Though we’re a digital marketing agency, our team does not shy away from a good old-fashioned paperback. In honor of National Book Lovers Day, we polled some of the FSC team about their favorite business and marketing reads.
The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less
Director of Search Mike Crimmins picked this book by Richard Koch because it offers, “…a reminder to focus. Only twenty percent of work will bring the most results, so spend 80% of your time working on that.”
Mike also recommends Steven Pressfield’s book Do The Work. He said, “It’s a reminder that there’s no way to get around actually doing the work. You can’t think about it, you can’t debate it, you actually have to do the work to get results.”
Mad Women: The Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the ’60s and Beyond
Account Executive Mary Kate Hutchinson was inspired by Mad Women by Jane Maas, who was the first woman copy writer to take over the ad world when it was ruled by men. The character Peggy from Mad Men was based off of the author, who shares her experience and advice about being a woman in this industry.
Fascinate, Revised and Updated: How to Make Your Brand Impossible to Resist
Sally Hogshead’s books Fascinate and How the World Sees You should be required reading for all marketers and business owners. She dives into the science behind fascination and lays out a plan for determining which one of the seven ways that your brand can fascinate.
“Different is better than better. Different doesn’t try to turn you into something else. Different allows you to highlight the singular traits you already have within you. You aren’t necessarily better than your competition. But you are already different.”
― Sally Hogshead
The Elements of Style
FSC’s President, Tallie Merritt, recommends the classic The Elements of Style. She says, “Although small in size, every word is worth reading. I always walk away with a renewed love for the English language.”
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
Sadie Nius, our Vice President of Operations, knows a thing or two about an organized workplace, and her favorite biz book is The Checklist Manifesto. She says, “Atul Gawande makes a sound argument for why reoccurring prompts are valuable. Creating checklists for the more mundane tasks frees our mind up to think big.”
Honorable mentions go to Smart Women Finish Rich, The Power of Nice, Big Magic, Essentialism and You Are a Badass.
Whether it’s a book about growing your personal brand or taking control of your potential there is something out there for everyone. Reading is FUNdamental, so take a little time out of your day to enjoy an oldie or discover something new.