Hello & welcome back to another post! Today I have an awesome guest post for you from Cherralle, who runs a career blog for moms. I am so glad that I stumbled upon her blog as the topics are so relevant to us working moms. Please do give her a follow on Facebook and/or Twitter (remember to say that you discovered her via Peanut Gallery 24/7).  Without further ado, let’s give the spotlight to Cherralle…

In the spirit of Women’s Month I thought it would be apt to share the top three books for working women. For those who don’t know, I write at My Daily Cake, where I cover career & parenting topics for moms. I love reading, and picking up on ideas and trends from different books makes me excited (a bit nerdish).  Reading for me is a way to really learn perspectives from others and broaden my own. These are three of the most popular books for working women .

Lean In: Women, Work and The Will To Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Facebook. In Lean In, Sheryl talks about ways that women hold themselves back from pursuing career goals. Sheryl encourages women to ‘lean in’  and to strive for their career goals. At the same time, she encourages husbands to step up in the home. One of my favourite messages from this book is that Sheryl encourages men to ‘lean in’ at home. To achieve equality at work, we must also aspire for equality in the home (i.e. men taking on more housework). The challenge with this book is that it is targeted at ‘middle class’ women as it does imply that a mother has a significant help at home (paid support). The book also does not address the challenges faced by single moms, who do not have a ‘partner’ at home who can ‘lean in at home.’

Why should you read this book?

In this book, Sheryl shares her views about how women hold themselves back. It will cause self-reflection and will could give you new thinking on how to approach your work and family life. There may be a few take outs that may resonate with you, I know when I read it for the first time I learned a lot.

 

 

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes is a mega Hollywood star; she is the creator of Scandal (the one with Kerry Washington); Greys Anatomy and How To Get Away With Murder. One of my favourite people! In Year of Yes, Shonda shares an intimate account of one year in her life where she said yes that which scared her. Saying yes for one year transformed her life and she became more confident, a better friend and a more present parent (Shonda is a mom of 3).

Why should you read this book?

Shonda wrote Scandal, Greys and How To Get Away With Murder – she is just awesome. Is that not good enough reason?  Read this book if you want to get a behind the scenes look in to how this super successful woman said yes to things that scared her. Shona also calls it on working motherhood. She is very clear and open about how she manages her family and work and admits to paid help at home (which apparently people in Hollywood do not do!). She also admits to not having work life balance. Who does?

Thrive – The Third Metric To Redefining Success by Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington was the editor-in-chief and founder of Huffington Post. In her book Thrive, Arianna makes a compelling case for redefining what success looks like. Arianna challenges the belief that success is about increasing your wealth. Instead, she calls for more sleep, disconnecting more from devices and actually connecting with people, friends, and family around us.

Why should you read this book?

Arianna gives a refreshing look into how to live a life that is full, and not just chasing ‘money’. She gets down to basics and says ‘hey – you know what, go sleep – it’s good for you and other gems!

Do you have any books that you find inspiring? Let me know in the comments.

Previous Posts related to Women’s Month:
My Breastfeeding Experience
Introducing new SA Female Artist: KARMA and debut single “Image”
Meet the Woman Behind the Blog – Women’s Month 2017