Hello, fellow fempreneurs 😍
Today’s post is about five really special books that were created to help aspiring (& current) female entrepreneurs get into the right mindset to not only jumpstart but achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. These are in my opinion the best books for female entrepreneurs to read and draw inspiration from.
These days, women around the world are jumping into entrepreneurship in order to take control of their earnings, potential, and dreams. Gone are the days when women were forced to have to climb up the traditional corporate ladder in order to succeed. With all the recent advances in technology and the Internet, it is now more affordable than ever to bring your business aspirations to life. Just by harnessing the power of the Internet alone to grow and scale their businesses – women have been creating million-dollar blogs, successful Online shops, and social media empires.
The harsh reality of creating and sustaining your own business is that it’s challenging work – in many cases the hardest work that you may ever have to do. Pushing boundaries is difficult, and can often be very lonely. The hardest part of entrepreneurship is remaining confident in the face of problems, and the entrepreneurs that find success in life are simply the ones that never give up.
If you’re experiencing some kind of entrepreneurial struggle, odds are high that you aren’t alone. As a small business owner, it’s crucial that you find ways to invest in yourself, and one way to do this is to read business-focused books.
You can learn so much from reading other people’s successes and find motivation by understanding how they overcame obstacles. The following books offer plenty of hard-won entrepreneurial advice or simply provide inspiration if you need to take action. In addition to providing inspiration, these books can be an incremental part of your personal development journey and help you in becoming a better version of yourself.
“Instinct won’t carry you through the entire journey. It’s what you do through in the moments between inspiration.”
CATE BLANCHETT
Here are five of my favorite inspiring books for female entrepreneurs. Whether you’re just starting out or already established, these books are sure to keep you motivated or simply relight that fire.
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1. The Confidence Code
by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
One thing I’m sure we can all agree on in life is that it’s hard to remain confident in all situations. I have on occasion encountered several bouts of imposter syndrome and feelings of insecurity when I first started my blog and freelance agency.
The Confidence Code reinforces the idea that believing in yourself is actually one of the most profound gifts you can give yourself—and your career. Journalists Katty Kay and Claire Shipman dissect what confidence is all about by tapping into its elusiveness and unpacking what it takes to find it.
Part clinical exposé, part female empowerment pep talk, this book combines anecdotal and empirical research to argue why women can close the professional gender gap by adopting the self-assurance that society typically celebrates in men. They connect with top psychologists to provide information on how women can become more confident through risk-taking and propelling themselves into action.
“Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man” is one of the more memorable quotes from the book that I remind myself of quite often 😂
2. Untamed
by Glennon Doyle
A worldwide bestseller that has well over 50,000 reviews on amazon, Untamed is a true champion for female empowerment. Glennon Doyle explores what our worlds could look like when women stop trying to live a life based on other people’s expectations and start living based on trusting our inner voice and instincts.
The author, Glennon Doyle came to the realization at the age of 40 that she was attracted to other women. She faced two options: either continue living a lie in order to keep her family happy, or rebuild her life as the person she knew deep down inside she was truly meant to be. Even though she had a beautiful family and life, she ultimately couldn’t overcome her unhappiness, so she flipped her life upside down and set out to live her life authentically.
Each chapter is a different life lesson or thought as she embarked on this new life path – often tied to a personal story or memory of hers. You can find many great takeaways regardless of your sexual orientation. Untamed is a good example of how to live unapologetically and how to show up in the world as your true self. A must-read!
3. Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life
by Barbara Stanny
Over the years a silent shift has been occurring in the world of business. The number of women making six figures or more is rapidly increasing. Currently, over fifteen million women make $100,000 or more, and the number continues to rise at a rate faster than for men. And these women come from every industry – psychologists, dot com founders, consultants, freelance writers, and even part-timers.
But what is the secret to their wealth? Is there a formula they all have that can be replicated?
Barbara Stanny spent decades trying to understand what types of personality traits led to success as a female entrepreneur and she found that a few traits recurred over and over among the women she interviewed.
The common traits among the 6-figure women are:
- A profit motive: I’m sure we can all agree that living a comfortable life is what drives most of us. But successful women truly enjoy money and what it gives them. They don’t settle & they definitely don’t work for free.
- Audacity: Six-figure earners have the audacity to step out of their comfort zone. They put themselves out there and aren’t afraid to ask for what they want.
- Resilience: I see every obstacle in my own business as a way to get ahead of my competition – knowing that’s where weaker people would quit.
- Abundance: Successful women focus on opportunities, not problems. Even failure is another stepping stone in the right direction.
- Encouragement / mentoring: Girl bosses find the right mentors and create a supportive network – or find one to be a part of. Find your tribe.
& more. I consider Six-Figure women one of the most impactful on this list, at least in terms of learning tips and tricks that I use daily in my business.
4. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
by Sheryl Sandberg
One of Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Business and Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg knows exactly what it is to be a woman with ambition. Sharing her own experience of working in some of the most successful (and talked about) companies, you’ll find out what small changes you can make so you can reach the top too.
Successful entrepreneurs don’t wait for their “big break” —they create it.
Sandberg explains what can hold women back in business, including not taking risks or going after goals. Sandberg provides solid research and tips from her own experience of climbing her way up in an often male-dominated world.
5. Girl On Fire: How to Choose Yourself, Burn the Rule Book, and Blaze Your Own Trail in Life and Business
by Cara Alwill Leyba
Who would you be if you stopped following *their* rules? What would you create if you had nothing holding you back?
A strong advocate for women’s empowerment, Alwill Leyba will show you how you can create your own opportunities and trust your intuition as an entrepreneur while navigating your life choices.
“This book is for every woman who has had a vision that others might not understand. It’s for every woman who is sick and tired of playing by the rules. For the woman that knows she was meant for more and has waited far too long for someone to give her the permission she thought she needed.”
This book is brilliant, witty, and a really fun read for a lazy Sunday in.
Other notable mentions:
- You are a badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
- Thrive by Arianna Huffington
- Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business by Barbara Corcoran
- Disrupt-Her: A Manifesto for the Modern Woman by Miki Agrawal
- Presence by Amy Cudy
- The Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
If you’re a female entrepreneur, these business books are a perfect addition to your reading list.
Do you have any other book suggestions for women entrepreneurs? If so, share your business book suggestions in the comment section below!
