Reading sparks creativity and fosters the mind with new ideas. Because books can have such an impact on our lives, we asked our team members which pieces of literature or authors most resonated with their lives. You can find their responses below. Please share with us which books have positively impacted you in the comments below!
“During my freshman year of college, I discovered Chuck Palahniuk and I was blown away by his style. His writing is smart, bold, and unafraid. To me, he’s the ultimate wordsmith, combining the ebb and flow of poetry with the impact of a well-developed novel. As writing is such a big part of my life both personally and professionally, he is a major inspiration to me.”
Favorite Quote: “May I never be complete. May I never be content. May I never be perfect.”
–Erica Bonavitacola | Account Manager
“John Maeda’s perspective on how design, business, and technology are all connected via concepts of clarity in The Laws of Simplicity, have directly affected my digital marketing perspective. In, Redesigning Leadership, Maeda discusses his combined career experiences with left brain/right brain worlds and shares how that has opened his eyes to creative, out-of-the-box approaches to what drives teams and results in success.”
Favorite quotes: “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful” and “Respect is constantly earned, and shouldn’t be assumed because of your position.”
–MJ Thompson | Digital Marketing & Design Manager
“Brené Brown’s books have made a big impact on me, personally and professionally. She embraces vulnerability as a catalyst to growth- a core truth in business, and life in general.”
Favorite quote: “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.”
– Rachel Litner | Chief Strategy Officer
“Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper is at the top of my list. In all of her books, she tells the story from the perspective of multiple characters, allowing the reader to feel like he/she is experiencing the story with the characters. It has now become a form of storytelling that I seek out in other books I read. Reading her stories always speak to my heart and make me question what I would do in the specific situation”
Favorite Quote: “You don’t love someone because they’re perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they’re not.”
-Beth Gard | Senior Manager, Client Relations and Operations
“Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom is one book that had a positive influence on me. It truly gives you a different viewpoint on life and where your priorities should be. This is a book everyone should definitely read at least once in their lifetime.”
Favorite quote: “So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”
-Samantha Barnwell | Assistant Account Executive
“In Good to Great, Jim Collins gave me a blueprint, based on clear and well-researched data, on how to create a great company. Understanding the importance of continuous improvement and getting the right people in the right seats has been part of the bedrock of building and evolving our agency.”
Favorite quote: “Indeed, the real question is not, “Why greatness?” but “What work makes you feel compelled to try to create greatness?” If you have to ask the question, “Why should we try to make it great? Isn’t success enough?” then you’re probably engaged in the wrong line of work.”
-David Hernandez | Co-Founder & Managing Partner
“Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. I’ve read it 5 times and every once in awhile, I pick it up again for a perspective refresher. Another book I like to reflect on is Who Moved My Cheese by Ken Blanchard. It’s a great book about adapting to change in work and personal life. The story captures the idea of seeing change as a new beginning versus an end. Instead of seeing change as an end, we should optimistically see it as a beginning. ”
Favorite Quote: “If you do not change, you can become extinct.” ( Who Moved My Cheese)
-Allison Hernandez | Co-Founder & Managing Partner
“I read this book for the first time when I was in high school and it had a profound impact on the way I view the value of family and friends as well as taught me the significance of being supportive and kind to everyone you encounter.”
Favorite Quote: “You couldn’t have strength without weakness, you couldn’t have light without dark, you couldn’t have love without loss”
-Olivia Munafo | Account Coordinator
“My love for traveling has really changed my life. I used to be so scared to travel and then I read this book. It made me want to get out of my comfort zone and experience new things which is something that has never come easy but now it’s something that I need to do, as much as possible.”
Favorite quote: Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings.
-Amanda Erdmann | Digital Marketing Strategist
“I have a couple of favorites. The first one is for business, Traction by Gino Wickman. This book is my favorite tool for business planning. Wickman breaks the process down into easy to understand, digestible parts.”
Favorite quote: “Most people are sitting on their own diamond mines. The surest ways to lose your diamond mine are to get bored, become overambitious, or start thinking that the grass is greener on the other side. Find your core focus, stick to it and devote your time and resources to excelling at it.”
“My personal favorite book, that I like to share when someone has achieved a milestone in life, is by Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”
Favorite quote: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”
-Nancy Kohlreiter | Chief Operating Officer
“ As a dog mama and dog lover I loved this book for the obvious reason- it’s a book about a dog, and it is told from his perspective of the world which is so amusing. There is so much evil and hate, but there is also a lot of love. Dogs love unconditionally and that is what makes them so good. So, if you’re ever feeling down or discouraged by what is happening in the world around you, hug a dog or read this book and apply the same message: love many people and be good.”
Favorite Quote: “I was a dog who loved many people, and that is what made me a good dog.”
-Cait Coyle | Senior Account Manager
“I was first introduced to Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff when my yoga teacher read a passage from this book at the beginning of her class several years ago. She read an excerpt that was so insightful that I sought out a copy of my own and read it back-to-back within a day. The main theme is that we are in control of our happiness and that feelings of stress, worry, and sadness are often caused by us making a bigger deal of “small stuff” than we should. Most importantly, Carlson writes about how “it’s all small stuff.”
Favorite Quote: “Ask yourself this question: ‘Will this matter a year from now?'”
-Melissa Hunt | Senior Digital Marketing Strategist
We hope you were inspired by our chosen books as much as we were! Don’t forget to add your comment below and share your favorite piece of literature!