Episodes

About the book A legit business: one that’s proof-of-concept tested, compliant and connecting with your customer. For real. Practical and frank, 100 Days of Brave is the ultimate guidebook for building a business that will thrive. It’s for women who want to live life on their terms, enjoying the freedom that entrepreneurship provides – but who haven’t the mentors to get their show on the road. Whether you’re on the cusp of beginning a part-time hustle or you’re in the throes of start-up, 100 D...

About the author As a black child raised by five sets of white foster parents (some incredibly loving, some - not so much) I always felt that I had to prove my worth, so that I would to be 'allowed to stay.'' I had to be not only a 'good girl' but a 'good black girl'. I had no say in where I would live or who my new mum and dad would be, or where I would be living next. I was told to always be thankful, always be grateful for what I had, to never ask for more and, to never rock the boat. And n...

Here's the best books I read between April and June this year (in no particular order)... The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll (listen to the full summary here) Killer Thinking by Tim Duggan (listen to the full summary here) Power by Kemi Nekvapil (coming next week!) Me by Elton John Support my book habit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/stephsbookshelf See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About the book A thought-provoking, gorgeously illustrated gift book that will spark your creativity and help you rediscover your passion with “simple, low-stakes activities [that] can open up the world.” — The New York Times Welcome to the era of white noise. Our lives are in constant tether to phones, to email, and to social media. In this age of distraction, the ability to experience and be present is often lost: to think and to see and to listen. Enter Rob Walker’s The Art of Noticing — an ...

Hey, have you subscribed to the bookmark newsletter? If you liked this, you might like my twice-monthly email with book reviews and ideas of what you should be reading, and listening to, next. Click here to subscribe. About the author Marcus Buckingham is the author of two of the best-selling business books of all time, has two of Harvard Business Review’s most circulated, industry-changing cover articles, and has been the subject of in-depth profiles in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, ...

If you liked this, you might like my twice-monthly email with book reviews and ideas of what you should be reading, and listening to, next. Click here to subscribe. About the book Bullet Journal® (or BuJo® for short) was created by Ryder Carroll, a digital product designer and author living in Brooklyn, NY. Diagnosed with learning disabilities early in life, he was forced to figure out alternate ways to be focused and productive. Through years of trial and error, he developed a methodology that ...

Hey, have you subscribed to the bookmark newsletter? If you liked this, you might like my twice-monthly email with book reviews and ideas of what you should be reading, and listening to, next. Click here to subscribe. About the book A practical and fascinating guide from leading data expert Dr Selena Fisk that teaches us how to make informed decisions using the numbers around us so we can work smarter and live better. Data is everywhere. Smart watches track our steps and heart rate, social medi...

Adam Ashton is the co-host of the What You Will Learn podcast. I had lots of fun asking Adam about how he reads (especially as he read over 70 books in 2021), what he's reading, hearing about his unique way of pairing audiobooks and hard copy books, making notes, and finding out whether he starts more books than he finishes. And make sure you check out Adam (and other Adam's) podcast; What You Will Learn, over at https://www.whatyouwilllearn.com/ Support my book habit: https://www.buymeacoffee....

Madeleine Dore is a writer. She's recently released her first book, I Didn't Do The Thing Today, all about letting go of productivity guilt (which I talked about on episode 157 of Steph's Business Bookshelf (listen here)). In her writing, both in the book and in her Extraordinary Routines newsletter, she brings in such a breadth of different quotes and references. So in this conversation I ask her more about how she reads, dig into her process of note taking and collation, and how writing a boo...

About the book We need better ideas right now. Everywhere you look, there are growing problems that require fresh, creative thinking to help us solve. The good news is that anyone can learn to master the art of creativity to turn good ideas into brilliant ones. That’s what this book is about: those killer ideas that have a positive impact on many people, with near-infinite winners. The type you hear about and think, ‘Damn, I wish I’d thought of that!’ Tim Duggan, the co-founder of Junkee Media...

About the book Packed with research-based insights from Australia’s leading workplaces, Let’s Talk Culture is the how-to guide for people leaders who want to shape a world-class team culture by design. Successful leaders and organisations know that culture is the unseen advantage of world-class teams. But can it be influenced? And what role do managers play in building and shaping it? Author and expert in leader communication, Shane Michael Hatton, says the research suggests it can be influenc...

About the book Despite our deep desire to feel a sense of belonging, many of us feel isolated. The rise of technology and modern workplace practices have led people to be even more disconnected, even as we remain constantly contactable. And as our human interactions have decreased, so too have our happiness levels. This is sparking a crisis in mental health that will have repercussions for years, leaving people lonelier and organizations less productive and profitable, too. What Christine Porath...

About the book How do you grow your business when you don’t have a marketing budget? How do you stand out in a busy world? And what if the answer is right in front of you? ‘For me, the newsletter is the most important tool I have in building a global denim brand. Second only to the sewing machine.’ So writes entrepreneur David Hieatt who has based his entire marketing strategy around a simple email newsletter. And it’s worked. His company has grown into a creative global jeans business with a ...

About the book The COVID-19 pandemic, increasingly frequent climate disasters, a new war — events we might have called “unimaginable” or “unthinkable” in the past are now reality. Today it feels more challenging than ever to feel unafraid, hopeful, and equipped to face the future with optimism. How do we map out our lives when it seems impossible to predict what the world will be like next week, let alone next year or next decade? What we need now are strategies to help us recover our confidence...

It's time for my quarterly review of the best books of 2022 (so far), talking about the six books I've loved the most over the first few months of 2022, featuring... Stolen Focus by Johann Hari (listen to the full episode about the book here) I Didn't Do the Thing Today by Madeleine Dore (listen to the full episode about the book here) This Working Life by Lisa Leong & Monique Ross (listen to the full episode about the book here) Will by Will Smith & Mark Manson (read the review here) Imagi...

This little special episode is about the top books on the big topic of leadership. A great little list if you are a leader, are working with leaders, or want to buy a useful gift for a leader in your life. They'd also be great as part of a nice little bundle for new promotions or new joiners to an organisations. Anyway, that's to say that there's lots of use you can get from this bonus episode. If you think I missed a book, or you'd add something else to this list, let me know... Support my bo...

About the book “No regrets.” You’ve heard people proclaim it as a philosophy of life. That’s nonsense, even dangerous, says Daniel H. Pink in his latest bold and inspiring work. Everybody has regrets. They’re a fundamental part of our lives. And if we reckon with them in fresh and imaginative ways, we can enlist our regrets to make smarter decisions, perform better at work and school, and deepen our sense of meaning and purpose. In The Power of Regret, Pink draws on research in psychology, neur...

PS. I'll be doing an Ask Me Anything bonus episode in the next few weeks; if you've got something you'd like me to answer / tackle, email me steph@stephclarke.com About the book All over the world, our ability to pay attention is collapsing. In the US, college students now focus on one task for only 65 seconds, and office workers on average manage only three minutes. New York Times best-selling author Johann Hari went on an epic journey across the world to meet the leading scientists and expert...

About the book When it comes to recruiting, motivating, and creating great teams, Patty McCord says most companies have it all wrong. McCord helped create the unique and high-performing culture at Netflix, where she was chief talent officer. In her new book, Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility, she shares what she learned there and elsewhere in Silicon Valley. McCord advocates practicing radical honesty in the workplace, saying good-bye to employees who don’t fit the comp...

About the book Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience If we want to find the way back to ourselves and one another, we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories and to be stewards of the stories that we hear. In Atlas of the Heart, we explore eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human and walk through a new framework for cultivating meaningful connection. This is for the mapmakers and travelers in all o...

About the book You spend most of your waking life working — a jaw-dropping 90,000 hours for the average person. You deserve to feel joy during that time. But how? This Working Life empowers you to experiment in the lab of life. You’ll reflect on your highs and lows, harness your superpowers and pinpoint your guiding values. You’ll learn the importance of empathy as you craft a job or curate a portfolio career that can grow with you. You’ll unlock the power of rituals, community and self-care, a...

About the book Are you constantly juggling multiple tasks and operating at 100 per cent or more? Do you feel you are permanently on the treadmill and can’t get off? If you needed extra capacity for something urgent, could you find it? In The 1-Day Refund, best-selling author and time management expert Donna McGeorge shows you how to recover an extra 15 per cent of your time-10 minutes per hour, 1 hour per day or a full day each week-to think, breathe, live and work. By creating more space, you...

About the book Any given day brings a never-ending list of things to do. There’s the work thing, the catch-up thing, the laundry thing, the creative thing, the exercise thing, the family thing, the thing we don’t want to do, the thing we’ve been putting off (despite it being the most important thing). Even on days where we get a lot done, the thing left undone can leave us feeling guilty, anxious, or disappointed. After five years of searching for the secret to productivity, Madeleine Dore disc...

About the book We unlock our greatness by working on the hard things. Instead of doubting yourself, fearing you’ll make a mistake, and feeling like you need to play “small” so you don’t disrupt the status quo, start showing up for yourself so you can show up for the world. Don’t regret a life half-lived. Stepping up and pursuing your dreams is hard … and it’s exhilarating, and it’s important. Let me show you how to get clear, get confident, and start anything that matters. Source: https://www.m...