What's on Your Bookshelf?
“What’s On Your Bookshelf” is a personal and professional growth podcast exploring the intersections of passion, potential, and purpose - featuring multi-certified coach and leadership development consultant Denise R. Russo alongside Andy Hughes, Scott Miller, and Samantha Powell.
What's on Your Bookshelf?
99 - What's on Your Bookshelf 2025 Kickoff
Ever wondered how a small conversation about books turned into an engaging podcast series? Denise Russo and Sam Powell take you through their inspiring journey from a casual chat around Denise's bookshelf to creating "What's on Your Bookshelf," a podcast that explores themes woven through literature and life. As we kick off 2025, we reminisce about our evolution, including the delightful story of Denise’s son, Vincent, who secretly listened to past episodes, borrowing books to fuel his own growth. We're excited at the prospect of having Vincent join us in future discussions, bringing fresh insights to our literary explorations.
This episode promises to empower you with tools for resilience and transformation. We'll discuss "The Five Bold Choices" by Jay Cullough and Larry Julian, a book that blends sports and leadership, and delve into Ryan Holiday's "The Obstacle is the Way" to navigate life's hurdles. For those ready to shake things up, we’ve got Gary John Bishop's "Un-F Yourself," a motivational guide to break free from self-imposed limits, and Don Miguel Ruiz's "The Four Agreements," offering profound reflections. Our talented producer, Scott Miller, joins us, sharing his excitement for this year’s standout lineup.
Set your sights on a year of growth and fearless choices. We invite you to engage deeply with our book selections, whether you read them before or after our episodes. Listener feedback is vital to us, so share your thoughts and suggestions for future topics. Don't miss special edition episodes planned for 2025, and remember to subscribe and spread the word. Thank you for your support on this enriching journey—let's unlock new perspectives together!
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Welcome to what's on your Bookshelf, with your hosts Denise Russo and Samantha Powell.
Speaker 2:Hi everyone, welcome back. It's another episode of what's on your Bookshelf. This is a life and leadership podcast where we are living out loud the pages of the books on our bookshelves and Happy New Year. I'm so excited to be here with you today. My name is Denise Russo. I'm here once again with my friend and co-host, sam Powell, and today I'm excited for what we're going to be sharing with you. Sam, welcome back and happy 2025.
Speaker 3:Yeah, happy 2025. Oh, my gracious that just 2025 sounds weird to me, I think. I think this every time a year flips over, it's like the year doesn't sound right hearing it, and like 2020, I don't know, maybe it's because it's like a quarter, you know, like the 25 part. It just is like wow, we are a quarter of the way through this century. Like I don't know it's. It's crazy to me, but I am super excited and I'm really excited for today to share with everybody what books we're going to be exploring this year, what theme we picked for the year because I loved our theme of happiness for last year and the books that we explored, and hopefully everyone feels a lot more intentional and a lot more happy as we shift out of 2024 and into 2025.
Speaker 2:So, sam, maybe what we do before we announce what we're doing for this year, we do sort of like bring you up to speed because we may have, I hope, some new listeners with us. So when we very first started out, we didn't really have an intentional progression for the books when we very first started the podcast In fact this was a thread of an old podcast that I used to produce and yet something happened in that first year that seemed very organically ordained. And then came the second year, now the third year. So, from your perspective, because you jumped in, not on the very first episode why don't you bring our listeners, old and new, up to speed for how this has evolved?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's funny, you just said year three, like I can't believe this is year three. Wow, here three, wow, um, that just hit me the yeah, it was. It was interesting. So originally, um, I mean, you and I've always we've worked together for years and years and I knew you were doing this podcast when it started. And you started um with our producer Scott, with our friend Andy, who, um, you know he's popped into episodes here and there and hopefully we'll see him back in some episodes here and there too.
Speaker 3:But you all started out by exploring the books on your shelf, because if there's anyone who could ever recommend a book on a random topic, it's you. I come to you all the time. I'm like I have a client who is thinking about this and you know, do you have any recommendations? Or, hey, I'm trying to find this, and you've always got a million books on your shelf. And so it started from that concept of, well, let's talk about them right and bring them forward. And so you guys started out talking through books very quickly. So, if anybody who has been following us, we deep dive at this point, we're into the whole thing over.
Speaker 3:You know, episodes and all that sort of stuff, but you guys started with a couple of books at the beginning. I think you did two before I I joined in and you had done like one was, I think, a one part, the other one was a couple parts, and went through a few books early on. And then you pulled me in when you wanted to do a book on Coach Wooden because you knew I loved reading and you knew I loved sports, sports. And so you're like, hey, why don't you come? We'll do a couple episodes Like this. One breaks apart really nicely, we could do, you know, just a few, a few things. And then it went so well and we enjoyed it so much that we're like, well, let's do another book, and another book, and another book. And so from there we went into atomic habits. And we did that because you and I are both members of the John Maxwell team and at the conference that year, james Clear was one of the speakers. So we thought, oh, that would be fun to read that book, talk about it. You know, as we're, as we're going to go listen to him speak at this conference. So we did that and that ended up being, I don't know, really life changing for me. I mean, I use all of those principles now and it's two years later, so it's that was really great.
Speaker 3:And then we decided for last year well, let's pick a theme that ties the books together, cause that would be fun. And so we picked happiness. Because I asked you the question of who's? What do you? You know, what do you think people want in 2024? And you said I don't know, but I just want to be happy. So we thought, well, that's it. Probably everybody else wants to feel the same. And so we chose the theme of happiness and we did four books last year. So we started out with the how of happiness, which is all the science behind what makes people happy, solve for happy, the happiness project.
Speaker 3:And then we rounded out the year with intentional living, which hopefully everyone enjoyed because we blasted those episodes at you at the end of the year and hopefully that's helping you step into 2025 with thoughts on being intentional, thoughts on being purposeful in the difference that you make in the world and how you show up. And you're showing up in a way that I don't know brings all of the lessons that we learned, because that's how I feel stepping into 2025. As you know, I think I've had big changes in 2024, as things are different in my life, really taking all the lessons from everything from atomic habits to the principles we learned in, you know, coach Wooden, to all of what we learned and how to be happy and how to be intentional. And, yeah, now I can't wait for for this new, this new series and this new year and and the books we're going to explore here, which we've obviously started reading so we can record, and I'm really liking the first book so far. So I'm excited to go through these with you this year.
Speaker 2:That sounds awesome. I agree with you on everything that we learned and lived through in the year of happiness, and it was really really a healthy year, year of being able to explore the principles of happiness, because we were living our real life as we were reading those books and there were some times in our days that maybe didn't feel happy or seem happy, and yet we were learning about how to elevate and amplify happiness. So when we got to the end of the year last year and started thinking about, okay, well, now, what? Now we've got these principles of leadership and living and habit forming and habit living. We've got this foundation for being happy. What's next?
Speaker 2:And so Sam and I started talking about things like being bold and making really good choices and untangling ourselves when things go sideways, and how to live a life that is resilient and vibrant and productive happy, but also productive and meaningful and full of purpose. We often talk about with School of Thoughts that our life is about purpose and meaning and our passions and our potential and how all that comes together and helping us to move from where we are today into where we are tomorrow. So we took a very intentional amount of time thinking about what books we wanted to share with you this year and Sam is right, I have as many books as you see in this picture and on her picture and then some.
Speaker 2:In fact, I just donated over 100 books and it looks like I haven't even scratched the surface on these shelves of what needs to come down. But we really, really, I think, wrestled with making sure that the books we chose and the order we've chosen them for this year are going to be something that you'll see are just as intentional as they were last year and as they became in the year prior to that. And so, sam, why don't we share with the group a little bit around the theme for 2025, so they can be prepared to go out and grab these books, and Scott will have links in our show notes for you to get copies of these books if you wanna take your own deep dives. But just a reminder once again, you do not need to have the books to enjoy these episodes, but it also really does help if you wanna take a deeper dive in your own personal study.
Speaker 3:Yeah, definitely, definitely. And I think that you know, as I've talked to people who I know that are listening to the podcast and things like that, that I've had friends tell me oh yeah, you know I'm reading, I'm rereading this book as I'm going through it with you, or you know, now that I've listened to this podcast, now I, you know, I bought this book for myself or my spouse or my friend, and you know now we're reading it and you know all that kind of stuff. So I do think that definitely enhances I don't know just your experience and I feel like and you and I talk about that all the time like this really gets solidified for us when we read the book, we talk about the book and then we go back and we listen to ourselves, talk about, you know, talk about the episode, because we record in advance and you know. So it's that like triple hit of you know really applying this, and that's how I think this is sticking with me, like, and I feel like I really felt that for the first time when we did Atomic Habits, like that stuff has become so ingrained in my thought processes, in how I approach things day to day. I think is because we just we were in it so much.
Speaker 3:And so we really encourage you, like, as you listen with us and as we talk about this year's stuff to you know, read the books. And you don't have to read along with us, you can read them before, you can read them after. You can, you know, do whatever you could do, a little book club afterwards, or you know, whatever you, you know you want to do. But we definitely encourage you to read because we, while we deep dive we really deep dive into how we're living the books out loud, not all of the great parts of them, so there's so much more if you, you know, if you read them yourselves. So in the show notes you'll get links to the books if you want to go grab them and get them for yourself. But definitely, definitely recommend and the ones this year are nice because they're not that long, like each book is not, you know, is, I think, is a pretty, pretty quick read. They're not that thick, so they're not intimidating for those of you that aren't huge readers. You know, on a day to day basis.
Speaker 2:So it's interesting. I have to share this funny story with you. So we did Atomic Habits two years ago and I don't know what it was. Around. That time, as you said, james Clear was speaking at the John Maxwell Conference, but then he also spoke at the Global Leadership Summit. And then there was something else that Vincent did or saw or heard, where Atomic Habits was brought up.
Speaker 2:And for those of you that might be new to listening, I have two kids, vincent and Olivia. They're both in college and I often talk about them in our show. And Vincent called me the other day Sam, and first of all he has very boldly said I will never listen to your episodes because they're cringy, because you talk about me and I don't want to hear you talking about me on your episodes. But here I am, I'm talking about him. So I don't know, maybe he'll listen, but I was moving him into his dorm last semester. But I was moving him into his dorm last semester and front and center on his bookshelf, of course, were some John Maxwell books, because he's also a certified coach and trainer at a very young age with John Maxwell. But right next to it was Atomic Habits and I said, oh man, vince, I'm so proud of you for getting Atomic Habits. It's such a great book and I really wish that you would listen to some of our episodes.
Speaker 2:He said two things. Number one he said, well, actually I did listen to some of them, which is why I'm never listening to another one again. And then I was like, well, no, you got value, didn't you? And he said, yeah, but stop telling stories about me. And the second thing was that I pulled the book off the shelf and I was like, wait a minute, that's my book, because it had all the flags and the tags and the folded pages. And he's like, yeah, yeah, well, I went through your office and I grabbed the books that I wanted to read.
Speaker 2:So I thought that was kind of cool actually, because here was a 20-year-old that went in and bought the stuff and then, as I was unpacking his things, he had a box. I wish I had it sitting right next to me, but he had a box with a microphone and I said, vincent, what's the microphone for? And he said, well, I was just thinking about it. And I was thinking, well, maybe I'm not promising this, mommy, but maybe I will join one of your episodes. So he proactively, got my book off my shelf, read it, listened secretly to an episode, and now he even bought himself a microphone to maybe join us.
Speaker 2:So I'm secretly excited to think about maybe him joining this, because this really, this year, is what you see here. It's about being bold, it's about breaking boundaries, it's about moving yourself from where you are today to where you want to be, and it's not really easy to do that, but when you do, how much more resilient and strong your life will be. So I had to tell you that funny story. I love that, I love that, and so that's our 2025 goal is to get Vincent on on an episode here, so we've got a whole year.
Speaker 3:I think we can make it happen yes, yes.
Speaker 2:So before we share the books, why don't you share a little bit about, maybe, what this picture means to you because I love that you picked out this picture and what it could mean for our listeners as we go through 2025 together?
Speaker 3:yeah, and I think, as you and I were debating on books and themes, we start with, like long lists of books and many different you know angles to go down. I think you know what we were really thinking was we've learned a lot about how to be happy and what science tells us will make us happy, right, but life isn't always this rosy, beautiful thing where it's like we're living in happiness, we're doing all the things that we learned, that through all of the different stories, all of the different books that we you know that we did, and we ended the year with intentional living, very purposefully, right Of now, that we really understand what it takes to be happy and have a happy life, and have some stories about how some people put it together, then we thought, you know, we really want you to wrap all of that up at the end of last year with intentionality, with a well then, how do you move forward? And so then, how do you move forward becomes well when you hit problems. Not if you hit problems, not if you hit obstacles. It's when you hit those things, those boundaries, those issues, those problems, those you know stumbling blocks that get in your way. How do we carry the lessons that we learned and how to have a happy life forward, right, and what do people have to say about, about that?
Speaker 3:And so that's really where we ended up, kind of circling around, and as we pulled the books together that we did, we really came up with this idea of this is really about breaking out of the boundaries that we've got for ourselves, whether that be the obstacles that come in our way or the limiting thoughts that we have ourselves, or the limiting thoughts that society puts on us, or whether that's just problems that come up. Right, life is messy, it is hard. There are things that come along all the time that knock us down, that become boundaries to our happiness, that become boundaries to us living the life that we want, and so that's what we really thought is how do we look at some of the books on? That's what we really thought is how do we look at?
Speaker 3:some of the books on all right now that you know how to be happy, what do you do and how do you take charge of your life and make those bold moves to break those boundaries right. And really, when that comes down to it, it's about the art of resilience, about the art of transformation, and so this year is really about exploring the power of those bold decisions, overcoming the obstacles and really turning challenges into opportunities for growth. And so, with that, you know the books that we have chosen this year. There are four of them. We did four last year. I figure we can fit four in again this year, but these were interesting and you have read all of these. I think you said at least once before, and I read none of these at all. So why don't you talk to us about the books? And you know why did we choose the ones we chose?
Speaker 2:Awesome. I'll leave it a little bit brief in interest of our time together today, and I don't want to give away spoilers, but I will say these are all books on my shelf. They're all books that I have recommended to others on my shelf. They're all easy reads, they're not all the same, but they all really speak to what we're talking about as far as getting off of that bubble and seeing what's possible in life. So next week we start with the five bold choices.
Speaker 2:Now, this book is a book that I've had for a really long time, actually, and the cool thing about this book that I love is that the prelude, I guess, to the book was written by somebody who's a sports fanatic, and we'll talk a little bit more about that next time. But the reason I picked this book may not even actually be sounding so profound. I picked it because Sam's company is called Lead the Game and she tries to weave in sports with business, and I'm a big fan, obviously, of Coach Wooden and of Don Yeager and of Pat Williams and others who have shown us great ways of blending leadership that we learn from the lens of sports. And so Five Bold Choices is about rising above your circumstances and redefining your life, and I picked the book because on the front cover it talked about sports. So there was truly nothing profound other than I thought, hey, I like this book. I think Sam will like this book, and that was the catalyst for us to figure out how we wanted to patch together all the rest of the books together, all the rest of the books. So we will.
Speaker 2:Before each book comes in, we will talk about how these books come into being a part of the process for the year. I think we have a special surprise that just came in and I don't know. Scott, if you want to come on camera, we're recording the episode, episode number one for 2025. Friends, if you're seeing this on your screen, scott Miller, our amazing, incredible, outstanding, talented producer, has just popped in. So, scott, can you hear us?
Speaker 1:I can yes.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Well, hi, we've just announced the new books to our listeners, so maybe we're wrapping up the episode. We only have like two minutes left. Maybe you can just say a word or two, because you never get to come be with us and this is our very first episode of the year.
Speaker 1:Oh, great Glad to be a part of it and I'm really looking forward to this year's lineup and it sounds like it's going to be a really exciting year. So I just finished up editing the last of the episodes and we will be finishing up right before Christmas here, so I'm really looking forward to next year.
Speaker 2:All right, awesome. Well, scott, the wizard who's not on camera today, we're going to wrap up this episode in just a moment and then, Scott, when we stop the recording, we'll get a chance to talk to you about the behind the curtain stuff. So, once again, friends, these are the books for 2025. Scott will have these books and the links to the books in the show notes, and next week we start with the five bold choices. Sam, anything else to share before we end?
Speaker 3:for today, I don't think we actually said, the list of the rest of the book. So we're starting with the Five Bold Choices by Jay Cullough and Larry Julian. We're then gonna move into the Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. So again with that theme of the path forward is through the obstacles that life really throws at you. Then we're gonna to move on to Un-F Yourself, which is by Gary John Bishop, and let me tell you, my nine-year-old loved seeing this book on my desk and was like mom, what is this book that you have? So that one will be. I think it'll be a fun read and kind of have a little bit different of a vibe than the previous two. And then we'll end the year on the Four Agreements, which is by Don Miguel Ruiz, and that one, I think, will have a really nice, just message for us. It has a very nice kind of vibe before us at the end of the year. That will conclude the year.
Speaker 3:So if you're looking to get the books, it's the five bold choices. The obstacle is the way. Un-f yourself and the four agreements. So I'm really looking forward to going through these books with you and really helping people make those bold moves for a resilient life and breaking the boundaries that hold us back and helping people as they face those tough challenges in life, or if they're just looking to kind of level up past the things that happen, then really get the insights and the inspiration from these authors and talk about that.
Speaker 3:So I think this year is going to be great and I think it's going to be a lot like last year where there's just a lot to think about, a lot of mindset shifts to make and a lot of just practical advice too on how this is happening. So I can't wait to see where we are by the end of this year and you know what all we learn in that space, because I know how much just the arc of the last two years has had an impact on my life and impact of people I know who listen to the podcast. So I'm really looking forward to seeing what this year brings to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and if you are someone who has listened in the past, thank you so much. We value that, appreciate it. It helps us get more exposure out to more people. If you're new to listening, we're available on Apple, spotify, amazon Music, now on YouTube as well other platforms like Fathom Buzzsprout. If there's a platform that you like listening to podcasts and you haven't seen us there, let us know, because Scott can help us to be able to get exposed there, but it takes you helping us.
Speaker 2:This is a partnership with our listeners, so please subscribe to the show so that you get automatic alerts, because we also have some really cool secret surprise, special edition episodes coming up in 2025. And it helps us to be able to also hear from you. We always put in our show notes ways for you to get in touch with us, so if there are topics or books or things that are sparking you from listening to these shows, we sure would love to hear from you. And then if you have friends or colleagues that could benefit from our show, we ask that you please pass it forward and share these shows with others. But for today, my name is Denise Russo, on behalf of my friend Sam and our secret surprise guest our wonderful producer Scott Miller. This has been another episode of what's On your Bookshelf.