I love blogs, podcasts, and videos. Each of these has the chance to inspire me and lift me up. I have created time in my morning routine to put some good into my brain each day…and these are often my tools of choice. But if I really want to take a deep dive into a topic, I still am inspired by books. Whether I read a physical book or simply take a walk with the author (in audio form), books help me grow (and level up).
Over the course of the last 10 years, I have had the chance to read hundreds of books. Some have been forgettable. Others have been what I needed to hear at the moment. But here is a list of 37 Game-Changing Books for Business that have impacted me. I wanted to share them with you.
I originally wrote this list in 2021. So I updated this list again to add a few new favorites!
The E-Myth Revisited
This is one of the best business books ever. I have bought countless copies and have recommended it more times than I can remember. I have probably read it 10 different times and have found myself in a different place on the journey each time. If you are in business or want to start a business, this is awesome.
Profit First
When I first listened to Profit-First, I thought author Mike Michaelowicx was following me around. It spoke to the challenges I was having in my business’s cash flow right then. We tentatively adopted the philosophy and have not looked back. It’s been a game-changer for us. Mike’s goal is to “eliminate entrepreneurial poverty,” and for many in business, that is a real thing. Love this book.
I think each one of Sinek’s books has gotten stronger. And while I really enjoyed “Start with Why,” I thought “Leaders Eat Last” was even better. Sinek goes into what makes a great leader and even the biological reasons for it. Powerful information…and super interesting too!
Infinite Game
As you might expect, this is my favorite of Simon Sinek’s books. He explains the difference between a finite game and an infinite game and why it matters so much to know what kind of game you are playing. For me, it crystallized the idea of playing a “long game” in business. It’s what I have long believed and discussed, but Sinek does it in a much more articulate way than me!
The Thank You Economy
I love Gary Vaynerchuk. I am a fan. But while I love his content, his energy, his speaking, and his philosophy, I don’t always LOVE his books. But The Thank You Economy was different. Gary talks about using social media to create appreciation, value, and connection at scale. Loved this one.
Pumpkin Plan
This is the second Mike Michaelowicz book on the list. I am a fan of Mike’s work and this is a powerful one about differentiation. He says “The Riches are in the Niches” and explains how to find your niche and grow into it. He even spends a bit of time explaining how to “fire a client” which just seems so hard for some entrepreneurs. The Pumpkin Plan is worth harvesting.
Purple Cow
I am an unapologetic fan of Seth Godin. He is a thought leader in business and marketing. And he has the ability to say things in a way that is simple, yet powerful. “If you want to be remarkable, you have to do something worth remarketing about.” Read this one if you want to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
The Dip
While this is probably not Godin’s most famous book, it is the one I find myself quoting the most often. It’s short and powerful. When you start something new, you will be learning fast and your improvements will be fast. Then, that will excitement and progress will slow down. It will not be as exciting. This is the Dip…and it’s when most people quit. Get through the Dip…and you become the expert.
The Practice
His most recent book (as I type this), The Practice is a powerful reminder about how we get better at anything. If you want to build a career, a business, your fitness, content, or a life…creating a Practice will help you do it.
Ultimate Selling Machine
If you are an entrepreneur or are in sales (and we are all in sales), this book is powerful. There are strategies for everything from creating a sales process to building real relationships. Love this one.
High Trust Selling
I read this one a long time ago, and it was one of the first books that changed my business. Duncan’s observation is that 80% of our results in sales come from 20% of activities. But as salespeople, we tend to focus on the wrong part of the business. We need to hire out the 80% that does not make us money.
The 5-Second Rule
File this under “simple but powerful.” Mel Robbins gives you a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 solution for procrastination. Along the way, she gives powerful insights into performance and life. Oh…and this is a great audiobook if you enjoy those.
Finish
Jon Acuff is a great writer and speaker. His sense of humor helps me get lessons I might otherwise miss. While I love his book Start (Punch Fear in the Face), the book Finish was more powerful for me. I have never had problems starting things…but finishing? Squirrel! He gives some great tips on getting your project to the finish line.
I got this book recently at the recommendation from a friend. It’s a great look at how to improve a bottleneck and flies in the face of traditional manufacturing policy.
Known
Want to build your personal brand? I really enjoyed this book from Mark Schaeffer on how to make it happen. In this book, he outlines the 5 steps you need to take to build your brand and become Known.
Building Your Storybrand
Donald Miller wrote this gem that outlines why most companies get their marketing wrong. It was a real “a-ha” moment for me and shined a light on why sometimes messages work and sometimes they don’t. Who is your marketing making “the hero of the story?” Most of us make ourselves the hero. The customer needs to be the hero. Miller explains why in this wonderful book.
Marketing Made Simple
Now that you understand that the customer needs to be the hero of your marketing story, Marketing Made Simple digs into the tactics of how to make that happen. This book outlines a step-by-step process to create a marketing machine that works for your business.
Dare To Lead
Most of us are afraid to put ourselves out there. We don’t want to be completely authentic because it doesn’t feel like “what a strong leader would do.” Brene Brown breaks down those myths and challenges us to lean into them. I feel like this book made me a better leader by making me a better person.
Extreme Ownership
And speaking of leadership, it’s hard to learn from better teachers than Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. These two team up to give amazing lessons in leadership combined with stories from leading teams in combat. Oh…and if something is going wrong in your company, or division, or family…you should take extreme ownership. Good one here.
Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
Everywhere I looked, I saw people telling me I needed to meditate. But I didn’t know how. I felt like I was doing it wrong. It felt strange and weird. This book breaks down some of those myths and gives you permission to get started with “just one minute” if that’s what you need to do. This is a good introduction for someone that feels they might need meditation in your life…but does not know where to start.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
If you are offended by strong language, this book is not for you. However, if you can get past that, there is a zen-like quality to much of this book that really connected with me. One of my favorite lessons, which I talk about here, is the idea that successful people are willing to “suffer through” things to get to what they want. Not everything will be easy. If you want to reach your goal, you need to decide what you are willing to suffer through.
Scrum
This book is sort of the bible for Agile productivity. We read it as a team. If you want to get more done as a team, this book is a must-read. Can you break down tasks into small enough pieces so that every member of the team can help? You probably can…and SCRUM lines up how.
4 Disciplines of Execution
Let me see if you have been there. We come back from a conference (or read a book) and want to implement a great idea. We start strong, but then the “whirlwind” of business and life gets in the way. The 4 Disciplines breaks down how to identify the Wildly Important Goal, and create a process to make improvements with your team.
Epic Content Marketing
If you want to do content marketing “right,” this is your manual. Joe Pulizzi talks about the start of his company and how creating compelling content (for the customer) works. He shows you how to create an audience and story-tell in a way that will build your brand. Loved this one.
Hug Your Haters
So you have created a social media following that is worth having. What do you do when “the haters” show up? Jay Baer says you need to “Hug Your Haters” in this book about dealing with tough comments on social. Jay gives the playbook on what to do when complaints happen (and they will). Most of us want to ignore the comments so they go away. Jay explains why that is the wrong play…and how doing it right can change haters into fans!
Never Split the Difference
Life is a negotiation. If you are in business, you already know this. In this powerful book, Chris Voss takes us inside some amazing stories from a hostage negotiator…and how many of them can apply to you.
Living With a Seal
This is a fun one. Jesse Itzler tells the story of how he invited the “toughest man on the planet” David Goggins to live with him for a month and train him. When I listened to this, no one knew who David Goggins was…but it all makes sense now. While there are some sincere lessons here about how far we (as humans) can go, this one was fun.
The Power of One More
If you have followed me over the past few years, I talk a lot about Ed Mylett. His book The Power of One More is a great personal development read. If you want to level up in any area of your life, Mylett gives you the tools to do that. And I love the way he frames so many of these important topics.
Soundtracks
Jon Acuff is funny and insightful…and this is probably my favorite book from him. Here Jon talks about the voice that we hear all of the time in our heads…our own. Most of us can be our own worst enemies, and he gives us permission to push back on that voice…and tools to do just that. Totally worth a read or a listen.
Buy Back Your Time
Most of the entrepreneurs I know struggle with two things…cash and time. While this book doesn’t give you any cash, it does give you lots of tactics on how to better use your time in order to grow.
$100 Million Offers
Alex Hermozi doesn’t need any recommendations from me…but he is going to get it anyway! This book $100 Million Offers, and his follow-up $100 Million Leads, are must-reads if you want to grow your business. And if you are not following him on social media already, you really should check him out!
Traction
I read this a long time ago…but I didn’t implement it. I went back to re-read after so many people I respect mentioned the book. We have worked to implement the tactics at Hasseman Marketing, and now I understand the appeal.
The 6 Types of Working Genius
Sometimes you read a book and it changes the way you look at your team. This was one of those books for me. I love the concept of how there are 6 types of work in each project. Then Patrick Lencioni explains how to increase efficiency and avoid burnout by putting people (and yourself) in your area of genius as much as possible.
12 Months To $1 Million
If you want to start a business, I think this is a great place to start. There are concepts here that will help you get started off right…and great reminders for those who have been doing this for a while. Great book!
Hit The TARGET
This is my one selfish plug, but if you are struggling with your marketing, I really think this can help. Hit The TARGET is my latest book, written as a parable, that helps you identify your perfect customer and grow your business with them.
So there you have it! This is my updated list of 37 Game-Changing Books for Business.
As always, we want to provide you with value. So if you want to create marketing campaigns (and appreciation gifts) that hit the TARGET, check out our TARGET marketing playbook here.
You have heard it before. You are the people you surround yourself with. We tell our kids this as they grow up. But we often lose sight of it as adults. The people we surround ourselves with, influence us in big ways. And while you might not be able to schedule lunch with anyone you want on the other, content has changed who we can spend time with. In today’s DMJ 1 on 1, I talk about this…and I talk about the 5 people I follow who help me raise my game.
5 People Who Help Me Raise My Game
Ed Mylett
Ed Mylett is a successful businessperson, content creator, and influencer. He is a man of faith and I quote his advice all of the time (as I do in the video). In addition, his book “The Power of One More” is awesome. He is all over the place, but you can find him on YouTube here.
Codie Sanchez
If you are an entrepreneur or want to be one, Codie Sanchez is a great follow. She has an email called “Contrarian Thinking” and talks about building her empire by buying “boring businesses.” Again, I am a big fan of following her on YouTube.
Alex Hermozi
If you want to grow your business, Alex Hermozi is a must-follow. He built his original business in the gym space, and is working to “build a billion-dollar thing.” Alex provides real-world advice on building businesses, getting new customers, and more. He challenges me to push myself and I love that. You can find him here.
Jon Acuff
While Jon is an entrepreneur, I think of him in the author and speaker space. He has written books called Start, Finish, Soundtracks (probably my favorite), and recently released a book called “All it Takes Is a Goal.” Jon is a self-professed “goal nerd” and gives great advice on parenting, business, and leveling up in all areas of life. My favorite place to follow him is on LinkedIn.
Gary Vaynerchuk
I love Gary Vee. Gary creates so much content that I can’t possibly consume it all. But every once in a while I see a piece of content that hits me right where I need it to. He talks about entrepreneurship, modern-day marketing, and happiness. You can find him everywhere, but I still love finding his videos on YouTube the best.
These are just 5 people that inspire me to raise my game. There are plenty of others. The point, of course, is that you can choose who you listen to in order to raise your level of fitness, finance, or even happiness. You just have to be intentional.
As always, we want to provide you with value. So if you want to create marketing campaigns (and appreciation gifts) that hit the TARGET, check out our TARGET marketing playbook here.
Everyone in business wants to have an iconic and recognizable brand. We want to have a brand like Apple, or Nike, or Harley Davidson. But your brand is much more than your logo. It’s the emotion your customers get when they see your logo. It’s the feeling your company gives people who interact with you. In today’s DMJ 101, I break down 4 Tips on Building a brand from the beginning. Watch now!
4 Tips On Building a Brand
While building an iconic brand has thousands of steps, and likely, thousands of days, here are 4 things you can do to start building yours today.
Do What You Say You Will Do
You might read that and think “Well, of course!” And you should. Of course, we need to do what we say we are going to do. But yet, we all deal with organizations that don’t live up to their own hype all of the time. If you want to build enthusiastic brand ambassadors, you need to start with a strong foundation of doing the basics. Do what you say you will do… every time.
Do Just a Little More
One of the best ways to surprise and delight your customers is to “do just a little more.” If you can consistently deliver on your promise, and then go above and beyond (even just a little), you are on your way to creating a tribe of people that will WANT to tell your story for you.
Own Your Mistakes
There will be mistakes. No matter how hard you try, things sometimes go sideways. What do you do then? The best organizations don’t look around to blame someone else. They work to solve the problem first. When you do that, you can re-channel those frustrations into delight. When things go wrong…go into action.
Create a Quarterly Appreciation Program
We dive deeper into this here, but sometimes your customers leave because they don’t think you care. You never want that to happen. So consider creating a quarterly appreciation program for your best customers. Go to them at least 4 times a year (with branded merch) to show them love. When you do that consistently, and with great merch, you will not only show gratitude. But a reminder of that gratitude will be around them all of the time.
At Hasseman Marketing we are so excited to announce that Kirby Hasseman is releasing his new book “Hit The TARGET.” The new book, which is a parable, is based on the TARGET marketing framework that we teach our clients in order to market their organization better.
“I am so excited about this new book,” says Kirby Hasseman, CEO of Hasseman Marketing. “I have never written a book like this and I hope it will make our TARGET marketing framework relatable to everyone.”
The new book is about Michael Mark. Michael’s life is in shambles. His wife died in a tragic car accident, and his business is falling apart. Michael gets a call from the bank and learns that he is about to lose his family home…and he has 3 weeks to save it. Michael meets Charles and begins to learn to take control of his life. Charles teaches Michael about the TARGET marketing framework in order to help him turn his business (and his fortunes around). While the lessons are powerful, will Michael be able to turn his business around in time to save his home? Will he be able to Hit the target?
Kirby Hasseman is the author of several other books including Delivering Marketing Joy,Fan of Happy, and the Give First Economy. In addition, he is the CEO of Hasseman Marketing. Hasseman Marketing is a full-service marketing agency in Coshocton, Ohio. Learn more about Hasseman Marketing at HassemanMarketing.com.
I was incredibly saddened when I heard about the passing of Jimmy Buffet. As I say below, his music has meant a lot to me for years. The blog (and podcast) below, was created years ago. But I felt the need to dust it off, refresh it, and give us each a chance to go to that “One Particular Harbor. Here are 5 Lessons from Jimmy Buffet. Read below…and Sail On, Sailor!
Let me say from the beginning, that I am a Jimmy Buffett fan. I have liked his music since college and have been to, probably, 10 of his concerts. As I have told my daughters, his music just takes me to a place with a smile on my face and a drink in my hand…no matter where I am.
But on my way to work the other day, listening to Tin Cup Chalice, it occurred to me that Jimmy has a lot to teach entrepreneurs and content creators if we are willing to listen.
Create a Niche
When Jimmy Buffett came to Nashville many years ago, it seemed nobody wanted him. He didn’t look like a country singer. In those days, he didn’t sound like a country singer. But he stayed willing to sound like “Jimmy Buffett.” Over time, he created a niche audience that wanted to hear the island sound at One Particular Harbor. Once he created it, that audience has loyally followed him for years!
Lesson: Don’t wait for someone to choose you. Create the audience yourself.
Have Fun With It
If you have ever listened to a Jimmy Buffett song, you know he talks about Changing his Latitude and his Attitude. His audience buys in. One time at a jam-packed concert (in the beer line) I accidentally bumped into another guy, spilling his drink. I quickly turned to apologize (that sort of thing can get you punched at many concerts). The guy said, “It’s cool! You are at a Jimmy concert!” Jimmy oozes a fun laid-back attitude…and people respond.
Lesson: If you have fun with what you are doing, your audience will too…and they will love you for it.
Don’t Focus on Your Weaknesses
Though I am a big fan, I certainly can recognize that Jimmy Buffett is not the best singer or best guitar player. I am sure there are times you feel the same way about being a content creator. There are better writers. But don’t let that stop you. Had he worried about his weaknesses, he might never have moved to Key West in the first place. Bet on your strengths and put out your best, consistently. Soon, like Jimmy, you will be playing for a packed house.
Lesson: Don’t let your weaknesses stop you from telling your story!
Age Is Just a Number
Every year I hear a rumor that “this tour” will be Jimmy’s last. But every year, he keeps traveling the country to entertain his fans. Too many of us want to work hard so they can retire. If you love what you do, keep rocking as long as you want!
Lesson: Keeping rocking and doing your thing as long as you want!
Nail Your Core…Then who knows?
For years, Jimmy Buffett was “just” an entertainer. He had some songs like Margaritaville that were popular and he played concerts around the country. But somewhere along the way, his music became a way of life. Recognizing this, Jimmy built a restaurant and bar called “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” Now he has huge restaurants, and casinos and even brews his own beer. He nailed his core and then built his brand from there. Jimmy started as an entertainer but has built himself into a true entrepreneur.
Lesson: Do what you do best…then keep your eyes open for opportunities along the way!
So let’s take a lesson from Jimmy and work hard at having fun. By taking his lead, maybe we can create the next iconic brand…and spend some time in Key West too!
It’s time to reach…and it’s time to build your reach. This blog is part of an ongoing series of blogs featuring the TARGET Marketing Framework. You can get our TARGET Marketing Playbook for FREE here. Now let’s talk about how to increase your reach in business.
The first part of Reach is to simply reach across platforms and start to build your brand. This is when you want to create content targeted at providing value to that perfect customer. The format may vary (as will the social media platform), but you must create more content than you are comfortable with.
This is when you will hear that voice in your head…pushing back.
The more you push, the louder this voice will get. You will hear things like:
“Who do you think you are?”
“No one wants to hear from you!”
“This is too much!”
“You are full of yourself!”
“Yeah, but…”
And much more. This is the voice inside your head that is trying to keep you safe and comfortable. And when it comes to Reach…you will need to get uncomfortable.
Gary Vaynerchuk, in a recent interview, said that you need to be creating up to 40 pieces of content a day, across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Read that again. 40 pieces of content per day!
Hear that voice yet?
While I am not going to prescribe a specific number of posts you need to make per day (though I love that Gary V does), I will say, it’s more than you think. This is brand building in a noisy world. One post per week is not going to cut it. You have to force yourself to reach.
It’s time to Give First
I have said that we are in a “Give First” Economy. The entrepreneurs, marketers, salespeople, and organizations that provide value first, are the ones that are going to win. This builds trust and integrity with the exact audience you want to reach. It means you are creating content that actually provides value.
So many small businesses use social media like all other forms of advertising. They just sell, sell, sell. And while there is a time to go for the sale (we will talk about that next), now is the time to answer questions, give tips, and entertain. During the R stage, you are building the relationship and building a brand.
Need a basic jumping-off point? Start with the ten questions you find yourself answering all of the time. Now create content that honestly and thoroughly answers those questions. These might be blog posts, TikToks, YouTube videos, and Instagram posts. But by answering the questions and giving first, you are starting to build a real relationship with those you want to serve.
Finally, while you are Reaching across platforms, don’t forget to build your Reach. What I mean by that is, to keep nurturing the list you are building for your organization. Now is a great time to continue to promote your lead magnet. It’s also a great time to deliver this relevant “give first” content to your list.
This is a great way to continue to build the value of your list by giving them value on a regular basis (that is not just a sales pitch).
