Hey, I’m Alison!

TOP FIVE FAVES

(Books, Brands + People who inspire me)

5 BOOKS (on marketing, self-help, and creativity)

1. Atomic Habits, James Clear

This one has blown up over the past few years and for good reason. It’s the most clear (like his last name) and concise guide to breaking bad behaviors and adopting good ones. He shows us how small (i.e. atomic) everyday habits compound into massive, positive change over time. 

As with most self-development work, ‘one and done’ e.g. reading a book, listening to a lecture, rarely sticks. Consider subscribing to this weekly e-letter to keep his ideas top of mind. 

2. The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, Debbie Ford

Debbie was the OG of understanding shadow and shame (at least a decade before Brene Brown!) If I could choose one required reading to help humanity, this would be it. True sociopaths and narcissists wouldn’t change (because they can’t acknowledge their shame). But it would help the rest of us understand that we all share the capacity for every human feeling. 

Debbie explains that when family or society judges some as ‘bad,’ we disown them, and keep these supposedly unsavory impulses under wrap and project them onto others. This is what Jung called the shadow and really is the cause of most mischief - both big and small in the world. (Learn more here.)

3. Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence, Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin

This classic, along with Lynn Twist’s The Soul of Money, helped me understand and heal my effed up relationship with the green stuff.

Joe and his partner Vicki wrote about equating your money to time, i.e. “your life” in the book’s title. 

By considering how much of your “life energy” is actually spent in the acquisition of money and where that money is spent, this book will have you thinking more deeply about how you spend your time and money. Is it serving you? Is it aligned with your values? Is it how you want to be spending your life? Your one precious life - ideally lived for yourself, your community, and the planet. 

The crux of this book is that you should have enough money to have a life you effing love, and free your mind from the illusion that buying stuff will make you happier. Honestly, I’m still working on this, as I love STUFF - bright shiny objects of all sorts. So that’s why this classic, and others like them, are always close at hand. 

4. Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert

If you’ve ever felt a creative tug or impulse, this book can help you act on it. According to Elizabeth Gilbert (yes, the one that wrote Eat Pray Love) creativity is not just reserved for a few brilliant artists, but rather an enriching way of life that anyone can adopt at any time. And if you embrace creativity, you’ll experience “Big Magic” -  a mystical or spiritual force of creativity that cracks open a world of wonder and joy. 

5. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, Steven Pressfield

A ‘male’ perspective on the same nut to crack - overcoming resistance (i.e. fear, self-doubt, procrastination, perfectionism, any form of self-sabotage) to creativity. Steven knows from experience what it's like ‘do the work’ - put your ass in the chair and focus on your craft. He wrote for 27 years before he got his first novel published (The Legend of Bagger Vance). 

He has a series of succinct books to help writers, artists, and entrepreneurs fight and win the inner war of resistance. This is his first and imho best. 

5 Brands (that inspire me)

1. Patagonia

We all know and love this brand. Founded in 1973 by climber Yvon Chouinard because he noticed the damage his climbing equipment was having on the rock faces. To prevent further damage he began making his own equipment. 

This effort to look after the environment would become the driving force in his business. Patagonia’s Mission: Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. More on Patagonia and their mission here.

2. Ben and Jerry’s

They sold the company but from what I can tell, didn’t ‘sell out.’ Besides having some of the best flavors in the world (Phish Food, Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey), Ben & Jerry's managed to keep intact the commitment to social justice and a livable wage that was baked into the firm by its founders. More about Ben and Jerry’s here.

3. Ridwell

Ridwell is a new service that picks up all that plastic film (think TJs packaging), wrappers, styrofoam,  and other stuff that would otherwise go in the landfill (or worse, find its way to the ocean).
We just signed up for a nominal fee and so far so good. They pick up the stuff at your front door and make sure it gets sustainably reused through recycling partners. For example, Trex turns plastic film and wrap into new decking material. 

It was started by a father and young son in Seattle who gathered up stuff to bring to reuse centers for their neighbors and it grew from there. 

If interested, find out if it’s in your area, and reach out to me (I still have a few free month passes to give out). You can check out Ridwell here.

4. Environmental Working Group

You may know this tireless nonprofit from their produce buying guides (The Dirty Dozen™ and Clean Fifteen™) or their invaluable Skin Deep® cosmetic database.

They’ve been around for decades and since our harmful agricultural practices and industry loopholes have only gotten worse, they need our support. More about Environmental Working Group here.

5. Patreon

The more people overcome resistance and create (see book recommendations above), the more happy fulfilled people in the world. And if they can make a living doing what they love, the better. This is where Patreon comes in. The creator economy is on the rise thanks to their ecosystem of tools that enable creators to build careers around their passions. Some call this a second renaissance of creativity. Wow! Find out more about Patreon here.

5 People (to know about)

1. Tim Ferris

I think Tim gets a bad rap from his Four Hour Work Week book and life hack bro persona. Imho he has matured a lot and is my go-to resource for advice, whether how to optimize my freestyle stroke, learn Spanish, nutrition, productivity, or the latest running shoe. Find out more about Tim here.

2. Ed Mylett

I’m a bit of a ‘youtube’ junkie having subscribed to YT premium (commercial-free) since its inception. Unlike other addictions, I don’t see much downside.

Rather the house gets clean, laundry folded, and I’m in decent shape because I listen while doing chores or at the gym. I have my favorites (late night TV hosts, Brenden Burchard, Pod Save America) but binge on new discoveries, most recently, Ed Mylett!

His weekly interviews with peak performers and thought leaders have a lot of heart. He asks good questions and seems genuinely humble and likable.  You can check him out here.

3. Phil Stutz

I discovered Phil years ago through Brian Johnson and his Optimize program. But it wasn’t until his better-recognized clients (Gweneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore) talked about him and Jonah Hill made a Netflix documentary that he has gotten more known. I’m glad. His book The Tools (co-written with Barry Michaels) got me out of a ‘why write, everything’s already been said’ funk a few years back. The ‘tools’ in the book are unique and imho life-changing. You can find Phil’s book here and Netflix special here.

4. Seth Godin

It’s hard not to be inspired by legendary marketer Seth Godin. He's written a gazillion best-selling books, has one of the most popular blogs in the world, founded a company acquired by Yahoo for a small fortune, and is a sought-after speaker and teacher. 

I’ve only read a fraction of work, but find that it’s relevant, generous, and never a waste of time. You can check out Seth Godin’s work here.

“Be insightful, or funny or educational or be ignored.” -Seth Godin

5. Thích Nhất Hạnh

My daughter, who inspires me everyday with her compassion and depth, is a devotee. Her best friend’s family took regular pilgrimages to his Plum Village mindfulness center when she was growing up.

Thích Nhất Hạnh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, prolific author, and peace activist, who spread messages of mindfulness, compassion, and nonviolence. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called this gentle humble monk  “an Apostle of peace and nonviolence” when nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. 

His books and teaching focus on cultivating the energy of mindfulness, so we can have more freedom, peace, and happiness in our daily life. And who doesn’t want more of that?! Find out more about Thích Nhất Hạnh here.

“Real strength is not in power, money or weapons, but in deep, inner peace.”-Thích Nhất Hạnh