We recently released our 25th episode of the Wild Business Growth Podcast and it got us thinking what a special journey it’s been so far. It’s been incredible connecting with so many amazing people – from startup founders to social media influencers to marketing executives to TV stars – and finding out what makes them tick!
One of the areas we discuss with every single podcast guest is creativity – specifically, what they do to stay creative. As you can imagine, the most common answer is reading books. So, we considered it our duty to round up all the books mentioned so far so you can dive into any that pique your curiosity! The list below is organized into 3 groups: Business Books, Non-Business Books, and Books Written by Wild Business Growth Podcast Guests. Each book listed links out to Amazon and also notes the podcast guest(s) who recommended the book. The first 2 groups are in alphabetical order by book title, and the 3rd group is in numerical order by episode.
Alrighty… enjoy the reading list, and stay tuned for future installments of creativity drivers such as podcasts, travel destinations, TV shows, movies, and more!
Business Books Entrepreneurs & Marketers Read to Unleash Creativity
This 1st group of books is going to shock you: business people find business books pretty helpful! Here are the top business books mentioned by Wild Business Growth Podcast guests:
- The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss
- Mentioned by Episode #1 Guest Justin Bauer
- The 5 Second Rule: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage by Mel Robbins
- Mentioned by Episode #20 Guest Rebekah Radice
- Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
- Mentioned by Episode #3 Guest Julia Lamorelle
- Connected to Goodness: Manifest Everything You Desire in Business and Life by David Meltzer
- Mentioned by Episode #13 Guest Dr. Chithra Durgam
- The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
- Mentioned by Episode #9 Guest Tom Casano & Episode #18 Guest Greg Branstetter
- The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition by William Strunk, Jr. & E. B. White
- Mentioned by Episode #27 Guest Ann Handley
- Growing a Business by Paul Hawken
- Mentioned by Episode #18 Guest Greg Branstetter
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz
- Mentioned by Episode #3 Guest Julia Lamorelle
- How to be a Billionaire: Proven Strategies from the Titans of Wealth by Martin S. Fridson
- Mentioned by Episode #9 Guest Tom Casano
- In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies by Thomas J. Peters & Robert H. Waterman
- Mentioned by Episode #18 Guest Greg Branstetter
- INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love by Marty Cagan
- Mentioned by Episode #3 Guest Julia Lamorelle
- The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture by Scott Belsky
- Mentioned by Episode #17 Guest Joe Martin
- The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott
- Mentioned by Episode #15 Guest Joe Pulizzi & Episode #27 Guest Ann Handley
- The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
- Mentioned by Episode #17 Guest Joe Martin
- Startup CEO, + Website: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Business by Matt Blumberg
- Mentioned by Episode #25 Guests Rob & Kennedy
- Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century (Think and Grow Rich Series) by Napoleon Hill
- Mentioned by Episode #15 Guest Joe Pulizzi
- This Is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See by Seth Godin
- Mentioned by Episode #19 Guest John Lee Dumas (JLD)
- Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
- Mentioned by Episode #9 Guest Tom Casano
- Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Tim Ferriss
- Mentioned in Episode #1 with Guest Justin Bauer & Episode #9 with Guest Tom Casano
- Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel
- Mentioned by Episode #3 Guest Julia Lamorelle
Non-Business Books Entrepreneurs & Marketers Read to Unleash Creativity
Many times entrepreneurs and marketers find creative inspiration from books outside their industry – or even another planet! The below books include fiction, biographies, children’s books, how-to guides, and more:
- A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers by John Feinstein
- Mentioned by Episode #12 Guest Ann Bastianelli
- Ayurveda (Idiot’s Guides) by Sahara Rose Ketabi
- Mentioned by Episode #11 Guest Lucie Fink
- The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams
- Mentioned by Episode #14 Guest Devon Cajuste
- The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande
- Mentioned by Episode #13 Guest Dr. Chithra Durgam
- Choose Your Own Adventure Book Series by R. A. Montgomery
- Mentioned by Episode #25 Guests Rob & Kennedy
- The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed On Your Own Terms by Vishen Lakhiani
- Mentioned by Episode #6 Guest Mike Kawula
- The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon
- Mentioned by Episode #14 Guest Devon Cajuste
- Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
- Mentioned by Episode #26 Guest Scott Gelber
- Goosebumps Book Series by R. L. Stine
- Mentioned by Episode #25 Guests Rob & Kennedy
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
- Mentioned by Episode #14 Guest Devon Cajuste & Episode #17 Guest Joe Martin
- Harry Potter Book Series by J. K. Rowling
- Mentioned by Episode #2 Guest Brendan O’Marra
- How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan
- Mentioned by Episode #11 Guest Lucie Fink
- The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
- Mentioned by Episode #14 Guest Devon Cajuste
- Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer by Fred Kaplan
- Mentioned by Episode #12 Guest Ann Bastianelli
- Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times by Donald T. Phillips
- Mentioned by Episode #26 Guest Scott Gelber
- Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) by Agatha Christie
- Mentioned by Episode #17 Guest Joe Martin
- The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway
- Mentioned in Episode #4 with Guest Jon Savitt
- One Second After (A John Matherson Novel) by William Forstchen
- Mentioned by Episode #17 Guest Joe Martin
- The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
- Mentioned by Episode #5 Guest Gina Schreck
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
- Mentioned by Episode #8 Guest Danielle Dardashti
- The Shining by Stephen King
- Mentioned by Episode #3 Guest Julia Lamorelle
- Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
- Mentioned by Episode #14 Guest Devon Cajuste
- Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
- Mentioned by Episode #15 Guest Joe Pulizzi
- Thanks a Lot Mr Kibblewhite: My Story by Roger Daltrey
- Mentioned by Episode #18 Guest Greg Branstetter
- Treasure Island (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) by Robert Louis Stevenson & Lisa Norby
- Mentioned by Episode #2 Guest Brendan O’Marra
- The Ultimate Law of Attraction Library by Dr. Joe Vitale
- Mentioned by Episode #6 Guest Mike Kawula
- Who I Am: A Memoir by Pete Townshend
- Mentioned by Episode #18 Guest Greg Branstetter
Business & Creativity Books Written by Wild Business Growth Podcast Guests
Last but not least, here are the extraordinary works by our podcast guests! These guests have written or been featured in these amazing books on the topics of content marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, podcasting, and more:
- Episode #5 Guest Gina Schreck
- Episode #6 Guest Mike Kawula
- Episode #13 Guest Dr. Chithra Durgam (she was featured in the below)
- Episode #15 Guest Joe Pulizzi
- Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses
- Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less
- Get Content Get Customers: Turn Prospects into Buyers with Content Marketing
- Killing Marketing: How Innovative Businesses Are Turning Marketing Cost Into Profit
- Managing Content Marketing: The Real-World Guide for Creating Passionate Subscribers to Your Brand
- Episode #19 Guest John Lee Dumas (JLD)
- Episode #20 Guest Rebekah Radice
- Episode #22 Guest Andrew “Drew” Davis
- Episode #27 Guest Ann Handley
How do I start a podcast?
Enjoy the reading list? And enjoy podcasts? If you’ve been soaking up podcasts more and more, you might be thinking: wouldn’t it be cool if I had a podcast of my own? You’ve come to the right place – we’d love to help you out! Email me at max@hippodirect.com with questions on any part of the podcasting process:
- Podcast Planning
- Podcast Production
- Podcast Promotion
- More!
We’d love to start out with a free 30-minute consultation and provide some helpful resources that have been instrumental in getting the Wild Business Growth Podcast up and rolling and connecting with the high-quality guests mentioned above. We love making your podcast the best it can be. Let your podcast Run Wild!
Stay tuned for a new Wild Business Growth Podcast every single Wednesday morning! And keep an eye out for future installments that include more creativity drivers for entrepreneurs and marketers, such as podcasts, travel destinations, TV shows, and more. Let us know any guests you’d like to see on the show and follow along for your favorite marketing tips, business tips, and podcasts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Sign up for the Hippo Digest email newsletter for your Weekly Recap of Creative Marketing. Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!