At the start of 2021 I found in myself the desire to read more. I started the Harry Potter series, because when you live in England, you have to read the Harry Potter series. I also read Little Woman and subscribed to more Ethical Fashion Newsletters to stay up to date on new topics and trending issues in the industry.
This year, I want to take it a step further and read more books about Ethical Fashion as well as books on economics. I want to learn more about globalization, how our trade system got to where it is today and glean more expertise in the global supply chain. Riveting stuff, I know.
Other than the nerdy side of things, I would also like to read books by leaders of companies I am inspired by and biographies of Entrepreneurs. So, this list is a condensed list of reads I hope to make my way through this year and I would love the company! Who knows, maybe we could even start a little virtual book club to hold each other accountable.
by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation
"It is increasingly acknowledged that the practice of design is not exclusive to designers, nor is it found only in studios. The materials, garments, services, shows, supply chains and stores that make up the fashion industry all work the way they do because of innumerable design decisions, made by creatives all over the world. Circular design goes far beyond rethinking single products or services, it has the potential to redefine how the entire fashion system operates."
I am excited for the design and product approach to the waste issue. This books seems to be very engaging and even has prompts you can answer. As someone who loves writing down tons of ideas as I read through things. This book will be good for the start of the year.
by Yvon Chouinard
"In his long-awaited memoir, Yvon Chouinard-legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc.-shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth."
As a lover of patagonia and their entire business culture, I am excited to read about the life of the founder, Yvon Chouinard. This has been on my list since it came out in 2016, and this year I am finally going to read it.
by Liz Bohannon
"Rethink everything you've been told about finding your passion and following your dreams. Why? Hate to break it to you, but you're likely never going to "find your passion." Because your passion and purpose are something you build--actively--day by day. In her signature tell-it-like-it-is fashion, Liz shares 14 actionable principles that will teach you how to do just that."
I have followed Liz Bohannon's company, Sseko, since it began in 2008. I used to sift through their website and dream of one day starting a company that impacted and utilized the resources of developing communities in a holistic way. I am excited to hear more behind the heart of a company that I have followed for so long.
by John Mackey and Rajendra Sisodia
"At once a bold defense and reimagining of capitalism and a blueprint for a new system for doing business, Conscious Capitalism is for anyone hoping to build a more cooperative, humane, and positive future."
If you are not fully inspired by Whole Foods then we are not the friends I thought we were. All jokes aside, I have struggled with the idea of sustainability and how it helps and hinders the idea of capitalism. Profits and products help cash flows and economies stand, but how do we make less consumer driven capitalism and more conscious driven capitalism? And is that a thing? Jury is still out.
by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai
Another top interest in my mental note of "I have got to read that book." A young woman against all odds, desiring peace and encountering bravery. I can't wait to sift through the pages of this incredible story of such an admirable girl.
"Raised in the Swat Valley in Pakistan, Malala was taught to stand up for her beliefs. When terrorists took control of her region and declared girls were forbidden from going to school, Malala fought for her right to an education. And, on 9 October 2012, she nearly paid the ultimate price for her courage when she was shot on her way home from school. No one expected her to survive. Now, she is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest person ever to win a Nobel Peace Prize."
by Bob Goff
I started following this program by Bob Goff in 2019 out of interest in attending one of the retreat weekends in 2020, and well the rest is history. I have read all of Bob Goff's books and love every single one of them. Let's just say, I have similar expectations for Dream Big. This one if for my fellow dreamers.
"In this revelatory yet utterly practical new book, Bob takes you on a life-proven journey to rediscover your dreams and turn them into reality. Based on his enormously popular Dream Big workshop, Bob draws on a lifetime of living and dreaming large to help you reach your larger-than-life dreams. In Dream Big, he shows how to
learn to clearly define your dreams for yourself,
identify the obstacles holding you back,
establish a specific plan for reaching goals, and
develop the tools that will help you act on the plan.
Dream Big is the only book you need to uncover the wild and exciting dream for your life you’ve hidden from yourself - and help you take the steps necessary to achieve it."
by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
"Blue ocean strategy is the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost to open up a new market space and create new demand. It is about creating and capturing uncontested market space, thereby making the competition irrelevant. It is based on the view that market boundaries and industry structure are not a given and can be reconstructed by the actions and beliefs of industry players."
This one is more for the nerd in me. I was recommended this read by a friend of mine getting her MBA at London Business School. I am fascinated to see how malleable the market space really is, especially with such a large emergence of innovators and social entrepreneurs. If you find economics and market behavior interesting, please join me in learning more about this strategy.
by Walter Isaacson
Truth time. After seeing Hamilton and thinking about how it only came to be because Lin Manuel Miranda took the time to read Alexander Hamilton's Biography has inspired me to stay the least. One of the first people that came to mind when I thought, "if I had to read a biography, who would I choose?" was Steve Jobs. In college I read many a case study about Apple in my Entrepreneurship classes and they were always so fascinating to me.
In his biographical account, "Walter Isaacson tells the story of the rollercoaster life and searingly intense personality of creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies,music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing." This will be entertaining to say the least.
by Bill Gates
Choosing the last book was very hard because there are still so many on my list, but I think this will be a nice bow on the year. It combines thoughts of a well known, successful business leader, analysis of business strategy and inspiration for our next steps.
"In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical - and accessible - plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science, and finance, he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide toward certain environmental disaster."
Well there it is folks, like it or not, the lineup for the first year of the Dyeraid Ethical Book Club. If you wish to join, we will be reading these 9 books before the clock strikes midnight on 2022. At the end of each book there will be live Q&A's on social media, a nice summary and some readers thoughts up on the blog. I would love for you to join me as I read through these books. If not, hopefully one of them will help you find some inspiration for next steps toward creating a brighter more sustainable future.
Cheers to You Friend,
Kara Jo