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Recommended Reading

I’m providing a collection of my favorite books that have helped me to grow both personally and professionally as a business owner. I’ve learned so much from these books and I wanted to share them with you so that you may also receive their benefits. Please note that the recommendations contain affiliate links through Amazon at no additional cost to you (thanks for supporting me!).

Profit First

The book Profit First has changed my life. That’s quite a statement, but listen up. Even as someone who is educated in business matters, when I opened my practice, I was still unsure of what exactly to do with my money. I knew that I needed to put back some money for taxes, but what do I do with the rest? How do I pay myself? After reading this book, all my questions were answered and I felt confident in managing the financial matters of my business. With well over 1,000 reviews, and still at a five star rating, you know this book is good. Order your copy today.

Building Your Ideal Private Practice

Building Your Ideal Private Practice is a classic, and is one of the most highly recommended practice-building books. In this book Lynn Grodzki coaches and supports therapists on their private practice journey, no matter what stage of development they are in. There are checklists, exercises, and case examples to help you improve your mindset and increase your knowledge of the business side of private practice. I revisit this book often to find support at different stages of growth. I’ve found it very helpful, and I know you will too. Order your copy today.

Grit by Angela Duckworth

“There are no shortcuts to excellence. Developing real expertise, figuring out really hard problems, it all takes time―longer than most people imagine….you’ve got to apply those skills and produce goods or services that are valuable to people….Grit is about working on something you care about so much that you’re willing to stay loyal to it…it’s doing what you love, but not just falling in love―staying in love.” Order your copy today.

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

“For all of the most important things, the timing always sucks. Waiting for a good time to quit your job? The stars will never align and the traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. The universe doesn’t conspire against you, but it doesn’t go out of its way to line up the pins either. Conditions are never perfect. “Someday” is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. Pro and con lists are just as bad. If it’s important to you and you want to do it “eventually,” just do it and correct course along the way.” Order your copy today.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

“Procrastination is the most common manifestation of Resistance because it’s the easiest to rationalize. We don’t tell ourselves, ‘I’m never going to write my symphony.’ Instead we say, ‘I am going to write my symphony; I’m just going to start tomorrow.’” Order your copy today.

Deep Work by Cal Newport

“The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive.” Order your copy today.

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck by Sarah Knight

“Not giving a fuck means taking care of yourself first—like affixing your own oxygen mask before helping others. Not giving a fuck means allowing yourself to say no. I don’t want to. I don’t have time. I can’t afford it. Not giving a fuck—crucially—means releasing yourself from the worry, anxiety, fear, and guilt associated with saying no, allowing you to stop spending time you don’t have with people you don’t like doing things you don’t want to do.” Order your copy today.

F*ck No! by Sarah Knight

“No is an acceptable answer, and it’s time to start using it. Whether you’re a People-Pleaser, Overachiever, Pushover, or have serious FOMO, bestselling “anti-guru” Sarah Knight helps you say what you really mean without being really mean–or burning out for fear of missing out.
Life is so much better when you say no with confidence–and without guilt, fear, or regret. F*ck No! delivers practical strategies that give you the power to decline, and concrete examples that put the words right into your mouth.” Order your copy today.

Get Your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight

“You can’t give of yourself to others if there’s nothing left of yourself to give, can you?” “Getting it together for the big stuff is just getting it together for the small stuff over time.” “Big life changes are made in small, manageable chunks.” Order your copy today.

The ONE Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan

“Extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus … when you spread yourself out, you end up spread thin.” “The people who achieve extraordinary results don’t achieve them by working more hours … They achieve them by getting more done in the hours they work.” Order your copy today.

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

“We have good reasons to fear saying no. We worry we’ll miss out on a great opportunity. We’re scared of rocking the boat, stirring things up, burning bridges. We can’t bear the thought of disappointing someone we respect and like. None of this makes us a bad person. It’s a natural part of being human. Yet as hard as it can be to say no to someone, failing to do so can cause us to miss out on something far more important.” Order your copy today.

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

“Digital minimalists see new technologies as tools to be used to support things they deeply value—not as sources of value themselves. They don’t accept the idea that offering some small benefit is justification for allowing an attention-gobbling service into their lives, and are instead interested in applying new technology in highly selective and intentional ways that yield big wins. Just as important: they’re comfortable missing out on everything else.” Order your copy today.

Secrets of Six-Figure Women by Barbara Stanney

“The real work in raising the bar is to stop doing the same old thing you’ve always done, to try out new strategies, to ignore false alarms, to resist the urge to quit, and to refuse to fall back into familiar terrain. The ability to tolerate discomfort—doing what might not feel good, but doing it anyway—is the only way you’ll ever complete the path to financial success. It helps to keep in mind that the discomfort is temporary, but the payoff is extraordinary.” Order your copy today.

Overcoming Underearning by Barbara Stanney

“When it comes to money, are you controlled by fear? Do you live in financial chaos? Do you underestimate your worth? Are you ready to go to the next level, but can’t seem to get there? If the answer is yes to these questions, you may be an underearner.” Order your copy today.

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

“You are perfect. To think anything less is as pointless as a river thinking that it’s got too many curves or that it moves too slowly or that its rapids are too rapid. Says who? You’re on a journey with no defined beginning, middle or end. There are no wrong twists and turns. There is just being. And your job is to be as you as you can be. This is why you’re here. To shy away from who you truly are would leave the world you-less. You are the only you there is and ever will be. I repeat, you are the only you there is and ever will be. Do not deny the world its one and only chance to bask in your brilliance.” Order your copy today.

You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

“All life is either moving forward and evolving or shrinking back and dying. If you want to evolve in your own life, you have to push through the obstacles instead of running from them. Obstacles and challenges are the agents of growth. Nobody gets to be large and in charge without facing challenges and moving through them. Birth is messy, painful, scary, uncertain, and freaky. Birth is also a glorious miracle that leads to new life. If you want the new life you say you want, you have to do the work instead of just studying and discussing and wishing and wanting.” Order your copy today.

The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking

“Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe, that we are shielded from the world and allow ourselves to let our guard down.” Order your copy today.

Anti-Racism Book Recommendations

I request that everyone who participates in the services of Mountain Practice Journeys be engaged in their own anti-racism work. Here are my favorite books on the topic of anti-racism.

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

“I believe that white progressives cause the most daily damage to people of color. I define a white progressive as any white person who thinks he or she is not racist, or is less racist, or in the “choir,” or already “gets it.” White progressives can be the most difficult for people of color because, to the degree that we think we have arrived, we will put our energy into making sure that others see us as having arrived. None of our energy will go into what we need to be doing for the rest of our lives: engaging in ongoing self-awareness, continuing education, relationship building, and actual antiracist practice. White progressives do indeed uphold and perpetrate racism, but our defensiveness and certitude make it virtually impossible to explain to us how we do so.” Order your copy today.

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

“When somebody asks you to “check your privilege” they are asking you to pause and consider how the advantages you’ve had in life are contributing to your opinions and actions, and how the lack of disadvantages in certain areas is keeping you from fully understanding the struggles others are facing and may in fact be contributing to those struggles. It is a big ask, to check your privilege. It is hard and often painful, but it’s not nearly as painful as living with the pain caused by the unexamined privilege of others. You may right now be saying “but it’s not my privilege that is hurting someone, it’s their lack of privilege. Don’t blame me, blame the people telling them that what they have isn’t as good as what I have.” And in a way, that is true, but know this, a privilege has to come with somebody else’s disadvantage—otherwise, it’s not a privilege.” Order your copy today.

Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad

“There is no feel-good reward at the end other than the knowledge that you are doing this because it’s the right thing to do. You will not be congratulated for it. You won’t get any ally cookies for it. You won’t be celebrated for it. You will have to learn to wean yourself off the addiction to instant gratification and instead develop a consciousness for doing what is right even if nobody ever thanks you for it.” Order your copy today.

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

“The opposite of racist isn’t ‘not racist.’ It is ‘anti-racist.’ What’s the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an anti-racist. One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an anti-racist. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of ‘not racist.” Order your copy today.

“Stop staring at mountains. Climb them instead, yes, it’s a harder process but it will lead you to a better view.” – Unknown

Episode 101: Healing Insomnia By Befriending Wakefulness

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 101 I chat with Emma Kobil about healing insomnia by befriending wakefulness. Here we go… *some links included in the show notes may be...

Episode 100: Why You’ll Never Reach The Finish Line

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 100 I’m going to share with you why you’ll never reach the finish line. Here we go…*some links included in the show notes may be...

Episode 99: Honoring Yourself As A Sensitive Therapist with guest April Snow

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 99 I chat with April Snow about how to honor yourself as a sensitive therapist and business owner. Here we go… *some links included in...

Episode 98: Healing The Witch Wound

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 98 I talk about how to go about healing the witch wound by first recognizing how it shows up in your life. Here we go…*some links...

Episode 97: What Is The Witch Wound?

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 97 I answer the question, what is the witch wound? Here we go…*some links included in the show notes may be affiliate links (see...

Episode 96: How To Begin Decolonizing Coaching Spaces with guest Emily Anne Brant

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 96 I continue my conversation with Emily Anne Brant about how we can begin to decolonize coaching spaces. Here we go… *some links...

Episode 95: Decolonizing Coaching, Spirituality, & Personal Development with guest Emily Anne Brant

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 95 I chat with Emily Anne Brant about the work of decolonizing coaching, spirituality, and personal development. Here we go… *some links...

Episode 94: Aligned Goddess Living: Wheel Of Mystical Life Balance with guest Desiree Howell

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 94 I chat with Desiree Howell about her wheel of mystical life balance called aligned goddess living. Here we go… *some links included in...

Episode 93: Being Yourself In Business As An HSP with guest Desiree Howell

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 93 I chat with Desiree Howell about being yourself in business as a Highly Sensitive Person. Here we go… *some links included in the show...

Episode 92: Talking About Privilege Is Important

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 92 I talk about the importance of addressing privileges, especially in the self-help industry. Here we go…*some links included in the...

Episode 91: What To Know When Counseling First Responders with guest Michael Tui

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 91 I chat with Michael Tui of Integrative Family Counseling about what to know when counseling first responders. Here we go… *some links...

Episode 90: The Healing Powers Of Play Therapy with guest Michael Tui

Hello there, and welcome back to the Mountain Practice Journeys podcast! I’m your host, Cindy. Here in Episode 90 I chat with Michael Tui of Integrative Family Counseling about the healing powers of play therapy. Here we go… *some links included in...

Land Acknowledgement: With gratitude & respect I acknowledge that the land on which I live & work is the stolen territory of the Cherokee people (ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi). I honor this land & its stewards - past, present, & future. I encourage learning about the land you are on at native-land.ca in addition to reflecting on your role in reconciliation, building meaningful relationships, & caring for the land.

Anti-Racism & Decolonization Promise: I am committed to unlearning ways of being that are steeped in capitalism, colonialism, patriarchy, racism, & white supremacy. Although I will stumble along the way, I promise to make space in my programs for nuances, conversations, & feedback on topics of race, gender, sexuality, class, disability, & other identities from folks with lived experiences of oppression that I do not share.