If you’re looking for a cute Pinterest list of books that sound good but gather dust? This isn’t it.
This is the list I WISH I had when I was crawling my way from rock bottom to a 7-figure business.
These books cracked me open.
Rewired how I think.
Helped me become the kind of woman who builds empires with babies in the room, bad days in her heart, and a vision too big to quit on.
Most are by women. Many are by BIPOC authors. All of them are like sitting down with the mentor you needed 3 years ago.
I don’t recommend books lightly. These ones? They changed the game.
AND – want the behind-the-scenes of growing a multi-million dollar business without pretending it was easy? You’ll want to read Unfiltered – my rawest, realest book yet: https://hayhs.com/u_pp_hc_az
Year of Yes – Shonda Rhimes
This book? It’s like a personal permission slip.
Saying “yes” when I wanted to disappear… Showing up when I felt invisible… Letting myself take up space in boardrooms AND on Instagram. Shonda didn’t just change her life – she gave me the guts to stop hiding behind the business and start owning it.
The Game of Life and How to Play It – Florence Scovel Shinn
This one is WEIRD. It’s spiritual. It’s old. It talks about vibration and energy like your aunt who’s a little too into crystals.
But hear me out: I was broke, scared, and on the verge of quitting when I read it. And something clicked. Not in a fluffy “manifest it” way, but in a “my words have power and I need to stop affirming my failure” way.
I changed how I spoke. I changed what I believed. And everything around me shifted.
Notes from the Universe – Mike Dooley
This one’s more of a vibe than a strategy. I kept it on my desk during one of the hardest years of my business.
Open any page and it’s like the Universe is speaking directly to you. Encouragement. Humor. Perspective. It pulled me out of spirals I didn’t even realize I was in.
You Can Heal Your Life – Louise Hay
You don’t realize how much your thoughts are sabotaging you… until you do.
This book isn’t just about healing. It’s about unlearning. About releasing the guilt, fear, resentment, and self-doubt that keeps so many women small. I was building a big business on a foundation of burnout and fear. This book helped me rebuild.
Read it slow. Journal every page. Let it work you.
Unfiltered – Rachel Pedersen
Yep. My book. And here’s why it’s on the list:
Because it’s the rawest thing I’ve ever written. I almost didn’t publish it.
It’s the stories I didn’t think I was allowed to share. The moments I was embarrassed by. The lessons I learned the hard way. It’s the truth of what it takes to grow a business when you’re broke, invisible, and starting from scratch.
Unfiltered is the book I needed when I was navigating imposter syndrome, poverty, and all the moments no one talks about. If you’re in the messy middle? This one’s for you: https://hayhs.com/u_pp_hc_az
The Courage to Be Disliked – Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga
This book taught me how to release control, let people misunderstand me, and still sleep at night.
When you grow, you will lose people. Period.
Clients, friends, team members. Some won’t get it. This book will help you stop explaining yourself and start living in alignment with your values.
Growth requires discomfort. This book is a map for navigating it.
Made to Stick – Chip Heath & Dan Heath
If you ever write content, make offers, or teach anything online – read this twice.
I learned how to make ideas BITE. How to turn forgettable content into sticky, memorable, profitable content. This book sharpened every piece of marketing I touched.
If you’ve ever wondered why your content isn’t converting, start here.
And grab my Copy + Paste Hooks for Reels, TikTok + Shorts while you’re at it. These babies work.
What Happened to You? – Dr. Bruce Perry + Oprah Winfrey
This one hit like a freight train.
Entrepreneurship is a trauma rollercoaster. Old wounds come up when you’re scaling, selling, or simply surviving. This book didn’t just help me understand others – it helped me understand myself.
Why I shut down. Why I freeze. Why “just do it” didn’t work for me.
It changed how I lead. How I parent. How I breathe.
Radical Candor – Kim Scott
I used to avoid hard convos. I’d let clients cross boundaries. I’d sugarcoat feedback. I’d tiptoe around conflict.
This book rewired my leadership.
Now I say the hard thing with love. I’ve built a team that trusts me. Clients that respect me. And a business that doesn’t drain me.
Clockwork – Mike Michalowicz
You are not your business.
I repeat: You are not your business.
If it all depends on you, you don’t have a business – you have a job. Clockwork helped me create systems, delegate, and finally breathe. Now? I take weekends. I take naps. I take up space outside of work.
If you loved this list, start with Unfiltered. It’s not just a book – it’s proof that you don’t need a trust fund or a perfect plan to build something extraordinary. You just need to begin: https://hayhs.com/u_pp_hc_az
Want to build content systems that free up your time and explode your reach? The Content Syndicate is where I show you how.
If you’re building a business in 2025? Read one of these. Then read another.
Not to just learn. But to remember who the heck you are.
Your next season? Requires a new level of self-trust. These books will help you get there.
