Books Worth Reading ☆ December 2018

My list of recent reads has had somewhat of a business and entrepreneurial theme which seems timely considering the recent transition of this site from Fireworks & Leftovers to Firework Philosophy, which was something I just felt led to do.

I have all sorts of ideas for my little corner of the internet so I guess it makes sense that I’ve been gravitating towards books that are about brands, business and making things happen.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a minor in Marketing and I’ve always been fascinated by all aspects of business and how they’re all intertwined. Marketing is the aspect I’ve always been most interested in, hence all of the marketing electives that led to the minor, and I’ve always been intrigued to learn the story behind a person or a product or a company so several of these books were right up my ally.

This list includes must-reads for any female entrepreneur who owns her own business or has an online influencer presence.

On to the list…

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RELATED: Books Worth Reading☆ November 2018

Year of Yes (Audiobook)

This book has been on my list for a while so I finally listened to the audiobook over the span of a few days, which I sometimes do rather than listening to music at work.

I’ve of course seen author Shonda Rhimes’ name on the opening sequence of hit shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder, all show’s I’ve been a fan of at one point or another so I was curious to read her book. 

I will say, it took me a bit to get into this audiobook. I think it was just a matter of realizing and understanding her writing style but once I did I really enjoyed it.

Year of Yes is a great book that touches on a bunch of topics from working mom life, saying yes to and embracing opportunities that are scary and hard and it offers a great perspective on saying no in a season of yes.

This is a must-read for anyone looking for a little encouragement and accountability to live a purposeful life. 

Building a StoryBrand

I’m a total marketing nerd. Just give me all the books, classes and projects that have to do with marketing and I’m totally in flow.

Sometimes marketing strategies are made out to be more complicated than they have to be but here’s the thing…it all comes down to sharing a story. I’ve recently shared that whole perspective as part of my Fireworks Marketing endeavor and in the post where I explain what “story sharing” means to me.

Building A StoryBrand by Donald Miller dug right into the strategy and value in sharing a story. Customers don’t want to buy a product. They want to buy the story behind the product and the solutions it will bring to their life. They want to know the creators of a product or owners of a business are real humans that they can relate to in some way.

This book outlines a step-by-step process for creating a story behind a brand and strategies for how to share that story in various marketing avenues.

Permission to Screw Up

I first discovered entrepreneur and author Kristen Hadeed when she was a guest on Christy Wright’s Business Boutique podcast (episode 61). Her energy, authenticity and vulnerability drew me in and I knew I had to read her book that she mentioned on the podcast.

Permission to Screw Up outlines her journey in developing her company, Student Maid – the good, the bad and mostly the ugly. She authentically shares instances when she flat out screwed up when it came to her somewhat accidental journey of growing a cleaning business from scratch, empowering her employees, pursuing contracts and all of the other “dirty” instances involved with being an entrepreneur.

But the real reason I love this book so much is that it is mostly about building relationships with people and in a business context, that’s a whole other fascinating world.

I so appreciate Hadeed’s stories and values when it comes to creating a fulfilling culture within her company that this book left me wanting to work for Student Maid and that’s saying a lot because cleaning is NOT my jam.

Influencer (Audiobook)

Influencer, by Brittany Hennessy, was a great, quick read (or listen, rather) that was chock-full of great tips and strategies for bloggers and/or online influencers, regardless of what stage you are in when it comes to your online presence.

A few areas that Hennessy touched on included growing a following, authentically sharing your life online, working mom life, how to attach value to the content you create and how to develop a relationship with brands.

What have you been reading lately?