There was a time when I thought success was for other people; those with better educations, stronger connections and more confidence than I could ever imagine having. Growing up in Belfast during the Troubles, the idea of building companies or writing books felt like something that belonged in another world. I carried a constant sense of being on the outside looking in, an imposter before I had even begun.
What changed that was the discovery of voices I had never heard in my own surroundings, voices I found in the pages of books. They spoke of possibility, belief and resilience. They taught me that the obstacles inside my own head were often greater than the ones outside. They planted the idea that if I could change my thinking, I could change my future.
Those books became my companions when I had no guides, and even now, as I write my own book, Imposter Millionaire, I can see how much my journey has been shaped by the lessons I first found there.
The first is Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich (1937). Hill convinced me that belief is not just wishful thinking but the foundation of achievement. His simple truth that what the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve, became a mantra for me at a time when belief was the very thing I lacked.
Michael Gerber’s The E-Myth (1995) gave me another revelation; that I was working in my business, not on it. Gerber taught me to step back, to build systems, to create something that could grow beyond me. That shift in perspective changed the way I thought about business altogether.
Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989) gave me structure. It showed me that lasting success is not about a single clever idea, but about daily habits and consistent focus. Whenever life has felt overwhelming, I have gone back to Covey’s habits as a compass.
Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) taught me the real secret of business: people. It showed me that empathy and genuine interest matter more than clever words or impressive titles. Relationships became the currency of progress in my life.
And then there was Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning (1946). It is not a business book, but it may be the most important of all. Frankl’s story of finding purpose even in Auschwitz showed me that meaning is what carries us through. His lesson, that we cannot choose our circumstances but we can always choose our response, has never left me.
Together, these books turned an uncertain young man into someone who dared to build businesses and to believe in himself. They reminded me that while success often looks like money, status or recognition from the outside, on the inside it is really about clarity, confidence and purpose.
That is why I believe entrepreneurs should make time for such books. Running a business can be a lonely pursuit, and many of the biggest challenges are internal rather than external. A good book can provide both companionship and counsel, a chance to step outside the day-to-day pressures and consider the bigger picture. Simply, it reminds us that others have walked the same path before.
At their best, self-help books offer distilled experience and wisdom that can save years of trial and error. They do not provide all the answers, but they prompt the right questions and spark new ideas. For entrepreneurs who are constantly tested by uncertainty, those questions can be more valuable than any spreadsheet or business plan.
Yes, business is about strategy, finance and all that. It’s also about the human mind and spirit. Confidence, resilience and the ability to adapt often decide who thrives and who gives up. Reading gives entrepreneurs a rare chance to pause, reflect and reset before continuing the climb.
When I think about what I want Imposter Millionaire to give to its readers, it is exactly that: the courage to see themselves differently and the belief that they are capable of more than they think. Most importantly, the reassurance that they are not alone in wrestling with fear or self-doubt. If my book can become for someone else what those five books were for me, then I will have honoured the gift they gave me.
