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BEST BUSINESS BOOKS AND PODCASTS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Whether you’re looking for advice on boosting revenue for your business or kickstarting your entrepreneurial journey, it is always helpful to heed the words from those residing successfully in the entrepreneurial landscape. They know how to navigate the tumultuous quicksand, make a profit and rock a grand French exit.

One of my favorite things to ask a successful entrepreneur is what are the best business books and podcasts for entrepreneurs that they recommend. It is helpful to know which influences have planted the seed of inspiration for them, deepened their cranial folds and escorted them from surviving to thriving.

BEST BUSINESS BOOKS AND PODCASTS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

I was lucky enough to organize an Entrepreneurial Night at CAA for my alma mater late last year with top notch panelists – entrepreneurs at the top of their respective games. They have risen, fallen, risen again and gained insight throughout the process. I asked a few of them which books and podcasts they recommend to help guide us in our path for success. Grab one, grab all – they make the perfect gifts for our upcoming graduates.

Here is what they suggested.

HERNAN LOPEZ | Founder and former CEO of Wondery (one of the largest podcast publishers, acquired by Amazon in 2021)

ā€œFrom Zero To Oneā€ (Peter Thiel)

ā€œFrom Zero To Oneā€ by Peter Thiel one of the best business books and podcasts for entrepreneurs

ā€œThe Lean Startupā€ (Eric Ries)

ā€œThe Lean Startupā€ by Eric Ries one of the best business books and podcasts for entrepreneurs

and the audiobook version of ā€œMasters Of Scaleā€ by Reid Hoffmann

ā€œMasters Of Scaleā€ by Reid Hoffmann one of the best business books and podcasts for entrepreneurs

(Or the podcast for that matter.)

“How I Built This – with Guy Raz” (Podcast)Ā “It happens to be on Wondery, but I had nothing to do with its success.” – Hernan Lopez

"How I Built This - with Guy Raz" (Podcast)Ā 

PETER KIM | Founder of Hudson Jeans, Golden Circle Group and D-R-G-N

“Positive Intelligence” (Shirzad Chamine)

"Positive Intelligence" (Shirzad Chamine) one of the best business books and podcasts for entrepreneurs

“The Whole-Brain Child” (Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. & Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.)

"The Whole-Brain Child" (Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. & Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.) one of the best business books and podcasts for entrepreneurs

“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” (Yuval Noah Harari)

"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" (Yuval Noah Harari)

“The Hero’s Journey” (Joseph Campbell)

"The Hero's Journey" (Joseph Campbell)

“The Power of Myth” (Joseph Campbell)

"The Power of Myth" (Joseph Campbell)

“Relentless” (Tim S. Grover)

"Relentless" (Tim S. Grover) one of the best business books and podcasts for entrepreneurs

“The Hard Thing About Hard Things” (Ben Horowitz)

"The Hard Thing About Hard Things" (Ben Horowitz)

“Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World” (Mo Gawdat)

"Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World" (Mo Gawdat) one of the best business books and podcasts for entrepreneurs

“Shoe Dog” (Phil Knight)

"Shoe Dog" (Phil Knight)

ADAM FRIEDMAN | CAA Executive and Investor at Connect Ventures

“Business Wars” (podcast)

"Business Wars" (podcast) one of the best business books and podcasts for entrepreneurs

MARINA GORDON AFSHAR | Founder of soon to be announced chic lifestyle brand

“Think and Grow Rich” (Napoleon Hill)

"Think and Grow Rich" (Napoleon Hill)

“Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude” (Napoleon Hill)

"Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude" (Napoleon Hill)

 

“Most importantly, are biographies, as an entrepreneur. They are more important than the other books. They make the dream more feasible to attain and simply to be inspired keeps most people going. These are my non negotiables if you want to be an entrepreneur.” – Marina Afshar

“Inventing Joy” (Joy Mangano – founder and creator of the Miracle Mop QVC Queen)

"Inventing Joy" (Joy Mangano - founder and creator of the Miracle Mop QVC Queen)

“Built From Scratch” (Bernand Marcus and Arthur Blank, founders of Home Depot)

"Built From Scratch" (Bernand Marcus and Arthur Blank, founders of Home Depot)

….and in agreement with Peter Kim, “Shoe Dog” (Phil Knight)

ā€œRead 500 pages every day. Thatā€™s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest.ā€ – Warren Buffett

And there you go. Thank you for reading. Now, go read.

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