As we move into Back to Basics and wrap up Women’s History Month and Leadership Month (great segway, no?), we leave you with this list of must-reads. Here’s a round-up of some of the top books by or about women — in her own words — recommended by readers and staffers.
These might not be your typical real estate reads, but agents assure us there is a lesson to be learned for every type of agent within the pages of these books and tips that’ll boost your business too.
Amazon
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts
By Brené Brown
Named one of the best books of the year by Bloomberg and by the author featured in an HBO docuseries, Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart, “Brené Brown has taught us what it means to dare greatly, rise strong, and brave the wilderness. Now, based on new research conducted with leaders, change makers, and culture shifters, she’s showing us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead,” according to Amazon.
Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home
Amazon
By Martha Stewart
If you want to be an expert in every aspect of stewardship for your home, learn all of the ins and outs from the maven of homekeeping and entertaining herself. Martha Stewart’s comprehensive guide isn’t just a perfect first-time buyer housewarming gift.
You’re sure to learn a thing or two yourself. Published more than 15 years ago, it’s still going strong.
Your First 365 Days in Real Estate: How to build a successful real estate business (starting with nothing)
Amazon
By Shelley Zavitz
If you have a friend, colleague or mentee who’s just starting out in the business – or if you’re starting out yourself – Portland, Oregon agent Shelley Zavitz puts her branding and marketing knowledge on display in this first-year guide. Zavitz shares her story and teaches new agents how to bootstrap a successful real estate business from the ground up.
Amazon
Fear Is Just a Four-Letter Word: How to Develop the Unstoppable Confidence to Own Any Room
By Tracy Tutor
From the first female real estate broker on “Million Dollar Listing LA,” comes this “no-nonsense guide to analyzing big egos, deflecting power plays and taking control of any room.” Tutor offers insights gleaned from years as a high-flying luxury broker. Filled with practical advice and hilarious stories, you’ll learn what to know, what to wear, what to say and so much more.
Amazon
Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business
By Barbara Corcoran
Legendary broker Barbara Corcoran “failed” at nearly two dozen jobs before borrowing $1000 from a boyfriend, quitting her job as a diner waitress, and launching herself into the real estate stratosphere. Learn from the shark herself as she shares her secrets for financial and professional success.
Amazon
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
By Laura Vanderkam
If you feel that there are never enough hours in your day, Laura Vanderkam says it’s because you’re managing your time backwards. Successful people, she writes, allocate their time differently, prioritizing the essential and filling in the rest. Take control of the clock and calendar with this popular read.
Amazon
Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
By Kim Scott
New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller; a Hudson and Indigo Best Book of the Year; and recommended by Shona Brown, Rachel Hollis, Jeff Kinney, Daniel Pink, Sheryl Sandberg, and Gretchen Rubin, Kim Scott, a leader at Google and Apple, brings us the idea that you don’t have to choose between being a pushover and a jerk.
By avoiding “obnoxious aggression,” “manipulative inscerity” and “ruinous empathy,” you can be both kind and clear. Find out how to create a compassionate candor, build a cohesive team and achieve results collaboratively with Radical Candor.
Amazon
Everybody Writes: Your Go-to Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content
By Ann Handley
“In Everybody Writes, top marketing veteran Ann Handley gives expert guidance and insight into the process and strategy of content creation, production, and publishing, with actionable how-to advice designed to get results,” according to Amazon.
Let Everybody Writes become your go-to guide to attracting and retaining customers through better online communication and content creation. These lessons will help your website, blogs, marketing, social media and so much more.
Amazon
The Power of Why
By Amanda Lang
Remember the curiosity with which you approached the world as a child? Lang uses in-depth profiles with innovators from all over the world, along with the latest research, to explore how the truly creative can harness and develop the power of curiosity. From a major retailer’s discovery to the insights of nurses to a game-changing new soccer ball, you’ll learn why curiosity is the key to your personal and professional growth.
Amazon
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
By Sheryl Sandberg
After the sudden and devastating death of her husband, Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In, thought she’d never feel joy again. “I was in ‘the void,’” she writes, “a vast emptiness that fills your heart and lungs and restricts your ability to think or even breathe.” Working with Wharton psychologist Adam Grant, she learned the steps you can take to recover from life-altering circumstances, ultimately discovering that “we are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. It is a muscle that everyone can build.”
By Gretchen Rubin
What started as a year-long search for happiness (and a blog) has become a global bestseller, synthesizing age-old wisdom with the latest scientific research. Rubin shares what she learned on her happiness journey and what truly makes a difference in the way you experience life. After all of the changes we’ve experienced in the last two years, there’s no better time than now to embark on your own journey and discover the secrets to a happier life.
By Marissa Orr
Written as a candid response to Sheryl Sandberg’s earlier work, Lean Out is written by tech industry veteran Marissa Orr and seeks to answer the question, “What have we gotten wrong about women and the workplace?”
Here, she examines “how companies can better incentivize women by actually listening to what they have to say and by rewarding the traits that make them successful.”
By Davey Shlasko
Whether you are a trans person or are seeking to be a good ally to the trans community, it starts with better communication. Filled with valuable insights and actionable wisdom, you’ll learn how to create conversations that matter around inclusivity and respect. Here you’ll find a great starting point for your next training session or book club.
Bonus:
Dallas ISD
Ebby Halliday: The First Lady of Real Estate
By Michael Poss
Though written by a male author, this story of the pioneering Texas real estate mogul is a must-read for women in real estate who want to know their herstory. “You want to know the secret of success?” Halliday asked audiences across the country, wherever she appeared. ”Make people feel that you are interested in them. Make them feel special. Make it real.” She later added, ”Don’t smoke, don’t drink, and never retire!”
