In this age of information, we have everything we need to start a new business, create a website, or set up a budget right at our fingertips—Google is a powerful tool. But sometimes you need a deep dive into the topic to truly understand the scope of what’s required from every angle—that’s when we turn to books. In our new series, Turning a Page, we ask successful people to share their go-to tomes that helped transform their business. Whether you listen to them or need to physically flip the pages (and write notes or underline the text like us!), there is so much power in self-educating. Ready to turn a page in your career? These books will help take you there.
Photo: Courtesy of Create & Cultivate
Even if you do go to school for an MBA, there really is no better education than the school of life. Even when you plan (and you should be prepared as much as possible) there comes a time when you just have to press go and figure it out along the way. Luckily, everything is figureoutable (thanks Marie Forleo) and making mistakes is all part of the process (in fact, some of the best learnings and improvements are made as a result of mishaps or missteps so don’t be afraid of failure).
While you’ll always have Google, we wanted to find out from people who’ve been down that road and read a few books along the way to share their favorites with us. So, turn a page and discover some of the best business books from 20 successful people and how it changed their business.
Amanda Greeley
Founder and designer, Thelma
The Book: The Diamond Cutter by Michael Roach
The Business Takeaway: “We are operating in a world where we are constantly made to feel that we need to push ourselves and others harder, that we need to fight or be loud to be heard, and that we should put the health of our business ahead of our own personal health. We seem to wear stress, exhaustion, and 'being busy' as a badge of honor. This book disproves all of it.
”This book proves that being generous and kind isn't only about feeling like a good person but it also leads to creativity, innovation, ultimately financial success. I don't think it's possible to start a business where absolutely everything goes as planned—and so, in those instances, how you respond and how you treat others is critical.”
Alyce Tran
Co-founder and creative director, The Daily Edited
The Book: The Dual Purpose Playbook by Julie Battliana, Anne-Claire Pache, Metin Sengul, and Marissa Kimsey
The Business Takeaway: “I am so inspired by the Veja (sneaker brand) business model and ethos and am working out how my business can play a better role in the community. It is changing the way I look at opportunities and issues in my business to ensure I am taking the most environmentally sustainable path possible in creating our product and getting that to our end users.”
Olivia Carr
Founder, SHHH SILK
The Book: The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
The Business Takeaway: “This is a book I read again and again as the messages within prove a constant reminder that crystal-clear thinking and focus (otherwise known as manifestation) has the unbelievable ability to change your world. This book changed our business! We use it as a daily tool to practice manifesting what we’re working on or the strategic goals we have for the business. This is definitely a book I would recommend for business owners.”
Kelly Barker
CEO and founder, Prep Your Skin
The Book: Essentialism: The Discipline Pursuit of Less by Greg Mckeown
The Business Takeaway: “I read Essentialism because the company was growing so fast that we could not take on any more collaborations, products or projects unless I changed how I was prioritizing our team, our resources and our time. This book taught me how ‘less is better,’ how to say no so I can focus on the big goals, and how to really prioritize decisions and tasks. Often, females are taught to say yes as if they are obligated to be socially accepted and not let others down. As a result, we all become over-committed and exhausted. This book is super easy to digest, and really helped me simplify the decision-making process.”
Alexandra Baker
Founder, Féroce
The Book: Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
The Business Takeaway: “I decided to read Ray Dalio's book, Principles after a close friend recommended it to me. The book has enabled me to set up and implement guiding principles to live by personally and in my business. When running a company, especially a start-up, your personal and life principles are very much intertwined with your business outcomes. Egos, lack of decision-making experience, not wanting to disappoint anyone—these are just a few examples of how poor financial business decisions can be made.
“That being said, this book has helped me form principles for seeing and interpreting things as they are not as you would like them to be. Understanding this helps make the most precise educated decisions. I recommend this book to any entrepreneur, especially a start-up, as Ray Dalio has taken years of his own life and business experience and gone the extra mile by creating a method that anyone can replicate and apply.”
Kat Hantas
CEO and founder, 21 SEEDS
The Book: Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
The Business Takeaway: "On the low hanging fruit side, he is a maniac about brand which I appreciate. But the bigger lessons have more to do with his honesty and his humility—a lot of these books tend to be brag-y and this book allows you to see the common denominators in yourself and this iconic brand builder—a real inspiration. In addition he does a great job of showing us how he weaved the power of relationship into the building, which is so important as you grow from project to company. Great beach read as you’re sipping on a 21seeds margarita this summer.”
Alix Peabody
Founder and CEO, Bev
The Book: Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
The Business Takeaway: “While the book itself is full of helpful guidelines in building and running your business, Ray's view on money is particularly helpful. Numbers are important, numbers are information but they are not objective. What is most important is the application of those numbers, the insights behind them and how (and when) you let them guide you.”
Simona Rozhko
Founder, Evna Media
The Book: Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t and Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
The Business Takeaway: "I loved it because Simon takes a digestible approach to business, leadership, and human behavior. He makes it easy but informative to understand why we do the things we do as a leader and how to be great, not just better. He’s a big believer in being a good, kind, and compassionate human and when I decided to start my business I felt the exact same way—that if I was leading people or consulting clients, it had to be mutually beneficial and feel good from the inside out. We spend most of our lives working and I want to live a life that’s fulfilling and positive emotionally, mentally, and physically.”
Mariah K. Lyons
Founder, ASTARA
The Book: The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer
The Business Takeaway: “I find a fascinating dance between surrendering to the experiences and opportunities that organically show up in business, and setting goals and working diligently to manifest new opportunities and hit target goals.
“This is not a traditional business book, however, it is a really great book for helping business owners let go of stringent expectations of how things should be and build a business more intuitively. Michael Singer discusses how he built a billion-dollar public company by staying present, surrendering to a larger flow and allowing synchronicities to unfold into larger manifestations of great proportions.”
The Book: The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy : An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and the Politics of World Trade by Pietra Rivoli
The Business Takeaway: “I read this book in college and it was one of those books that greatly expanded my understanding of the global interconnectedness we all share. It fully shifted the way I look at the world, especially in regard to manufacturing, production, shared natural resources, and the global economy. It has stuck with me for many years and certain key concepts presented in this book were integral in launching my company ASTARA. It helped me understand the impact of my decisions from seemingly small decisions to larger ones such as production and manufacturing, to packaging, to materials to shipping.
“This book gives an insight into the complexities and politics of world trade. It is a great book for any business owner that manufactures, produces, or distributes physical goods in that it gives both a macro and micro view on the many levels of environmental, political and historical impacts of global trade. The author presents information and data on ‘free trade’ to inform the reader and gives space for the reader to develop their own opinion on the subject matter.”
Jodie Fried
Co-founder and director, Armadillo & Co
The Book: The Art of an Idea and How it Can Change Your Life by John Hunt
The Business Takeaway: “I was gifted a copy by a dear friend, and I was captivated not only by the concept of a book based on the power of an idea, but also the very poignant quotes, gorgeous paper, and beautiful illustrations. I could pick this book up any day of the week and read it with a different situation in mind. It taught me to trust my instincts and made me realize that you don’t always need to have all the answers—something I’ve applied creatively to my work as a designer, but also to our business and team.
“Every time I read this book I feel beyond inspired. It triggers me to open my mind to a new perspective. Over the years it has given me the courage to follow my own ideas and perhaps run a business in a non-conventional way, to take risks on change, and to challenge logic that often kills good ideas.
“The best advice I took away from it was: ‘When things are going well, taking no risks seems like a very smart strategy. When times are tough, though, you’ll notice expediency, which is meant to create all those happy, smiley faces, is suddenly wearing a smirk.’”
Sally Pottharst
Owner, Terrace Floors + Furnishings, and co-founder and director, Armadillo & Co
The Book: 12 Rules for Life: An Anecdote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson
The Business Takeaway: “I read this book a couple of years ago when I was looking for some clarity in my life, and it resonated with me both personally and professionally. It imparts a set of practical and enduring principles that were easily applicable as our business has metamorphosed into a larger, more sustainable operation. I am a very practical person, so I valued the real-life anecdotes—they are also super entertaining to read. His old-school truths provide a great framework for us to live by and make decisions with.
“The biggest lesson I learned was, ‘compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today’—the perfect reminder for anyone who feels self-criticism. It has really helped me to view our business journey with great context and optimism for what I can bring to the table. As Armadillo & Co now celebrates its 10th anniversary, each of these rules has made me stop and think about how we can bring incremental improvements to the way we run our business.”
Shel Pink
Founder, Sparitual
The Book: Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming by Paul Hawken
The Business Takeaway: “The book is about the environmental movement and how great movements don’t have one charismatic leader they are led by a multitude of voices, of people who are passionate, resilient and disciplined about doing things daily to express their concerns and works towards change. I was inspired to read it to see how this concept could apply to the green beauty movement.
“Use your brand as a platform for change. That we all need to and can do something to do our part to contribute to the greater good. We are citizens of the world and we have a responsibility to live responsibly. Many people think that their single voice does not matter. It does. One voice, when joined with many others who are passionate about a particular issue, matters greatly. This is what defines a movement that can make a huge difference. This book is very exciting.”
Dr. Shuting Hu
CEO and co-founder, Acaderma
The Book: The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
The Business Takeaway: “It’s a book for entrepreneurs, and I learned a lot about how to develop and manage a startup business, which is quite different from a standard business. It reminds me of the importance of innovation, as a core value of our business. This book helped me look at Acaderma from a different perspective.
“Before, I would look at larger businesses as a model for how to build and operate my brand, but I now realize that we should focus on bringing disruptive technologies and products to market more efficiently and maximize our advantages in ingredient innovation which would eventually help to maximize my business financially. A lot of times we spend too much time looking at what we're doing wrong and trying to improve upon it, this book taught me to focus on what I'm doing well right now and strengthen that further.”
Mignonne “Maggie” Gavigan Smith
Founder, Mignonne Gavigan
The Book: The Most Powerful Woman in the Room Is You: Command an Audience and Sell Your Way to Success by Lydia Fenet
The Business Takeaway: “By reading this book, I’ve learned through Lydia’s personal situations, how to take hold of situations and make the most of them. Her book has helped me identify situations within the business that could be handled the best way possible. Women today are juggling so much— jobs, kids, life—and she enables the reader to know they can do all these things well.
“Lydia’s book has shown me that I’m not alone. She has given me the support to continue to run my business efficiently, be as creative as possible, organize my child and personal life and feel like I’m doing a good job. There are so many women out there in a similar situation as I am and they need her advice as well. She pushes you to keep going, to work harder, to maybe sleep a little less sometimes but to also take some time for yourself when you can. It’s an amazing book.”
Nancy Pellegrino
Owner, NP Aesthetics and co-founder, The Route Beauty
The Book: Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty by Nancy Etcoff
The Business Takeaway: “Survival of the Prettiest is not your typical business book but it impacted my views about the medical aesthetics industry, gave me a new understanding of patients and their cosmetic concerns and the clear notion that my business was not just about vanity but more about biology. We are hardwired to gravitate towards those who are deemed more attractive and we ourselves, in turn, want to be and look more attractive.
“This was the first time I learned that people who are attractive can more easily find mates, get better jobs and potentially live happier lives. My business—the business of making people look better—also makes people feel better about themselves. I have seen this over and over in my practice—unemployed patients will spend their last dime on Botox to help them feel more confident when going in for that interview. Older patients need that competitive edge—I could go on and on.
“It solidified my feeling that beauty is extremely important to my patients and is a serious business. To quote from the book: ‘Beauty influences our perceptions, attitudes, and behavior toward others.‘“
Nicci Green
Founder, Articolo
The Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
The Business Takeaway: “This book made me more mindful of how I make decisions and grow and form Articolo. It also made me realize that I've always been operating with a forward-thinking approach rather than a subconscious one.
“The biggest lesson I learned from the book was ‘sharpen the saw.’ This is all about looking after yourself and making sure you have a balance in significant areas of your life; emotional, physical (haven't managed this yet), mental and spiritual. It made me aware that downtime is as important as the ‘push.’”
Amanda Baldwin
President, Supergoop
The Book: Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
The Business Takeaway: “The president of Clinique gave me this book when I first started at the brand. The entire premise is why try to compete in ‘bloody red waters’ when you can find the ‘blue ocean’ aka be different, be unique, find your white space. I have always thought about this advice in every business I have worked on, and most especially at Supergoop!. When it comes to innovation, we like to say, if someone has done it before, why bother? It's a mantra that runs through everything we do, and you can't change the world by thinking any other way.
“I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that I think it applies to a career too-—find what makes you stand out and harness that. The best career advice I ever got was to stop worrying about fixing what I wasn't good at and to start focusing on what I did uniquely well. Kind of like swimming in your own blue ocean.”
Yolanda Cooper
Founder, We Are Paradoxx
The Book: Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull
The Business Takeaway: “I read this book as it's my goal to build a brand with creativity and innovation at its core so I wanted to learn how Pixar scaled the company to the heights it did whilst maintaining an inclusive, creative culture along the way. It didn’t so much ‘change my business’ rather it has helped me bear in mind some philosophies as we continue to grow.
“For example, Catmull believes that a company’s organizational structure should not mirror its communication structure and that true creativity and potential can come from everyone. So, there should be an open communication structure across the whole business to support ideation. The biggest piece of advice I took and would recommend to others is that the cost of preventing errors is more than the cost of fixing them so don’t be afraid to be bold and take risks as they just might pay off!”
Raisa Mirza
Founder, Rella Beauty
The Book: Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur by Cara Alwill Leyba.
The Business Takeaway: “At first, I was a little apprehensive to read this book because I felt like I had read a few female-focused entrepreneurial books that all sounded very similar to each other. I didn’t want to read something that was cheesily motivational. As I started reading, I realized that Cara hit on so many things that I often dwell on in my own mind—negative thoughts, fear of failure, female connections, competition, backhanded compliments, the list goes on. I read her book at a time where I was second-guessing myself, what did I get myself into?!. There were moments where I questioned our brand's beautiful mission: for every lipstick purchased, we give one to a woman in need. Cara blatantly says so many things that I needed to hear (and still need to hear).
“While some might be obvious, it affected me to hear it from someone who wasn’t my husband or my friend or my mom. I needed to hear from a fellow female entrepreneur that everything I think and feel is normal and it’s okay. So much of what she says pop up like little lit up billboards in my head when I’m veering down a path of self-doubt. There have been the weeks where I’ve sent hundreds of emails and gotten no response—those have been moments where I’ve wanted to throw my hands up. Cara says, ‘[female entrepreneurs] send that email. They make that phone call. They follow up a thousand times. They don’t take rejections to heart; in fact, it only makes them work harder… successful women don’t wait for an invitation. They invite themselves to the party.’
“I strive to be that woman, I want to carve out my success and reading this pushed me to believe that it’s okay if I send 100 emails and hear nothing, and it’s okay if I follow up 1000 times. I have nothing to lose, only to gain. As she says, if I persevere from a place of passion, failure won’t reach me—this keeps me going, every day. The idea of bringing the gift of beauty to women who don't have access to it excites and motivates me, I have to keep that passion alive.”
Sarah Belzer
President, Coconu
The Book: Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski.
The Business Takeaway: "Though I appreciate all the business and self-help books out there, I'm not talking about either. The book that changed my business is about the female experience of sex! Emily Nagoski wrote Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life, and reading it really helped me understand the nature of and challenges to feminine sexuality. Even though I am a woman with my own experience, understanding the science behind it and the variety of experience was a game-changer for focusing on my customer and aligning my company's mission.
“The book informed our goal to empower women and make it easier for them to be self-directed in their intimate relationships. Coconu sells all-natural, safe and effective personal lubricants, but our business is really about helping women increase their confidence and capacity for connection, intimacy, and pleasure in all areas of life."
Amy Lacey
Founder, Cali'Flour Foods
The Book: Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller
The Business Takeaway: "This was a game-changer for Cali'flour Foods. I truly believe that when we made the conscious decision to make our customers the hero, our business boomed in e-commerce. This book focuses on building relationships that laid a strong foundation for us both internally and externally. We focused on the customer and our ‘why’ and the finances took care of themselves. We did exactly what the book said in regards to clarifying our message so that the customers will listen, and boy did they. Our sales skyrocketed in 2017 and have continued to grow ever since.”
Jordana Kier
Co-founder, LOLA
The Book: Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock
The Business Takeaway: “Laszlo Bock, the author of Work Rules!, previously ran Google's people organization and shares a lot of wisdom in this book. Bock provides actionable insights on how to build, develop, and maintain the culture of a company. He says, ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’ and after building the team at LOLA for the past five years, I can't emphasize enough how true that is! The people you hire to help you grow your business should be smart and talented, but tantamount to those traits is the ability to live up to the company's core values and contribute in ways that go above and beyond a functional skillset. This book reaffirmed my aspiration to build our company deliberately and meaningfully and to prioritize and nurture our culture of community and empathy as we grow.”
Missed out on Gina Bianchini’s incredible session from our Offsite? No worries! We’re sharing her insights on building a thriving community that feels like a real network, not just an audience.