Any woman dedicated to making their life amazing and being inspired as they navigate through their spin on this earth, is likely to be interested in reading uplifting quotes on their Instagram / Facebook feed, Meme’s, blog posts, magazine articles or books. At least I sure have, and here are some of my newest favorite books that point me in the positive direction to greatness in my own life, and I hope they can do the same for you. But this is my warning….read these at your own risk….once complete you are going to feel like you can do freakin’ anything:
#Girl Boss – Sophia Amoruso
I grabbed this book in the airport on my way home from Director Retreat with Stella & Dot this January. It’s been around a while, I know alot of ladies who have read it, loved it and rock the hashtag, plus, it didn’t take me much longer than the flight from San Francisco to Houston (with a quick stop in Phoenix) to finish it.
The story of Sophie Amoruso is pretty inspiring to say the least. She literally woke up one day, decided to make something happen and just did it. No big huge plan, no elaborate strategy session to start things off, she just saw a need and filled it. While paying ridiculous attention to the details, teaching HERSELF how to make her business better, bigger and more efficient without compromising on the end result. She also spent every moment she had committed to her vision and brand.
Did she set out to be a CEO for a major fashion brand? I don’t think so; but she did allow that dream to grow as she progressed along her path, and loved where she was at every phase. What I appreciate about this book is it is for the person who wants to do something but doesn’t know where to start, and the one who has spent hours strategizing and creating a vision board. What’s the tip that helps them all? JUST FREAKING GET STARTED! Stop waiting for the perfect moment, stop thinking less of yourself or your idea, stop seeing the obstacles and start focusing on the opportunity.
Not only that, but she talks about everything from living within your means, how to haggle prices down while shopping, and owning your style. She’s funny, swears a bit, and it reads like you are sitting together on a comfy couch and she’s telling you stories. I was entertained, enlightened and impressed. It will get a re-read very soon!
Want to get your hands on it now? You can purchase it HERE (paperback is on sale for under $10!)
Find Your Extraordinary – Jessica DiLullio Herrin
I happen to have a special place in my heart for this one, because the author has been someone I’ve personally met and looked up to for about 6 years, so I apologize if I sound a bit partial. Jessica Herrin is the CEO of Stella & Dot and just this year put out this book called Find Your Extraordinary. What I love about that, is it is so incredibly consistent with the message she’s been sharing with us about our businesses and our lives, ever since the beginning of Stella & Dot. Her tune has not changed on how to balance life, work and happiness. It shines a light on how we need to create our OWN definition of success and go for that, not what society or your family, friends, teachers and peers think.
This woman DID start out to be the CEO of a Billion Dollar Global Brand, and oh, look at that, she IS. That was ALWAYS the plan. Always the intent, and always the goal; but NOT by walking away from the responsibility of being a great mom and a loving wife. She learned a lot of lessons about a business start up her first time around while attending Stanford, and continues to learn and grow.
She talks about ways to be more effective and efficient, spend more time doing the things you love, while prioritizing the things that also need to be done. I love her analogy of some balls (priorities) are rubber and some are glass. While you juggle them, know which things you need to do are which, and work to only drop the rubber ones, because they will bounce back. For her, family is a glass ball, you can’t drop that one, certain travel is a rubber ball, you can rearrange that.
What I love, is that if this woman, who is an amazing entrepreneur with a major fire in her belly to make a significant impact for women in the workplace on a global scale, and has been putting her money where her mouth is….by paying out over $350 MILLION dollars in commissions to Stylists all over the globe, can find balance and success in her life, then I’m CERTAIN she has some advice and life stories worth listening to. Not to mention that title…who DOESN’T want to find their extraordinary!?
What to start being Extraordinary IMMEDIATELY?? Click THIS
The Greatness Guide – 101 Lessons for Making What’s Good at Work and in Life Even Better – Robin Sharma
Oh this man has been quite the inspiration to me! My S&D coach, and now very close personal friend introduced me to his work because it had been so meaningful to her, so naturally she shared the love! When you find something inspiring, you don’t keep it to yourself. So she bought me The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari (released in 1997). It’s an easy read that was full of great tips and tactics for thing like self discipline, nourishing relationships, valuing your time and so much more! So when I got so much out of that offering of his, I naturally wanted to read more, and then came The Greatness Guide.
This book is literally 101 Lessons for Making What’s Good at Work and In Life Even Better! I’ve gifted this book to women on my S&D team to help them with their business AND their lives. When we improve, balance and excel at one, we hope that will spill over to the other aspects of our life. And Robin is a life coach, so he’s not just trying to help your business thrive; but more importantly help YOU thrive.
Something he says that resonated with me was, “….and thoughts are ancestors of actions. Right thinking drives right action.” When you spend time with this book, be prepared with a pen, notepad or notebook to write out the tips you want to implement ASAP….and there might be alot!
Ready for 101 ways to be GREAT? Shop ON THIS (also offering the paperback for under $10!)
YOU are a BADASS – How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life – Jen Sincero
I mean…..seriously…..this book literally screamed at me from yet another airport book store as I was leaving Las Vegas, from our Annual Stella & Dot conference, so to say I was ready for some inspiration is an understatement. AND it has a bright yellow cover that says BADASS! haha This book is freaking awesome; but if you are faint of heart and can’t handle the F bomb being dropped more than occasionally, I give you warning. Plan to skim over it because you definately still need to read it…. this book is FULL of great one liners, right to the point, no sugar coating tips and advice.
Jen seems to speak my language and I found myself underlining and highlighting all kinds of passages throughout the book. For example, I just randomly opened the book to page 43 to see what I may have underlined there, and here is what I had a big star beside: “Watching someone else totally go for it can be incredibly upsetting to the person who’s spent a lifetime building a solid case for why they themselves can’t.” Huh….well when you put it that way….or maybe this one on page 192: “So often, we pretend we’ve made a decision, when what we’ve done is signed up to try until it gets too uncomfortable.” What the?!
If you are ready to stop doubting your greatness in WHATEVER it is you have decided you want to pursue, then this book will certainly give you the kick start to get moving! She will also talk about wealth conciousness, how fear is for suckers, and what you choose to focus on becomes your reality. In fact, as soon as I’m done here, I’m going to go ahead and read this one again. ‘Cause being a badass sounds, well….badass!
Get your BADASS on ASAP by shopping RIGHT HERE
I hope you find something in this list you will be excited to run out and grab from your local bookstore, buy off Amazon or download to your Kindle! All of theses are a Method to my Inspiration so here’s to them stirring up the same in you!
xoxo Taryn