The Reading Room
Where reading becomes better business thinking.
The Reading Room is curated collection of books that have shaped how The Woman CFO thinks about business, money, leadership, and decision-making.
Every recommendation has earned its place through the perspective it offers and the way it continues to influence our thinking.
Some introduce timeless principles, while others challenge conventional thinking or offer fresh perspectives on building, growing, and managing a business.
We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
Theme: Wealth & Ownership
TWC Take
We Should All Be Millionaires challenges the way many women think about earning, pricing, and ownership.
It encourages you to think bigger about income, how you position yourself, what you ask for, and what you expect to be paid.
It also encourages you to examine how your beliefs about money influence your pricing, negotiations, and definition of success.
Professional Troublemaker by Luvvie Ajayi Jones
Theme: Courage & Leadership
TWC Take
Professional Troublemaker explores what it means to speak with conviction, challenge expectations, and make decisions that align with your values, even when they're unpopular.
It encourages you to examine the role fear plays in your decisions and the opportunities that can be missed when you spend too much time seeking permission or avoiding discomfort.
For business owners, courage influences the conversations you have, the boundaries you set, the risks you're willing to take, and the decisions that shape your business.
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Dr. Travis Bradberry and Dr. Jean Greaves
Theme: Self-Leadership
TWC Take
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 explores how self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management influence the way we lead, communicate, and make decisions.
It encourages you to pay attention to the emotional habits that shape your responses under pressure, your interactions with others, and your effectiveness as a leader.
Business decisions don't happen in isolation. The ability to recognize and manage emotions (both your own and those of the people around you) is an important part of leading well.
Negotiating While Black by Damali Peterman
Theme: Negotiation
TWC Take
Negotiating While Black explores how identity, perception, and bias can influence negotiations in ways that traditional negotiation books rarely address.
It encourages readers to think more intentionally about preparation, advocacy, and navigating conversations where the playing field may not always be equal.
Every business owner negotiates. Understanding both negotiation strategy and the realities that shape those conversations leads to more informed decisions and stronger outcomes.
Financial Feminist by Tori Dunbar
Theme: Personal Finance
TWC Take
Financial Feminist explores the systems, habits, and financial knowledge that influence how women earn, spend, save, invest, and build wealth.
It encourages readers to approach money with greater confidence by understanding the practical decisions that support long-term financial independence.
Financial confidence isn't built through information alone. It's developed by consistently making informed decisions that align with your goals, values, and priorities.
She Minds Her Own Business by Krystel Stacey
Theme: Entrepreneurship
TWC Take
She Minds Her Own Business explores what it means to build a business on your own terms rather than following someone else's definition of success.
It encourages you to think intentionally about entrepreneurship, ownership, and the choices that shape the business you're creating.
It's a reminder that building a business is about making intentional decisions instead of following someone else's blueprint.
Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs by Karen Berman, Joe Knight and John Case
Theme: Business Finance
TWC Take
Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs explains how to read, interpret, and think about the financial information behind your business instead of simply reviewing the numbers.
It encourages you to look beyond revenue and profit by understanding what financial statements reveal, the questions they raise, and how they support better business decisions.
Financial reports are decision-making tools. The more confidently you can interpret them, the more confidently you can manage and grow your business.
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
Theme: Business Design
TWC Take
The E-Myth Revisited challenges the assumption that being skilled at the work is the same as building a successful business.
It encourages you to think beyond the day-to-day demands of serving customers by considering the systems, processes, and decisions that allow a business to grow beyond its owner.
A business should be designed to support long-term growth, not depend entirely on the person running it. That's a shift in thinking every business owner eventually has to make.
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
Theme: Money Behavior
TWC Take
The Psychology of Money explores how our experiences, emotions, and beliefs influence the way we think about money.
It encourages you to look beyond spreadsheets and financial strategies by recognizing that money decisions are often shaped as much by behavior as they are by numbers.
The conversations it starts extend into business ownership, investing, pricing, risk, and long-term decision-making, making it a valuable reminder that financial success is influenced by both knowledge and judgment.
Building a StoryBrand 2.0 by Donald Miller
Theme: Marketing & Communication
TWC Take
Building a StoryBrand 2.0 explores how clear communication helps customers quickly understand who you are, what you do, and the value your business provides.
It encourages you to simplify your messaging by focusing on the problems you solve rather than trying to say everything at once.
The way you communicate influences how people experience your business. Clear messaging builds understanding, strengthens your brand, and helps customers make confident decisions.