10 Books I'm Rereading to Accelerate My One-Person Business

Welcome to Impact Thinking.

Hi, I’m Peter. I’m a full-time solopreneur. I’ve run a one-person strategy consulting company since 2019. Before that, I worked in finance & strategy at Harvard. This newsletter distills helps you become an impact thinker. Ditch the noise, spot the signal, and think with impact.

Read time: 4 minutes

10 Books I'm Rereading to Accelerate My One-Person Business

The background I use for Zoom calls is intentional.

It’s my office behind me with a giant whiteboard and a bookshelf overflowing with books.

If it’s my first call with them, I tell them these 2 tools best describe how I think and work.

Why?

I think kinetically and visually.

It means I think best when I move, and when the light bulb illuminates, I start drawing, scribbling, and connecting the dots like a madman on that whiteboard.

My whiteboard is my output device.

It synthesizes my thoughts into decisions and actions.

But the books are the inputs that help me think, transform experiments into experience, and accelerate my business.

The books are the reason why that whiteboard is essential.

And here’s why it matters:

In business, your work can be optimized for one of three things, usually at the expense of the others.

• cash

• lifestyle

• skills & learning

(Framework from Iman Abuzeid, co-founder of Incredible Health)

Right now, it’s all about skills & learning.

And I’m doing this by rereading books, so I can double down on the resources that have proven value.

1/ Building a Story Brand (by Donald Miller)

Storytelling is the best way to ensure that the information you share is remembered and understood. It teaches you a proven narrative and one of the most important takeaways for all my marketing: “You are the guide, and your customer is the hero.”

I use this book as a guide to telling better stories.

2/ The War of Art (by Steven Pressfield)

The creative process is full of resistance. And your business thrives on creativity. It shows you how to combat resistance so it doesn’t prevent you from doing your life’s work.

I use this book for creative inspiration and a reminder to keep going.

3/ Deep Work (by Cal Newport)

Producing great work requires focus, especially in the one-person business model. It demands discipline, vigilance, and persistence daily.

I use this book to structure my day and run my operations.

4/ Super Thinking (by Gabrielle Weinberg & Lauren McCann)

A diverse set of mental models is the key to rapid understanding. It helps me make things make sense, solve complex problems, and talk to anyone about anything. The path to becoming a genius begins with this book.

I use this book to make complex things simple and make better decisions.

5/ The 1-Page Marketing Plan (by Allan Dib)

Marketing is the most critical aspect of a one-person business. It navigates every part of marketing concisely.

I use this book as a marketing playbook.

6/ The Psychology of Money (by Morgan Housel)

Money is behavioral, but most people forget this. The more you understand how it’s linked to emotion, the better you can use it.

I use this book to reframe my view on money.

7/ The E-Myth (by Michael Gerber)

Your business will die if you focus only on your craft. This is undoubtedly one of the most influential books on building a business, especially for the one-person business model.

I use this book to build a solid business model, systems, and processes.

8/ Built to Sell (By John Warrillow)

When you’re required to do everything, you’ve built a job, not a business. The first time reading this, I shifted my mindset away from “me = business.”

I use this book as the foundation for automation, outsourcing, and a bit of inspiration.

9/ $100M Offers (by Alex Hormozi)

I want to say…sales…and drop the mic. But really, this book took me out of my comfort zone since I was a back-office professional during my 9-5 career. It explains the core components of a good offer and how to communicate it to your customer.

I use this book to understand my value proposition and create offers.

10/ Company of One (by Paul Jarvis)

This book made me rethink the word “growth.” I now believe most people don’t understand the term (something I hope to help them reconcile). It also demonstrates the power of staying small.

I use this book as a guide for navigating solopreneurship.