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Building an income generating business as working mom is exciting and terrifying all at the same time. The following list are the 12 best books for Boss Moms to read in 2021 to keep learning and growing.
I bet you given a lot of thought to where you want your business or side hustle to be at the end of 2021. I know I have!
Planning and implementing your plan to get there takes effort AND continued learning.
The right mentor can make all the difference.
Sometimes we just don’t have access to people that can help us grow our businesses.
And that’s where books come in.
Books are the mentors you need at just the right time you need them.
And the best part is you don’t have to find time to sit down with a book anymore.
Audio books are the perfect business tool for busy boss moms.
I’ve designed this list of 12 best books to read in 2021 to correspond with each month and quarter of the year.
Why I Listen to Audio Books
I can’t remember the last time I read a book that wasn’t an audio book.
I listen to every book I read.
Audio books are the perfect companion on a 20 minute walk, while folding laundry, cooking dinner or even running errands.
I pop my ear buds in during lunch and own that time just for me.
I use Audible (Amazon) and love it.
Audible even offers free audio books.
I downloaded two of the books below free with my Amazon Audible account.
What is a Boss Mom?
There are a lot of names for women in business.
Some titles acknowledge those of us who are working moms, like Mompreneur.
And other titles, including Female Entrepreneur, capture all women with businesses.
To me, a Boss Mom or Mom Boss is a mom with a business of any kind.
She could have an online business a blog, Etsy Shop, coaching or marketing business.
This CEO Mom might do her work as a work from home mom.
Or she could have a physical shop or office.
Her business might be full-time or a part-time side hustle. Or she might have both!
I built this list of business books from the perspective of being a busy working mom with an online business but its applicable to all entrepreneurs.
Business Stages
Sometimes I think business stages are like the cycle of grief only with some super happy highs throw in. Just kidding!
Business stages are more similar to a child learning to crawl, walk and run.
Along the way in each of those stages you are going to try some things that are going to work great and some things that are going to flop.
When you fall you are going to get back up, dust yourself off and keep going.
Its with this thought in mind that I organized this list of books for entrepreneurs.
Business Seasons
If you are anything like me you start each new year with a ton of energy for your business.
You are motivated and make the most of the first quarter.
And then comes spring break.
Time and time again I’ve watched my online business working mom friends get stuck this time of year.
Instead of getting recharged during spring break they can’t restart their businesses after.
I’ve also noticed a little tough love from colleagues, mentors and friends seem to get them going again.
And then summer break arrives.
The reality is as moms, our time is spent focused on our families during the summer.
Light beach reading is a must during this time, right?
And then when back to school happens you are motivated about your business again.
It crisp air of fall is motivation to implement new ideas and race toward the glory that is Q4 before doing it all over again next year.
Boss Mom Life
Making money for your family while balancing taking care of your family is a constant in the life of all working moms.
And sometimes, as Boss Mom, the whole thing might just feel too big to accomplish.
Let’s face it, 2020 was a completely crazy year.
Everybody was home.
All the time.
With no where to go!
And the craziest thing is that it turned out be a good year for a lot of us.
The move towards working at home, or the world’s largest work from home experiment as I like to call it, yielded a lot of new opportunity.
The online business world boomed!
Keep learning and ride that boom in 2021 with the following books for every season of Boss Mom life!
Why This List of Books is Arranged by Months and Quarters
I’m a huge advocate of 12 week goals!
The book the 12 Week Year by Brain P. Moran completely changed how I look at goal setting.
His book took me from being a goal setting rebel to achieving real goals in both my personal and professional life.
I only think about the year in three month blocks now.
I’ve developed this recommendation list of the best books for Boss Moms in 2021 accordingly.
The 12 Best Books for Boss Moms
Boss Mom Books to Read in Quarter One (Q1)
The new year offers amazing opportunity to go for new goals. Make the most of your new year energy with three books about productivity, moving forward every day and making those sales without realizing you are selling.
- Smarter Better Faster by Charles Duhigg
Kick the new year off with inspiration and implementable lessons on how to be more productive to reach your goals!
It’s a groundbreaking exploration of the science of productivity, one that can help anyone learn to succeed with less stress and struggle, and to get more done without sacrificing what we care about most – to become smarter, faster, and better at everything we do.
©2015 Charles Duhigg (P)2015 Random House Audio
Audible Audiobook – Unabridged2. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
One of the most improtant things any business owener can do is to show up.
Every. Single. Day.
The Compound Effect provides a formula for creating habits that drive you toward success.
Keep your momentum going this year!
3. The Catalyst by Jonah Berger
At the heart of every business is someone selling something. But not all of us enjoy selling.
What if, instead, you could look at it as being the catalyst to help someone transform?
Successful change agents know it’s not about pushing harder, or providing more information, it’s about being a catalyst. Catalysts remove roadblocks and reduce the barriers to change. Instead of asking, “How could I change someone’s mind?” they ask a different question: “Why haven’t they changed already? What’s stopping them?”
©2020 Jonah Berger (P)2020 Simon & Schuster
Boss Mom Books to Read in Quarter Two (Q2)
Spring should be the time of growth and blossoming but for business owners of all kinds its also when we hit the wall
I don’t know about you, but ffter going hard to towards goals the first couple months of the year the exhaustion and messy parts start to catch up with me around spring break.
When you find yourself feeling stuck in you business, dig into these great books for inspiration to get going again.
4. Unf*uck Yourself by Gary Jon Bishop
There’s nothing like frustration of hitting a momentum wall.
Don’t let yourself sit there too long – dig yourself out of the Q2 hole I see so many fall into before it brings your business to a complete halt!
It isn’t other people that are standing in your way; it isn’t even your circumstances that are blocking your ability to thrive. It’s yourself and the negative self-talk you keep telling yourself.
©2016 Gary John Bishop (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
5. Edge by Laura Huang
This time of year ususally feels messy and hard to overcome.
Use what you DO have and keep seeking out success!
Edge shows that success is about knowing who you are and using that knowledge unapologetically and strategically. This audiobook will teach you how to find your unique edge and keep it sharp.
©2020 Laura Huang (P)2020 Penguin Audio
6. This Shit Works by Julie Brown
Now that you know what to do its time to talk to people and make it happen!
Summer is the PERFECT time to reach out to people who know like and trust you. To nurture relationships.
Get prepared and go for it!
I discovered Julie Brown’s podcast by the same name and absolutely love the way she provides useful tips and reasons to reach out to your network.
In this refreshingly entertaining and highly informative guide, Julie Brown shares her proven process for building a network. And not just any network, but one made of people who:
Julie Brown
• are happy to refer you to new clients
• will take your phone call at any hour of the day or nightstand
• may even just end up going bungee jumping with you in South Africa.
Boss Mom Books to Read in Quarter Three (Q3)
The summer months are the perfect time to allow yourself to enjoy the long warm days with your family!
Lighten up reading list with a couple books from influencers.
Take a peak into their lives and success.
What can you take away and apply to your business?
7. Open Book by Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson has lived most of her life in the public eye – even before social media!
Yes, I’m recommending Mom Bosses read this book written by one epic Mom Boss herself!
Open Book is an opportunity to laugh and cry with a close friend, one that will inspire you to live your best, most authentic life, now that she is finally living hers.
©2020 Jessica Simpson (P)2020 HarperAudio
8. Ree Drummond Frontier Follies
Boss Mama, at the of the day we start grow and run our businesses to better our families.
This summer slow down the hustle and enjoy the story of family from a Mompreneur who’s made it.
A celebration of family life, love, and (mostly) laughter, Frontier Follies is a keepsake to curl up with, have a good laugh, and remember all that’s wonderful (and funny) about family.
©2019 Ree Drummond (P)2020 HarperAudio
9. Influencer by Brittany Hennessy
Were you inspired by the books you read this summer to increase your visibility on social media?
I’m always the first to admit that I don’t understand Instagram but with books like this available – and it was even free when I downloaded it from Audible – there is no excuse to still be IG clueless!
As nightlife blogger, then social media strategist, and now talent director at Hearst Magazines, Brittany Hennessy has seen the role of influencers evolve and expand into something that few could have imagined when social media first emerged. She has unrivaled insight into where the branded content industry was, where it is, and where it’s going.
©2018 Brittany Hennessy (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Boss Mom Books to Read in Quarter Four (Q4)
As fall sets in and the kids are back in school its time to take everything you’ve learned this year and apply it for the betterment of your business.
For most Mompreneurs the fourth quarter is the money quarter.
Its time to get focused and shift into the next gear with the lessons in these books!
10. The One Thing by Gary Keller
There are so many directions your business can go.
When you nail down THE direction you are going and get 100% focused behind it you can use all the other lessons you’ve learned to maximize your progress.
The ONE Thing will bring your life and your work into focus. Authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan teach you the tricks to cut through the clutter, achieve better results in less time, dial down stress, and master what matters to you.
©2012 Rellek Publishing Partners, Ltd. (P)2013 Rellek Publishing Partners, Ltd
11. The Mentor Leader Tony Dungy
As you enter the run phase of your business its time to become the leader of it.
Leadership can take on many forms. Having lived in Tampa while Coach Dungy transformed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team I’ve always been fascinated with is style of leadership.
You can also apply his leadership formula to your family! A win win for any busy working mom.
In The Mentor Leader, Tony reveals what propelled him to the top of his profession and shows how you can apply the same approach to virtually any area of your life.
©2010 Tony Dungy (P)2010 Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
12. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
I have to confess something, I never finished Eat Pray Love by the same author!
Any yet this is one of my favorite book for any mom with why any kind of business.
Gilbert’s down to earth honest retelling of her life after the unexpected success of East Pray Love sets the stage for one of the most positive books about embarrassing you business.
I plan to read this book every December to set the stage for loving my business in the next year and recommend that you do too!
With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives.
©2015 Elizabeth Gilbert (P)2015 Penguin Audio
More of My Favorite Mom Boss Books
When you have extra time or one of the books above just isn’t speaking to you check out more of my favorite business books.
You can find a bunch of great reads or listens at the link above.
Below are three books from that list that have had a huge impact on me and my online business.
- The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12
- MonthsAtomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
- Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine
Conclusion
Books are the most effective way to learn all the things you need to know as a busy Boss Mom.
I’ve put together this seasonal list of the 12 best books for Boss Moms to read to help you focus on what you need during each phase of your business cycle during the year.
At the start of a new year ride the momentum!
During the messy spring months get unstuck and take steps to build foundational wins.
Over the summer take it easy and enjoy light reads by famous Mom Bosses.
The during the fall and winter months step your game back up again!
Let me know in the comments below which of these books you plan to read this year!
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Hello and welcome, I love helping working from home moms master mom life, generate income for their families and stay connected with the outside world all from the comfort of home! Learn more about me 
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