Recommended Books
I’ve found the following books to be very helpful; perhaps you will too.
Discernment
- “Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life” by Henri Nouwen
- “Where Good Ideas Come From” By Steven Johnson
- “Now and Then: A Memoir of Vocation” by Frederick Buechner (and anything else by Frederick Buechner!)
- “Embracing Your Second Calling: Find Passion and Purpose for the Rest of Your Life” by Dale Hanson Bourke
- “Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life” by Richard Rohr
- “What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman” by Lerita Coleman Brown
- “Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation” by Parker J. Palmer
- “Sacred Compass: The Way of Spiritual Discernment” by J. Brent Bill
- “The Language of the Soul: Meeting God in the Longings of Our Hearts” by Jeff Crosby
- “Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most” by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz
Marketing
- “Known; The Handbook for Building and Unleashing Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age” by Mark Schaefer
- “Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
- “Difference” by Bernadette Jiwa
- “Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy” by Mark Schaefer
- “The Content Code: Six essential strategies to ignite your content, your marketing, and your business“ by Mark Schaefer
- “Cumulative Advantage: How to Build Momentum for your Ideas, Business and Life Against All Odds” by Mark Schaefer
- “Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins” by Mark Schaefer
Business Operations
- “The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything” by Stephen M. R. Covey
- “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck, PhD
- “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust” by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
- “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” by Peter F. Drucker
- “The Business of Belonging: How to Make Community Your Competitive Advantage” by David Spinks
Tools
FYI – I have not used most of these tools.
Strength identification tools
Spiritual gifts assessment tools
- United Methodist Church Spiritual Gifts Inventory
- Hessel Church Spiritual Gifts Assessment from Hessel Church
- Wagner-modified Houts Spiritual Gifts Survey
- Discover Your Gifts Survey
- Women of the ELCA – Gifts for You: Opening Your Spiritual Gifts (printable but not online)
Discernment tools
- 538 Personality Quiz
- PrinciplesYou
- Berkeley Purpose in Life Quiz
- IPIP-300 Personality Test
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
- Find Your Dharma
- Enneagram
Other Resources
- Elizabeth Gilbert on Distinguishing Between Hobbies, Jobs, Careers, & Vocation
- “Living Out the Verbs Of Our Lives: Transitioning Into Retirement” by David A. Shirey
- “The advantage of having a job before starting your new business”
- The 80 Best Startup Ideas to Make Money in 2023
- Find the Best Small Business Idea For You
- Some popular business ideas from Forbes
- How to Start a Business
- LLC vs. S-corp
- Legal Requirements To Start A Small Business In 2023
- Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Small business liability insurance
- Keogh Plan (similar to an IRA)
- How to Start a Startup
- Small Business Administration (SBA)
- IRS
- Business name generator
- Domain name availability
- “How to Apply Servant Leadership Principles to Modern Marketing Practices” by Keith Reynold Jennings
- 5 Secrets That Will Make You Persuasive
- Email newsletters:
- Mark Schaefer
- Center for Action and Contemplation (Richard Rohr and Brian McLaren)
- Daily Stoic
- Adam Grant
- Ryan Holiday and his recommended reading list The Goodnewsletter