One of my 2021 New Year’s Resolutions (surprise surprise) is to read more.

This resolution is on my list every year, and it’s also the one I fail most miserably at, always. My strategy this year is to give myself an achievable goal: 1 book every 3 month. Much more doable as a personal goal.

In addition, I plan on choosing books that will have an immediate impact on either my mental wellness or my wedding planning business (i.e. business books); hopefully, I will be more inspired to read them if there’s a strong value-add.

Here are 9 essential books for every #BOSSBABE out there killing it day in and day out (like our friend Uma here). If like me, it’s challenging to stick to this particular new year’s resolution, maybe just pick 1 or 2 for the year to start with. This way, every additional book you pick up this year will be a bonus win, vs. a missed target. Here’s to some serious #slaying and #elevating for 2021!

1. A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Of course this is the first book on my list!

While there are a million reasons to read this book, for me, the most appealing one is the simple JOY this man brings me. His message around change and hope have been instrumental in shaping me into the person I am today.

Almost 8 years ago today, he was leaving office, and I reflected on his presidency:

“When you became POTUS eight years ago, you taught me that if you work hard enough - there could be no glass ceiling for minorities. You taught me that my life is what I make of it - not what I was born into.

On September 17, 2012, I became a citizen of the United States with you as President. On that day, you reminded me of how far I've come and how strong I can be. You taught me to have compassion and to embrace diversity - to always remember how it felt like to be judged as an immigrant and an outsider. You also taught me not to take democracy for granted - that the freedom to vote is hard earned.

Today, as you leave the highest office in the world, you taught me civility, kindness, and perseverance. As Michelle says, when they go low, we go high. You've stayed true to your values the whole time. Thank you Barack for being my inspiration. Words can't describe what you represent for so many of us. You are the MLK of our era, and the world is a better place because of men like you are in it. I look forward to the day I have kids, so I can tell them about you. I will always be proud to say you were my president.”

I’m just so happy I can get more of him with A Promised Land.

2. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

If there’s one person that moves me more than Barack Obama (yes, I basically ugly cry watching all his speeches like clockwork), it would be the magnificent Brene Brown. She’s literally my favorite human being in the world right now.

If you haven’t discovered Brene yet, she has spent decades studying the topics of courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. Her Unlocking Us Podcast is focused on conversations that unlock the deeply human part of who we are, so that we can live, love, parent, and lead with more courage and heart. In my darkest moments in 2020, Brene saved me with her insights, humanity, and humor. I cannot recommend Brene enough, and cannot wait to dive into her book Daring Greatly!

3. Stretch by Scott Sonenshein

I learned about Stretch through one of Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us Podcast episodes. We often think the key to success and satisfaction is to get more: more money, time, and possessions; bigger budgets, job titles, and teams; and additional resources for our professional and personal goals. It turns out we’re wrong. Using captivating stories to illustrate research in psychology and management, Rice University professor Scott Sonenshein examines why some people and organizations succeed with so little, while others fail with so much.

As a small business owner trying to build a piece that I can call mine in this world, I can’t wait to dive into this book and learn more about how I can stretch my current resources (both internal and external) for maximum creativity and impact.

4. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

Never Split the Difference should be on the top of the list for any boss babe, seriously. Chris Voss, once FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator, takes you inside the world of high-stakes negotiations. In this practical guide, he shares the nine effective principles, counterintuitive tactics and strategies, you can use to become more persuasive in both your professional and personal life.

Taking emotional intelligence and intuition to the next level, the book gives you the competitive edge in any discussion.

Again, as a small business owner, this is exactly the kind of book and content I need to make sure I am evolving myself and the way I do business in the best ways.

5. Good to Great by Jim Collins

Good to Great is probably the “oldest” book on this list, published back in 2001.

A fundamental business book, the author Jim Collins explores the key determinants of greatness - why some companies make the leap into greatness and sustained results while others don’t.

This is one of those books that I can’t believe I haven’t read yet, ugh!

6. Invisible Influence by Jonah Berger

I have always been super into books like Invisible Influence.

Wishful thinking or not, I believe that by understanding the forces that impact my thoughts and behavior more, I have a better chance at being in control of them.

“Without our realizing it, other people’s behavior has a huge influence on everything we do at every moment of our lives, from the mundane to the momentous. But social influence doesn’t just lead us to do the same things as others. In some cases, we imitate others around us. But in other cases, we avoid particular choices or behaviors because other people are doing them. By understanding how social influence works, we can decide when to resist and when to embrace it—and learn how we can use this knowledge to exercise more control over our own behavior.”

7. Contagious by Jonah Berger

Contagious is another behavior science book that’s right up my alley. What makes things popular? If you said advertising, think again. People don’t listen to advertisements, they listen to their peers. But why do people talk about certain products and ideas more than others? Why are some stories and rumors more infectious? And what makes online content go viral? Jonah Berger reveals the secret science behind word-of-mouth and social transmission. Discover how six basic principles drive all sorts of things to become contagious, from consumer products and policy initiatives to workplace rumors and YouTube videos.

With Instagram and creating “viral content” being such a big part of business building these days, this information is so keyyy!

8. Broadcasting Happiness by Michelle Gielan

In Broadcasting Happiness, Gielan shows us how our words can move people from fear-based mind-sets, where they see obstacles as insurmountable, to positive mindsets, where they see that change is possible - and take action. Using scientifically proven communication strategies, we have the ability to increase others' happiness and success at work, as well as our own, instantly making us more effective leaders.

If I had to summarize my job as a wedding planner in one sentence, it would be bringing together multiple stakeholders in an effective way to ensure the smooth execution of a wedding plan.

I know I am constantly working on becoming a better communicator, no matter if it’s with my clients or with my various vendor partners, to yield the best outcomes. Can’t wait to learn more about how to become a more effective leader in this regard.

9. Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss

Last but not least, the last book on my 2021 #bossbabe reading list is Tools of Titans. Tim Ferriss, a leading podcaster with more than 100 million downloads (The Tim Ferriss Show), has distilled more than 200 of his interviews into one single book for us. The book contains business tools, tactics, and insights you won’t find anywhere else.

Through this book, you are literally finding out what do the most successful people in the world do for the first sixty minutes of each morning?

What do their workout routines look like, and why? What books have they gifted most to other people? What are the biggest wastes of time for novices in their field? What supplements do they take on a daily basis?

I’ve always deeply believed that success can be learned, and what better way to learn it than through a book like this one - where it is already streamlined and organized for you ;)

The 2024 Boss Babe Reading List