At One Lucky Guitar, we approach each project prepared to explore, and ready to dream. Our curiosity fuels us as we seek inspiration, and comes to life in the creativity we bring to each facet of our work.
That makes us avid consumers of the world around us, at all times. It’s not enough to be responsive based on a client or project need—we actively and intentionally seek opportunities for growth as individuals. These present themselves in a variety of mediums. Some, more abstract, and some, more traditional—such as songs, books, articles and podcasts.
We’re pleased to present this (non-exhaustive) list of books that have recently inspired or challenged us across various topics and disciplines.
On Branding
The Brand Gap
by Marty Neumeier
Using the visual language of the boardroom, The Brand Gap presents the first unified theory of branding—a set of five disciplines that let companies bridge the gap between brand strategy and brand execution. If you already have a grasp of branding, you’ll find new inspiration here. If you don’t and wish you did, by the time you finish reading this book, you’ll suddenly “get it.” Neumeier is a guru in the field, and we’ve long benefitted from his thoughtful approach to brand strategy.
On Community
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
by Sebastian Junger
Combining history, psychology and anthropology, Tribe explores what we can learn from tribal societies about loyalty, belonging and the eternal human quest for meaning. It explains the irony that—for many veterans as well as civilians—war feels better than peace, adversity can turn out to be a blessing and disasters are sometimes remembered more fondly than weddings or tropical vacations. Tribe explains why we are stronger when we come together, and how that can be achieved even in today’s divided world.
On Confidence
Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All
by Tom Kelley and David Kelley
IDEO founder and Stanford d.school creator David Kelley and his brother Tom Kelley have written a powerful and compelling book on unleashing the creativity that lies within each and every one of us.
On General Creativity
The Creative Act
by Rick Rubin
The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we can all follow. It distills the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime’s work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments—and lifetimes—of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us.
On Habits
Atomic Habits
by James Clear
Atomic Habits is a comprehensive and practical guide on how to create good habits, break bad ones and get one percent better every day.
On Intentionality
Designing Your Life
by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show us how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who/where we are, what we do/have done for a living or how young/old we are.
On Meetings
Read This Before Our Next Meeting
by Al Pittampalli
The average American office worker spends eleven hours in meetings every week. Yet all that time sitting around a conference table hasn’t made us more productive. Meetings can reduce efficiency, kill urgency and breed compromise and complacency. Read This Before Our Next Meeting introduces eight simple but radical principles to change the way we meet.
On Time
Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Everyday
by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky
Make Time is not about crushing your to-do list, optimizing every hour or maximizing personal productivity. It’s about rethinking the defaults of constant busyness and distraction so you can focus on what matters every day.
On Workplace Culture
It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work
by David Heinemeir Hansson and Jason Fried
In this manifesto, the authors of the New York Times bestseller Rework—which we also loved, and recommend even more strongly than this book—broadly reject the prevailing notion that long hours, aggressive hustle and “whatever it takes” are required to run a successful business today. Hansson and Fried are the founders of Basecamp, which OLG has used as a project management tool for more than a decade and a half.
On Vulnerability and Growth
Communicate with Courage
by Michelle Gladieux
In her first full-length book, longtime OLG friend and advocate Michelle Gladieux (Gladieux Consulting) offers terrific insight on how to overcome “the four hidden challenges” of communication in our professional—and personal—lives. Gladieux has made a positive impact on diverse organizations across Northeast Indiana, and the country.
P.S.—One Lucky Guitar has an extensive, ever-growing library. If you’d like to borrow a book, just hit us up.
P.S.S.—We’re big proponents of our local library system. You can borrow any of these books from the Allen County Public Library.
