Resources

Expert Selections for our BDC Members Only

Reading List
In alphabetical order by author’s last name

Business Made Simple

Donald Miller

“Business Made Simple is the must-have guide for anyone who feels lost or overwhelmed by the modern business climate, even if they attended business school. Learn what the most successful business leaders have known for years through the simple but effective secrets shared in these pages.”

– Google Books

Learn More

The Surrender Experiment
– my journey into life’s perfection

Michael A. Singer

“From the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Untethered Soul comes the astonishing true-life story about what happens when you just let go.”

– Google Books

Learn More

The Untethered Soul

Michael A. Singer

“What would it be like to free yourself from limitations and soar beyond your boundaries? What can you do each day to discover inner peace and serenity? The Untethered Soul offers simple yet profound answers to these questions.”

– Google Books

Learn More

The E-Myth

Michael E. Gerber

“An instant classic, this revised and updated edition of the phenomenal bestseller dispels the myths about starting your own business.”

– Google Books

Learn More

The One Thing

Gary Keller

“The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results is a non-fiction, self-help book written by authors and real estate entrepreneurs, Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan. The book discusses the value of simplifying one’s workload by focusing on the one most important task in any given project.”

– Wikipedia

Learn More

A Happy Pocket Full of Money

David Cameron Gikandi

“True wealth is not about buckets of cash. True wealth is not about designer clothes. It is not about a new Mercedes. It is not about living in a palatial estate. True wealth, asserts David Gikandi, is about discovering value within yourself and value within other people. It is about a kind of conscious living that incorporates gratitude, a belief in abundance, and the experience of joy.”

Learn More

Purple Cow

Seth Godin

“The cult classic that revolutionized marketing by teaching businesses that you’re either remarkable or invisible.”

Learn More

Real Artists Don’t Starve

Jeff Goins

“Bestselling author Jeff Goins dismantles the myth that being creative is a hindrance to success by revealing how an artistic temperament is in fact a competitive advantage.”

Learn More

Embrace Your Magnificence

Fabienne Fredrickson

“Deep down, do you long for a richer, fuller, more abundant life? A love letter to her young daughter has become Fabienne Fredrickson’s message of courage and love to women everywhere: “You are a magnificent being, truly deserving of a full and abundant life.””

– Google Books

Learn More

Website Branding for Small Businesses

Nathalie Nahai

“With so many customers taking to the web for information, every business needs to have an online presence, especially a small business. However, a simple website won’t suffice and each enterprise has to properly connect with customers to build and nurture a relationship that will ensure their devotion to the brand.”

– Google Books

Learn More

Start With Why

Simon Sinek

“In 2009, Simon Sinek started a movement to help people become more inspired at work, and in turn inspire their colleagues and customers. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, including more than 28 million who’ve watched his TED Talk based on START WITH WHY — the third most popular TED video of all time.”

Learn More

The Magic of Tiny Business

Sharon Rowe

“Too many of us feel trapped by work that doesn’t allow us to live our purpose, feed our passions, or use our gifts. We fantasize about starting our own business, but we’re told this will mean going deeply into debt, spending years working eighty hours a week, and coping with the relentless pressure to grow.”

– Google Books

Learn More

The War of Art

Steven Pressfield

“Internationally bestselling author of Last of the AmazonsGates of Fire, and Tides of War, Steven Pressfield delivers a guide to inspire and support those who struggle to express their creativity. Pressfield believes that “resistance” is the greatest enemy, and he offers many unique and helpful ways to overcome it.”

Learn More

Rocket Fuel

Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters

“Visionaries have groundbreaking ideas. Integrators make those ideas a reality. This explosive combination is the key to getting everything you want out of your business. It worked for Disney. It worked for McDonald’s. It worked for Ford. It can work for you.”

Learn More

Traction

Gino Wickman

“Visionaries have groundbreaking ideas. Integrators make those ideas a reality. This explosive combination is the key to getting everything you want out of your business. It worked for Disney. It worked for McDonald’s. It worked for Ford. It can work for you.”

Learn More

The Referral of a Lifetime

Ken Blanchard

“Nobody likes cold calls. And nobody really needs to make them. The Referral of a Lifetime teaches a step-by-step system that will allow anyone to generate a steady stream of new business through consistent, qualified referrals while retaining and maximizing business with existing customers. Tim Templeton emphasizes the importance of applying the golden rule in business—putting the relationship with your customer first, rather than just making the sale.”

Learn More

The Making of a Democratic Economy

Marjorie Kelly and Ted Howard of the Democracy Collaborative

“Our economy is designed by the 1 percent, for the 1 percent. This book offers a compelling vision of an equitable, ecologically sustainable alternative that meets the essential needs of all people.”

Learn More

7 Easy Steps to Write Your Book

Ann McIndoo

“7 Easy Steps to Write Your Book’ teaches you how to write your book using examples and exercises. Totally interactive, the reader participates in learning how to prepare to write, creates a writer’s Identity and their own powerful Writer’s Power Tools. The book offers solutions for procrastination and strategies for dealing with “writer’s block.” The reader learns how to “Schedule Your Success” and get the book out of their head on to the paper.”

Learn More

The Big Leap

Gay Hendricks

“With over 100,000 copies sold, New York Times bestselling author Gay Hendricks demonstrates how to go beyond your internal limits, release outdated fears and learn a whole new set of powerful skills and habits to liberate your authentic greatness. Fans of Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, and Gabrielle Bernstein will discover the way to break down the walls to a better life.”

Learn More

Building a Storybrand

Donald Miller

“Seven proven elements of powerful stories that will dramatically improve the way you connect with your customers and drastically grow your business.”

Learn More

Profit First

Mike Michalowicz

“Author of cult classics The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur offers a simple, counterintuitive cash management solution that will help small businesses break out of the doom spiral and achieve instant profitability.”

Learn More

The Four Tendencies

Gretchen Rubin

“In this groundbreaking analysis of personality type, bestselling author of Better Than Before and The Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin reveals the one simple question that will transform what you do at home, at work, and in life.”

Learn More

Tribes

Seth Godin

“A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. For millions of years, humans have joined tribes, be they religious, ethnic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). It’s our nature. Now the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time. All those blogs and social networking sites are helping existing tribes get bigger and enabling new tribes to be born—groups of ten or ten million who care about a political campaign, or a new way to fight global warming.”

Learn More

You are a Badass at Making Money

Jen Sincero

“From the author of You Are A Badass, the New Your Times bestselling book everyone is talking about. YOU ARE A BADASS AT MAKING MONEY is the book you need if you’ve spent too much time watching money land in your bank account and then roll through your fingers.”

– Google Books

Learn More

Expert Secrets

Russell Brunson

“Best book ever for marketing your business. And not just for online marketing. This book goes into so much detail and is perfect for any business. How to tell stories to make sales. How to be the EXPERT in your Niche.”

– Google Books

Learn More

This is Marketing

Seth Godin

“A game-changing approach to marketing, sales, and advertising.”

Learn More

Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation

Idris Mootee

“A comprehensive playbook for applied design thinking in business and management, complete with concepts and toolkits As many companies have lost confidence in the traditional ways of running a business, design thinking has entered the mix.”

– Google Books

Learn More

Change The Story, Change The Future

David C. Korten

“We humans live by stories, says David Korten, and the stories that now govern our society set us on a path to certain self-destruction.”

– Google Books

Learn More

Launch

Jeff Walker

“A 30 day workbook for turning words into actions and actions into results Imagine 2 scenarios. In the first one you have just finished reading Launch by Jeff Walker. It was a great book and you remember that it mentioned a lot of smart things. But you can’t remember much of it now as you close the book.”

– Google Books

Learn More

A Whole New Mind

Daniel H. Pink

“New York Times Bestseller An exciting–and encouraging–exploration of creativity from the author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. The future belongs to a different kind of person with…”

– Google Books

Learn More

The Millionaire Messenger

Brendon Burchard

“The #1 New York Times bestseller from world-renowned advice expert teaches everyday people how to share their story and wisdom with the world and build a lucrative business doing so.In this game-changing…”

 – Google Books

Learn More

The Success Principles

Jack Canfield

“The Principles Always Work If You Work the PrinciplesGet ready to transform yourself for success. Jack Canfield, cocreator of the phenomenal bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, turns to the…”

– Google Books

Learn More

Owning Our Future

Marjorie Kelly

“All attempts to address the economic collapse are overlooking an essential factor: ownership. So long as businesses are set up to focus exclusively on maximizing monetary returns per quarter for a narrow group of individuals the economy will be subject to crippling boom-and-bust cycles.”

– Google Books

Learn More

Platform

Michael Hyatt

“Michael Hyatt, one of the top business bloggers in the world, provides down-to-earth guidance for building and expanding a powerful platform. To be successful in the market today, you must possess two strategic assets: a compelling product and a meaningful platform.”

– Google Books

Learn More

“You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and falling over.”

Richard Branson