During ice-cream-after-work that turn to dinner-and-tea, my friend Rachel told me about a book her husband’s aunt had written. (Her husband, Andrew, and I studied Entrepreneurship together and can’t help but chat  about web stuff when we’re together. He’s brilliant and runs a growing inbound marketing agency in Pittsburgh).

The book is about successful women in business, as told by Anne Deeter Gallaher and Amy D. Howell. Rachael and Andrew both said I’d enjoy and gave it to me to borrow.

They were correct.

I was able to finish the short, 13-chapters this morning (while eating vanilla granola from Trader Joe’s).

The book, Women in High Gear, is packed with practical advice for women who want to take control of their professional developments. It was inspirational and one of those, “Let’s get out and do it!” books. The kind that wants to make you forget your friends and pour 20 hours a day into making your business dreams a reality.

As a lifelong business-lady (read: business camp during high school, career day speaker, FBLA, B.S. in Entrepreneurship, and JJCrochet), I can’t get enough of material like this.

I especially appreciated the charge to create strong networks with respected people in the industry and local communities, as well as the advice tailored to corporate women in their 20s. Often the only content us 24-year old girls hear is how to make our gel manicures last longer (prime your nails with lemon juice), but never how to advance our careers.

Amy advises:

I often tell young women in their 20s without children yet to work hard while they can and use this time to invest in their careers. It’s so important to their futures… Assume you know nothing. Don’t try to exert your wisdom if you don’t have it. You must earn your place by working hard and self-study. If you try and push, you’ll get the push back you are looking for. If you do, be ready.

What great advice.

The women also talk about having emotional intelligence and resilience, being decisive, and the power of being able to tell your own story–both on and offline. Though a short book, I found it refreshing to hear from women who have used social media and business accumen to transform their careers into “high gear”. Both the women are Christians which to me, makes their stories more relatable.

If you have an hour of two and are looking for something to give you that boost you need–whether for your craft business or corporate job–I’d encourage you to check out this book!