At Affordable Staff, our Book Club is more than just reading together. It is a space for learning, growing, and discovering new ways to work smarter and lead better. Each session brings our team together to explore thought-provoking books that spark ideas, inspire discussion, and help us improve both personally and professionally.
Whether it is leadership, communication, productivity, or innovation, our Book Club encourages open conversations, shared insights, and practical takeaways that can be applied in our everyday roles. It is all about growing as individuals while strengthening our team culture and commitment to excellence.
Our Top 10 Picks:
1. Who Not How
By Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
“Freedom comes from finding the right Who, not figuring out all the How.”
The best-performing clients don’t try to do it all, they surround themselves with Whos who can. Outsourcing is the ultimate Who move unlocking scale, time, and impact by choosing capable partners over solo struggle.
2. The Gap and the Gain
By Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
“Measure backward, not forward.”
Clients who focus on the gain (what’s improved) rather than the gap (what’s missing) are more likely to see the true value of outsourcing. Progress isn’t always flashy, but having that reliable VA who now owns tasks they once juggled? Massive gain.
3. How to Win Friends and Influence People
Dale Carnegie
“Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.”
The best outsourcing partnerships come from empathy and mutual benefit. Clients who take time to connect with their offshore team, show interest, and listen, build loyalty and influence without needing authority.
4. Who Moved My Cheese?
Dr. Spencer Johnson
“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
Clients who embrace change and delegate confidently adapt faster and gain more flexibility in their business. Outsourcing isn’t about loss of control, it’s about moving with the cheese and seizing opportunities quicker than your competitors.
5. Atomic Habits
James Clear
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
Clients who build sustainable systems with the help of outsourced support create real leverage. A great VA becomes part of the system turning good intentions into repeatable, time-saving habits that scale.
6. Make Your Bed
Admiral William H. McRaven
“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”
Success starts with small, consistent actions. When clients partner with capable support teams, they create a disciplined and structured foundation – freeing up energy for the bigger missions that matter most to their business.
7. Eat That Frog
Brian Tracy
“If the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you can go through the day knowing it’s probably the worst thing that will happen to you.”
For clients, outsourcing is how they stop being the person who has to eat all the frogs. Let someone else handle that clunky CRM update or inbox sort. Prioritise what only you can do, delegate the rest.
8. Good Boss, Bad Boss
Robert I. Sutton
“Bosses who focus on taking care of their people and removing obstacles out of their way will get the best results.”
Clients who support their internal and external teams (including offshore staff), set the tone for high performance. Good bosses empower their VAs with clear expectations and trust, resulting in loyalty, productivity, and success.
9. The Checklist Manifesto
Atul Gawande
“Checklists turn out to be among the most powerful of all tools for productivity.”
Great outsourcing thrives on great systems. Clients who invest in documenting processes (even scrappy checklists!) turn scattered handoffs into seamless delegation. A checklist today saves hours tomorrow.
10. Originals
Adam Grant
“The hallmark of originality is rejecting the default and exploring whether a better option exists.”
Outsourcing isn’t just cost-saving, it’s innovative. Original-thinking clients challenge the idea that in-house = better and explore bold new ways of working. Growth often comes from daring to do things differently.
Our Team's Favourite Quotes:
What Happens In Book Club, Stays In Book Club:
Written by our CEO, David Judge.
It all started with 10x is easier than 2x, written by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy. It was June 2023, the first developmental book I had read in almost 20 years, which immediately captured my interest. The ideas in the book were grand, and as I continued to read, I found my mind shifting in a way that it hadn’t in a long time. I started to create plans of change I could roll out in my organisation that would help us achieve 10x.
These were big and bold ideas, and I felt we could move in new ways, engage in new possibilities, and reach new heights.
As I started vocalising those ideas to a few people in my circles, I noticed limiting beliefs bounce back at me… You can’t do that, that’s not possible, you don’t need that, and the list goes on.”
I feared I might encounter the same resistance from my leadership team. What if I go to the team with my ideas, and they shoot me down or, worse, agree with me, yet in the back of their minds, they think they are dumb ideas?
How could I lead them along this journey without receiving the same pushback about limiting beliefs? How could I get them excited about the journey and empower them to feel a part of it?
I pondered this for several weeks and booked a meeting with 24 leaders from Australia and the Philippines within my business on July 10, 2023, to pitch the idea of a ‘Book Club’…
