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Personal Development | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

Being broke forces you to dig deeply—to trust and invest in yourself.Being broke means you have to occasionally “kick yourself in the butt” to keep moving forward, writes Daymond John, founder of fashion empire FUBU and star of ABC’s Shark Tank.

Revisiting his entrepreneurial origins, John recounts his start selling hand-knit hats with $40 in startup money, being turned down by 27 banks when seeking funds to finance his first FUBU orders, and borrowing $100,000 against his mother’s house for equipment and supplies to fill those orders. His story and that of the other entrepreneurs he profiles prove that success requires perseverance, creativity, ingenuity and a hefty dose of hustle.

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1101903597/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1101903597&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=BFYQVYXVGLSDL3X7" rel="nofollow">The Power of Broke</a><img alt="" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=sm0fe-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1101903597" style="border:none !important; height:1px; margin:0px !important; width:1px" /> is an entertaining mix of practical advice, success stories and behind-the-scenes Shark Tank tales. Still, readers may be left longing for more of John’s invaluable business intelligence.

By Daymond John with Daniel Paisner 
January; Crown Business; $26 
&nbsp;

This article appears in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-january-2016-sara-blakely.html" target="_blank">January 2016&nbsp;issue of&nbsp;SUCCESS&nbsp;magazine.</a>

How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage

How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage | SUCCESS

Reading List: The Power of Broke

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Reading List: The Power of Broke | SUCCESS

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Margaret Jaworski

Abundance means living your ideal life, one that is personally, professionally and financially fulfilling. “This life of abundance is something you get to define for yourself,” writes motivational speaker Lisa Nichols. In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062412205/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0062412205&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=G3FORQJBTVCU2KA3" rel="nofollow">Abundance Now</a>, a follow-up to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446538450/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0446538450&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=NSUGRVQGLSTRWDLQ" rel="nofollow">No Matter What!</a><img alt="" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=sm0fe-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0446538450" style="border:none !important; height:1px; margin:0px !important; width:1px" /> published in 2009, the New York Times best-selling author again draws on her life experiences—as a college dropout, a young mother on public assistance and working dead-end jobs—to demonstrate that all people can transform themselves and transition from a life of scarcity to a life of abundance.

Nichols reveals the nuts and bolts of her journey from “broke and broken” to a place of “prosperity and possibility,” and invites readers to follow her lesson plans for achieving abundance in their lives. She stresses the importance of determining what you want for your life: relationships, career and family, and of spirituality, forgiveness, healing from past hurts, trusting yourself, and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/ziglar-3-things-to-do-when-you-make-a-mistake" title="Ziglar: 3 Things to Do When You Make a Mistake | SUCCESS.com">learning from past mistakes</a>. Nichols conveys her advice with conviction and enthusiasm and proves that her title of “personal transformation guru” is well-earned.

By Lisa Nichols and Janet Switzer 
January; Dey Street Books; $26 
&nbsp;

This article appears in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-january-2016-sara-blakely.html" target="_blank">January 2016&nbsp;issue of&nbsp;SUCCESS&nbsp;magazine.</a>

Abundance means living your ideal life, one that is personally, professionally and financially fulfilling. “This life of abundance is something you get to

Abundance means living your ideal life, one that is personally, professionally and financially fulfilling. “This life of abundance is something you get to | SUCCESS

Reading List: Abundance Now

Reading List: Abundance Now | SUCCESS

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Success | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

More than 28 million people have watched Harvard Business School associate professor Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk, “<a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are</a>.” In her new book, Cuddy dives deeper into the topic, exploring how our state of mind, behaviors and body language reflect power and presence (or the lack thereof).

According to Cuddy, presence stems from “believing and trusting… your feelings, beliefs, values and abilities.” She points out that if you don’t trust in yourself or believe in what you’re saying, it’s difficult to project the confidence inherent to presence. Leaving the scientific jargon for the classroom, Cuddy masterfully illuminates the complex relationship between what we think and how we present ourselves. She counsels readers on how to reduce anxiety and pump up presence through “tiny tweaks” (paying attention to posture, eye contact, language and tone, for example). More than a valuable and fresh look at how we present ourselves to others, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316256579/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0316256579&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=5XMR3XF3TCDZYZPF" rel="nofollow">Presence</a><img alt="" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=sm0fe-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0316256579" style="border:none !important; height:1px; margin:0px !important; width:1px" />&nbsp; is a well-written, absorbing read.

By Amy Cuddy 
December; Little, Brown and Co.; $28

&nbsp;

This article appears in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-january-2016-sara-blakely.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 2016&nbsp;issue of&nbsp;SUCCESS&nbsp;magazine</a>.

Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges

Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges | SUCCESS

Reading List: Presence

Reading List: Presence | SUCCESS

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For most of her life, the creator of Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder said no to just about every social invitation that came her way. The same woman who can write snappy, smart dialogue for days was so introverted that she completely avoided situations in which she’d have to speak extemporaneously, be interviewed or face an unknown situation.

She was content to stay home with her three kids until Thanksgiving of 2013, when her sister remarked that Rhimes always said no and that it was time to say yes. It was a daunting challenge, but she accepted it and cemented her commitment by writing a book about her experience. Her account of the year that followed her Thanksgiving transformation from fearful to fearless is full of surprises and juicy anecdotes. It’s also candid, clever, inspiring and&nbsp;funny.

By Shonda Rhimes 
November; Simon &amp; Schuster; $25 
&nbsp;

This article appears in the January 2016 issue of SUCCESS magazine.

How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person

How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person | SUCCESS

Reading List: Year of Yes

Reading List: Year of Yes | SUCCESS

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Reading List: Year of Yes  | SUCCESS

<h2>Inspiring and Motivating</h2>

In Do the KIND Thing, Daniel Lubetzky traces his evolution from a Wall Street legal eagle in training to a young man determined to create a “not-only-for-profit” company with a socially conscious heart. Even when his first entrepreneurial foray failed miserably, Lubestzky persevered. He eventually founded KIND Healthy Snacks, a successful enterprise that creates opportunities for economic cooperation among people in conflict. Lubetzky encourages readers to think boundlessly, work purposefully and live passionately. (Ballantine Books; $26)

Many cautioned Kiva co-founder Jessica Jackley about the perils of launching the first online micro-lending platform for the working poor. Jackley didn’t cave. In Clay Water Brick, she charts the nonprofit’s steps and missteps, imparts valuable advice on how to handle it all, and shares the profound lessons that Kiva entrepreneurs taught her about life and business. (Spiegel &amp; Grau; $28)

Brothers Bert and John Jacobs merrily recount how their simple yet powerful “life is good” philosophy (it’s not easy; it’s not perfect; it’s good) put them on the path to personal fulfillment and a $100 million apparel empire that gives back to kids in crisis. Illustrated with the brand’s iconic artwork, Life is Good is a charming and enjoyable read that inspires, motivates and educates. (National Geographic; $25)

<h2>Instructive</h2>

In No One Understands You and What to Do About It, psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D., shows that how you perceive yourself often differs dramatically from how others perceive you. As she explains, average folks aren’t all that adept at reading facial cues and are frequently unaware of their unconscious biases. Halvorson parses it all and provides workarounds in this fascinating study of perception and self-awareness. (Harvard Business Review Press; $22)

After reading Tony Crabbe’s delightful takedown of Busy as an excuse, explanation and form of self-aggrandizement, you’ll be inclined to delete the word from your lexicon while incorporating Crabbe’s techniques and tactics to regain control of your life. (Grand Central Publishing; $28)

In What to Do When You’re New, psychologist Keith Rollag explains how to overcome the anxiety, fears and self-imposed obstacles that keep people from feeling at ease in social situations. Rollag identifies the genesis of these social fears and offers various self-directed approaches to help readers overcome their awkwardness and expand their comfort zones. (AMACOM; $18)

Face-to-face conversation is a uniquely human interaction that may be in jeopardy, Sherry Turkle writes in Reclaiming Conversation. With technology, people are always connected from a distance and rarely communicate in person. Turkle deftly explores and explains the good and bad of this “flight from conversation” while encouraging parents, teachers and bosses to champion conversation, use technology more intentionally and serve as role models. (Penguin Press; $28)

<h2>Enlightening</h2>

Finding fulfillment and satisfaction as life’s small triumphs are the welcome messages of Little Victories by Jason Gay. While opining on everyday life with humor and wisdom, Gay points out the danger of elevating unimportant events into real stressors. Humor, heartwarming anecdotes and great storytelling make Little Victories a big win. (Doubleday; $25)

Given a choice, most of us favor stability and predictably over the uncertainty of Surprise, writes self-described “surprisologists” Tania Luna and LeeAnn Renninger. The authors explain why learning to embrace the unexpected builds resilience and strengthens the ability to bounce back from negative events as well as transform them into opportunities to go in a new, positive direction. (Perigee Books; $27)

Creative living is about constructing a life “driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear,” according to Elizabeth Gilbert in Big Magic. The author of Eat, Pray, Love nudges readers to release fear, summon courage and allow the creative jewels hidden within us to blossom and grow. Encouraging and astute insights mixed with revealing personal anecdotes add up to a rewarding read. (Riverhead Books; $25)

&nbsp;

This article appears in the December 2015 issue of SUCCESS magazine.

We've selected this year’s 10 standout titles.

We've selected this year’s 10 standout titles. | SUCCESS

Reading List: The Best Books of 2015

Reading List: The Best Books of 2015 | SUCCESS

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In the broadest sense, introverts prefer to spend time alone or at least need alone time to recharge their internal batteries and prime themselves to interact with others. Introverts tend to shy away from group gatherings yet aren’t necessarily shy. Bill Gates is an introvert; Bill Clinton is an extrovert. Yet both are very successful people.

Being an introvert is neither an advantage nor an impediment to being a successful entrepreneur, writes Beth Buelow, founder of a coaching company that focuses on introvert entrepreneurs. Her clients describe five common challenges: networking (exhausting), sales calls (dreaded), self-promotion (smacks of bragging), collaboration (personality-clash worries) and energy (desperation for downtime). Buelow suggests smart strategies to manage these and other concerns.

Regardless of your profession, aspirations or age, any introvert will find valuable counsel and guidance in this brainy, accessible book.

By Beth Buelow 
November; Perigee Books; $16

Amplify Your Strengths and Create Success on Your Own Terms

Amplify Your Strengths and Create Success on Your Own Terms | SUCCESS

Reading List: The Introvert Entrepreneur

Reading List: The Introvert Entrepreneur | SUCCESS

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Reading List: The Introvert Entrepreneur  | SUCCESS

The former elite athlete and creator of an über-popular eponymous podcast presents eight principles he considers essential to establishing habits that lead to fulfillment and “achieving your own greatness.” Lewis Howes’ principles in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1623365961/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1623365961&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=FAJIAI5XCIDTN5W2" rel="nofollow">The School of Greatness</a> include creating a vision, turning adversity into advantage, cultivating the mindset of a champion, practicing positive habits and serving others. Howes devotes a chapter to each principle, fleshing it out with personal stories and advice from other successful people such as Olympian Shawn Johnson. Presented in an easy-to-read format, the book lives up to its subtitle.

By Lewis Howes 
October; Rodale Books; $26

A Real-World Guide to Living Bigger, Loving Deeper, and Leaving a Legacy

A Real-World Guide to Living Bigger, Loving Deeper, and Leaving a Legacy | SUCCESS

Reading List: The School of Greatness

Reading List: The School of Greatness | SUCCESS

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Dealing with weight issues as a 13-year-old, Michael Strahan realized that he could change his life through discipline and determination. To get in shape, the teenager bought Jane Fonda workout tapes. Twenty-three years later, after 15 seasons with the New York Giants, Strahan decided to hang up his football cleats in 2008. He wasn’t sure what awaited him in retirement but was ready to take the chance in this his third book (and his first about life off the field). <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476775680/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1476775680&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=IKCVHNA7GOTFHLUK" rel="nofollow">Wake Up Happy</a><img alt="" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=sm0fe-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1476775680" style="border:none !important; height:1px; margin:0px !important; width:1px" />&nbsp;illustrates the importance of following your gut and being brave when facing the&nbsp;unknown.

Strahan, now a daytime TV personality, devotes a chapter to the 18 life rules that keep him energized, engaged and optimistic. And like the man himself, Strahan’s memoir is lively, likable and original.

 
By Michael Strahan with Veronica Chambers 
October; Atria/37 Ink; $27

The Dream Big, Win Big Guide to Transforming Your Life

The Dream Big, Win Big Guide to Transforming Your Life | SUCCESS

Reading List: Wake Up Happy

Reading List: Wake Up Happy | SUCCESS

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Fearing he was falling into a fitness rut, marathoner and entrepreneur Jesse Itzler hired a taciturn, tough-as-nails Navy SEAL to spice up his routine and whip him into military-grade shape. The mysterious SEAL (his name is never revealed) moves into the home that Itzler shares with his wife, Spanx founder Sara Blakely. Itzler chronicles the month the SEAL spent as his live-in personal trainer. He describes the punishing daily regimen of pushups, pullups and all-weather runs occasionally punctuated by the SEAL’s pithy life lessons, such as “Fear is one of the best motivators; anger is the other.”

<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455534676/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1455534676&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=MFYRNRNF5QDJE4ZT">Living with a SEAL</a>&nbsp;is an exercise in self-indulgence that also happens to be an entertaining, guilty pleasure kind of read. 
 
By Jesse Itzler 
November; Center Street; $26

[node:summary] - 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet

Fearing he was falling into a fitness rut, marathoner and entrepreneur Jesse Itzler hired a taciturn, tough-as-nails Navy SEAL to spice up his routine and | SUCCESS

Reading List: Living with a SEAL

Reading List: Living with a SEAL | SUCCESS

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Despite the book’s title, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0814436366/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0814436366&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=IDUAJ2A3YU4XEDNT">Talking to Crazy</a>, psychiatrist and business coach Mark Goulston explains upfront that he’s not talking about the mentally ill. He uses this word to describe irrational people, those who might say nonsensical things and make decisions or take actions not in their best interest, or who become hostile when you try to reason with them. An effective tactic when dealing with someone like this is to disarm the person by refusing to get defensive.

In other words, calm them with kindness. Goulston stresses that dealing with irrational people isn’t a one-way street. It’s equally important to recognize the events, comments and situations that might make someone overreact emotionally. Goulston doesn’t just espouse theories; he suggests what to say. For example, when dealing with an argumentative co-worker, an appropriate response would be “I can’t say I like your tone… but… what is it exactly that you are trying to say?” Another version: “What exactly do you want me to start or stop doing so we don’t have this conversation again?” By giving readers the words and theories, Goulston elevates a good book into a great one. 
 
By Mark Goulston 
October; AMACOM; $25

[node:summary] - How to Deal with the Irrational and Impossible People in Your Life

Despite the book’s title, Talking to Crazy, psychiatrist and business coach Mark Goulston explains upfront that he’s not talking about the mentally ill. | SUCCESS

Reading List: Talking to Crazy

Reading List: Talking to Crazy | SUCCESS

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