2023 Must Reads for Genius Changemakers
This past year I’ve read and listened to life-changing books and audiobooks, and it’s time to share my favorite books for consultants, nonprofit leaders, and social changemakers like you!
Some of these books were released in the past year, while others were not! Maybe I discovered them in 2022, or revisited them. This list includes links to shop at my favorite online independent bookseller and includes affiliate links which means I can make a commission at no extra cost to you).
So, if you’re a nonprofit leader, founder, consultant, or mission-driven business owner, this list is for you.
The Gap and the Gain: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
If you feel like you’re not getting to your goals fast enough, feel like a failure, or just stuck. Start HERE! “Most people, especially highly ambitious people, are unhappy because of how they measure their progress. We all have an ideal, a moving target that is always out of reach. When we measure ourselves against that ideal, we're in the GAP. However, when we measure ourselves against our previous selves, we're in the GAIN.”
What to Do Next: Taking Your Best Step When Life Is Uncertain by Jeff Henderson
Jeff has had more than one “second chapter” in his career and his system for decision-making is excellent, and his storytelling is one of my favorites. “This insightful book outlines the process he used to determine the next best step for him and how you, too, can pursue more meaning and purpose in your life and work. Sharing personal stories and best practices he's learned along the way.”
Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
“Have you ever had a new idea or a goal that excites you... but not enough time to execute it? What about a goal you really want to accomplish...but can't because instead of taking action, you procrastinate?”
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Part of what makes writing emails, copy, and communications messaging easier for me is learning from the best storytellers! Tara’s memoir is a stay-up-all-night page-turner. I loved it. “Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University.”
Know What You're for: A Growth Strategy for Work, an Even Better Strategy for Life by Jeff Henderson
Loved this book so much I read it twice. If you’re a fundraiser, small business owner, or founder, start here! One of the best marketing books I’ve read. “Rather than self-promoting, we must transform our organizations to be people-centric. This sounds like a no-brainer, but looking closer shows just how little this is true and how impactful the change would be if it were. Whether you're a business leader, a change advocate, or a movement maker, Know What You're FOR will help you - and your organization - thrive.”
Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey
This book will push against every ounce of social constructs of how we define time and work — and give you the space to decide how you want to cultivate rest. “What would it be like to live in a well-rested world? Far too many of us have claimed productivity as the cornerstone of success. Brainwashed by capitalism, we subject our bodies and minds to work at an unrealistic, damaging, and machine-level pace -- feeding into the same engine that enslaved millions into brutal labor for its own relentless benefit.”
Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication by Vanessa Van Edwards
I fire-hosed this book - WOW! If you’re a consultant, purpose-driven business owner, or leader, you must read this book. Ever thought you would get a “yes” in a big pitch meeting or proposal only to get ghosted? Find out the science about why — and what to do instead. “What makes someone charismatic? Why do some captivate a room, while others have trouble managing a small meeting? What makes some ideas spread, while other good ones fall by the wayside? If you have ever been interrupted in meetings, overlooked for career opportunities or had your ideas ignored, your cues may be the problem - and the solution.”
The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone:
This is actually on my current reading list, but if you’ve been dimming your voice, your appeals, or your big pitch, read this book! To reach the next level, you must understand the coveted 4th degree of action. This 4th degree, also know as the 10 X Rule, is that level of action that guarantees companies and individuals realize their goals and dreams.
Twelve and a Half: Leveraging the Emotional Ingredients Necessary for Business Success by Gary Vaynerchuk
Practical, witty, and filled with specific examples of real-life scenarios. “For analytical minds, it's challenging to understand how to get "better" at being self-aware, curious, or empathetic--or even why it's important to try.”
I like to reference a passage or a page or two to start the morning. Yung’s books have depth and ease to them, and this one, in particular, is geared towards the expansive vision many of us founders and leaders want to create. “In Lighter, Yung pueblo demonstrates how we can all move forward in our healing, from learning self-compassion to letting go to becoming emotionally mature. As the heaviness falls away, our minds will finally stop feeling overburdened with tension and we'll be able to reconnect with the present.”
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Amelia Nagoski and Emily Nagoski
Many people attend my workshops and the #1 feeling they come with is stress. Whether it’s overwhelmed, stress, or burnout, finding ways to handle and cope with stress, and avoid burnout is key to your mental and physical health. The Nagoskis are skilled at offering vast approaches and methodologies to cope with stress in your daily life.
“This groundbreaking book explains why women experience burnout differently than men--and provides a simple, science-based plan to help women minimize stress, manage emotions, and live a more joyful life.”
Loving What Is, Revised Edition: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life (Revised) by Byron Katie and Stephen Mitchell
This is a classic and worth revisiting! “Loving What Is continues to inspire people all over the world to do The Work; to listen to the answers they find inside themselves;and to open their minds to profound, spacious, and life-transforming insights. The Work is simply four questions that, when applied to a specific problem, enable you to see what is troubling you in an entirely different light.”
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
Take a break from all the how-tos and enjoy the captivating world of Celeste Ng, the powerhouse writer behind Little Fires Everywhere. “Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice. It's a story about the power--and limitations--of art to create change, the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and how any of us can survive a broken world with our hearts intact.”
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
If you’re ready to think with purpose - on purpose, this one is for you. “The discovery of truth and light. In the first chapter, Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind. He awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain and shows them how to have a pain-free identity by living fully in the present.”
The Blessing of A B Minus: Raising Resilient Teenagers by Dr. Wendy Mogel
I’m a huge fan of Dr. Mogul’s wit and expertise on all things parenting. While this is a parenting book, her themes transfer to our adult lives, un-doing the self micro-managing and letting things be! “Dr. Wendy Mogel emphasizes empathy, and offers guidance over micromanaging teens' lives and overreacting to missteps.”
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant
You’ve probably pinned an Adam Grant quote or shared a tweet of his on Instagram stories. Adam is a organizational psychologist, TED Speaker, and one of my favorite podcast hosts. He shares that “learning to rethink may be the secret skill to give you the edge in a world changing faster than ever.”
Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath
I reference this book often — often when I begin working with brands, it’s maddening that the same problems, inefficiencies, and mistakes happen year after year. Dan shares real-life examples of how to reimagine the framework and roadmap for your business to change the shape of your business.
Business Made Simple: 60 Days to Master Leadership, Sales, Marketing, Execution, Management, Personal Productivity and More by Donald Miller
Simplified storytelling, easy to implement from Donald Miller, the popular speaker, strategist, and storyteller. If you’re feeling like the well is dry when it comes to writing, storytelling, or managing a team… this book is for you.