Being a solopreneur speaker has a lot of benefits, including the flexibility and freedom to choose when and where you work. The work-life balance that solopreneurship offers is, in fact, one of the key factors behind its growing popularity amongst speakers, trainers, webinar hosts, professional moderators, and MCs. Many are running their own businesses, or are using speaking as a side gig to add to their bottom line.

But if you haven’t run your own businesses before, there is a learning curve. Sometimes it is difficult to know what your next move should be, or how to look at your business on a macro level. 

We’ve drawn up this list of the top 10 book recommendations for solopreneurs looking to grow and expand their speaking businesses.

1. The lean startup: How today's entrepreneurs use continuous innovation to create radically successful businesses    

Author: Eric Ries

Topic: Most startups fail. But many of those failures are preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched. 

Review: Eric has created a science where previously there was only art.  A must read for every serious entrepreneur—and every manager interested in innovation." ~Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, Opsware Inc. and Netscape

Link: https://amzn.to/2FujPeg

 

2. The ONE Thing: The surprisingly simple truth behind extraordinary results

Author: Gary Keller/Jay Papasan

Topic: In The ONE Thing, you'll learn to - cut through the clutter - achieve better results in less time - build momentum toward your goal - dial down the stress - overcome that overwhelmed feeling - revive your energy - stay on track - master what matters to you. The ONE Thing delivers extraordinary results in every area of your life—work, personal, family, and spiritual.

Review: If you are on the fence about buying this book because you think it's just 'another self help book’, think again. This is easily one of the best books I've ever read, with clear and understandable principles concerning what you want out of life. What's your One Thing? Gary works backwards from your answer. What's the one thing you want in 5 years? In one year? In the next 6 months? In a month? This week? Today? What can you do today that will, in essence, get you where you want to be in life? ~Luke

Link: https://amzn.to/2Xbw62t

 

3. Crush It!: Why NOW is the time to cash in on your passion

Author: Gary Vaynerchuk

Topic: In Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion, Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the internet to turn your real interests into real businesses. Gary spent years building his family business from a local wine shop into a national industry leader.

Review: I recently started to really dive into Gary Vee's universe and have all four of his business books now and decided to start reading them chronologically. This is a great book with tons of real examples of what he's talking about and how to execute his advice. I love the simplicity of his message and his approach. The best stuff is never complicated. The guy is sincere and knowledgeable and thinking of the future at every turn. Read this book because it's more timely than ever and I don't know anyone that can navigate the world of social media better than Gary Vee. ~David Carus

Link: https://amzn.to/2FujDM4

 

4. Will it fly?: How to test your next business idea so you don't waste your time and money

Author: Pat Flynn

Topic: Will It Fly? will challenge you to think critically, act deliberately, and dare greatly. You can think of the book as your business flight manual. Something you can refer to for honest and straightforward advice as you begin to test your idea and build a business that takes off and soars.

Review: Losing your job can be the best thing that ever happens to you. In a short period of time, former employee-turned-entrepreneur Pat Flynn has unlocked the keys to recurring, sustainable income. His new book is inspiring, but that isn't the point—instead of just cheering you on, it will take you by the hand and show you exactly what you need to do before launching your business idea. ~Chris Guillebeau, NYT bestselling author of The $100 Startup

Link: https://amzn.to/2X2b5XM

 

5. The $100 Startup    

Author: Chris Guillebeau

Topic: In The $100 Startup, Chris Guillebeau shows you how to lead a life of adventure, meaning and purpose — and earn a good living.

Review: The $100 Startup is a twofer: It's a kick in the pants to get started on your dream, and a road map for finding your way once you begin. If you're not ready to launch your own business after reading this book, you need to go back and read it again!" ~Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind

Link: https://amzn.to/2J9uJqP

 

6. The 4-hour workweek: Escape 9-5, live anywhere, and join the new rich    

Author: Timothy Ferriss

Topic: This step-by-step guide to luxury lifestyle design teaches: 

• How Tim went from $40,000 per year and 80 hours per week to $40,000 per month and 4 hours per week

• How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want

• How blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs

• How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist

• How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent “mini-retirements”

Review:  "It's about time this book was written. It is a long-overdue manifesto for the mobile lifestyle, and Tim Ferriss is the ideal ambassador. This will be huge." ~Jack Canfield, Co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul®, 100+ million copies sold 

Link: https://amzn.to/2X64dsu

 

7. Blogging: Blogging black book: Everything you need to know about blogging from beginner to expert    

Author: Jason Wolf

Topic: When you read Blogging Black Book: Everything You Need to Know About Blogging For Beginner To Expert, you’ll find out all about the various types of blogs: - Niche Blogs - Business Blogs - Professional Blogs - Personal Blogs - Media Blogs - and even Reverse Blogs! You’ll be amazed at the practical marketing psychology in this fascinating book.

Review: Makes the intimidating world of blogging much easier to understand. This book helped me take the first step to getting started.~Gemma King

Link: https://amzn.to/2X3BYe0

 

8. Be a free range human: Escape the 9-5, create a life you love and still pay the bills

Author: Marianne Cantwell

Topic: Be a Free Range Human is a valuable contribution for those new to personal growth and struggling with work-life balance.

Review: This book is dangerous... in the best sense of the word. If your life and career have been built upon conventional wisdom, reading this book may subject your life to major upheaval. But if you relish rejecting the status quo—as I do—then this book is for you. ~Joel Pilger

Link: https://amzn.to/2Ft9xLy

 

9. Grit: The power of passion and perseverance 

Author: Angela Duckworth

Topic: In this instant New York Times bestseller, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed—be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.”

Review:​ Angela Duckworth [is] the psychologist who has made 'grit' the reigning buzzword in education-policy circles… Duckworth's ideas about the cultivation of tenacity have clearly changed some lives for the better… In this book, Duckworth, whose TED talk has been viewed more than eight million times, brings her lessons to the reading public." ~Judith Shulevitz, The New York Times Book Review

Link: https://amzn.to/2Fw3tC6

 

10. The go-giver, expanded edition: A little story about a powerful business idea

Author: Bob Burg/John David Mann

Topic: The Go-Giver tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns for success. Joe is a true go-getter, though sometimes he feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goals seem to be. Desperate to land a key sale at the end of a bad quarter, he seeks advice from the enigmatic Pindar, a legendary consultant referred to by his many devotees sim­ply as the Chairman. 

Review: A quick read in the spirit of The Greatest Salesman in the World and The One Minute Manager. Burg and Mann write with a simple, informal style that offers a working-person’s interpretation of the old adage ‘give and you shall receive.’” ~Publishers Weekly 

Link: https://amzn.to/2FwQ6l5
 

Are there any books that you found particularly useful that we’ve missed? We would love to hear your suggestions and why you found the book inspirational. Comment below, or contact us, we read every email.

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