14 Entrepreneur Books that Will Empower Any Businesswoman

More women are becoming interested in the idea of entrepreneurship. Still, the challenges that come with starting a business can intimidate anyone. Increasing opportunities in the workplace, access to mentors, and corporate education opportunities like STEM are all attributing to the increase in confidence of businesswomen across all industries. With a little help from books, you can get on the right track to entrepreneurship. Below are a few recommendations that all aspiring CEOs and sole proprietorships can learn something from.  

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

Recommended by Bill Gates, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is something that young female entrepreneurs will find helpful. Success isn’t always about what you show externally. Earning reports are essential in business, but so is the psychology one has when starting their own company. If that concept is confusing, Carol Dweck will explain it in detail in Mindest.

 

 

 

 

 

She Takes on the World by Natalie MacNeil

If you know you were meant to run a business, She Takes on the World is for you. Author Natalie MacNeil’s actionable advice will turn your dream of running a business into a reality. The detailed steps towards starting or growing a business MacNeil shares has helped women (and men) stay organized with the overwhelming duty of breaking free from the standard 9 – 5 corporate daily grind. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Magician’s Way: What It Really Takes to Find Your Treasure by William Whitecloud

The Magician’s Way by William Whitecloud is a fiction novel that will give you the mental know-how of how to answer the “why” question that is lingering in your life. While not necessarily about starting a business, it is a creative way to help you stay focused on what you are good at. As noted with many other business books, being mindful is as vital as having the drive and know-how on running a business.

 

 

 

 

 

Search Inside Yourself by Chade-Meng Tan

Chade-Meng Tan has been teaching Search Inside yourself at Google since 2007. The process works in three steps; attention training, self-knowledge, and creating useful habits. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, sums the book up nicely. He says, “Google engineer, Chade-Meng Tan’s book shows that to avoid certain kinds of results, you need to change the conditions that give rise to them. If you change the habitual patterns of your mind, you can change their resulting attitudes and emotions and find peace and inner happiness.” Clearly recognized as a valuable program at a tech giant like Google, imagine what it can do for you.

 

 

Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown

Social scientist Brene Brown is the author of several books that surround the same theme of vulnerability. In Rising Strong, she once again reminds you that we all will fail, but it is how we act on that failure that makes us stronger. Brown gives special attention to relationships and the relationship we have with ourselves. Both of which have a significant effect on business success. 

 

 

 

 

 

Company of One by Paul Jarvis

To be an empowered female entrepreneur doesn’t always mean you have to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company. In the Company of One, Paul Jarvis shows how being a sole-proprietorship is powerful. Many women today own a shop on Etsy, have a proofreading service, or have a graphic design business they run out of their own home. If you’re ready to start a business but not sure where to start, check out what Jarvis has to say about how powerful it can be to become your own boss.

 

 

 

Big Magic Elizabeth Gilbert

Author of Eat, Pray, Love comes another inspirational bestseller. Creativity is inside of everyone, but sharing a piece of writing, art, or idea is intimidating. Elizabeth Gilbert explains in her book Big Magic why you should let go of those fears and share your creativity with the world. Learning mindfulness is key to achieving success in business.

 

 

 

 

 

Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 Into a Billion Dollar Business by Barbara Corcoran

Over ten years ago, ABC premiered a reality television show where hopeful entrepreneurs were looking for investors for their startup companies. On the panel of investors was businesswoman Barbara Corcoran. Corcoran began her business at the age of 23 and worked hard to make it big. Her net worth today is estimated at $80 million. In her tell-all book, women everywhere will see how it is possible to become as successful as she is despite life’s challenges.

 

 

 

 

Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions by Guy Kawasaki

Getting investors is important, but so is building a personal relationship with those investors or others involved in your business. Business guru Guy Kawasaki explains that your frame of mind and you likeability is crucial when trying to reach your goal. You become a leader and friend in your employees’ eyes and influence their own frame of mind in a positive way.

 

 

 

 

Radical Candor by Kim Scott

A Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestseller for years, Kim Scott knows her stuff when it comes to building relationships in the workplace. Scott has been an advisor at Dropbox, Kurbo, Qualtrics, Shyp, Twitter, and several other tech companies. Inspire your business partners or family supporters with Scott’s experiences (often funny) and insights on how to be a better manager and colleague. 

 

 

 

 

The Awakened Company by Catherine R. Bell

Catherine Bell’s The Awakened Company comes at the right time as businesses are seconds away from financial crises. “Awakening businesses are no longer aligned with the limited belief that ‘business is business.’ Instead, they are increasingly integrating their business life into the rest of their life.” This sounds contradictory to the conventional idea of work-life balance. What Bell is saying is that a shift in behaviors overall will help you succeed in business and bring prosperity to the entire world. An important lesson for everyone to learn in their career.

 

 

 

Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, is a huge advocate for women in business and equality. More women are encouraging girls to break into the tech industry, which is usually male-dominated. Sandberg says, “I want to tell any young girl out there who’s a geek, I was a really serious geek in high school. It works out. Study harder.” You’ll find all these messages and more in her book, Lean In.

 

 

 

 

 

Thrive by Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington debunks the myth that the definition of success depends on working yourself to the bone. While it’s true, successful businesses take a lot of time and energy, Huffington writes in her book that that isn’t the right line of thinking. Learn how you can make your life more fulfilling and authentic to create the peace of mind all entrepreneurs need.

 

 

 

 

 

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Sleep is critical for everyone, especially those who are working on starting a business. A thousand thoughts flood your mind, and without a good night’s rest, you won’t be able to operate effectively. Bill Gates called Why We Sleep an important and fascinating read. “Why We Sleep is an important and fascinating book…Walker taught me a lot about this basic activity that every person on Earth needs. I suspect his book will do the same for you.” 

 

 

 

 

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