AJ Vaden discusses her commitment to reading two books a month, sharing the most impactful reads of 2024. She highlights 'Unreasonable Hospitality' as essential for team dynamics and 'Sacred Marriage' for deepening relationship insights. 'The Go-Giver' emphasizes learning through connections, while AJ reflects on her husband’s 'Take the Stairs' regarding self-discipline. She encourages listeners to ask how they are implementing their learnings to create real change in their lives.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Reading Challenge
Set reading goals to challenge yourself and prioritize learning.
Fill your mind with valuable content instead of excessive TV.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Selective Reading
Be selective with your reading choices.
Read books by authors whose work resonates with you or is highly recommended.
insights INSIGHT
Unreasonable Hospitality's Impact
Unreasonable Hospitality emphasizes serving people well in any industry.
It focuses on the interconnectedness of roles and their impact on the customer experience.
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What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?
Gary Thomas
In 'Sacred Marriage,' Gary Thomas uncovers how marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God and each other. The book emphasizes that God's primary intent for marriage is not to make couples happy, but to make them holy. It provides insights from Scripture, church history, and Christian classics, along with practical advice to help couples transform their marital struggles into spiritual and personal growth. The book covers topics such as turning marital struggles into spiritual appreciation, loving with a stronger sense of purpose, and partnering in spiritual growth and character formation[1][3][4].
Unreasonable Hospitality
The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
Will Guidara
In 'Unreasonable Hospitality,' Will Guidara shares his experiences as the General Manager of Eleven Madison Park and The NoMad, highlighting the importance of hospitality in any business. The book emphasizes that simply offering a great product is not enough; organizations must also focus on creating authentic connections and memorable experiences for both customers and employees. Guidara provides practical advice on setting expectations, managing teams, and adapting to unexpected situations, all while maintaining a commitment to hospitality that goes beyond mere service. His approach is applicable across various industries, not just limited to restaurants and luxury businesses.
The Go-Giver
A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
John David Mann
Bob Burg
The Go-Giver tells the story of Joe, an ambitious young man who learns the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success from a series of mentors introduced by the enigmatic Pindar. These laws—Value, Compensation, Influence, Authenticity, and Receptivity—emphasize the importance of giving and adding value to others' lives. By shifting his focus from getting to giving, Joe experiences unexpected returns and achieves greater success in both his business and personal life.
Take the stairs
Rory Vaden
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
Marshall Goldsmith
This book by Marshall Goldsmith focuses on helping successful individuals recognize and change the behavioral habits that are holding them back from achieving even greater success. Goldsmith identifies 20 common bad habits, such as speaking when angry or adding too much value, and provides a systematic approach to changing these behaviors. He emphasizes that it is not technical skills but behavioral changes that separate the great from the rest. The book offers practical advice on how to eliminate these dysfunctions and improve interpersonal relationships, which is crucial for advancing in one's career and personal life.
In 2024, AJ committed to reading two books every month of the year, a tradition she’s been building on for three consecutive years! Today, she shares her most influential books for 2024, how they have shaped her outlook, and why you might want to check them out yourself. Discover why Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara is required reading for the entire Brand Builders Group team; how Gary Thomas’s Sacred Marriage has deepened AJ’s understanding of what it means to be married; what The Go-Giver by Bob Burg teaches readers about learning through relationships; why AJ decided to revisit Take the Stairs, written by her husband, Rory Vaden; and why What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith is essential reading for anyone ready to level up. Regardless of whether you decide to read these books in the coming year, ask yourself, ‘Am I implementing what I’ve learned, and how can I use it to create real change in my life?’ Don’t miss out on this inspiring conversation with AJ Vaden on her top books and lessons from 2024!
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