My coronavirus isolation reading list for creative female entrepreneurs and business owners

April 15, 2020 Caitlin Shogren

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For me, reading is a prime hobby. If I have a book, I’d much rather get lost in it than many of the other distractions available to me.

Don’t get me wrong, a night of TV can be nice, but multitasking on both has never turned out well. My eyes are usually only focused on one or the other, and let’s be honest, the TV moves and creates more action than the book.

As a female entrepreneur and business owner, I tend to focus on books that can enlighten or improve my skills. My creativity usually finds a few ways to improve my life and small business after reading a few or one of these books.

I have read most of these books on this isolation reading list and would highly encourage female entrepreneurs and business owners to find ones they would add to their own list. While some of these are collections, each author or single-book is a great way to stay focused on yourself and your business while in isolation. Even if you think you’re doing nothing right now, try one of these books and I promise it will help motivate you or help you plan on how you can stay or become motivated.

Each business owner in isolation has and needs to act differently. Depending on their skillset and their capabilities, entrepreneurs know how they can improve and assist their business while we stay isolated and push ourselves through this.

Jen Sincero

Jen Sincero writes in a very relatable and funny style. She tells it to you straight and then follows through throughout the chapter to tell you how and strengthen her reasoning behind her advice.

I’ve read How to be a Badass at Making Money and am currently making my way through You are a Badass, but each time I’m confronted with Sincero’s wit-icisms, I’m able to confront a new obstacle I’ve created for myself. The size of the obstacle usually varies but being made aware of it makes it easier to tackle.

She also confronts that each person reading will find multiple ways to confront, deal with, and overcome their obstacles. There will not be a one-size-fits-all type of fix for any obstacle. Not only will she show her own experience with her obstacle, but she will offer alternative starting points that others have used or taken to making peace with their hardships.

You’re bound to find an example to meet your needs throughout her books. You only have to crack them open and be willing to confront your obstacles as you become aware of them and put in the work to overcome them.

If you’re reading all of Sincero’s works, I would start with You Are a Badass, followed by You are a Badass Everday, and finish it off with How to be a Badass at Making Money. If you are only looking to improve your financial situation, I’d only read How to be a Badass at Making Money, and read the others when you need a motivational push for your self-confidence.

Marie Kondo

I first got hooked on decluttering my home from Marie Kondo’s organizing tips on her Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.

While Kondo’s first book, the life-changing magic of tidying up, is well known for decluttering your home and organizing tips, she has a new book, Joy at Work, in collaboration with Scott Sonenshein. Her new book focuses on organization tips about your workplace.

While organizing and decluttering your home can be a great way to stay occupied during isolation, many people are experiencing remotely working from their homes for the first time. Whether you organize your workspace within your home or find some organizing tips for your living space, either book can help you create a calm and productive space for you while in isolation.

Her new book came out on April 7, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Isolation during the coronavirus is great for getting things done but does make it more difficult to get your wish list from Barnes and Noble.

Burn Your Portfolio

This book is great for creatives who want to-the-point advice but might need a lot of it. Most ‘chapters’ are a page or three with in-depth sections to further divide the content throughout the book.

If you’re new to being a creative entrepreneur or business owner, it can be overwhelming but Janda makes sure to put his advice in digestible pieces in Burn Your Portfolio. So if you’re already feeling overwhelmed by staying in isolation, you can take your time with Burn Your Portfolio and find parts that are most relevant to your business first.

While you’re learning how to build a portfolio, Janda also offers helpful career advice for young creative professionals. It’s not useful to just have a great portfolio, however, you need to show that you have various talents and skills to entice clients and professionals.

This book might be about 350+ pages, but is filled with illustrations and is great to pick up and set down no matter where you are in the book.

How to Stop Feeling Like Sh*t

During this time in isolation, it can be a roller-coaster of emotions. Many people are frustrated and emotional after being isolated and confined to their homes for at least two weeks. Even regular errands have been disrupted.

Andrea Owen offers 14 tips to stop feeling like sh*t for women who are under stress. I love how her book is very easy to read. Even if you don’t go through the whole book, certain sections are great to pick out and read as you need them.

If you’re a female entrepreneur or business owner, you’re probably having to make some adjustments to your business plan that you weren’t prepared for while you stay in isolation. Not only does it impact your store for brick and mortar stores, but manufacturing also has taken a hit. Many cogs related to small businesses have been disrupted and added stress and anxieties to many female entrepreneurs and business owners.

Now, How to Stop Feeling Like Sh*t does not replace a licensed therapist or counselor. You might talk about this book with one if you feel you need to consult one to show what and how you have started to process stressors in your life, but rely on their recommendations first as needed.

Jane Austen

Let’s be reasonable, the isolation during a pandemic can be stressful. I suggest reading Jane Austen particularly because her novels are based on letters. When taking a class on Jane Austen, I learned many, and maybe all of her novels were started off as letters between characters and then changed to a third point of view later.

Personally, I think it’s amazing how we have evolved from using letters as the main form of communication to the technology we have today. I prefer Pride and Prejudice, but I would also suggest Mansfield Park and Emma. All are greatly influenced by the ability to write well or communicate with letters.

Of course, you could also substitute your own favorite genre or author for this section. You might prefer how science fiction allows you to transport to other worlds or that historical fiction takes you back in time.

The main purpose of this suggestion is to focus on something else and help you stay relaxed. Find your favorite book and lose yourself in it for a few hours or even a few minutes to de-stress for a while.

Reading can be a great distraction for creative female entrepreneurs and business owners, especially if they are feeling overwhelmed and stressed during isolation. Whether you focus on improving your business or just want some reassurance from being overwhelmed, these books will help you retain or reattain your sanity.

Even if you can’t make yourself sit down for a few minutes everyday, try the audible versions of these selections to take with you wherever you go.

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