Book recommendations for your Christmas wish list

Hello and a very warm welcome to the latest edition of We Are Mimosa, a weekly newsletter for female founders for whom values, and purpose are their strategic driving force.?

There is little nicer than a pile of beautifully wrapped books under the Christmas tree. Or to paraphrase Jo’s complaint at the beginning of one of my favourite books, Little Women (strong festive opening and Christmas a recurring theme), Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a good book.?

That’s why the focus for this week’s newsletter is on books. Those I read in 2023 and those on my Christmas wish list. If like me, you love reading, I hope you’ll find some festive inspiration in these lists.?

But first how was your week? Was this one of your busiest weeks as shoppers frantically finish their last-minute shopping? Or are you winding down for Christmas and deep in 2024 planning?? Let me know in the comments box below.???

And second, some housekeeping. After today’s newsletter, this is the last edition of CEO Secrets before the end of 2023. Then I will be back in your inboxes with regular weekly reads from the first week of January.?

This week’s CEO secret?

Harry S. Truman said, “not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” I love reading both because it’s enjoyable and it plays a critical role in helping me become a better leader.??

Growing up, I loved to read. If I wasn’t outside playing, I was reading, and that love of books has never gone away. I’m usually in the middle of three or four books so I can choose what I feel like at any given time, such as a book on business or leadership, a fiction book for when I want to relax, and one or two non-fiction books for when I’m motivated to learn.??

Here’s a selection of my favourite books from 2023.?You'll find the full list over on my blog, along with my Christmas book wish list.

Three favourite books of 2023

The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz?

What does it take to live a truly good life? Directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz, distill over 80 years of research to explore the key components of a happy and fulfilled life. Contrary to the notion that success and financial achievement define a rich life, the book emphasizes that true happiness stems from the quality of our relationships. Through a blend of scientific precision, traditional wisdom, real-life stories, and actionable insights, the authors assert that our well-being and ability to flourish are fundamentally within our control.?

For the Culture: The Power Behind the World's Most Successful Brands, from Apple to Beyoncé by Marcus Collins?

In "For the Culture," Marcus Collins contends that genuine cultural engagement is the most potent method for influencing behaviour in various aspects of life, whether it be managing a team, making a presentation, staging a protest, or marketing a product. Drawing on a century's worth of data and using compelling stories from his own experiences as a top marketer, including work with Beyonce, iTunes and Nike+, Collins demonstrates how understanding and appealing to cultural values can inspire communities and create lasting engagement and influence.?

When Women Lead: What We Achieve, Why We Succeed and What We Can Learn by Julia Boorstin?

Given my deep-seated interest in all things female entrepreneurship, I found "When Women Lead” fascinationg. The celebrated journalist, Julia Boorstin, highlights the underestimated leadership approaches of the women leading the world's most innovative and successful companies, offering a groundbreaking perspective on their odds-defying strategies. Boorstin combines narrative and research to showcase the superpowers found in once-underestimated characteristics, such as vulnerability, gratitude, and divergent thinking. Featuring stories from over sixty female CEOs and leaders, the book presents a radical blueprint for the future of business and emphasizes the universal applicability of these approaches in navigating unprecedented times of change.?

Let me know in the comments below.??

Women-led brands we're loving?

?? Looking for natural skincare for dry, sensitive skin powered by the bees, the land, and the seas? Step forward Batch 001, made using all 100% ethically sourced, cruelty free, natural and organic ingredients.?

After her first baby was diagnosed with severe eczema, Batch 001 founder Paula Warwick was left struggling to find skin and body care that could soothe and moisturise her daughter's sensitive skin. Paula decided to create her own products and started experimenting with beeswax, which is naturally antibacterial, antimicrobial and antifungal.??

This Rose Salt & Oil Body Scrub Is on my Christmas wish list.?

?? The average item of clothing has only two years until it is thrown away. To bring back the tradition of caring for the clothes we love and making them last for as long as possible, Lulu O’Connor started Clothes Doctor.??

Based in rural Cornwall and founded as a repairs and alterations service in 2017, the company expanded to offer a range of specialist clothing care products. It’s now set to expand its workforce after securing ￡1million in its latest funding round. (Note that historically less than 2% of female founders secure venture capital funding).??

Come for this Crease Release spray, perfect for when you’re unpacking your travel bag.?

??Rejuvenated is a British nutraceutical and award-winning family run brand specialising in multi-tasking, ‘beauty from within’ supplements, designed to boost your body from top to toe. Rejuvenated was founded in 2003, by health and wellness expert Kathryn Danzey, who brought together world-leading scientists and nutritionists to formulate a capsule collection of highly-effective and innovative products, featuring high-grade and 100% active natural ingredients. Founded in 2003, by health & wellness expert Kathryn Danzey who enlisted to help of nutritional food production scientists to manufacture her highly-effective and innovative formulations.?

Shine a light

Which women-built brands do you love and would like to shine a light on? Help me to support more female founders by sharing the brands you love in the comments box below.

We’re talking about…?

??... what happens when men don't listen to women, question their expertise, dismiss their views, try to silence them. Sound familiar???

But what if, in this case, the authority gap led to the Middle East crisis? In this grimly compelling and devastating article, Mary Ann Sieghart , author of The Authority Gap explains how female intelligence officers gave repeated warnings of the October 7 attack on Israel. But their male superiors told them it was ‘nonsense’, ‘imaginary’ and threatened disciplinary action.?

Read: When men don’t listen to women?

Spotlight on Mary Sieghart, Author, The Authority Gap?

The author of When men don’t listen to women, Mary Ann Sieghart, wrote the best-selling book, The Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It. She spent 20 years as Assistant Editor and columnist at The Times and won a large following for her columns on politics, economics, feminism, parenthood and life in general.??

She has presented many programmes on BBC Radio 4, such as Start the Week, Profile, Analysis, Fallout and One to One. She recently spent a year as a Visiting Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, where she researched her book, The Authority Gap, on why women are taken less seriously than men.???

?She has chaired the Social Market Foundation think tank, is a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, and sits on numerous boards. She was Chair of the judges for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022.?

Read: Men swim with the current, women swim against it?

And Finally...?

I hope that you enjoyed this edition of CEO Secrets. Why not let me know what your key takeaways were in the comments box below.?

Wishing you and your loved ones a very merry Christmas, and a happy and healthy new year.?

Until next time.?

Denyse??????

My Blog, CEO Secrets?|?Substack?|?Instagram?|?Work With Me?

About Denyse?????

Hi. I’m Denyse Whillier, a former CEO and strategic business coach specialising in female entrepreneurship. A very warm welcome to CEO Secrets, a?newsletter dedicated to one thing, breaking down the strategies, concepts and tools that I’ve gathered from 25 years working in purpose-led companies and showing you how you can use them in your business.??

Ready to book a discovery call and discuss how I can help you achieve your business goals in 2024. Or would you like to read my case studies first??