Being a female entrepreneur brings with it a set of challenges that can often only be understood by other female entrepreneurs.  Often women face different obstacles and demands and navigating these can be difficult.

I find that there are so many different places to find advice and wisdom as an entrepreneur.  One of my favorite ways to gain a new perspective or to seek out new ideas about how to do things in my business is to read the advice penned by those who have been in my situation.  There are so many memoirs and books filled with advice from female entrepreneurs out there, so I thought I would share some of my favorites with you.

1. The Career Code: Secrets to Style and Success At Work – Hillary Kerr & Katherine Power (Buy This Book: USA: $11.97, Amazon, CANADA: $23.31, IndigoChapters).  This book is written by the ladies behind WhoWhatWear, one of my favorite fashion blogs to follow!  I’m sure you’ve seen my re-posts on Facebook of some of their amazing articles.  This book is “the Everygirl’s guide for creating your own professional success, on every level, flawlessly. The book is filled with insightful, pragmatic “career codes” to follow, as well as all of the practical, how-to advice they’ve learned while building their company.”

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   Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur – Cara Alwill Leyba (Buy This Book: USA: $8.95, Amazon).  When you’re really driven, it can be hard to balance success and sanity all while trying to be happy.  It’s also important to remember that we are stronger together than we are apart.  This book shows us that “it’s almost as though there is a hidden, underground world of power playing females who have all cracked a magical code: they think positively, they support one another, and they truly believe they can have it all —and you can, too.”

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   Leave Your Mark: Land Your Dream Job. Kill It In Your Career. Rock Social Media. – Aliza Licht (Buy This Book: USA: $14.60, Amazon, CANADA: $22.37, IndigoChapters).  This book offers “a particular emphasis on communicating and building your personal brand” in the “contemporary work world”.  Social media is becoming increasingly important in our lives and this book offers guidance in this area.

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   Find Your Extraordinary: Dream Bigger, Live Happier and Achieve Success On Your Own Terms – Jessica DiLullo Herrin (Buy This Book: USA: $16.20, Amazon, CANADA: $32.03, IndigoChapters).  This book offers candid answers to questions such as “What if you could, with a little effort, live an extraordinary life? A life in which you felt deep passion for everything you did, and always had time for what matters most? A life in which you had the power, the daring, and the will to make your boldest dreams come true, all while you happily left feelings of inadequacy or guilt behind?”  As a Stella&Dot Stylist, I’ve seen Jessica Herrin’s work first hand.  Her desire to empower women is truly genuine and this thoughtful book is worth the read.

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   Lean In: Women, Work & The Will To Lead – Sheryl Sandberg (Buy This Book: USA: $14.85, Amazon, CANADA: $17.51, IndigoChapters).  I first learned of this book when Ms. Sandberg appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to promote her work.  This is a great book to read even if you aren’t an entrepreneur – I have many female friends who have read it for advice on how to empower their growing daughters to become leaders in their lives.