The Mountain Is You
A close look at self-sabotage — the behaviors we don't realize are working against us, and why we do them anyway.
Why it mattered to me
It helped me understand myself in a way I hadn't before. Genuinely one of the best-written books I've read on the subject.
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
How growing up with emotionally immature parents shapes adult relationships, and what healthy parenting and partnership actually look like.
Why it mattered to me
Possibly the single best book I've ever read. It helped me understand why my own parents may have shown up the way they did — and how to parent differently myself.
I Hear You
A short, practical book on validation — truly listening to understand, not to respond or win.
Why it mattered to me
Listening is a massively underrated skill, and one I still practice daily. Not listening to counter. Not listening to prove someone wrong. Listening to actually understand — seek first to understand, before being understood.
How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It
How couples often connect more through consistent actions than through talking things out.
Why it mattered to me
It reinforced something I believe strongly — focus on what you can control, and show up as the version of yourself your partner deserves.
Move Your Bus
A parable about the different kinds of people on any team — Runners, Joggers, Walkers, and Riders — and how the energy any one person brings shapes everyone around them.
Why it mattered to me
It changed how I approach work — recognizing that my own energy and effort directly impacts the people I lead, for better or worse.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
A man learns, after his death, that five people from his life were quietly shaped by him in ways he never realized while he was living it.
Why it mattered to me
It's about purpose — and the reminder that most of us spend our lives chasing purpose without realizing we're already making a huge impact right where we are.
The Coffee Bean
A short fable about a carrot, an egg, and a coffee bean — three different ways of responding to the same hard environment.
Why it mattered to me
A simple, powerful reminder: you can let your circumstances change you, or you can change your circumstances. Perspective is everything.
Tuesday Morning Coaching
A burned-out manager meets weekly with a mentor over eight weeks and learns simple truths for turning his career and life around.
Why it mattered to me
I read this over ten years ago. It's about learning to control the controllables — mostly yourself. Great for young leaders trying to show up as their best selves, at work and at home.