Since the pandemic and lockdowns, I have been reading a lot of books about business, marketing, self-development and biographies. I have put together a list of top 5 books for you to read to get you a great start in 2021. These books pumped me, hyped me, motivated me but most importantly educated me especially on business and marketing.
Crushing it by Gary Vaynerchuk
This book is a part 2 of the book Crush it and it gives us many examples of success stories of small and medium businesses as well as entrepreneurs and freelancers. Crushing it explains the basic principles of social media and promotion but the ones that we always forget. It gives good advice on how to scale your business, how to get attention and how to create a community that supports what you do.
As mentioned above, in this book you will find practical real-life examples of business owners who were able to grow their companies and they reveal how they’ve done it step by step. Gary Vee then gives an insight and overview of why this and that strategy worked.
This book is definitely for everyone because according to Gary Vee it’s never too late to start your business and follow your passion. Crushing it will give you the permission, motivation and it will pump you up to do your thing.
Greenlights by Matthew McConaghuey
Greenlights book is more of a memoire and travel diary rather than a business book. However, you can follow the mindset and actions that led to success and failure. There are real-life notes and diary put together and published in this book before Matthew even became a Hollywood superstar. It gives us the chance to see the process, thinking and steps that lead to the success all the way to getting an Oscar.
In my opinion, Matthew has a very unique style of storytelling, the way he says things makes me think. You will find plenty of funny stories throughout the book which I can’t get off my head even today.
And if you like travelling, you will definitely love this book as Matthew documented every big trip he took into the wilderness, different cultures and continents. He will take you with him on his journey.
Be obsessed or be average by Grant Cardone
This book is a must for every person who wants to be the best in their field. I read this book couple times per year just to remind me what it takes to become really successful. Grant is a generous but ruthless businessman and we all have a lot to learn from him. Be obsessed or be average is giving you valuable advice, practical examples in business and know-how of solving a problem. It opens your mind to see greater opportunities.
Grant will be your mentor while you read this book, he will guide you through the process and he will say that things are difficult and hard but it doesn’t mean you have to give up. I believe this book is crucial to read in this pandemic situation because Grant started his huge career with the economy crash back in 2009 so he knows what to do when the world goes down.
I also value very much the part where he talks about your friends and family not supporting you, the naysayers, the negative people and environment. He tells you how to deal with this effectively and how to get the confidence to build a successful business in any given circumstances.
4-hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
I know that this book is kind of old but I have recently read the second edition which has a lot of practical examples and real business owners who talk about how the book changed their life. If you haven’t read this book at all, maybe you think that the title is crazy and impossible.
This book is not a fake BS as I actually thought. That’s why I was avoiding it for so long. I have to say that Tim shares the exact steps and tons of resources of how to achieve a 4-hour workweek. Of course, reading it in 2020 will be a bit different but still gives a lot of value.
In other words, Tim shares tips on how to get things done – quicker. How to think outside the box and how to finally get your freedom and not being a slave to your job/business.
There are things that I don’t agree with in this book but I found it very, very valuable and mind opening.
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
I’m recommending not only two books by Gary Vee but actually all of them. Gary is a guru of social media and he tells you things that others won’t. That’s why you should listen. Not everything applies to you so you pick what advice is appropriate for you or your business. This book is older as well but the principles stay the same.
Social media changes, there is no Vine anymore but there is TikTok. The message, the point is always the same. Gary gives many examples of great posts, campaigns and he explains why and what exactly worked. He really goes into detail and covers every aspect of the post and brand.
As the title suggests, this is about getting attention on a crowded social media and getting customers to find you. He’s explaining the marketing strategies and he tells you where you’re actually making a mistake. This book is a very good insight of how your customers/consumer/client thinks about what you actually post.
Bonus
Of course I am going to promote my books in this article as well 🙂
You can grab my e-books on freelancing or videography. Or both. Enjoy!
Buy How to become a professional videographer
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Download Freelancer’s Diary: Learn From My Biggest Mistakes
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