The kick in the pants you need to build the business you want.

— Lindsay Teague Moreno.

I’ll just start by saying I really loved this book – a full 5 out of 5 stars for me.

I’m going to confess right up front that I have been thinking a lot lately about where I’m at in my life. I went through a period of time this summer through mid-October where I was in a deep state of ennui. I just couldn’t pull myself out of this funk! Before that, I’d been kicking butt with working out, meditating, reading, focusing in at work, getting enough water, and overall just feeling great about it. Then I let work come and kick my butt in the opposite direction – I was traveling like crazy and suffered a couple of frustrating, politically-related setbacks at work – and I quit doing just about everything that was keeping my life in balance.

Fast forward. I decided that I’d had enough wallowing, and it was time to start my journey back out of my self-imposed lock down. One of the biggest things on my mind was the question of how to better incorporate the things that I was realizing were my passions into my daily life and work more effectively. I was (and still am) considering opening my own business. Enter Boss Up! by Lindsay Teague Moreno.

I began reading the book while I was still getting my head straight enough to push through the lethargy to get going. At one point, she describes her unique selling proposition as “The kick in the pants you need to build the business you want.” I think that pretty perfectly describes how I felt reading the book – energized, determined, and ready to do what needs to be done.

The book is a lovely blend between humor, blunt honesty, and good solid starting points for individuals looking to build a business. The book is aimed at “momtrepreneurs”, but I really think it reaches a much broader audience of women, despite the very relatable anecdotes that remind mothers they are still humans, still valuable, and that being imperfect is acceptable. More importantly, she reminds us that we are not alone.

I highly recommend this book to any woman who needs a reminder that she’s worth investing in, even if she’s not specifically looking to start her own business.

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Nuggets of gold from Boss Up! by Lindsay Teague Moreno
1. She knows she’s a better mother to her kids when she gets a chance to use her gifts and talents in ways that don’t specifically relate to her home.
2. If I die at fifty-three, as she did, I want them to stand at my funeral and say, “She may have only lived fifty-three years, but she did a hundred years’ worth of living.
3. Be strong enough to like what you like. Be confident enough to say what you mean. Take up space. Be too loud. Be too much. Be you, and don’t apologize for it. You didn’t do someone wrong by being yourself. Stop believing you owe another human being an apology for existing.
4. I’ve decided that we should just make the assumption that everyone is doing the best they can in a given moment.
5. A great way to keep learning throughout life is to be coachable. Humble. Teachable. And that’s actually a remarkable accomplishment in a world where there’s pressure to have it all figured out. It takes admitting you’re wrong at times. It takes setting your ego aside. It takes realizing you don’t have an answer. It takes changing your mind sometimes.
6. Your ability to change your mind and make mistakes means you’ve learned to set aside your ego. That is the kind of person who attracts others.