The Best Books for Female Entrepreneurs to read and gain inspiration.
Did you know that more than 12 million women in the U.S. currently own a business? Clearly, women are making their way out of the shadows and into the spotlight even more every day.
If you’re reading this, maybe you’re an aspiring boss babe or girl boss, or perhaps you’re already a successful entrepreneur looking for more inspiration. You’ll love this list of the best books for female entrepreneurs that will help you move the needle or help you tackle a mindset problem.
So, let’s dive into the list.
13 of the Best Books for Female Entrepreneurs
1. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
If you’re afraid to try new things, this book by bestselling author Shery Sandberg may help you push past your fears and try new things outside your comfort zone. You may also find a way to break the common stereotype that you must choose between family and work.
This book continues the conversation from her popular TED talk about women holding themselves back in their careers that’s been viewed almost 11,000,000 times.
She combines detailed data, anecdotes, research, and personal experience to change women’s conversation from what they can’t do to what they CAN DO.
As the COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg is a shining example of what a woman with a family can accomplish as long as she changes her mindset. Lean In is one of the greatest inspiring books for women in business.
2. Women Who Launch: Women Who Shattered the Glass Ceilings by Marlene Wagman-Geller
Women Who Launch is another one of the best books for female entrepreneurs because it profiles and tells the true stories of some of the most influential businesswomen such as Julia Ward-Howe, Estee Lauder, Juliette Gordon, and more.
For instance, Juliette Gordon created the Girl Scouts of America and showed the world what’s good for the goose is good for the gander! Many of us know Estee Lauder, who transformed the cosmetics industry.
You’ll learn the stories of the women behind some of the most famous brands and companies and empowering quotes from them. Plus, Women Who Launch will motivate you to be the badass you know you can be.
3. You Are a Badass and You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
If you’ve seen some of my other gift guides or posts like the best books on freelancing or the best gifts for aspiring writers, you’ll know that I love these two books.
You Are a Badass made Sincero a best-selling author as it was her first book. It combines her hilarious and inspiring story along with simple exercises and wise advice to help you identify and banish self-sabotage behaviors and beliefs.
You Are a Badass is the second book by Jen Sincero, and I couldn’t stop laughing at her stories about being a starving writer and living in a dump of an apartment. She shares the things that helped her start getting real results and opened up her true earning potential. You’ll learn how to:
- Uncover what’s blocking you from making money
- Relate to money in a new way
- Get rid of your fears, excuses, and doubts
- Shape your new reality
- Increase your creativity
- Make as much money as you want to
And much more. These are two books for female entrepreneurs who want successful businesses or to be writers can’t miss.
Related: 13 of the Best Books on Freelance Writing and Business that Will Make You a Success
4. Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business by Barbara Corcoran
Shark Tales is the real story of Shark Tank Star Barbara Corcoran. It’s a shining example of one of the great business books that tells a traditional failure-to-success tale that inspires us all.
After Corcoran failed at twenty-two jobs (yes, really 22 jobs), she borrowed $1,000 from her boyfriend to start a small real estate office in New York City. She used some unconventional lessons she learned from her mom and built that investment into a $6 billion business.
Most of us know her from the practical, smart advice she shares with other entrepreneurs on Shark Tank, but this book is her story and offers sage wisdom.
I love this book because she is no-nonsense and candid, making you think if she can do it, so can I! You can have a successful life and a successful business too.
5. Do It Like a Woman….and Change the World by Caroline Criado-Perez
Now do it like a woman is a compliment and not an insult, which is precisely what Criado-Perez means with this title. This book shows just what it means to be brave and speak out as well as taking risks.
You can change the world as a woman with baby steps – one step at a time. You’ll read about some trail-blazing women that you’ve never heard of before, like a Chilean revolutionary and a female fighter pilot in the Middle East.
This may be one of the most inspirational reads on this list of the best books for female entrepreneurs.
6. The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
Finding confidence is something hard for many of us, and it can block the path to success. Katty Kay and Claire Shipman discuss how to find confidence and what it takes to find it.
They talk to psychologists and dig into research on genetics, behavior, gender, and more to discover how a woman can be more confident, citing examples from their life.
Women are more qualified today than ever before, yet men still rule the corporate world. If you want to know how to close the gap between male and female entrepreneurs, The Confidence Code is for you.
When you believe in yourself, you can push past the things that scare you and hold you back, and take risks. Great opportunities lie on the other side of fear.
7. Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
This book is perfect for creative entrepreneurs and is recommended by Seth Godin, the Lifehacker, and other greats. Consider it a guide that inspires creativity in the online world.
The key is that nothing is really original. We all learn from others, so if sometimes you feel a bit like an imposter, DON’T! Feel free to mix your work with others and to steal to create something new with your own spin.
This fantastic book teaches you to embrace influence and follow the ten transformative principles in this book so you can discover the artist inside of you. Be a creative woman without feeling like an imposter if you learn things from others.
It also throws in some other lessons about staying out of debt and explains how you should risk being boring in your everyday life so you can be creative in your work.
8. What You Can Do, I Can Too by Helen Vallaeys
This book makes this list of the best books for female entrepreneurs because women are starting businesses at much younger ages now. It may be one of those inspiring books that pushes a young woman or girl to start the online business of her dreams one day.
Girls struggle with confidence, especially with all the signs society shows them, like being skinny and pretty is the key to success. This book can help increase a girl’s confidence, and it offers up role models who can show you that you can do anything.
It’s perfect if you have a daughter who could use a dose of confidence by showing successful women in various professions.
9. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz
This is one of those books for women that you may want to re-read over and over again, but it’s not easy to read for sure. Ruiz discusses the four agreements you should make with yourself to live the best life possible.
Each one of the agreements is simple but may take a lifetime to understand and master truly. It’s based on Toltec wisdom, that of the Toltec who ruled Mexico 1,000 years ago.
The Four Agreements spells out a formidable code of conduct that can help you rapidly change your life to one of true happiness, love, and freedom. Who doesn’t want that for their life? Learn how to have an extraordinary life – a fulfilling life.
Perhaps this will persuade you why you need this book in your life – Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra recommend it, and it has been a New York Times bestseller for over ten years.
10. Girl Stop Apologizing – A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals by Rachel Hollis
This book recommendation is for all remarkable women in business everywhere because it will help you get rid of the negative internalized self-talk and limiting beliefs many women have.
Women have not been taught to get to know who they are and what they want. They learn to define themselves by their relationships with other people – daughter, wife, employee, mother, etc.
We all have that persistent, negative self-talk that lingers internally, telling us we aren’t pretty enough, smart enough, etc. It can damage your confidence and how successful you are in business.
This book tells you the excuses you can eliminate, the behaviors to embrace, and the skills to learn so you grow your confidence. Believe in yourself, and you can start a life-changing business.
10. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
We’ve all heard the power of mindset. In fact, you can’t get too far on social media or online before you see someone talking about that one mindset “shift” that changed it all to them. Dweck may have the proof it’s true.
This bestselling book has changed millions of lives over the years and was written by Carol S. Dweck. Ph. D., an esteemed Stanford University Psychologist. She wrote it after years of research that led her to the discovery of the power of mindset.
She illustrates success in work, school, sports, the arts, and almost every other area in life you can think of, can radically influence how we perceive our abilities and talents.
Dweck’s research shows that people with a fixed mindset are less likely to thrive in life than those with a growth mindset. So, if you feel like your abilities are fixed, this book is definitely for you.
Learn how other successful people use the power of mindset to become exceptional.
11. The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose by Oprah Winfrey
This might be the perfect coffee table book because we all know how famous Oprah is. She’s only one of the most inspirational female entrepreneurs on the planet, so her book should definitely make this list of the best books for female entrepreneurs.
What’s great about this book is Oprah doesn’t just focus on being a successful woman entrepreneur; she talks about being significant. This book is an excellent read as she adds her own lessons and stories for examples.
We all have a purpose in our personal and professional lives, and Oprah says, “Your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you are meant to be, and begin to honor your calling in the best possible way.”
13. Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence by Gary Vaynerchuk
New York Times bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk is an inspiration to people everywhere, and this book is no exception. It’s full of new lessons and inspiration from the experiences of successful entrepreneurs and influencers who rejected the predictable corporate pathway to pursue their dreams.
To have an exceptional professional and personal life, you need not be afraid to not settle with predictable career paths. In fact, if it doesn’t scare you a little and give you those butterflies in your stomach, you’re probably not pushing yourself enough.
Read authentic stories about personal brands and thriving businesses and the people behind them who weren’t afraid to risk it all. Vaynerchuk explains that a bright and lively brand is critical to entrepreneurial success today.
You can take these stories and Gary’s business advice to create and grow a brand that draws people in. He also dissects all the major social media platforms so that everyone from a plumber to a professional ice skater can amplify their brand on social media.
This book is the ultimate guide to creating your own path to financial and professional success.
Final Thoughts on the Best Books for Female Entrepreneurs
This list of books is perfect to create the life you’ve dreamed of with a wildly successful business and financial freedom. You can find your true calling, make a creative living, and even become an inspiration to other women.
This is your wake-up call to take a chance and build your dream business. And you’re not alone; you have all these great resources for women written by people who want to help you truly be successful, whether you’re a homemaker mom or female corporate CEO.
These are some of the best books for female entrepreneurs who need that extra support and inspiration to be a badass female business owner, author, or whatever else you want to be.
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The Best Books for Female Entrepreneurs to Read to Grow.
I can’t wait to add these to my Goodreads list!
Great thanks for reading the article. These are definitely some good books.
I love the books by Jen, she’s so inspiring and honest. I’ll be adding these others to my book list, which is about 13 miles long. Thank you for the recommendations, I’m always looking for books that teach me how to become a better entrepreneur.
I love how candid Jen is too! And my book list is also 13 miles long HAHAHA. I’m glad you found some books you like because these are definitely some good ones.