Refresh, reshape, and grow your business with these inspiring Summer reads for entrepreneurs.

As the Summer days warm up and the days move a bit more slowly,  you may have noticed the pace of your business slowing down as well. On a positive note, the “Summer slump” provides business owners a great opportunity to delve into personal and business growth, get inspired, try out a few new systems, and work out any kinks that may pop up so that you and your business are ready when things get busy again in the Fall.

One of my favorite ways to spend the slower Summer months is reading books that help me to look at my entrepreneur life and my business in a different way. There is more time to mull over new ideas and think of how I might positively transform different parts of my business.

5 Must Read Books For Entrepreneurs - The Summer List.
5 Must Read Books For Entrepreneurs – The Summer List.

Here are some of my favorite books to dive into during the slow Summer months that will have you ready to get back at it with fresh inspiration and new ideas in the Fall.

1. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

An absolute personal favorite, I have it in audio (Audible – affiliate link) and paperback for all my notes. I read it thinking of my kids and the level of interruption they have in their lives due to all the electronics and social media, but it had a huge impact on me. I reviewed my relationship with time, the use of social media and of anything that could compromise the work I’ve set out to do in the world.

Cal Newport writes beautifully and is very compelling on his case for more focused time and less interruption in our lives, giving us easy to implement strategies to achieve it.

I can say it is a must for those who feel they are always busy but struggle to accomplish as much as they set out to during all of that “busy time.”

“Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide a sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a superpower in our increasingly competitive twenty-first-century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep-spending their days instead in a frantic blur of e-mail and social media, not even realizing there’s a better way.”- Amazon Books

2. Breaking the Habit of Being You by Dr. Joe Dispenza

I truly believe this book can change your life. At least that’s what I feel it did for me.

Dr. Dispenza explains the science behind becoming who we are and how to create lasting change in any area of your life. If you’re ready for a big, bold move, this book will be your best friend.


Audible version (affiliate link)

Fans of this book love the actionable steps that Dispenza offers to really help you put into practice what you learn in the book and I can attest to that.

“In Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, renowned author, speaker, researcher, and chiropractor Dr. Joe Dispenza combines the fields of quantum physics, neuroscience, brain chemistry, biology, and genetics to show you what is truly possible. Not only will you be given the necessary knowledge to change any aspect of yourself, but you will be taught the step-by-step tools to apply what you learn in order to make measurable changes in any area of your life.” – Amazon Books

3. Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message so Customers will Listen by Donald Miller

An absolute diamond when it comes to clarifying your brand message and growing your customer base by giving your audience what they want. People have problems. You want to be the one to offer them the clearest and best solution.

“Donald Miller’s StoryBrand process is a proven solution to the struggle business leaders face when talking about their businesses. This revolutionary method for connecting with customers provides listeners with the ultimate competitive advantage, revealing the secret for helping their customers understand the compelling benefits of using their products, ideas, or services. Building a StoryBrand will forever transform the way you talk about who you are, what you do, and the unique value you bring to your customers.”- Amazon Books

4. Free to Focus- A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less by Michael Hyatt

This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt like there are not possibly enough hours in the day to finish their work, let alone the truly important things in life, like family, friendships, our own personal health, relationships, and hobbies.


“In Free to Focus, New York Times bestselling author Michael Hyatt reveals to readers nine proven ways to win at work so they are finally free to succeed at the rest of life–their health, relationships, hobbies, and more. He helps readers redefine their goals, evaluate what’s working, cut out the non-essentials, focus on the most important tasks, manage their time and energy, and build momentum for a lifetime of success.”- Google Books

5. Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms by Kate Northrup

One of my favorite new releases, Do Less will transform the way women think about how they manage their time, but how they think about time in general. From natural cycles to the cyclical nature of time itself, Kate Northrup gives practical solutions for women who want to successfully and joyfully combine business and motherhood. I love the experiments that are included in this book that encourage you to work through the book.


“The addiction to busyness and the obsession with always trying to do more leads women, especially working mothers, to feel like they’re always failing their families, their careers, their spouses, and themselves. This book will give women the permission and tools to change the way they approach their lives and allow them to embrace living in tune with the cyclical nature of the feminine, cutting out the extraneous busyness from their lives so they have more satisfaction and joy, and letting themselves be more often instead of doing all the time.”

These books are gems in so many different ways. Some will inspire you to change your daily habits and some will give you amazing ideas to transform your brand and grow your business.

Have you read any of these titles? If you have let me know in the comments below! What titles are must-reads for you that I should check out? I’d love for you to share!

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