Books to read if you are a freelancer
I don't know about you but, this pandemic has given me a lot of extra free time and time to myself. What better activity to do when you have nothing to do than read some good books. I have been trying to utilize my time to the fullest and do things I enjoy and learn a few things along the way. With that being said, I joined a virtual book club (very fitting for the times) and have gotten in the groove of reading every day. There was even a period where I stopped binge-watching shows and movies and was reading 4 books a week... WILD. I am still consistently reading but, switched over to some books that cater more to work and business and creating your ideal life. I have created quite the list of books to read and got a long way to go to get through them all. So far, I have read a few that I thoroughly enjoyed and are worthy of recommendation. I am going to be sharing four books to read if you are a freelancer or even working a typical 9-5. Everyone will be able to get something out of these books.
Tip: Check your local library or second hand book store to see if they have these in stock! You can read for free or at lower cost.
This is a great book to read if you just took a huge leap of faith or you are stuck and ready for change. Now, I am not claiming that this is the end all be all, but it's great for kick-starting your next step and taking some of the edge off. If you get anything out of this book it will be how to start creating a positive, optimistic mindset, believing in yourself, and manifesting your life. And before you think this book is some stupid, self-help book that is just a bunch of nonsense, trust me it isn't. Author, Jen Sincero, is a life coach and motivational speaker who shares her own experiences and what methods she put into place to get to where she is now. Her book is very informational and makes everything very realistic and easy to get started. You will also never find this book boring because her writing is very light-hearted and comedic while still keeping the topic serious. She will teach you and provide you with the tools you need to be a badass and create the life you want. If you get anything from this book, it will be to start believing in yourself and shifting your mindset to create and attract opportunities for yourself and show life who is boss.
"Unfinished Business" begins by following the career life of Anne- Marie Slaughter, a dean/ professor at Princeton University who got offered her dream job as the first female director of policy planning at the U.S. state department. On the surface, this is a huge career move and the opportunity of a lifetime, but instead stirs the realities of a demanding job and the non-stop work culture within the United States. After two years, Slaughter decided to leave her position in Washington to continue as a professor, but most importantly to be able to spend more time with her family. She followed up her departure by publishing an article for The Atlantic titled "Why women can't have it all", which became one of the most-read pieces in that publication and caused a huge debate. Of course, people were sympathizing and sharing their relatable experiences but as expected there was indeed backlash and criticism. That article is one of the reasons why this book came to be and goes into detail on various situations within the American workplace and how we can change them moving into the future. This book mainly focuses on corporate America, but I truly believe any type of career path will get something out of this book. Slaughter discusses equality for men and women in the workplace, stereotypes, balancing family life with careers, flaws within the feminist movement, and the American work culture. After reading this book, I assure you it will be an eye-opening experience (if you are not already familiar with the content). It will truly make you sit back and analyze your relationship with work in combination with your personal life. This book will make you want to figure out what you want out of life and how you want to live it. It is great to have a thriving career and to do well, but after all, work is just a small piece of who we are, not our whole being.
Jen Atkin is a celebrity hairstylist and businesswoman and a new author. In her book "Blowing my way to the top" She tells her story from the very beginning to where she currently is now. Not only does she talk about the big points like her journey to career success, but also openly speaks about more personal topics and growing pains. The most important takeaway from this book, which is something we all know but always disregard due to the social media age, is that no one is an overnight success. Atkin brings you back to her past where she first made the move to get started by breaking the status quo and social norms of her community to pursue a dream. She walks you through her beginnings in LA and working her way up in the salon world to the freelance celebrity circuit and eventually becoming a business owner of her two brands, Mane Addicts and QUAI. In addition to the story of her career, she also candidly talks about a lot of important topics that are important for self-employed people but also resonate with today's society ( espescially women). She speaks on navigating social media, overworking and burnout, avoiding financial mistakes, and starting a family when you're ready. This book is an amazing guide and motivator to keep actively working on your dreams and goals, and how to navigate business and freelance ventures.
To be completely honest with you, this book is not the most fascinating read. It is very informational and factual and not necessarily a book where you can't put it down. However, I think this book is great to read as a freelancer/ small business owner. This international bestseller takes a deep dive into the world of negotiations. This book begins by stating the fact we are all negotiators and whether we think it or not we negotiate in our daily lives. A negotiation can be as small as buying something from your local thrift store to as big as settling an international conflict. "Getting To Yes" provides you with various methods of negotiating with examples of how they fit into certain scenarios. It also will provide you with the tools necessary to go into your negotiation with confidence and be able to analyze and assess problems and proceed with solutions that benefit all parties involved. The authors also go over the possible "what if's" in a negotiation and how to address them. At the end of this book, there are also commonly ask questions to answer any final thoughts and not leave you wondering what to do next. This book is extremely thorough and has valuable information to use in everyday life, we can all benefit from reading this one.
Have you read any of these books? If so, what are your thoughts on them? If you have any recommendations make sure to leave them in the comments.
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