Equality in work and business is something women have been striving for for many years. While great strides have been made in recent years, women still have to work hard in most situations to find themselves on an equal footing with their male counterparts.
As such, it is critical that women entrepreneurs know their worth and feel empowered as leaders and role models in business. Here, eight leading women from the Council of Young Entrepreneurs share the books that have made them feel empowered as entrepreneurs and why.
You are reading: Best books for female entrepreneurs
members of the council of young entrepreneurs share the books that help them feel empowered.
1. “we should all be millionaires”
Loved reading We Should All Be Millionaires: A Women’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Financial Power by Rachel Rodgers. is a no-holds-barred look at the power that comes with building a successful business and creating wealth, especially for women and minorities, as well as the ripple effect it can have on communities. focuses on mindset shifts that can help women pursue bigger goals and the historical ways they have kept us in mere survival mode rather than outright wealth creation mode. It’s packed with examples and practical advice, and it feels like Rachel is your best friend breaking the scoop. – nathalie lussier, incidentally
2. ‘lean’
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A book that comes to mind to start your entrepreneurial journey is Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg. The book isn’t too heavyweight, and Sheryl Sandberg offers a wealth of personal stories and practical advice to help women reach their full potential in the workplace and beyond. emphasizes the importance of “lean in” – taking risks and making moves to achieve success. The book begins with the basics of self-confidence. Too often, women doubt their abilities, leading to hesitation and self-censorship. women need to start believing in themselves and taking risks. As Sandberg says, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Ask yourself this every morning.” – Tonika Bruce, Lead Fine, Inc.
3. “more than enough”
More Than Enough: Reclaiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) by elaine welteroth is full of life lessons and anecdotes about finding yourself and learning to navigate life as a woman through a healthy lens . No matter what industry you’re in or what career you’re pursuing, you can find something valuable in this book about a young woman’s journey. As women, we face endless struggles, especially in our careers with so much weight stacked against us. but this book was a refreshing take on facing and overcoming those obstacles. – stephanie wells, formidable forms
4. ‘she’s serious’
one of my favorite books on entrepreneurship is she’s serious: turn your ideas into reality and become a highly successful entrepreneur by carrie green. In a candid voice, Green guides you through building an online business, while also sharing his own successes and struggles. I would recommend any female entrepreneur to read it and refer to it when in a slump for inspiration. – Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
5. ‘tools of titans’
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one of my favorites is the tools of the titans: the tactics, routines, and habits of world-class billionaires, icons, and artists by tim ferriss. The author interviews a diverse group of successful people, many of whom are women. reading about his travels and his sincere words of wisdom was a great experience. because the people in the book were so diverse, some of their advice contradicts each other, and this is something I love, because it shows that there is no one size fits all and there is no “one way” towards success. . – Morissa Schwartz, Dr. writing by Rissy & marketing
6. ‘nice girls don’t get the corner office’
A book I wholeheartedly recommend is Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers by Lois P. Frankel I read this book in college and found it incredibly useful. focuses on the unconscious mistakes we make as women that end up undermining us or helping us play into an impostor syndrome narrative. it points out traps and harmful mindsets that we don’t even realize we carry with us into the workplace and beyond. – lisa song sutton, sin city cupcakes
7. ‘the song of the lark’
willa cather’s song of the lark is an empowering read because it’s a reminder that being the best you can be as an entrepreneur and business leader is as much about passion as it is about practice. nothing happens overnight, but when you know your calling, you must not allow any obstacle to stand in your way. – vanessa nornberg, metal mafia
8. ‘wuthering heights’
wuthering heights by emily brontë is still one of my favorites. yes, this is a book of fiction, but it is one of the best English novels ever written, and it was written by a young woman at a time when female authorship was met with debilitating prejudice, which is why she published her work under a pseudonym masculine as many women had to do. Brontë (the daughter of a priest from rural northern England who lived in the mid-nineteenth century) dared to create one of the most creative and raw novels of her time. but to me the audacity to publish such a fantastic novel in a mature age with toxic female conventions is impressive even today. furthermore, it is a story that is incredible to have been imagined, especially for the time it was written. absolutely a must read. -emily stallings, casely, inc.
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