100 Business Books that have Influenced 100 Business Owners (Part 11)

“The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.” – Roald Dahl

And we are back- with part 11 of our 100 Business Books that have influenced 100 Business Owners and as usual, we have some fantastic recommendations!

Justyna Strzeszynska, Founder and CEO of Joii chose Green Giants: How Smart Companies Turn Sustainability Into Billion-Dollar Businesses by E. Freya Williams: “One of my favourites is Green Giants by E. Freya Williams. I really like the author’s unexpected take on sustainability. The green giants are basically businesses with a turnover of $1 billion or more that can be directly attributed to a product, service or line of business with sustainability at its core. They include restaurant chain Chipotle, Unilever, Tesla, Nike, IKEA… but when we read about these companies we don’t instantly think “sustainability”. Williams argues that in order to build a green giant-like brand we need to make our products or services not only greener but actually better.

When I started developing the Joii brand, I quickly realised that the period care category lacked the development and innovation it deserved to really cater to every individual need. The category seemed to be full of over promises, superficially sustainable organic cotton brands and just green-washing. Therefore it was extremely important for me to bring real advancements to this market and not only focus on sustainability alone.” http://linkedin.com/in/justyna-strzes

Next up we have Founder and CEO at The Muff Liquor Company, Laura M Bonner: “I have a few books to be honest but definitely Gerry Hussey’s – “awaken your power within” which I just finished recently. This book resonated with me  from the very beginning.

What I took from it though was that every feeling is just a thought; change your thinking and you change your feeling. Even self doubt is only a negative thought about yourself. Think of yourself as a winner and you’ll sit with winners. Once you’re truly in control of your feelings; where there is no ego or fear, no one can have any influence on the decisions you make because you trust yourself to make the correct move every time; and being that confident in each step you take will make you successful and also a leader.” http://linkedin.com/in/laura-m-bonner-88021215

Joanne Alexander-Sefre, Founder of Food Sans Frontieres chose a bit of a different book– The Golden Treasury of Caroline and Her Friends by Pierre Probst: “My favourite book was Caroline and Her Friends. Then came Caroline at the Ranch, Caroline Goes to Sea, Caroline in Europe, Caroline’s Grand Tour, and Caroline’s Winter Holiday. I even bought pretty much all the ones in French that I read to my children, translating at sight.  Caroline could do anything, anywhere- What a wonderful role model!” http://linkedin.com/in/jalexandersefre

Georgia Kirke, Founder and Director of Write Business Results Ltd. chose Finding Gold Dust by Gavin Scott. “This book transformed the way I think of customer service and my clients’ experience of working with Write Business Results. Gavin breaks down his knowledge of creating memorable customer experiences into bite-sized stories with lessons at the end of each one and they’re all made relevant to entrepreneurial companies. He has a podcast too – it’s been invaluable!” http://linkedin.com/in/personal-brand-how-to

And last but not least- Founder and Head Consultant of Elevator Program, Will Kinsella said that one of the most influencial books for him when he was starting out was ‘Steve Jobs’ by Walker Isaacson. “It was an incredible insight into the mindset and work of a modern day genius. Jobs was not only an entrepreneur but a technological and cultural innovator. When I picked up this book I literally didn’t put it down, I carried it everywhere with me. Very few books have had that impact on me. I think a close second is the Richard Branson biography. Innovation comes from people who think differently. To have a positive impact on our communities, I believe it’s important to think beyond the realms of our current realities. Jobs saw a future in his minds eye and built it, without compromise.” http://linkedin.com/in/willkinsella

And that’s it for this week! Have you read any of these books??