10 Great Reads to Help Grow Your Business

Young Professionals Committee
Published
Contact: Rachel Mackenzie
[email protected]
Director, Membership
(202)266-8639

NAHB’s Young Professionals (YP) compiled a list of books that have helped inspire their careers and grow their businesses. These 10 books make great gifts for the upcoming holiday season, or purchases for yourself to get ahead of the competition.

The list features books on various topics, such as culture-setting reads like “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara.

“This topic is very related to home building,” said YP Committee Chair Robert Carroll. “We can excel by recognizing our role in creating experiences around our very emotional and personal transactions. This book creates cultural language to move your sales process from transactional to relational.”

Also featured is “Behind Your Back” by Bradley Hartmann, a book about what purchasing managers say when you leave the room.

“Hartmann is a former area purchasing manager for Pulte Homes, and provides insight to how purchasing managers approach their jobs and how they handle relationships with colleagues,” said Wes Robbins, vice president and partner at W Robbins & Company, LLC. Robbins found the book valuable to those looking for insider knowledge on selling to large-volume builders, especially to learn what is and is not important.

Read the full list of books.

Additionally, NAHB’s Young Professionals are celebrating their end-of-year virtual happy hour on Friday, Dec. 13, at 4 p.m. ET. Members are invited to discuss their favorite books from the year, play games and meet fellow YPs. Holiday attire is welcome. Register now.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Advocacy
Oct 21, 2026
NAHB Invests $47K in State and Local Advocacy Efforts

During the Fall Leadership Meeting in Detroit, the State and Local Government Affairs Committee approved $47,000 through the State and Local Issues Fund to help HBAs reduce barriers to housing attainability.

Workforce Development
Oct 20, 2026
Maryland HBA and Local Partners Show Students Where Construction Can Lead

For Maryland students and young adults deciding their next steps, the Frederick County Building Industry Association’s goal is to help them see how many different paths to success are available in residential construction.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics
Oct 19, 2026
Builder Sentiment Falls on Rising Rates

Rising mortgage rates, energy and material costs, and worsening labor and lot conditions have pushed builder sentiment to a 14-year low.

Economics
Oct 16, 2026
Single-Family Permitting Declines Through August

Single-family permitting activity continued to soften through the first eight months of 2026, while multifamily permitting remained stronger compared with the same period last year.

Economics
Oct 16, 2026
Research Highlights the Broad Benefits of Homeownership

A rich, peer-reviewed academic literature finds that homeownership produces benefits that extend well beyond house-price appreciation.