What Franchise - Issue 21.2

Learn Get inspired with the latest business books, upcoming events and free courses By CHARLOTTE SMITH U S E F U L R E S O U R C E S Different: How the Power of Different and AI Can Amplify Your Brand Varsha Amin In Different ,Varsha Amin delivers a timely and deeply human challenge to the idea that success comes fromfitting a mould. Blending personal experience with brand strategy and practical insight, Amin reframes difference –whether it’s rooted in background, neurodiversity or identity – as a powerful commercial asset. Drawing on her own journey, fromgrowing up with dyslexia to working with global brands, she shows how authenticity and intentional use of AI can amplify voices often overlooked. This is not a manifesto, but a toolkit: practical, inclusive and forward-facing. Moral Ambition Rutger Bregman In Moral Ambition , Rutger Bregman delivers a bracing challenge to the culture of comfort and incremental self- improvement. Rather than offering another set of productivity hacks, he asks a more unsettling question: what are we actually doing with the 80,000 hours we spend at work? Drawing on history’s great change-makers, Bregman argues that real fulfilment comes from aiming higher, using talent, influence and ambition to tackle society’s biggest problems. Idealistic yet grounded, the book reframes success as contribution, not convenience. OpenWhen… Dr Julie Smith In OpenWhen… , bestselling clinical psychologist Dr Julie Smith offers a compassionate, practical guide for life’s messier moments. Structured as a series of “open when” letters, the book speaks directly to experiences many of us recognise – stress, self-doubt, difficult relationships and moments of emotional overload. Each chapter combines reassurance with clear, evidence-based tools to help readers pause, reframe and move forward. Designed as a companion rather than a cover-to-cover read, it’s a book to return to when clarity feels out of reach. Calm, accessible and deeply human, Open When… extends Dr Julie’s mission to make mental health support feel immediate, relatable and genuinely useful. The Most Complete List of Self-Limiting Beliefs Alina Demma In The Most Complete List of Self-Limiting Beliefs , Alina Demma blends the insight of a personal development guide with the structure of a practical workbook. Through clear examples, reflective journaling prompts and practical exercises, Demma offers tools to reframe mindset, address money blocks and build lasting self-belief. The inclusion of an audio track to support subconscious reprogramming adds a thoughtful, modern layer. Accessible and action-focused, this is a hands-on resource for anyone ready to challenge old narratives and create meaningful change. Healing Leaders: 7 Steps to Recovery Raj Sisodia and Nilima Bhat In Healing Leaders , Raj Sisodia and Nilima Bhat make a compelling case that the future of high performance leadership begins from the inside out. Blending Eastern spiritual principles with rigorous business research, the authors explore why self-aware, emotionally aligned leaders consistently deliver stronger and more sustainable results. Drawing on real-world case studies and practical frameworks, the book reframes inner work not as self-care, but as strategy. Accessible, grounded and timely, Healing Leaders speaks to executives grappling with burnout, disconnection and purpose, offering a clear, seven-step path to more conscious leadership, and to building organisations that thrive without sacrificing the people who lead them. Leading Beyond Results Markus Draeger In Leading Beyond Results , executive coach and sports psychology expert Markus Draeger challenges one of business’s most deeply held assumptions: that relentless focus on targets drives success. Drawing on two decades of leadership work and insights from elite sport, Draeger makes a compelling case for moving beyond short-term wins to build healthier, more sustainable performance 6 WHAT FRANCHISE Issue 21.2