You don’t want to be taking some time off in the summer without a good read. And you don’t want the summer to go by without working on yourself just a little bit. Here you’ll learn which personal and professional development books are going in mine and Ali J. Taylor’s beach bags. Squeeze one of these into your reading line up and end the summer better prepared for when things kick in this fall.

Every summer needs a good read.

In the summertime, we’re often spending a little more time outside and a little more time reading. Ever since we were kids the idea of summer reading has gotten ingrained in us. You don’t want to be on a beach or in a hammock without something great to feed your mind. But too often summer slips away and we didn’t take advantage of the time - in part because we spent too much of it figuring out what we were going to read.

I sat down with Business Made Simple Coach Ali J. Taylor and we grabbed some of the books that are on our “to read” list. Ali is taking a more personal development stance this summer. Me? I’ll be plowing through professional development books. Since summer lasts three months, there are three books from each of us.

Our thinking? By taking in these tomes over the summer, we’re getting ourselves in the right mindset for when the fall gets going full steam ahead.

Obviously, any reading is good for your mental health. So join us in reading something. And if you need some ideas, steal from us!

Watch our conversation in full.

Hero on a Mission: A Path to a Meaningful Life - Donald Miller

Ali J. Taylor is first diving into Hero on a Mission by Donald Miller. As a Business Made Simple Coach, it’s not surprising that this is where he’d begin: Donald Miller’s company started the coaching program and he is a regular figure in many meetings and strategy sessions. “The best movies and the best stories have a hero who really wants something,” Ali says. By using the exercises in this book, Ali is looking forward to defining his purpose and fulfilling his life’s mission - even if he’s not sure what that’s going to be yet.

How to Grow Your Small Business - Donald Miller

Donald Miller has been one of my mentors since I first read his book Building a StoryBrand. His newest book, How to Grow Your Small Business lays out how to double your revenue in six months. Who doesn’t want to double their revenue, right? So it made it to my list for this summer.

The Masculine in Relationship - GS Youngblood

“Part of having a successful life is finding a really supportive partner,” Ali shares. “I’m looking at what are the areas that I can improve on.” Ali is a member of a group of people who are working to align their professional goals with their personal ones. By taking in the philosophies of The Masculine in Relationship, the thinking is he will be able to break through the negative and cynical patterns that have affected him in the past.

Do It Selling - David Newman

When your revenue starts growing, you start having more sales conversations. At least, that is what I am encountering now as Downstage Media has doubled its revenue from last year in half the time. David Newman has put together his best sales tips in Do It Selling. I’m looking forward to this one’s no nonsense, easy to pick up and put down tactics that I can start implementing when the fall kicks into gear.

Man’s Search for Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl

Ali J. Taylor is clearly not joking around with this lineup of books. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl rounds out his summer of self improvement. Ali maintains that one of the highest things we can do as human beings is to turn our pain into a pathway forward for others. This book outlines Viktor Frankl’s heartbreaking past and how he turned it around to find a purpose.

Sytemology - David Jenyns

If you are looking for ways to maximize your time, it’s all about the systems. David Jenyns is a master a systematizing your business and has written all about how to do so. His book Systemology has been blessed by none other than Mr. E-Myth himself Michael Gerberg. Looking forward to getting into this one because I still haven’t been able to clone myself yet, so setting up some systems and automations is the next best thing.

What books are you reading this summer?

Leave a comment below to share what’s on your reading list.