Summer doesn’t have to mean hitting pause on growth. Whether you’re commuting, poolside or just craving something better than another doomscroll, this is the season to pick up one of our favorite professional development books.
That’s why we’re kicking off our Summer Road Trip program with Summer School: the first in a multi-part series spotlighting books and podcasts from the Innovation Women community. This installment focuses on Learning, Coaching and Development—AKA, the tools, mindsets and strategies our speakers and experts use to thrive.
Here are eight picks to add to your TBR:
Permission to Dominate Your Success: A Clear Roadmap to Taking Charge of Your Life and Career by Ending Self-Sabotage and Shattering Limits | Liz M. Lopez
For anyone tired of holding themselves back, Coach Liz M. Lopez offers a direct challenge to get honest and start taking bold action instead. Through real-life stories and her Seven Permissions framework, she walks readers through releasing fear and the need for outside approval, stepping outside their comfort zone and stacking small, courageous steps into meaningful change. It’s a practical roadmap to shape a life, career or business on your own terms.
Unpacked: How To Detach From The Subconscious Beliefs That Are Sabotaging Your Life | Kristen Jacobsen, LCPC
Psychotherapist and TEDx speaker Kristen Jacobsen digs into the subconscious beliefs that keep high-achievers stuck in cycles of overthinking, people-pleasing and burnout, even after years of self-help work. Blending clinical insight with practical tools and reflective prompts, the book helps readers trace those patterns back to their source and build a framework for working through anxiety, shame and self-doubt at the root.
From Burnout to Best Life: Sustainable Strategies for a Healthy Mind & Body | Lisa Hammett
Certified Positive Intelligence PQ Coach Lisa Hammett offers a practical roadmap for anyone running on empty—leaders, entrepreneurs, caregivers or professionals who’ve been giving more than they have to give. Readers will learn to spot the early warning signs of burnout, release emotions like guilt and overwhelm that keep them stuck and build mental fitness habits that create real resilience. The book also digs into boundary-setting and building a support system that actually sustains growth, with real-life stories and strategies designed to fit into a realistic daily routine, not just an aspirational one.
Clarity by Design: Comprehensive Checklists in Medical Communication | Kelly Schrank
A great pick for anyone working in medical writing or editing. Kelly Schrank makes the case for trading basic to-do lists for comprehensive checklists that actually hold up across complex writing and editing tasks. The book includes interviews with working medical communicators on how they use checklists day to day, sample checklists for different task types and a case study that walks through a full manuscript editing process. It’s a practical, process-focused read for anyone looking to boost consistency and cut down on rework.
Show Up Positive | Rita Ernst
Feeling stuck in a cycle of workplace frustration and just going through the motions? Positivity Influencer Rita Ernst argues you don’t have to wait for that energy to come back on its own—you can generate it yourself. Drawing on years of work in organizational psychology, she offers business owners, executives and team members a practical playbook for breaking out of negativity and rebuilding pride, teamwork and results. The book includes her signature “Show Up Positive” acts designed to help readers reclaim their sense of agency and rediscover what made their work fulfilling in the first place.
7 C’s of Communication: A Practical Communication Guidebook for Educational Leaders Implementing Sustainable Change | Gail Angus
Built for school and district leaders, this guidebook addresses a common failure point in change initiatives: a weak communication system. Gail Angus lays out a 7 C’s Framework for building and monitoring strong communication across an organization, complete with real-world examples, common pitfalls, self-assessment tools and strategies for bringing the framework to a leadership team. Readers walk away with a repeatable system for diagnosing communication breakdowns and troubleshooting next steps.
Making Change Work: A Practical Handbook for Leaders Building a Resilient Change-Ready Culture | Natasha Todorovic-Cowan
Change is constant in business—and Natasha Todorovic makes the case that how leaders handle it should come down to people, not process. She offers a framework for building a strategic, people-centered Playbook for Change in just eight days, covering how to turn resistance into action, navigate critical transition points and sidestep the five common pitfalls that derail change efforts. Backed by real-world case studies, it’s a research-based guide for executives and change management professionals looking to build lasting change readiness into their culture.
LAUNCH Your Book! An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Reviews That Drive Revenue | Robbie Samuels
If reading through this list has you thinking about writing your own book, this one’s your next stop. Award-winning book launch strategist Robbie Samuels shares the process he’s used to coach entrepreneurs through turning a nonfiction book into a genuine pipeline for business growth. Readers learn how to build a launch team of real prospects and referral partners, reach a meaningful goal of written Amazon reviews and use a soft launch to build momentum before the public one. The book comes with practical extras too, including launch timelines, an invite email template and a run-of-show guide for a virtual launch party.
Visit the Innovation Women Bookstore to find even more professional development books from our speakers and experts.
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