To round off the year, we bring you our top 7 favourite reads for women entrepreneurs - all authored, or co-authored by women. We hope they inspired you as much as they did us.
Let’s face it, there is nothing quite like getting inspiration and advice from other great women entrepreneurs who have been there and done it, bought the T-Shirt, survived business failure and other challenges, made it through the good times and bad times - and ultimately achieved success. In 2014, we read heaps of great books written by women from around the world, each one both inspirational and motivational. These are our favorites....
All in Startup by Diana Kander
All In Start-Up is a lifeline for entrepreneurs who are thinking about launching a new idea, or for those who have already started, but can't seem to generate the traction they were expecting. The unique fiction format of this book draws you, as the reader, into the lives of the main characters. As a result, it takes you on a roller-coaster of experiences and emotions as an entrepreneur, giving you an insight into the challenges faced, and the solutions required, to make a successful business happen. A great read from beginning to end, and one that makes you reflect on your own entrepreneurial journey, with its ups and downs
Lean In - Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg the chief operating officer of Facebook examines why women’s progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled, explains the root causes, and offers compelling, commonsense solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential. This is a book that will resonate with many women entrepreneurs who battle daily to make the right choices that are good for business, good for personal development and career, and good for family and relationships.
Thrive (The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Happier Life) by Arianna Huffington
In Thrive, Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post and one of the most influential women in the world, has written a passionate call to arms, looking to redefine what it means to be successful in today's world. She encourages fellow women entrepreneurs to rethink day-to-day priorities, to stop sweating the small stuff, to make the most of precious family time, to find once more a sense of wonder in the world, and to invest in personal wellbeing. In today’s increasingly competitive and stressful world, Thrive suggests a new approach for ambitious women entrepreneurs to find personal happiness, whilst at the same time building successful and fulfilling businesses.
Stiletto Network: Inside the Women’s Power Circles That Are Changing the Face of Business by Pamela Ryckman
Stiletto Network shines the spotlight on the power of savvy, ambitious, intelligent women in business, industry and politics to mine their collective intelligence in order to realize their dreams or champion a cause. Women have always been great natural networkers and in this book, it demonstrates the power of networking for women entrepreneurs. It shows how women who network and build businesses are changing the face of entrepreneurship as we know it. A great read, and one that makes you want to get out there and step up your own personal networking to make things great things happen.
Innovating Women by Farai Chideya and Vivek Wadhwa
Innovating Women explores the world of women in the technology industry, and other fields of innovation, but told from the unique perspective and first-hand experience of women in the front-line. This extraordinary collection of personal, highly candid interviews and essays from hundreds of technology executives and entrepreneurs, gives an insight into the challenges faced by women in this sector, and how they have achieved success despite the odds. Innovating Women is a rich source of information, optimism and inspiration for all those women who look to make a real contribution to the future of technology and build meaningful careers at the top of their chosen fields.
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam
In '168 Hours', Laura Vanderkam gives us a unique and refreshing perspective on how to live life to the full and do the things we really want and need to do. She offers a different approach to managing our lives and activities one week (168 hours) at a time, rather than trying to cram too much into a 24-hour day, often with stressful and disappointing consequences. This is not a book written by a time management guru who lives some idealized, perfect life straight from the pages of their many books, but instead by a working journalist and writer who is trying to find a better way of balancing the demands of family life and career, and finding happiness through prioritizing and managing what really matters in life, rather than sweating the small stuff constantly.
Women Entrepreneur Revolution: Ready! Set! Launch! by Jenn Aubert
In Women Entrepreneur Revolution, author Jenn Aubert, herself an entrepreneur and business owner, interviews over 100 successful women entrepreneurs to find out what makes them tick and the secrets of their success. This is a great read for any would-be woman entrepreneur who wants to launch a new business doing something that she loves, but is not sure where to start. It provides some great advice, combined with practical steps to help women entrepreneurs on their journey to business success and personal fulfilment. it is a great role-model based book, with lots of personal experiences that will resonate with any woman entrepreneur.
Drop us a comment below and tell us about your favourite women entrepreneur reads of the year.