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What’s on My Bookshelf : 2024 Reading List

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Hey, I’m Shanna Skidmore. Former Fortune 100 Financial Advisor turned Business Consultant. For the past 15 years I’ve worked in finance helping entrepreneurs around the world make more money and then manage it well. During that time I’ve unlocked the blueprint to building a profitable and sustainable business designed to align with the life you want to live.

Here’s the thing—the "business side of running a business" can be hard, and it’s not everyone’s best skill—but it *is* mine. I would be honored to come alongside you on your business journey.

Shanna Skidmore

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Each year I set a modest goal to read 1 book per month. I have friends that read 1 book a week and I am truly amazed. I am a slow, methodical, underline half the book kind of reader — so finding the uninterrupted reading time I require to really dig into a book isn’t always easy. But I also know that 1 book per month is a sign of health for me— a benchmark that I am turning off the screens before bed and sitting down with a good book!

I like a mix of books: business, personal, fiction, non-fiction and autobiography! Whenever I can I like to listen to the autobiographies, particularly when the author reads it in their own voice!

Here are the books on my reading list for 2024:

I haven’t quite narrowed down my Top 12, but these are the contenders!

Business:

1. Atomic Habits

This book has been recommended to me for years. As someone who teaches on goal-setting and goal-achievement, I am keenly aware how our habits determine so much of success but habit change isn’t always easy. As someone who tends to “go big or go home”, I really want to work on small changes this year and I think that’s what atomic habits is all about!

2. $100 M Offer

If you read my 2024 goals, you’ll know that one of my big goals is “less but better”. We spent most of 2023 restructuring and streamlining our offers and are now ready to make the few offers we have the very best they can be! I love the tagline of this book “How to Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No” – I hope to get our work in the hands of more entrepreneurs who need them in 2024!

3. The One Thing

I am so excited about this one. Similar to the mindset above, less but better is my focus in 2024! As I mentioned when sharing my goals for this year, with a new baby on the way, a maternity leave planned for ¼ of the year – laser focusing on the things that are moving the needle and giving my time and attention to only the best things is the only way to move through this year with less time and bigger financial goals!

4. Buy Back Your Time

I truly believe there is a correlation between time & money. Not in an icky “time is money” kind of way, but understanding that our time is limited and discerning the best places to give our time (in business, in friendships, at home), matters! Something I teach all of my students in The Blueprint Model is the idea of a “time bank”. We have time deposits and time withdrawals – making sure our time bank isn’t overdrawn is key. This book was recommended by a friend.

5. Shorter

Along the same lines as above, love the idea of getting more done (or more important things done) in less time. A friend recommended this book as well.

6. Traction

Everyone is talking about it and I’ve yet to read it so I *feel* like I need it in my life … especially in a season where we are building our team, taking more off of my plate and delegating to the right people.

7. The 5 am Club

I have always been a morning person but after becoming a mom sleep has been so critical. These past few months I have been craving having quiet time in the morning again. With the unpredictability of a newborn coming, I am not sure how to will pan out in 2024… but I am really drawn to this idea of owning your morning (even amidst the uncertainty of this season with tiny people).

8. How to Grow your small Business

Kyle just started reading this book and has already shared some incredible takeaways so far. I am for sure adding this one to my reading list in 2024!