like to approach my business and client projects. He talks about “If you can bring someone belonging, connection, peace of mind, status or one of the other most desired emotions, you’ve done something worthwhile. The thing you sell is simply a road to achieve those emotions, and we let everyone down when we focus on the tactics, not the outcomes. Who’s it for and what’s it for are the two questions that guide all of our decisions.” About the book “Godin offers the core of his marketing wisdom in one compact, accessible, timeless package. This is Marketing shows you how to do work you’re proud of, whether you’re a tech startup founder, a small business owner, or part of a large corporation.” “I also like to take my BC Business magazines with me and catch up as they tend to stack up, unread, from March to the summer. The magazine keeps me updated on what’s happening in my city and often, in the design industry.” –Angela McGregor

Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist, by Kate Raworth

Suggested by Mike Rowland of Junxion “An important, critical look at why the way we think about economics makes painfully little sense—and what we should do about it.” –Mike Rowland. About the book “Doughnut Economics hand-picks the best emergent ideas – ranging from ecological, feminist, behavioural, and institutional economics to complexity thinking, systems dynamics, and Earth-systems science – to reveal the insights of eclectic economic rethinkers. It promises that the economic future will be fascinating, but wildly unlike the past, if we equip ourselves with the mindset needed to take it on.”

Becoming, by Michelle Obama

Suggested by Mike Rowland of Junxion “Amazing reflections on a life well lived, by a leader whose grace seems unparalleled in contemporary politics” –Mike Rowland About the book “An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States.”

Lifescale: How To Live A More Creative, Productive, and Happy Mind, by Brian Solis

Suggested by Mari Smith, Facebook Guru About the book “Lifescale is a journey of self-discovery and growth. It’s about getting back into balance and remastering our destinies. Author Brian Solis knows first-hand. He struggled with distraction and all of its ill-effects. To get his life back, he developed a set of techniques, exercises, and thought experiments designed to tame the chaos, and positively and productively navigate our day-to-day lives. Instead of falling victim to the never-ending cycle of newsfeeds, Likes, addictive apps, and boredom scrolling (aka the endless scroll), we can learn to manage our time and inspire our own lives in a way that will bring meaning back—without sacrificing the benefits that our devices bring us. “.

Staff Picks

Better Work Together: How The Power of Community Can Transform Your Business, by the Enspiral Foundation

Suggested by Kyle Robertson About the book “Better work together” is a treasure trove of storytelling, lessons learned, and practical tools for “creating radically collaborative, innovative and caring workplaces where people thrive.” “The book is a beautiful, visually engaging anthology out of New Zealand — a real gift providing me much food for thought this summer!” –Kyle Robertson

Building a Story Brand, by Donald Miller

Suggested by Mhairi Petrovic “This book really gets you thinking about how stories are told, from movies to books to the story of your business. It’s written in a concise and engaging way which makes it easy to pick up where you left – perfect for summer reading. This is a great formula for storytelling.” – Mhairi Petrovic About the book “Donald Miller’s StoryBrand process is a proven solution to the struggle business leaders face when talking about their businesses. This revolutionary method for connecting with customers provides listeners with the ultimate competitive advantage, revealing the secret for helping their customers understand the compelling benefits of using their products, ideas, or services”.

The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg

Suggested by Mhairi Petrovic “There’s so much to learn from this book that can be applied both to your own habits and to those of your target audience. The writer weaves in engaging real-world experiences to make the read more entertaining.” – Mhairi Petrovic About the book “The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: our most basic actions are not the product of well-considered decision making, but of habits we often do not realize exist. By harnessing this new science, we can transform our lives.”