In years past, we’ve shared the DYC team’sfavorite books on topics ranging from branding and customer experience to psychology and lifestyle. This summer, we’re expanding our recommendations to include the podcasts, websites, publications and courses that inspire us – in both work and life. We hope you get to read/listen to a few, and that they help make your summer as cool as this cat in a pool – enjoy!
An award-winning professor at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Dr. Daniel Diermeier has blazed a path in understanding the significance of reputation management and demonstrating how a company can create a program so powerful that it can help turn a potential public disgrace into a public image success story. Reputation Rules is a landmark work bringing to light Dr. Diermeier’s groundbreaking insights in this critical area. He offers the frameworks, strategies, and processes for changing your company’s focus as quickly as the world is changing around you. Find it on Amazon.
In this revelatory new book, Simon Sinek offers a framework for leading with an infinite mindset. On one hand, none of us can resist the fleeting thrills of a promotion earned or a tournament won, yet these rewards fade quickly. In pursuit of a Just Cause, we will commit to a vision of a future world so appealing that we will build it week after week, month after month, year after year. Although we do not know the exact form this world will take, working toward it gives our work and our life meaning. Find it on Amazon.
Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast Revisionist History and author of the number-one New York Times best seller Outliers, reinvents the audiobook in this immersive production of Talking to Strangers, a powerful examination of our interactions with people we don’t know. Find it on Amazon.
From having to pitch his own mother on being an early investor, to the motel conference room that served as a first office, to server crashes on launch day, to the now-infamous meeting when Netflix brass pitched Blockbuster to acquire them, Marc Randolph‘s transformational journey exemplifies how anyone with grit, gut instincts and determination can change the world-even with an idea that many think will never work. Find it on Amazon.
Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger—think global—and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets. In The Ride of a Lifetime, Robert Iger shares the lessons he learned while running Disney and leading its 220,000-plus employees, and he explores the principles that are necessary for true leadership. Find it on Amazon.
You know your product is awesome—but does anybody else? Forget everything you thought you knew about positioning. Successfully connecting your product with consumers isn’t a matter of following trends, comparing yourself to the competition or trying to attract the widest customer base. So what is it? April Dunford, positioning guru and tech exec, will enlighten you. Her new book, Obviously Awesome, shows you how to find your product’s “secret sauce”—and then sell that sauce to those who crave it. Find it on Amazon.
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson journeys broadly, discussing discipline, freedom, adventure and responsibility, distilling the world’s wisdom into 12 practical and profound rules for life. 12 Rules for Life shatters the modern commonplaces of science, faith and human nature, while transforming and ennobling the mind and spirit of its readers. Find it on Amazon.
In her most revealing and powerful memoir yet, Glennon Doyle – activist, speaker, bestselling author, and “patron saint of female empowerment” (People) – explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet others’ expectations and start trusting the voice deep within us. Find it on Amazon.
New York Times best-selling author Donald Miller uses the seven universal elements of powerful stories to teach listeners how to dramatically improve how they connect with customers and grow their businesses. Find it on Amazon.
Trained journalist and award-winning content marketer Melanie Deziel shows you how to maximize your creativity by systematizing it. This simple framework catalyzes the brainstorming process, making idea generation effortless and nearly automatic. No more writer’s block. No more asking “what should I post?” No more waiting for that “big idea” to show up in its own time. This system allows storytellers from any industry to produce fresh story ideas on demand, any time. Find it on Amazon.
Join researcher and #1 New York Times best-selling author Brené Brown as she unpacks and explores the ideas, stories, experiences, books, films, and music that reflect the universal experiences of being human, from the bravest moments to the most brokenhearted. Listen here.
Journalist and bestselling author Michael Lewis (Liar’s Poker, Moneyball) takes a searing look at what’s happened to fairness. It feels like there’s less of it every day—whether it comes to lending practices, college admissions, professional sports, or psychological well-being. Who are the people trying to level the playing field, and are they making an impact? Listen here.
NPR’s Up First is the news you need to start your day. The three biggest stories of the day, with reporting and analysis from NPR News — in 10 minutes. Listen here.
Hosted by Kai Ryssdal and Molly Wood, Make Me Smart With Kai & Molly is now a daily news podcast that breaks down the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and the most complex topics of the week. Together, we make sense of today. Because none of us is as smart as all of us. Listen here.
Each episode, Tim Ferriss deconstructs world-class performers from eclectic areas (investing, sports, business, art, etc.) to extract the tactics, tools, and routines you can use. This includes favorite books, morning routines, exercise habits, time-management tricks, and much more. Listen here.
Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world’s best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.Listen here.
Jocko Willink andEcho Charles discuss discipline and leadership… extensively. Listen/watch here.
Fast Company is the world’s leading business media brand, with an editorial focus on innovation in technology, leadership, world changing ideas, creativity, and design. Written for and about the most progressive business leaders, Fast Company inspires readers to think expansively, lead with purpose, embrace change, and shape the future of business. FastCompany.com
Learn anytime, anywhere, at your own pace. Watch thousands of lessons from the best as they share their stories, skills, shortcuts, failures, and successes. Topics include writing, design, photography, science, technology, lifestyle and more. Masterclass.com
What are YOU reading/listening to/learning this summer?
