10 Entrepreneurship and Personal Development Books for the Musicpreneur
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I’ve always been a book junkie, just like I’m a course hoarder, but now that I have no commute and can’t go anywhere but the grocery store, I’m digging into my books to learn, grow personally, and grow professionally.
I’m especially addicted to personal and professional development books (and Outlander…) and these books all pushed me to think differently, to shift my mindset from scarcity and that will never happen for me to abundance and positivity, to build my business, and to live the life that I want to live.
So while we’re sitting at home wondering what the heck we’re going to do for the next month (or more), check out these books. Who knows, you might be rocking an online business soon too!
(And if you’re wary of purchasing and shipping hard copies right now, many of these are available on Audible and Amazon Kindle - which have apps for all kinds of devices!).
This is the book that started it all.
Seriously.
I bought this book at the beginning of 2018 after a recommendation. I had no idea what an online business was, that it was possible to truly work for myself, and that the life I desired was within my reach.
Jen’s writing style hooked me from the start and I feel like I can relate to her: she started her career in the music industry too.
This book is funny, inspiring, motivating, and completely empowering.
Give it a read if you need a kick in the ass to get moving on the life you want to live.
The second in Jen Sincero’s “You Are a Badass Series” addresses money mindset and how to overcome it.
Mindset work was completely new to me when I picked up her books, especially money mindset.
“There are mindset shifts for money?” I thought.
Yes, there are. And Jen addresses each of them, teaching you how to master your money mindset in the same direct, hilarious manner as her first book.
You’re going to hear this a lot in marketing, when you hire a business coach, and when you’re building your music career.
Your why is the building block of your business, of each and every marketing strategy, and how you’re going to relate to your audience.
Sometimes I feel like I’m a kid again when talking to clients. “But why?” I say, until we narrow it right down to the root.
This book is for anyone who wants to understand why people and companies do what they do, why they market the way they market, and why businesses succeed (and some don’t).
I was gifted this book just this past Christmas and although I’ve been building my online business and receiving Carrie Green’s emails for a while now, this book helped kick my butt into gear.
Carrie addresses everything from mindset to creating a brand, finding and building your audience, and addressing the big question on everyone’s mind: how your business is going to make money.
There are action steps to take in each chapter to help you really dive deep into your ideas and build out a plan and business that’s right for you.
This book is perfect for anyone even just considering entrepreneurship and starting an online business (plus Carrie has a great podcast and membership program for when you’re ready to dive in!).
I’ll admit, I’m only part way through this book but this book is already worth sharing! It’s easy to read and is broken down into short, digestable chapters.
What I absolutely love about it (like tag line states!) is the idea that habit building or habit breaking is all about tiny changes that can lead to big results. Some books make you go all in with changing your patterns or implementing projects, but the framework that James Clear sets out in this book makes it easy to take on these changes.
Recommended for anyone looking for personal development!
My sister gifted this to me when I graduated from grad school a few years back. I had only recently dug into personal development books, the first being I Am That Girl, and this struck a much different tone than any other I had read before.
It honestly took me a bit to really get into it, but the lessons learned were some of the most valuable of any book on my shelf (with the exception of Brene’s other books). This book teaches that vulnerability is not a weakness, but a strength that can open up a world of purpose, meaning, and incredible experiences. She impresses upon the reader that being vulnerable is the greatest form of courage, and that to live the life we want, to feel fulfilled and satisfied, we need to show up and truly let ourselves be seen.
This book transformed my view on vulnerability and opening up to the people in my life, and I highly recommend to anyone who feels as though they can’t be vulnerable or open, especially with the people they lead and love.
Yes, this book sounds like it’s made for social media influencers. Yes, it does partly focus on social media influencers. But if you’re a content creator of any kind - be it through social media, a blog, a podcast, YouTube, or any other platform - you’ll want to pick this book up.
Branding is misunderstood by so many to be all about logos and colors. Sure, that’s part of branding, but Brittany does an excellent job of explaining how to build a personal brand in today’s social media crazed world. In fact, the entire first few sections of the book are about building your community and finding ways to standout in a crowded marketplace - something that many musicians and creatives need to do to attract and retain fans and clients.
Give this a read if you’re looking to build a personal or business brand, build an engaged audience, and monetize your influence.
This book is a few years old now, but is still incredibly relevant in today’s social media world.
Renegades Write the Rules was on the reading list for one of my grad school courses and I read it from cover to cover in just days (can’t say that about many other required books!).
Through her own personal stories of working for large companies, brands, and even celebrities, Amy Jo Martin teaches that the sky’s the limit when it comes to creating influence through social media.
This is a great read for anyone building a brand or considering social media management.
I’ll admit, I hadn’t heard of Malcolm Gladwell before being required to read this for another grad school course. And if you haven’t heard of him or read any of his books, then I highly recommend picking one up.
Outliers focuses on understanding what the factors that make people successful, and our environment can contribute to success just as much as our own personal aptitudes. He talks about the 10,000 hour rule (and if you’re a musician, I’m sure you’ve heard that one!), as well as how minute details such as date and place of birth can impact success.
This was another grad school book that I read cover to cover in just a few short days, and I recommend this to anyone looking to grow both personally and professionally.
Similar to Jen Sincero, Rachel Hollis’s books are a great read to kick your butt into gear and live the life you want.
I heard about this book, but didn’t read it until my brother gifted it to me for Christmas in 2018. I dug every word of it, even when I didn’t quite relate to certain chapters (such as motherhood). The overarching message of it was something I had been personally working on for a while, but needed that extra push to get through: getting over imposter syndrome.
Day in and day out we tell ourselves pesky lies that keep us from achieving our true potential, and Rachel helps to tear those lies apart so you can live the life you want.
Recommended for anyone looking to live the life you’ve dreamed about.
Hi, I’m Kristi!
I help busy music and creative entrepreneurs ditch the day-to-day tasks so they can grow and scale their business and careers.