Just as we fuel our bodies with food, it is just as important to fuel our minds with information for continued growth. Being self-motivated to continuously learn about our career and industry, our hobbies and passions, and the world around us, allows us to constantly develop and self-improve. Being a life-long learner results in developing new skill-sets, staying up-to-date with technology, and fostering innovation and creativity. In addition, furthering our education allows us to be better leaders, mentors, and entrepreneurs. When we learn for ourselves, we are able to help others at a greater capacity.

We asked our high-achieving KNOW women across North America about how they prioritize continuously learning, invest in future generations of female leaders, and choose career-changing mentors. Follow along on our four-part mini-series to see how these driven women are staying educated and using it to help the future women in business.

What’s the most influential book you’ve read in the last year and why?

The most influential book I’ve read over the last year is The Desire Map by Danielle Laporte. It’s really changed the way that I approach goal setting! Rather than set typical business and life goals, I’ve learned how to craft soul-fulfilling goals that truly bring me joy.

– Lindsay Sullivan,  The Small Business Photographer

The Gap and the Gain” by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. As a high-achiever, I tend to be hard on myself when it comes to achieving goals. This book was an excellent tool to reframe how I look at confidence, progress, and success.

– Jennifer Lawrence,  Jenerosity Partners

 I have two books that, combined together, have changed my mindset and business strategy. They are: The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist and Who Not How by Dan Sullivan. The former book is a philanthropist’s perspective on money behaviors, and shines a light on the negative impacts a scarcity mindset can have on your business decisions. The later book gave me the kick in the pants necessary to delegate better and hire a full-time personal assistant. As entrepreneurs, we are accustomed to wearing multiple hats and pinching pennies. So the idea of hiring a non-income producing personal assistant for ~80k to free up my time kept getting pushed off, until I read these two books. Now, I am interviewing for an assistant for my assistant, and wish I would have read these books years ago, and made this decision earlier.

– Jenna Biancavilla, Pearl Capital Management

The Psychology of Money was the most influential book I’ve read this past year. It is eye opening to see how people can attract wealth into their lives and how their mindset and beliefs can change their financial situation. It also talks about how important time is due to compounding interest. A big topic that is discussed is that getting wealth is not the same as staying wealthy, we need to adjust our mentality.

– Alison Stine, Stine Wealth Management

Hands down, the most influential book I’ve read in the last year is Atomic Habits by James Clear. Most people attack changing habits in one fail swoop which requires more energy and willpower than the average person has. This book teaches you to change habits incrementally and build on the compound effect of that change over time. This manageable approach is easier to execute and sustainable meaning your more likely to stick with it!

-Ginger Lazovik, Falk Ruvin Gallagher Team, Keller Williams

Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return From Maternity Leave by Lori K. Mihalich-Levin. This book has everything you need to know – or think about – before your maternity leave ends. The author’s thoughtful and pragmatic approach builds the reader’s confidence that she can successfully navigate any obstacles and pitfalls and return to work even stronger. She makes you feel like a part of a professional community, with a team of moms who have come before, shining a light on the many paths laying ahead.

Katie Berkey, Esq., AICP, Becker & Poliakoff

Atomic Habits by James Clear has been a fantastic book filled with useful and practical strategies to build good habits and break bad habits. The book had a clear and concise way to help me develop a plan and daily habits to accomplish more by focusing on less. I find this impactful as a business owner because we are wearing so many different hats, and the book walks through how to reframe your mindset to focus on the most important projects to accomplish more and drive growth.

Elyse Flynn Meyer, Prism Global Marketing Solutions