The Books We Always Recommend
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The ONE Thing: The Surprising Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller
Focused on thinking BIG but narrowing your focus on ONE SPECIFIC THING at a time. This book is one of our favorites to go back to when we have many options in front of us or need to reorientate back to executing on a goal. The ONE Thing teaches us a methodology of utilizing a single, compelling focus question: 'What's the ONE thing you can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary.' Asking this question in any area of your life will boost your productivity and increase the quality of your results. In this busy and distracted world, we need to set our priorities and work on them one by one — full energy, attention, and commitment.
WOLFPACK: How to Come Together, Unleash our Power and Change the Game by Abby Wambach
Wolfpack is the one book that we gifted to multiple people throughout the year. A quick yet compelling read. In Wolfpack, Abby Wambach's message to all women is: 'If we keep playing by the old rules, we will never change the game. New rules. 1) Make failure your fuel 2) Lead from the bench 3) Champion each other 4) Demand the ball.'
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg Mckeown
The lesson we loved from Essentialism was the idea that even in a corporate career that you've created through hustle, long hours, and overworking, you can take back your job by refocusing your intent and by applying more selective criteria to what is essential. The pursuit of less allows us to regain control of our own choices so we can channel our time, energy, and effort into making the highest possible contribution towards goals and activities that matter to us. Essentialism isn't one more thing; it is a different way of doing everything. It is a discipline that you apply consistently. Greg proves to us that it is not too late to change your career and work approach. Essentialism is a mindset, a way of life. It is an idea whose time has come.
The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness by Jeff Olson
The Slight Edge book changed the way that we approached processing information. There's an Instagram quote that we posted by James Wedmore, 'People romanticize their plans but dread the execution. The magic you're looking for is in the work you are avoiding', that is precisely the wisdom of this book. In it, Jeff gives multiple examples of how companies, individuals, and teams use simple daily activities to empower results. One of our favorite examples is the story he provides about his daughter in college. She just kept showing up. When everyone else decided they were too busy or not getting enough from the class, she showed up, and that made all the difference.
I'm Possible: Jumping into Fear and Discovering a Life of Purpose by Jeremy Cowart
From this book came our north star at Allocative: What if we shared everything that we learned?
In I'm Possible, Jeremy shares how he has taken opportunities that far exceeded his current skill set and learned from those he encountered to build fulfilling careers. One of the reasons we enjoyed this book so much isn't just about creating jobs he loved, but also that he recognized when something was no longer serving him and let to go, a powerful lesson that can be difficult to learn if you don't know that it is possible. Jeremy also shares how he evolves his passions to help others, giving back to communities and people that are underserved but deserve the opportunity to thrive.
Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days by Jake Knapp
Not only did we enjoy absorbing this content about how to facilitate, create and receive feedback quickly (five days!), but we also had the opportunity in 2019 to join a community practicing the skills taught in the book. If you are looking for new ways to drive products to market, capture innovative ideas, or solve problems quickly, we recommend checking out this book and his training sessions.
Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes
This memoir explore's Shonda's life when she learned to say yes to her health, yes to play, and she stepped out of the shadows and into the sun; when she learned to explore, empower, applaud, and love her most authentic self. Yes. Shonda's name might sound familiar; she is the creator of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder.
