How to let 51 Pioneering Women Who Read Inspire You to Read More

What you can learn from pioneering women…
Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business

Passed over for a promotion? Downsized or rightsized because of automation? Did your business and services become obsolete because of disruption? Or has your business not grown, or even contracted, in last few years? Do you think knowing pioneering women would have inspired you? These are quite a few questions.

But reading books and getting an understanding of the world around you could have helped in your career. Unfortunately, you’re what you read. Take it from someone who has experience. I’ve mentioned several times, how I sometimes tend to read one genre. Even when I know the benefits of reading diverse books. These days I’m living what I preach.

In the news, you hear that Bill Gates reads 50 books each year. Warren Buffett reads 500 pages a day. Mark Cuban reads for three hours each day. And Elon Musk reads to master a subject. And of course, the media is all over Bill Gates’ and Barrack Obama’s book recommendations.

They also mention Oprah and her book recommendations. These men represent an ideal and show the importance of reading.  Melinda Gates recommends books to her husband Bill. And I’m sure former First Lady Michelle Obama makes recommendations to her husband, Barack. But what about the pioneering women who read? The ones that most people never hear about.

I’ve often gotten caught up in the hype, writing about the men above who read so much. They’re doing something worthwhile. But we need to balance the equation to talk more about the pioneering women who read. These women are making a difference in our world. Some of them are tackling big problems in world.

Today, I’m giving a shout out to these women who read with intent. Some of them you’ll recognize their names and others will be new to you.

And that’s exactly the point.

You need the well-known names as an ideal to inspire to. But, you also need to know about ordinary people, so you can see that reading more books, even 15 books a year, is something that's doable. Something that will help you to level up in your career.

How do I know these women that I’m giving a shout-out to? A few of them I’ve known for at least 10 years. I have Google Alerts on many topics and am a fan of Flipboard. I learn about pioneering women from these two sources. But many of them I found while researching on Google. I found articles where these phenomenal women recommend books that influenced their lives.

And then, there are the journalists who recommend books to read. These articles usually don't get syndicated. Why? Because they don’t mention the big names such as Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Warren Buffett et al.

I rely on these women to learn about books to read. Many of which are off the beaten path. And I like that there are times when the books are not bestsellers. The women I know, you’ll never find a post or a status update where they recommend books.

But trust me, they understand the power of reading books. They have benefited from the knowledge that they discovered on the pages of books that influenced them. Reading books and applying the ideas help them to become more innovative, develop new models and processes. As well as discover new ways of doing things.

51 Pioneering Women Who Read

1. Oprah Winfrey: Remember the days when we had the Oprah Book Club? The chosen book would reach bestseller status. That’s the power of Oprah. When she opens her mouth, people listen. She’s an avid reader and a billionaire. Recently, she gave a library of books, to Archie, the son of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. That’s the same present Oprah gives to the babies of her friends. This pioneering woman gives the gift of knowledge. As an FYI, Oprah authored, The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction and Purpose, What I Know for Sure, and The Wisdom of Sundays: Life-Changing Insights from Super Soul Conversations.
2. Michelle Obama: You’ve heard the saying, “The woman behind the man?” She’s always held her own, working on causes that will make a difference in the world. A female role model, Michelle is a woman who reads. Now she’s in the forefront promoting her book Becoming. Her family is a family of readers.
3. Melinda Gates: Melinda Gates is a philanthropist. Both she and her husband are avid readers. They are interested in solving some of the biggest problems in the world. She recommended that her husband, Bill read The Rosie Project. When Graeme Simsion wrote the follow-up book, The Rosie Effect: A Novel, Bill and Melinda invited him to talk to them about it. Melinda Gates is promoting her new book, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World.

4. Barbara Corcoran: A real estate mogul, Barbara Corcoran is a part of the Shark Tank Team. There are books that she recommends to entrepreneurs. When a woman has reached her level of success, it’s important to look at how she achieved it. There are lessons you can learn from her successes and failures. Barbara Corcoran gives out copies of How to Win Friends and Influence People. She co-authored Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business.

5. LaTanya Junior: I’ve known her for over 10 years. She reads for about three hours each day. And I discovered this years ago when we first talked. LaTanya is a pioneering black woman, who has reinvented herself a few times. She’s had a lot of firsts in her career. She’s also very successful. Here latest endeavors include Not Just Talk Radio and real estate.

1. Sandra Yancey: The founder of eWomensNetwork, I met Sandra Yancey four or five years ago. I attended one of her conferences in Dallas, Texas, three years ago. Sandra is among the pioneering women who read. Books helped her to reach multi-million-dollar status in her business. She recommended The Platinum Rule, The E Myth, Return on Influence, and The Magic of Thinking Big to entrepreneurial friends of mine. And they’re the same books she recommends to people in her signature program.
2. Lisa Skeete Tatum: The CEO of career management startup Landit, Lisa founded the company because she was feeling stuck in her career. Have you ever felt that way? The organization provides a career management resource for women that’s customized. Lisa and her confounder, Sheila Marcelo, wanted to increase women’s success and engagement in the workplace. She recommends Michelle Obama’s Becoming.
3. Anisa Purbasari Horton: She is the Assistant Editor for Fast Company's Work Life section. Anisa often recommends books. To do so, she must read the books. I like that she includes female authors on her list of books to read.
4. Diane Danielson: I met Diane close to 10 years ago. I interviewed her for my blog The Invisible Mentor. She is another avid reader who subscribes to a service where she gets books each month. In the past she reviewed books for Entrepreneur. Launched Downtown Women's Club, which I was a member of for a couple of years. Today, Diane Danielson is the COO of Sperry Van Ness International Corporation, a commercial real estate brokerage. She knows when to switch careers.

5. Sarah Arrow: I met Sarah over four years ago when I participated in her 30-Day Blogging Challenge. In getting to know her, I discovered that she reads four to five books each week. The books give her ideas that she uses in her business. They also help her to become a trendspotter. Sarah’s authored several books.

1. Sylvia Lafair: I met Sylvia virtually over 10 years ago. And we’ve interviewed each other for our blogs. Sylvia is another avid reader, although I doubt, you’d see any book recommendations from her. However, you can find her work online. She is an astute businesswoman, who authored Don't Bring It to Work: Breaking the Family Patterns That Limit Success.
2. Roxanne Henderson: I met Roxanne over five years ago through Ellevate Network. Through conversations, I know that she’s an avid reader and often uses information she discovers in books to grow her business. Roxanne Henderson is a well-respected realtor with Chestnut Park Real Estate.
3. Irene Becker: I’ve known Irene for close to 15 years. Irene is a go-getter and gets things done. I like that she’s a keen listener which makes her a great leadership coach. As can be expected, she’s another avid reader. Learn more about her leadership style by visiting her website, Just Coach It.
4. Shelly Yorgesen: The Founder and CEO of The Veranda Network, I met Shelly virtually only a few weeks ago. I was very impressed with her. And during an online networking session, she recommended Profit First and Clockwork, two books by Mike Michalowicz. From my interaction with her during a couple of hours, I knew she is an avid reader. She has implemented the information from the two books in her business. She inspires women to read more books. Shelly is a female role model.
5. Jessica Stillman: She is an Inc magazine contributor. Jessica Stillman recommends books and often writes about reading, learning, and memory. To be good at what she does, Jessica Stillman must read a lot. Both books and journal articles. She keeps on top of new studies that she reports on to strengthen her articles. I love her Twitter handle, @EntryLevelRebel.

1. Molly Angel: I met Molly Angel last year through Ellevate Network. She devours and digest books and could probably recommend a book for any situation you found yourself in. She’s the Principal of Angel Change Management.

2. Leigh Buchanan: She’s the Editor at Large at Inc. Magazine. Leigh Buchanan sometimes writes book recommendations. To do that, she has to be an avid reader. I love her book recommendations.
3. Lori A. Torres: Founder and CEO Parcel Pending, her services are quite practical. A few years ago, I sent a package to my niece in New York. Although I insured it in Canada, someone who lives in the same apartment complex stole the package. Lori’s services would have saved us the hassle. She’s one of the women I found through research. She recommended a book that impacted her — Give and Take by Adam Grant. She sold Parcel Pending in January 2019 to Neopost for a reported $100 million. One of the big problems she’s tackling is homelessness.
4. Gail Aller-Stead: I met Gail Aller-Stead through the Strategic Leadership Forum, Toronto Chapter, close to 15 years ago. Gail is another avid reader and buys a lot of books. She’s excelled in her career. The books she reads helps her to offer cutting edge solutions to her consulting clients. She used to actively participate in Classical Pursuits. It’s like a reading holiday. Classical Pursuits is great because you discuss classic literature.
5. Patricia Scarlett: Founder and Co-President of the Media Business Institute, Patricia reads about three books each week. I’ve known her for about 15 years. And we’re each other’s peer mentor. She reads deeply, having the ability to pick out the big ideas from the books she reads. And she applies the ideas from the books she reads.

1. Andra Steven: Here is another pioneering woman I’ve known for over 15 years. For the years that I’ve known Andra, she’s always been a reader. One of the genres she loves is politics. One of the ways to understand others is to travel, and this pioneering woman is well traveled, and has also worked in several countries.
2. Pavithra Mohan: Assistant editor for Fast Company Digital, Pavithra sometimes writes book recommendation articles. Once again, to do this well, she has to be an avid reader. I love the books that she recommends.
3. Lise Strand Bjarkli: I met Lise virtually a few years ago, when we were both participating in Sarah Arrow’s 30-Day Blogging Challenge. She has her own business and is an avid reader. I know this because of the conversations we’ve had. She reads broadly and deeply. She’s another female role model who finds solutions in books.
4. Liz Elting: Liz was co-CEO TransPerfect and is now Founder and CEO, Elizabeth Elting Foundation. She recommended Hyper Sales Growth by Jack Daly. This is a book she wishes she had when she started her company. Liz is someone who knows how to pick herself up when things go wrong.
5. Sheryl O’Loughlin: She’s the founder of CEO Rebel and former CEO of Clif Bar and Company, who recommended Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown. The book helped her to see that success and failure are part of the entrepreneurial journey. She’s a thoughtful reader. Sheryl authored Killing It: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your Head Without Losing Your Heart. I love it that she is socially conscious.

1. Lynne Gabriel: She’s a hair and make-up artist who I’ve known for over 15 years. Lynne always has a book with her, and she reads different genres of books.
2. Melissa Lamson: She’s a journalist for Inc magazine online, and sometimes recommends books. I love journalists who recommend books because that tells me that reading books is important to them. Melissa Lamson also owns a consulting practice.
3. Lauren Steinberg: The Founder of Queen V, she recommended Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham. At 24 years old, this young woman is taking steps to change the world. As a millennial woman, she can inspire other millennial women to read more.
4. Kirsten Saenz Tobey: She’s co-founder of Revolution Food. Kirsten recommended Future First: How Successful Leaders Turn Innovation Challenges into New Value Frontiers by Alice Mann. This is a pioneering woman interested in social change.
5. Anne Thornley-Brown: The founder of Executive Oasis International, Anne is someone I’ve known for close to 15 years. I met her at the hairdresser. She’s a pioneering woman and loves to read. What I like about her is that she is creative and versatile.

1. Shan-Lyn Ma: CEO of wedding Startup Zola, I found Shan-Lyn through research. She recommended Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America’s Eyeballs by Gina Keating. From her comments, I can tell that she’s a woman who implements ideas from the books she reads.
2. Melissa Cricks: Founder & CEO BandaBeau, Melissa is another female role model I found through research. She recommended Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi. This tells me that she reads with the intent to learn.
3. Karla Monterroso: CEO of the diversity non-profit Code2040, I found Karla through an article where she recommended Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas. Reading her comment, you recognize that she is a thoughtful reader. In the article, she also recommended Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown and Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister.
4. Gina Hoensheid: The Founder & CEO SeatSitters/SeatSational, Gina recommended Rise and Grind by Daymond John. Her comments in recommending the book shows that reading is very important to her. It helps her to find strategies to use in her business.
5. Christina DesMarais: She is a journalist for Inc magazine. I love the books she recommends. And I cannot say enough, that journalists who recommend books must read many books to find the gems.

1. Heidi Zak: She’s CEO of lingerie Startup ThirdLove and another female role model I found through research. In the article, Heidi recommends Power Up: How Smart Women Win in The New Economy by Magdalena Yesil. The way she talks about the book, you can tell that she reads deeply.
2. Andrea Servadio: The CEO FitDog Sports Club, Andrea recommended the Art of War. She believes the book explains everything you need to know about business.
3. Ann Kirkland: The Founder of Classical Pursuits, I met Ann close to 15 years ago. I’ve attended a few of her Classical Pursuits program. I love that she promotes reading the classics.
4. Sari Davidson: The Founder & CEO Boogin Head, Sari recommends that professionals read The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss. The ideas in the book helped her to create the life she lives. This is another example of reading with the intent to learn.
5. Michelle Nunn: She’s the CEO of humanitarian aid organization Care and another woman I found through research. As a woman in leadership she must read a lot. Part of being a leader is learning continuously. Michelle recommended Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World—And Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling.

1. Daniela Perdomo: Daniela is CEO of mesh networking Startup GoTenna and another pioneering woman I found through research. In the article, she recommended Raising the Floor: How a Universal Basic Income Can Renew Our Economy and Re build the American Dream by Andy Stern. The books that people read is often an indicator of who she or he is. Books can give you insights into the issues and complexities of some of the biggest problems in the world.
2. Kelly Juhasz: I’ve known Kelly for close to 15 years. I know she’s a reader because she has given me books after she read them. And she recommended other books to me. She’s a great female role model because she’s fearless and willing to reinvent herself.
3. Geetha Murali: CEO Room to Read, how could Geetha not be a reader. During my research I came across this pioneering woman and I had to include her on the list. Literacy is important to me and it's important to her.
4. Trupti Rami: A freelance reporter, I loved Trupti’s article about writers sharing their favorites for black history month. I love when I discover a young woman who loves reading. She can inspire other women from her generation to read more books.
5. Estelle Tang: She’s the Senior Editor covering culture and entertainment at ELLE.com. She recommended some great summer reads and many of them are not by big name fiction writers. As you can probably tell, I love books off the beaten path. Although the books are fiction, studies have shown that reading fiction makes you more empathetic.

1. Nicol Natale: A freelance Editorial Assistant at WomansDay.com, Nicole did a massive book recommendation article with Dahna Chandler. So, I decided to include both of these ladies on this list. What I like about the booklist is that several of the books are off the beaten path.
2. Dahna M. Chandler: A writer for Woman’s Day, I’ve ‏seen Dahna’s book recommendations. You can tell a lot about a person by looking at the books they read. You’re what you read.
3. Candice Nicole: Founder and President of HUmineral, I found Candice through an article where she recommended Younger Next Year by Chris Crowley. Her company HUmineral sounded very interesting to me.
4. Sue McCarthy: Owner of The Vault Luxury Resale, Sue recommended, the classic, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. She read this book over two decades ago, and still uses the principles when making decisions. The most successful people read books that make them think.
5. Andrea Nierenberg: I interviewed Andrea close to 15 years ago. She is reader, who has written a couple of books. She’s the President of The Nierenberg Consulting Group. And is a savvy networker.
6. Lea Chambers: Director, Global Corporate Communications at J.M. Huber Corporation, I met Lea Chambers Volpe via The International Alliance for Women nearly 15 years ago. Lea is another woman who reads and has accomplished a lot in her life. In the past, she often read books I recommended. She’s a master at switching companies seamlessly.

Final Thoughts on How to let Pioneering Women Who Read Actually Inspire You to Read More

I've presented you with a list of pioneering women who are doing extraordinary things. They go after what they want in life. I hope that they'll inspire you to read more books. When you click the links to learn more about them, don't be daunted by some of their accomplishments. Remember that everyone started somewhere.

When you read more books, you have choices. You'll be able to do more with your career. If these pioneering women have inspired you to read more, and you're not sure where to start, I can help you. Start the process with the 7 Day Reading Makeover Challenge.

Sources Referenced

12 books that CEOs think you should read in 2019 By Pavithra Mohan

Read This List of Books (Suggested by Super Successful People) to Get Ahead in Business and Life by Christina DesMarais

21 Books Highly Recommended by Successful Executives by Christina DesMarais

54 Inspirational Books All Women Should Read in Their Lifetime by Nicol Natale and Dahna M. Chandler

The 30 Best Books to Read This Summer by Estelle Tang

25 of the Best Books to Read in Spring 2019 by Estelle Tang

This post contains affiliate links and The Invisible Mentor® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support! First published May 2019!