8 Books by Female Authors That Will Elevate Your Small Business
It’s hard to believe, but March is here again. That means the days are getting longer, spring is springing, and best of all, women are getting a bit of the recognition they deserve. In honor of Women’s History Month, I want to share some of my favorite business books written by female business leaders.
8 Books by Female Authors That Will Elevate Your Small Business
1. For the entrepreneur just getting started
If you’re just launching a business or exploring the possibility, Jefa in Training by Ashley K. Stoyanov Ojeda is a great introduction to the ins and outs of running a business. She explores topics like market research, creating a mission and vision, selecting your legal formation type, managing your finances, and marketing and sales strategy.
With so many subjects covered in one book, it’s not surprising that the author doesn’t go into anyone topic very deeply. But if you’re new to entrepreneurship and need to get a lay of the land, Jefa in Training is a great starting point.
2. Marketing advice that will help you connect with customers
There’s no shortage of great books on marketing out there. But I particularly love the books Everybody Writes by Ann Handley and Stories that Stick by Kindra Hall.
Everybody Writes is a gem of a book that will help you overcome any fears or confusion you might have about writing blog posts, social media captions, email drafts, and more. Some parts of this book won’t apply to your business, but it’s broken down into 74 mini chapters, so it’s easy to skip around and focus on the sections that are most essential for your business.
And after you’ve read Everybody Writes, it’s time to dive into Stories that Stick. Kindra Hall walks you through the step-by-step process to write stories that will be compelling to your audience. She starts by laying out the basic format for any impactful story, and then applies that framework to business stories that will help you create a real connection with your customers.
3. Growing your company
If you’re looking to take your small business to the next level, it’s important to realize that a lot is going to change. You may need to grow your team, scale you production, get funding, or learn the ins and out of working with major buyers.
To help you prepare for the challenges of growth, read Level Up by Stacey Abrams and Lara Hodgson. They share candid stories about their consulting company and product-based company, revealing their ups and downs—successes and failures. Learn from their experiences so you can better anticipate the barriers that will stand in your way as you grow.
4. Mindset
Mindset is key to success in business. It takes a special blend of resiliency, humility, and commitment to overcome the challenges you’ll encounter as you launch and grow a business. And while tech bros may still believe that ‘Work Hard or Go Home’ is all you need to know about entrepreneurial mindset, the rest of us can benefit greatly from the insightful, inspiring, research driven work produced by Angela Duckworth and Brené Brown.
Angela Duckworth’s Grit focuses on what it takes to become truly exceptional. And while you may not need to be the best in the world at anything, if you want to be successful, you do need to understand how to improve. According to Duckworth grit requires identifying your weaknesses and then making incremental improvements. You need to embrace criticism, and see it not as an insult, but as a means to become better. Grit is all about resilience in the face of adversity, and the commitment to improve from one day to the next.
Once you’ve read Grit, be sure to follow it up with Brené Brown’s Gifts of Imperfection. While the logic of Duckworth’s Grit is easy to understand, actually putting it into practice can be difficult. For many of us, setbacks and criticism can drain the emotional energy we need to become truly great.
In Gifts of Imperfection, Brown reminds us that we all have shortcomings, and there’s no shame in mistakes and weaknesses. She encourages you to be brave and open about your truth and to build relationships with others who will be open about their experiences—the good and the bad. Only through relationships built on honesty, can we fully understand that imperfections are a natural part of the human existence and there’s no shame in struggling or needing to work hard to improve.
5. Motivational
When you need an extra boost to get over a seemingly insurmountable hurdle, Arlan Hamilton’s It’s About Damn Time and Marie Forleo’s Everything is Figureoutable are great books to lean on.
Arlan Hamilton’s book It’s About Damn Time is a reminder that anything is possible if you’re willing to fight for it. When you think of venture capitalists – a formerly homeless, black, gay woman is probably the last image that comes to mind. But that was Hamilton’s reality when she began her quest to launch a venture firm for minority, female, and LGBTQ founders. She overcame stigmas and biases many of us can only begin to imagine. Through sacrifice, persistence, and an unrelenting belief that she deserved a seat at the table she launched Backstage Capital and to-date has invested in more than 200 underrepresented founders.
And when you need some structure in your motivation, turn to Marie Forleo’s Everything is Figureoutable. This book tackles issues like self-doubt, criticism, overcoming fear, and imposter syndrome. With a blend of inspiration and tough love, Forleo walks you through actionable steps that you can take to move forward no matter what obstacles come your way.
Final Thoughts
While the business book ‘classics’ still have value, it’s time to look forward and embrace a new wave of advice and expertise. Female authors write with empathy and emotional maturity, which are essential for succeeding in our modern era. As the business world evolves alongside our culture, the importance of learning from female experts grows and grows.
I’d love to hear from you! What business books written by women have impacted you and your business?
