Hello friends! Kristen here! I am thrilled to bring you the fourth installment of my “Turn The Tables” series. If you haven’t had a chance to read why I decided to do this series, click on over HERE. I am thrilled at the people I am hosting at my “dinner table” this week! This week we are talking about business books. There are so many out there, face it! BUT which books are people really reading and which ones do we just need to leave on the shelf or in our Amazon Wish List?

Here are some of my favorite books I have read:

Uncontainable: How Passion, Commitment, and Conscious Capitalism Built a Business Where Everyone Thrives Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands - this one is not a business book, but it definitely helped me prioritize. Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar, 2nd Edition: Sandler Training's 7-Step System for Successful Selling Outliers: The Story of Success I just purchased the books below to read on my flight out to the Oh So Inspired Retreat I am speaking at in Sonoma, California next week. I'm hoping to read one on the way there and one on the way back! Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear Rising Strong

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QUESTION 4

What is your favorite business book and why?

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"Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won't Teach You at Business School by Richard Branson. Here’s a guy that started with nothing and built an empire. He didn’t even go to college, yet stayed true to his vision for his brand and grew from there. Also, Grace Bonney of Design Sponge has a great thing going with her podcast, After the Jump. Savvy advice on so many great topics." -Erin

CONNECT WITH ERIN: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"I recently started reading Uncontainable: How Passion, Commitment, and Conscious Capitalism Built a Business Where Everyone Thrives, the store of The Container Store. I'm not quite through it yet, but it's one of the first "business" books I've ever taken the time to read, and I love it. The store's commitment to their people over profits is truly inspiring." -Meg

CONNECT WITH MEG: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"I'm woefully behind on reading business books. Design Is a Job by Mike Monteiro was very helpful. I listen to a lot of talks and podcasts. I read a lot of art and design books. Right now i'm loving The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion by Elle Luna and Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh." -Sara

CONNECT WITH SARA: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"I don't read many business books, but I did enjoy It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be: The world's best selling book, by Paul Arden. Most business books are boring and take themselves too seriously, but this bite size bit of encouragement is easily digestible." -Erin

CONNECT WITH ERIN: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"Well one of my faves is Growing a Business by Paul Hawken. It was written in ’88 but the author is INCREDIBLY spot-on in his predictions about how consumers will change “in the future” which I guess would be now. I also enjoyed The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business (Revised Edition): Candid Advice, Frank Talk, and True Stories for the Successful Entrepreneur by Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio. It had a lot of great tips in easy-to-understand language which I appreciated. Some business books get all dry or mathy and I just check out." -Kristina

CONNECT WITH KRISTINA: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World. It’s not a business book, but it inspired me to live life big and to love people relentlessly." -Emily

CONNECT WITH EMILY: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"The most recent book I read was Between the World and Me by Te-Nehisi Coates, which has absolutely nothing to do with my business, but served it’s purpose in that it made me think, which helps me stay grounded and realize that the world doesn’t revolve around responding to an email or designing a new card. I make silly cards to hopefully make people laugh, but mostly read books to get my mind away from all that stuff, as at the end of the day, I make silly cards to hopefully make people laugh. :)" -Adam

CONNECT WITH ADAM: website | instagram | facebook | tumblr

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"The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It was a game-changer for us. It never occurred to us that setting up Lucky Luxe as if to be franchised would make less work for us in the long run. It was hard writing an operations manual (Kristen can "amen" that), but it was so worth it to finally map the process and put it on paper. I feel like I could go into a coma tomorrow and it would keep going as long as Katie, Sauce and Molly have the handbook! Also, the Small Town Manifesto free ebook by Bethany Byrd is my first resource when it's time to rework our marketing plan." -Erin

CONNECT WITH ERIN: website | lucky-luxe instagram | facebook | erin's instagram | pinterest

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"When I was just starting out with wholesale, Meg Mateo Ilasco’s Creative, Inc.: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business book really helped give Near Modern Disaster some direction. I think of it as the Cliff’s Notes to starting a creative business." -Sam

CONNECT WITH SAM: website | instagram | twitter

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"I have a four-year-old son and honestly, I've done very very little reading in the past four years. I have, however, become a big fan of pod-casts. I love Design Sponge's podcast After the Jump, which always has such rich, interesting conversations about business life. I'm also listening to the Being Boss podcast (thanks to you, Kristen) and several other off-shoots of those. I love gearing up for a walk around my neighborhood and letting podcasters talk to me. I get a little fresh air and am able to mull on business things in a meditative way. I have half-read the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Better than Before - I'm not very type-A, but I am seeking to find some calm and consistency in my life in general because the worst feeling for me is having day-after-day that goes by at the shop where I feel I don't get anything done. The more organized I am at home and in my own life, the more successful I feel at work. I mean, I rarely achieve organization, but I try." -Emily

CONNECT WITH EMILY: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"I love reading! I think there are so many amazing business books for entrepreneurs to relate to out there. I have a short attention span, so I relate most to personal stories as opposed to a list type book. One of my favorites is The Glitter Plan: How We Started Juicy Couture for $200 and Turned It into a Global Brand by the founders of Juicy Couture. Reading their highs and lows was both fascinating and reassuring as a business owner that we all go through things and some of your biggest failures can be the best happenings. I also love they they are big into risk taking. I resonate with this a lot as I'm a bit of a rule breaker when it comes to running Packed Party. Not sorry." -Jordan

CONNECT WITH JORDAN: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. We listened to this in audio book form while we were working on a huge order (our first) for West Elm, and while we listened we would discuss the chapters in depth and it sparked a lot of exploration. I feel like this book is the basis for modern-day customer service - the customer is always right - but it goes beyond just saying that to exploring *why* the customer is always right. Without a customer, your business just doesn’t exist. Being aggressive, distant, or harsh towards people never gets you to your end goal - if people like you and feel genuinely connected to you, you are more likely to get what you want." -Kristen

CONNECT WITH KRISTEN: website | instagram | facebook | tumblr | pinterest

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"Business books are everything to me. I don’t consume them rapidly. Rather, I find one that has been recommended to me from a respected friend and read it. I chew on the ideas for awhile to see how the advice can directly apply to my business. Then we try things. My favorite author, Seth Godin, says that with any idea you must apply the principal of “This Might Work/This Might Not Work” and leap before you’re ready. We do this all the time. Below is a reading list of some of my favorite books for business.

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It, Michael Gerber Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable--Includes new bonus chapter, Seth Godin The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick), Seth Godin Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results , Jack Mitchell How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by John C. Maxwell (HARDCOVER) , John C. Maxwell

My favorite on this list is “The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick).” It’s kind of a painful read for business people who are stuck, but it also helped me so much that I recommend it to anyone who is struggling with a business. The beginning on a business is the fun part - It’s exciting, it’s fun, and you function on adrenaline. After the excitement wears off, though, is where a real business is made. You have a choice at that point, you can push through the dip or walk away. This is a great book for small business owners finding their way." -Chelsea

CONNECT WITH CHELSEA: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin was a complete game changer and to this day inspired me to tell fear to fuck off! Most recently I’ve been honoring my spiritual side and love Danielle LaPorte’s The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms & The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul." -Jillian

CONNECT WITH JILLIAN: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"That's such a tough one because there are so many! Right now, my favorite is probably Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder, by Ariana Huffington. I was recently diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, which was a huge wake up call. Too often we put ourselves last, and in this book, Ariana outlines -- with extensive research -- why we can't afford to do that anymore. If we take the time to sleep, exercise, eat well, rest, etc... we'll not only be happier, but more productive. Pass me the pillow." - Eva

CONNECT WITH EVA: website | instagram | journal | pinterest

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"- I have two actually. One is a book and the other an e-book. I really gained valuable insight from The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau. I felt really inspired reading the stories of the startups featured and how they turned their passions into profitable businesses. The second is a free e-book called Breaking the Time Barrier by Mike McDerment of FreshBooks. It’s all about your earning potential and how to strategize around that. Pretty eye-opening!" -Shannon

CONNECT WITH SHANNON: website | instagram | facebook | twitter

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"I will just go ahead and admit I have a stack of like 5 business books sitting next to my bed collecting dust. They have all been opened and flipped through but if they don't catch my attention somehow I can lose interest pretty fast. I love a good page turner which most business books are not. One book that kept me turning the pages and I did love though was Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All, Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All by Tom Kelly & David Kelly. It was full of awesome stories and examples of people using creativity in life and not limiting creativity to artistic talents as many people think it should be. I am a HUGE fan of problem solving (I always have been) but I think that creativity and problem solving go hand in hand and that most problems are solvable with a little creative thinking. This book seemed to break down how having the confidence to be creative (or problem solve outside of the box) can change your course, an outcome, an experience, a life really. And I love that. Anyways, it was a very good, fun, interactive read and I would recommend it highly!" - Dana

CONNECT WITH DANA: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul by: Danielle LaPorte" -Tiffany

CONNECT WITH TIFFANY: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"Just one? Tara Gentile’s Quiet Power Strategy is phenomenal. It will make you think about how you interact with your clients through a whole new lens. The focus of the book is about using self-leadership and skills you already have to build a business that mirrors your beliefs, interests and leverages tactics that are in line with who you are. She cautions people from following the crowd, which I LOVE, and encourages them to look at their own strengths and then leverage those strengths to tell your story. A motivational book, but also tactical; and not your typical business book.

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Expanded and Updated) by Tim Ferriss was a book that kept me motivated when I was hustling in my day job, having babies and also starting my businesses and trying to leave the corporate world. The alluring title and the idea of working from amazing destinations while the money rolled in was appealing but the real benefit of this book are the efficiency tips he offers with regards to emails, outsourcing and generally freeing up your time in smart, sophisticated ways. We can all use more time, right?!

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler, Bossypants by Tina Fey, #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso and You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero are all honest, hilarious and show different perspectives on having a career and growing a business. All worth a read.

I’m in the middle of reading a really great email marketing book too that has sample emails and concrete strategies for auto-responder series, which I’ve been fascinated with…. But the book is in the car and my bed is really warm as I type this and I can’t remember what it is called…LOL. More later!" -Katie

CONNECT WITH KATIE: website | instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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"When I was thinking about opening a shop I walked NSS just to check it out but not knowing what I was looking for at that point. I remember coming home with the show directory and spending hours and hours on the computer looking up company after company. The more I searched the more inspired I became. The products, the artists and the stories were all something I wanted to tell and share. This directory fuel the fire and chirps & cheers was born." -Susan

CONNECT WITH SUSAN: website | instagram | facebook | pinterest

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"The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts- I have given this book to several of the members on my team. I feel like this book has helped me in all aspects of my life so I like to share it!

It is a great communication tool, which I am sure has helped me in sales and building our brand!" -Kelly

CONNECT WITH KELLY: website | kelly's instagram | brand instagram | facebook | twitter | pinterest

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Thanks again friends for following along on our new series and I truly hope you enjoyed it! Catch question 5, next Wednesday!