As we step into 2025, there’s no better time to embrace a fresh perspective and open ourselves to new possibilities. In our New Year’s episode of the Live Full Work Fun podcast, my co-host, Fran Attilio, and I talk about “New Year New Mindset” and we mentioned that we wanted to give book recommendations that can reshape your mindset and approach to personal growth.
Our carefully curated selection includes powerful works that have personally impacted our growth journeys and we wholeheartedly recommend them to you.
Recommendations and Thoughts from Fran
The 8 Day Self-Love Project
by Anna Z. Ryan [Amazon Link]
A quick simple read, one chapter per day, to guide you on how to Love yourself, which is the first step in accomplishing anything. This book was a beautiful surprise for me on how much it impacted my life.
Girl, Stop Apologizing
by Rachel Hollis [Amazon Link]
This is the book that changed it all for me. While driving home from Virginia to New Jersey, I chose to listen to this book. There is a moment in the book where she says if you are waiting for the perfect moment, for everything to be all lined up and ready to go, to start living your dream, you are going to be waiting forever. Right now, this moment, this is when you start. I went home and started my business!
Atlas of the Heart
by Brene Brown [Amazon Link]
Brene Brown is one of my other first and favorite authors. She helped me “Brave the Wilderness” and how to embrace the gifts of my imperfections. In “Atlas of the Heart” she explains emotions in a whole new context, explaining subtle differences in related emotions and how understanding their real meaning can help us grow and evolve how we see, view and interact with the world around us.
Fierce Boundaries
by Cynthia Garner, DBH [Amazon Link]
There are a lot of books on setting boundaries, but none that I have found like the one by Cynthia Garner. Getting to the real route of why boundaries are challenging to set and maintain, and connecting this journey and practice to the growth and development of ourselves, mind body and spirit – this book provides a real roadmap (and tools!) to learning how to set boundaries. Setting and defending our boundaries, as if our life depends on it, is important – because it does!
The Choice [Amazon Link] & The Gift [Amazon Link]
by Dr. Edith Eger
There are not enough words to explain the gift that Dr. Edith Eger is to this world. Both books need to be referenced, as they are a powerful one-two punch of honesty, survival and resilience. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think, “If Dr. Edith could survive what she survived, then I can keep going.”
Girl On Fire: How to Choose Yourself, Burn the Rule Book, and Blaze Your Own Trail in Life and Business
by Cara Alwill Leyba [Amazon Link]
Another book that surprised me. The first chapter didn’t resonate at first, and then there was a tug to keep reading and I am so glad I did. Every book and every word an author says doesn’t have to resonate with us, and sometimes those are some of the best lessons to explore. Keeping your mind open and listening not for direction or a blueprint on how to do something, but rather for what leaves that spark of inspiration is what self development is all about.
My Book Recommendations and Thoughts
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
by Michael Bungay Stanier [Amazon Link]
After seeing Michael Bungay Stanier speak at a live event a few months ago, I had to revisit his transformative book The Coaching Habit. His interactive presentation was phenomenal and sparked me to break through some of my own mindset blocks around coaching. In the book, he shows how coaching can become a natural, informal part of your day, enabling managers and their teams to work less while achieving more impact.
Drawing from his extensive experience training over 10,000 busy managers worldwide in practical coaching skills, he reveals powerful techniques for unlocking people’s potential. Through seven essential coaching questions, he demonstrates how the simple act of saying less and asking more can dramatically improve your coaching effectiveness and create lasting results.
Building a StoryBrand 2.0: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen
by Donald Miller [Amazon Link]
Building a StoryBrand 2.0 is the updated version of Donald Miller’s proven framework that has helped over a million business leaders grow their businesses through better customer communication. This revised edition makes it even easier to create clear, engaging messages that resonate with customers.
The StoryBrand framework helps cut through the noise of today’s busy world by helping you craft a message that customers actually understand and respond to. I’m excited to announce that in 2025, I’ll be offering new resources to help you write your own BrandScript and implement it effectively in your marketing.
Need help implementing your content marketing plan? I’m here to guide you through the process.
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout
by Cal Newport [Amazon Link]
Today’s definition of productivity often misses the mark. Rather than focusing on meaningful accomplishment, we’ve created a culture that equates being busy with being productive. This has led to overwhelming to-do lists and endless meetings. Many of us find ourselves caught between two extremes: either burning out from constant hustle or completely giving up on our ambitions. But there’s a better way forward that balances achievement with well-being.
Coach Builder: How to Turn Your Expertise Into a Profitable Coaching Career
by Donald Miller [Amazon Link]
As a StoryBrand Certified Guide, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful these principles are. Whether you’re thinking about starting a consulting business or have been coaching for a while, Coach Builder provides an 8-step plan that I use daily with my clients to help them build successful coaching and consulting practices. The methodology aligns perfectly with the StoryBrand framework and has proven invaluable in growing both my practice and those of my clients.
Profit First
by Michael Michalowicz [Amazon Link]
Profit First flips traditional accounting on its head with a simple but powerful formula: Sales – Profit = Expenses. Instead of treating profit as an afterthought, this method prioritizes taking your profit first, then working with what’s left for expenses. I reread this game-changing book every year to maintain my financial focus. Using Michalowicz’s system has given me much more control and confidence in managing my business finances.
SYSTEMology: Create time, reduce errors and scale your profits with proven business systems
by David Jenyns [Amazon Link]
Many business owners believe they need to personally document their business processes for systemization. However, David Jenyns discovered that business owners are often not the best people for this task – and presents an alternative approach.
His book SYSTEMology provides a clear methodology to efficiently systemize your business, designed specifically for time-constrained owners. Based on decades of experience and real-world examples, Jenyns shows how to achieve Complete Business Reliability through systematic implementation. Be sure to catch David on the Live Full Work Fun Podcast for more on systems.
Remember, sustainable change isn’t about dramatic transformations – it’s about consistent, small steps in the right direction. By shifting our focus from perfection to progress and drawing wisdom from these experienced authors, we can create lasting positive changes that extend far beyond the New Year.
Tune into our Live Full Work Fun episode here: