Jim Collins’ Good to Great is one of the most read business books in the world.  Though it’s written for large corporations, considering its ubiquity, I felt as though I should give it a read.  And while it wasn’t the best “small business” business book I’ve read, it certainly offered insights that can apply to any size business – big or small.

Arlan Hamilton is one of the great champions of what she calls “underestimated entrepreneurs.  Underestimated entrepreneurs are people who don’t fit our cultures mold of the right kind of entrepreneur… namely straight, white, cis men. 

For women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community (not to mention disabled people, refugees and immigrants, veterans…and on and on) getting access to capital, mentors, and other key resources for success comes with all kinds of barriers.

In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, I read Jefa in Training by Ashley K. Stoyanov Ojeda. She is a business coach, nonprofit founder, and speaker focusing on supporting Latina women as they grow their small businesses.

Jefa in Training is an introductory overview of the key concepts that you should know before starting your business. She lightly touches on numerous topics, but I think her most useful and insightful advice came from her discussion of marketing.

Does operating your business feel more like running in a hamster wheel than running a race? Do you feel like you’re working all the time but getting nowhere. Unfortunately, working a lot does not mean that you are working effectively. You need to be thoughtful about how you use your time, so you can be as efficient and productive as possible.

To get started on your journey of effective time management, pick up a copy of Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy. It’s a straightforward, easy read that will provide you with concrete strategies to better utilize your time and create more professional success.

In America we like things big and flashy. Whether it’s homes, trucks, boats, yards… we are led to believe that bigger is always better. And the flashier it is, the more we can show off to others. But this need for more, more, more creates stress, envy, and financial disasters.

This is true for our lives, but also our businesses. We are led to believe that bigger is best. Every penny our business makes needs to be reinvested for growth. Rather than worrying about the bottom line (profit), we only think of the top line (revenue), and fully ignore all those pesky expenses we incur along the way.

If you’ve spent any time learning about marketing best practices, then I’m sure you’ve heard about the importance of storytelling for your business.  Stories are engaging, memorable, and help us create a connection with our customers and stakeholders.

But you might be asking yourself - What do I do if I’m not a natural storyteller? How exactly do I tell a story for your business?  What stories should I be telling? If these are questions you’ve pondered, you need to pick up a copy of Stories That Stick by Kindra Hall.  She has answers to these questions, and so many more.

If you’re like most working women in America, you give and give and give. You work hard at your job, and then when you get home, you do most of the housework and caregiving. In fact, you likely give so much of yourself, that you never have the energy to be your best.

If you’re ready to move past this reality—to start building the life and business of your dreams, read We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers. This book will change the way you see money, life, and your place in the world.

Being an entrepreneur is very hard and anyone who tells you otherwise isn’t being honest. If you are struggling and overwhelmed, you are not the odd person out, but one of many who are pursuing their own path and persevering through difficult obstacles.

It’s time to embrace your imperfections. You are a wonderful, flawed, mistake making person, and that’s enough. And if you need a little help celebrating your flaws, Brené Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection is the perfect little book.

Is it your dream to have your business suddenly take off… your social media blowing up, customers knocking down your door, and partner opportunities coming from every direction? Having your business become an epidemic would make all your success dreams come true.

But how can you make that happen? How do epidemics get started? Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point explores this idea and helps you better understand what it takes to tip your businesses into the realm of radical success.

Every entrepreneur knows that selling is key to success. If you don’t sell your product to customers, you won’t make any money, and you’ll quickly go out of business.

But the need to persuade people isn’t limited to customers. As a business owner, you may also convince employees to adopt new strategies, vendors to give you agreeable terms, a bank to give you a loan, or a strategic partner to work with you. The ability to move people is a skill no business owner can do without.

Do you remember the person you were before you launched your business? She had fun, saw friends, went on adventures, and tried new things. What a luxury to be her again.

But the truth is, being a person who has fun and says yes to the outside world isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. You’re a human being and becoming an entrepreneur didn’t magically remove your need for social connection, fun, and exploration. By ignoring your innate human needs, you are only hurting yourself, your focus, and your business.

I usually save my book reviews for the end of my post, but in this case my disdain could not be contained. I’m giving this book a 1.5 out of 5 stars. If you know nothing about modern business, you might get some value from it, but my general recommendation is to save your money and skip this book.

But be it a good or bad book, it’s my job to find the diamonds in the rough, so here are three takeaways for entrepreneurs from The E-Myth Enterprise.

If you have hired well, then the people on your team chose their specialty because they enjoy the work. They are intrinsically motivated to be creative and innovative in their positions because they are inspired by the work they are doing. 

Daniel H. Pink’s Drive explores what it takes to get the most from employees pursuing work they enjoy.

“Being a good boss is hard for EVERYONE…” If you have ever been a boss, you know how true these words are. And if you are just starting as a boss in your small business, you’re about to find out how challenging leadership can be.

Radical Candor by Kim Scott explores what it takes to be a good—even great—boss in our modern world. 

Do you find yourself lying awake at night agonizing about your business? Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that you’re not sure you can keep going as an entrepreneur?

You are not alone. Being entrepreneur puts an enormous toll on your brain. But just like anything else, you can learn how to take care of your mind, so you have the energy and focus to manage your business and enjoy your life.

Have you ever worked with someone who has entirely different motivators than you? They are great at getting work done for other people but can’t seem to uphold their own goals. Or conversely, they have no interest in other people’s requirements and only do what they think is best.

Gretchen Rubin’s book The Four Tendencies identifies four personality types (or tendencies) based on how people react to external and internal motivators.

Anyone can succeed in entrepreneurship with the right mindset.  You may not be building your own spaceship anytime soon, but you can certainly build a life of prosperity for you and your family.  All you need is guidance, inspiration, and a lot of hard work!

In honor of Juneteenth, we are discussing Who Owns the Ice House?, the inspirational story of unlikely entrepreneur Uncle Cleve, a descendent of slaves living in Jim Crow Mississippi.

Whether you define success as becoming a billionaire or running a successful bookstore on Main Street USA, you need grit to be an entrepreneur.

In Angela Duckworth’s Grits, she shares not only what it means to be gritty, but also ways to practice and build your grit.

If you’re anything like me, you run yourself ragged trying to do everything on your own. You manage oodles of daily tasks , and then every time you have a new idea or face a new challenge, you think ‘How can I get this done’. You research on the internet, scour message boards, listen to webinars, or just learn by trial and error. And while all that may find you the answer you need, there is an easier way.

In Who Not How, authors Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy argue that trying to do it all yourself is bad for you and your business. If you’re prone to doing it all on your own, it’s time to start turning to other people for support.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a small business into a huge corporation?

Guy Raz has been interviewing entrepreneurs for years to learn exactly that. And in his book How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success From the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs he aggregates commonalities from thousands of successful entrepreneurs into engaging lessons every startup founder should know.