10 Books for 2026: Essential Reading for Clinicians Building Online Businesses
10 Books for 2026: Essential Reading for Clinicians Building Online Businesses
As we step into 2026, I'm focusing on two critical areas: mindset and strategy. After years of clinical work as a BCBA, I've realized that growing an online business requires a different skill set than what we learned in graduate school. These 10 books represent my commitment to expanding my capacity and reaching more families, clinicians, and professionals who need our expertise.
If you're a BCBA, SLP, occupational therapist, or mental health professional looking to scale your impact beyond the therapy room, this reading list is for you.
Disclosure: I've either read these books already or own them and have them queued up for 2026. If you purchase through the links in this post, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend resources I genuinely believe will help you grow.
1. Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
Building an online business means dealing with criticism, skepticism, and people who don't understand your vision. Robbins' "Let Them Theory" teaches you to release control over others' opinions and focus on your mission. For BCBAs and therapists transitioning online, this mindset shift is crucial when handling negative reviews, dealing with peers or other practitioners who don't support your pivot, or managing family members who question your new interests.
2. The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
Hendricks explores the concept of the "upper limit problem" - the self-sabotage that kicks in when we're on the verge of breakthrough success. When I first read it, I noticed upwards of hundreds of limiting thoughts each day. Many clinicians hit an invisible ceiling when creating online offers or launching coaching. It's outside our "safe zone." We're trained to be helpers, not entrepreneurs, which can create internal conflict. This book helps you identify and overcome the subconscious blocks keeping you in your comfort zone instead of building the business that serves more people.
3. 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan
SLPs and BCBAs often think small when building online offerings - maybe one more client, one more CEU course. Sullivan challenges you to think exponentially. What if instead of taking on additional cases or another part-time position, you created a digital program serving 500+ clients? This book reframes how we can approach business growth, and how "unrealistic" expansion is actually easier than incremental improvement when you're willing to let go of what's not essential.
4. The Science of Scaling by Hardy & Erickson
Clinical training prepares us for one-on-one work, not building scalable systems. Hardy provides frameworks for taking your expertise and packaging it in ways that reach thousands instead of dozens. For behavior analysts creating parent training programs or SLPs developing online courses, understanding the science behind sustainable scaling is the difference between a side hustle and a business that changes your profession.
5. Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo
Fun fact: I think about reliving my TEDx talk at least once a month so I could truly nail it. Building authority in your niche requires public speaking - whether that's conference presentations, webinars, podcast interviews, or video content for your audience. Gallo breaks down what makes TED talks so compelling and shows you how to apply those principles to your own presentations. For clinicians who are comfortable explaining treatment protocols but freeze when speaking to larger audiences or on camera, this book transforms your clinical knowledge into captivating stories that inspire action and build your reputation as a thought leader.
6. The Pivot Year by Brianna Wiest
Leaving clinical work (or reducing it significantly) to focus on an online business is a major life transition. Wiest's book addresses the emotional, psychological, and practical aspects of pivoting your career. For therapists worried about losing their clinical identity or feeling guilty about "leaving the field," this provides perspective and permission to grow in new directions while still honoring your clinical foundation. It's also the kind of book I imagine reading while sipping your morning beverage (and I don't know why that feels important to share, haha).
7. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
Cialdini's classic is required reading (imho) for anyone building an online presence. As clinicians, we have ethical expertise but often struggle with marketing and sales. Understanding the psychology behind influence helps you communicate your value authentically without feeling "salesy." Whether you're writing email sequences, creating social media content, or designing your website, these principles help you connect with ideal clients ethically and effectively.
8. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Hogan
Many therapists and BCBAs have complicated relationships with money - we chose helping professions, often accepting lower pay for meaningful work. Building a business requires shifting your money mindset. Hogan explores how our psychological relationship with money impacts financial decisions, helping clinicians set appropriate pricing, invest in business growth, and build wealth while maintaining their values around accessibility and service.
9. Motivational Interviewing by William Miller and Stephen Rollnick
While this is technically a clinical text, its applications for business are profound. Motivational interviewing techniques help you understand client resistance, facilitate behavior change, and build engagement - all critical when selling programs, onboarding clients, or creating transformational courses. For clinicians, applying MI principles to business conversations feels natural and ethical, bridging your clinical expertise with entrepreneurial needs.
10. Traction by Gino Wickman
Running an online business without systems is exhausting. Wickman's Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) provides a practical framework for getting traction in your business - setting clear vision, establishing accountability, and creating processes that work. For BCBAs and therapists who excel at creating behavior plans for clients but struggle with business organization, this book offers the structure you need to stop spinning your wheels and start making consistent progress toward your goals. As an visionary, it was also really helpful to read about my own gaps and how the right support and systems could improve my business.
Why These Books
I'll likely add more books as the year progresses, but mindset and strategy are my priorities for 2026. I have a burning desire to grow my capacity and abilities so I can reach more people and share more value beyond what's possible in a traditional clinical setting.
For BCBAs, SLPs, and therapists building online businesses, success requires more than clinical expertise. It demands new skills in marketing, sales, scaling, mindset work, and business strategy. These books provide the foundation for that growth.
Whether you're launching your first online course, scaling your digital offers, or pivoting entirely into consulting and coaching, this reading list will help you build the business skills that graduate school never taught you.
What books are on your 2026 reading list? Drop a comment below - I'd love to hear what other clinicians are reading as they grow their online presence and expand their impact beyond the therapy room.
If you're ready to start your online business or scale it to new heights in 2026, I'd love to be your guide. Visit clinicalboss.com to learn more!
