When it comes to building a thriving business, our CEO, Todd Watson, believes in one key principle: learn from the best. To that end, Todd has returned time and again to a powerful collection of business books—each one shaping the way he leads, makes decisions, and grows the company. In fact, these aren’t just one-time reads. Rather, they’re must-read business books that continue to impact our team’s culture, strategy, and success.

Whether you're just starting out or well into your leadership journey, this list has something for you. So, whether you're an entrepreneur scaling your startup, a leader developing your team, or someone simply passionate about personal growth and business strategy, this list is packed with valuable insights to help guide and inspire your journey.

1. Small Giants by Bo Burlingham

Best for: Leaders who want to grow a purpose-driven, people-first company

I received this book as a gift years ago and really enjoyed it then, but after big transitions within my company I really came to lean on it as the path toward where I want to go. It’s so encouraging to see other companies that chose a path that didn’t just go build a company to be big and sell, but instead focused on being a great company for their community and employees. I re-read it again this year and still continue to be inspired by the stories that Bo shares in this book.” – Todd Watson

This book highlights companies that chose greatness over growth. Instead of scaling quickly, they stayed small on purpose. Their focus? Excellence, strong communities, and a healthy company culture.

Author Bo Burlingham calls them “small giants”—businesses that ignore the pressure to grow fast and, instead, build lasting legacies based on their values.

Key Takeaways:

• Success doesn’t always mean scaling fast
• Purpose-driven business models build lasting impact
• Keeping control within the company can be a strategic advantage

2. EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey

Best for: Entrepreneurs and small business owners looking for a practical, values-driven approach to leadership

“This is my business Bible, the source I go back to for guidance in so many areas of how to run a company. When anyone asks my how to build a company, I tell them to start here. I make it a practice to listen to it each year and my leadership team has all read it. I use many of the rhythms from this book and I can’t thank Dave enough for the encouragement and challenge this book has been to our business.” – Todd Watson

In EntreLeadership, Ramsey blends entrepreneurship and leadership into one clear, actionable guide. With personal stories and practical tools, this book empowers leaders to take ownership of their businesses—and themselves.

“If you're the problem, you're also the solution.”

Key Takeaways:

• Strong leadership starts with self-awareness and growth
• Business success is driven by intentional culture and clear systems
• Leadership rhythms can build consistency and trust

3. The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni

Best for: Leaders focused on long-term success through team alignment and communication

“After EntreLeadership, “The Advantage” is next on my most influential books on how to operate a company. He cites “organizational health” as the key to success in a business and then works through the areas that create this health. Lencioni’s six critical questions are the foundation of how we structure our leadership and vision communication and what we come back to over and over in our team. It’s simplicity breathes life into what could be a stale process and is also a strong reminder in the importance of communicating things over and over again. This is the third book that I “re-read” this past year but just like good communication, it takes multiple times to really sink in.” – Todd Watson

Lencioni outlines six critical questions every organization must answer to build trust, clarity, and alignment. Simple in concept but powerful in practice, this book offers a framework that transforms how leaders communicate vision, strategy, and values.

“The single greatest advantage any company can achieve is organizational health.”

Key Takeaways:

• Alignment at the leadership level impacts every layer of the business
• Clear, consistent communication is vital to culture and execution
• Repetition is key: say the important things over and over again

4. The Power of Moments by Chip & Dan Heath

Best for: Anyone looking to create memorable, meaningful experiences for customers and teams

While not a traditional business operations book, The Power of Moments explores how to intentionally create standout moments in life and work. It’s a reminder that success is often built in small, powerful experiences that leave a lasting impression.

Key Takeaways:

• Moments matter—especially in leadership, culture, and customer service
• You can engineer moments that inspire, connect, and elevate
• Great companies don’t just provide products—they create experiences

Final Thoughts: Start With One, Build From There

If you’re looking to grow as a leader, build a healthier company, or inspire your team, these books are a powerful place to start. Each one has played a meaningful role in shaping how Todd leads—and how our company shows up for our clients and community every day.

Ready to grow your business through better leadership?
Start with one of these titles and let it challenge the way you think, lead, and build.

Our team has put together a list of fun Creative Curations of all the things we've really enjoyed listening, reading, and watching! Check them out!

You know that feeling when you discover the perfect song that matches your mood, a show so good you cancel plans, or a book that lingers in your thoughts long after the last page? We live for that.

We all have our go-to favorites—the playlist that gets us through Monday mornings, the comfort movie we’ve memorized line by line, or the podcast that somehow always knows what we need to hear. These aren’t just forms of entertainment—they’re fuel for creativity, motivation, and joy.

That’s why we’re sharing what inspires us.

For that reason, we put together our Creative Curations: the shows, music, books, podcasts, and more that have sparked new ideas, made us laugh, and helped us stay inspired through busy seasons.

So whether you’re looking for:

• A pick-me-up for your creative block
• A new binge-worthy TV show
• Uplifting music to soundtrack your day, or
• A book that shifts your perspective

—we’ve got recommendations you’ll love.

In short, we want you to get inspired, refreshed, and maybe a little obsessed (like we are!)

Favorite Music for Creativity & Motivation

• Rushmere by Mumford & Sons – “Eeeek! I am so excited they are back! Mumford & Sons was introduced to me by my now-husband over 16 years ago when we were dating and I've loved their music since. This new album is nothing short than wonderful. The sound is fresh, the lyrics are so positive and real. It's a solid listen for when you are working out or just being productive.”- Sarah from Marketing
• PATTERNS by Kelsea Ballerini – “This album is really good! With incredible production full of hooks, great interactions with melodies, and amazing sound selection interacting well with the lyrics for each song, this album feels like having the best drive to your favorite place with the people you love.” – Rod, (friends with Sarah, Marketing)

Must-Read Books That Shift Your Perspective

• Captivating by John Eldredge – “Helped me understand myself and heal parts that I didn’t realize needed some work.”- Kylie from support
• Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High – “Really great resource to realize how much negative impact a long lag time from issue to conversation can have in organizations or our interpersonal relationships outside of work”.- Jeff from Support
• The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind – Jess from Marketing
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni – Ethan from Marketing

Favorite Podcasts

• Unsupervised Learning – “Fantastic cyber security podcast for news and insights”.- Keegan, Product
• Marketing Made Simple (Donald Miller)- Clear, practical marketing advice rooted in storytelling. Great for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Favorite Movies and/or TV Shows

• Reacher (Season 3) – “Alan Ritchson stars as the larger-than-live Jack Reacher. If you love an action hero narrative packed with close calls, fight scenes, and a tough guy with a big heart under that hard exterior, this is a great watch.”- Jeff, Support
• Lethal Weapon – “Despite being a gritty action film, it had hilarious dialogue and natural chemistry between the leads, making it fun and rewatchable”. – Ahmed, Support
• Shrinking on Apple TV – “Hilarious, wholesome, and all around feel-good”. – Kylie, Support
• Night Agent on Netflix – “Such a great action series on Netflix and I don’t usually like to watch shows”. – Abraham, Support

Favorite Websites/Apps

• Google Keep – for quick notes, to-do lists, and organizing your life.
• Libby – borrow ebooks and audiobooks for free from your local library.
• Insight Timer – free meditations, sleep stories, and calming music.

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What is Spark Conference?

Spark is where creativity and community collide in the best way possible. Whether you're a Showit Designer pro or just getting started, this is the place to be. It’s all about inspiration, connection, and a whole lot of fun with a crew that’s just as passionate about design as you are.

At Spark, you’re not just another attendee. You’re part of a big, creative family that’s got your back as you push the boundaries of design and business. The people you meet here? They’ll be in your corner long after the conference ends.

Why You Can’t Miss Spark ‘25

1. Learn from the Best in the Biz

Get ready to be wowed by top-notch speakers and Showit experts who are here to share their best branding and web design secrets. You’ll walk away with fresh ideas, new skills, and real strategies to take your business to the next level.

2. Find Your People

This is more than just networking—it’s about real connections with real people who totally understand your creative journey. Expect deep convos, new friendships, and support that sticks with you.

3. Interactive Sessions & Hands-On Learning

Forget just sitting and listening! Spark is all about getting in on the action. Whether you're polishing up your Showit skills, brainstorming new brand strategies, or figuring out your next big move, there’s a session just for you.

4. Keep Pushing Toward What You Want

This is your time to dream big and make bold moves. You’ll leave Spark ‘25 feeling fired up, focused, and ready to make things happen.

5. It's about the experience

Spark isn’t just an event—it’s a full-on experience. Expect encouraging keynotes, late-night chats with new creative friends, and moments where inspiration just clicks.

If you're a brand and web designer who loves learning, connecting, and getting inspired, bring your favorite notebook, power up your tech, and join us for an experience full of creativity and collaboration.

Are you in?

See you at Spark ‘25!

You know that feeling when you find the perfect song for your vibe, a show so good you cancel plans, or a book that sticks with you long after the last page? Yeah, we live for that.

We all have those go-to favorites—the playlist that powers you through a Monday, the comfort movie you could quote in your sleep, or the podcast that somehow always gets you. These little gems aren’t just entertainment; they’re fuel for creativity, motivation, and let’s be honest, pure joy.

So, we’re sharing ours! The Showit team has rounded up our Creative Curations—the shows, music, books, and more that have inspired us, made us laugh, and kept us going. Whether you need a pick-me-up, a fresh idea, or just something really good to obsess over, we’ve got you.

March's Best Music

Music is something we all connect with, and our playlists are as unique as we are. This month, here are three of our favorite songs, albums, or artists we can’t get enough of!

• When The War is Over by JOHNNYSWIM– “I've loved their music for years now, but I think this is their best yet. Their raw honesty and heartfelt storytelling are so good, almost like a warm cup of chicken soup on a rainy day. From battling depression to finding out about a long-term illness (and everything in between), every song connects with you on a deep level.”- Sarah from Marketing
• The World of Hans Zimmer- Part II: A New Dimension by Hans Zimmer, Odessa Orchestra & Friends, Gavin Greenaway- “Hans Zimmer is my top one Movie Scores composer. This double album features over two hours of music, transforming 17 of Zimmer's most iconic film scores into new orchestral suites. If you love movie scores, you will love this one. It contains some of Zimmer's most known and popular tracks.”– Sarah from Marketing

March's Best Books

We love a good story—whether it’s on the page or in your earbuds. This month, we’re spotlighting three standout books and audiobooks that grabbed our attention with unforgettable tales, powerful authors, and narratives that linger long after the last word.

• The Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson – “It is a fantastic fantasy series with compelling characters, a unique magic system, and twists that will send your head reeling!”- Cole from Support
• The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson – “It is an immense fantasy series with exceptional worldbuilding and extremely deep characters who go through massive development.”- Cole from Support
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – “A fascinating sci-fi novel that is only available on Audible. It is extremely engaging and had me cheering in my car on the way to work!” – Cole from Support
• Exceptionally Bad Dad Jokes: So frightfully awful.. yet wonderfully spiffing. Vol II – “Who doesn't love laughing.”- Keegan from Product
• The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster – “Darren talks about the ups and downs of owning/starting a business. I love that he talks about finding your passion, find your fight, find your strength, and knowing that this will be a ride that can be scary but also rewarding. I love his vulnerability of what it took to get to where he is at now.”- Monica from Billing
• The Illustrated Version of Harry Potter – “We recently have been reading longer form books with our daughter (7) and got her the first Harry Potter book, Illustrated edition.” – Kat from Marketing
• Through a Looking Glass Dimly: Recovering the Wonder of the Alice Books (Webinar) – “Alice in Wonderland is not just a guy describing an acid trip. It's actually a profound argument for transcendence and an ironic joke at the expense of the praise of the “rationality” of the enlightenment.” – Caleb from BDOW

March's Best Podcasts

• Raising Parents – “Just like in her book, (Expecting Better) Emily Oster uses data to tackle the deep, difficult, and urgent questions regarding parenting today.” – Jess from Marketing
• Grounded Wellness – “Provides trustworthy information on how to live a more holistic and non-toxic life.”- Adria from HR
• Self-Made Web Designer – “It's from me ;).”- Chris from Marketing

March's Best Movies/TV Shows

“I'm a dedicated fan of movies and TV shows—it’s my go-to for relaxing and having fun. I’m not into horror (like my mom would say: “Why would I voluntarily sit to watch something that's gonna make me suffer if life is already hard work?”), but give me action, suspense, conspiracy, or a good rom-com, and I’m all in. Here are some shows I’ve loved or am really enjoying right now!” – Sarah from Marketing

• Paradise on Hulu – “A thrilling political drama starring Sterling K. Brown as a Secret Service agent who finds himself at the center of a presidential assassination. When the leader of the country is murdered in a seemingly perfect community, he becomes the prime suspect and must unravel a web of secrets to clear his name. With plenty of mystery, suspense, and unexpected twists, this show keeps you guessing. If you love high-stakes drama with a touch of sci-fi, this one's worth a watch!“
• The Night Agent on Netflix – “A high-stakes thriller about an FBI agent who answers a late-night call and gets pulled into a deadly conspiracy. With spies, secrets, and nonstop action, it’s a wild ride full of twists. Seasons 1 and 2 are out now!”
• Silo on Apple TV – “A sci-fi mystery set in a massive underground bunker where no one knows the full truth. As one woman starts digging for answers, she uncovers secrets that could change everything. With mystery, drama, and dystopian vibes, it’s perfect for fans of Fallout and Snowpiercer! Seasons 1 and 2 are available now.”

March's Best Websites/Apps

• https://www.instagram.com/september___studio/?hl=en – “Super beautiful and inspiring florals.”- Kat from Marketing
• estatesales.net – “Awesome place to find treasures.”- Kat from Marketing
• https://palette.site/ – A browser extension to generate comprehensive palettes. A must-have tool for designers and frontend developers. Precise colour scheme extraction.
• Yuka app– Yuka evaluates food items based on nutritional quality, additive presence, and organic status. Cosmetic products are analyzed by examining each ingredient's potential health effects, such as being endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, allergens, or irritants.
  

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When you set out to design a stunning website for your business in 2025, you want to project an image of professionalism, polish, and prestige. 

The best way to do that is to create an eye-catching design with attention to every last detail. 

And the best way to do that is to use the best web design tools at your disposal.

While a website design platform like Showit gives you all the options you need to lay out your landing pages, there are plenty of complementary tools you can use to plan custom font combinations, determine your brand colors, or create graphics and images.

That’s where these handy-dandy website design tools come in. 

We’ve curated some of the best design tools in 2025 that will complement the work you do with a website builder and enable you to create the site of your dreams.

1. Fontjoy

The same font gets boring when you use it over and over again. You know you should use two or more different fonts on your website for contrast. 

But how do you choose website fonts that complement each other? 

If you’re not sure which fonts will look best on your site, use Fontjoy to get suggestions on matching options for headings, subheads, and body text. 

You’ll even have the option of testing out different weights and sizes to see how they affect your readability — no guesswork required on your part!

2. Color Hunt

Just as Fontjoy can help you find the right font pairings, Color Hunt can help you decide which colors look best together on your website.

This fun web design tool saves you the stress of trying to decide whether certain color pairings clash or create imbalance. 

You’ll be able to choose palettes based on categories like trendy, pastel, dark, or warm to find colors that work for you — all featuring palettes that have been crowdsourced and curated by designers.

3. Unsplash

When you’re designing a website, you’ll need photos — but you won’t always be able to take them yourself (or get them from your client). 

Unsplash gives you access to high-quality stock photos that will give your site design a pop of visual appeal. 

You can search by topic and find all kinds of photos that fit any theme or tone, whether you want something shadowed and moody or bright and uplifting. 

Many of the photos are free to use; crediting photographers is encouraged but not required. You can also upgrade to Unsplash+ for a small fee.

4. Figma

Figma is a web design tool beloved by designers everywhere. It lets you create and edit vector images, so you have scalable graphics and icons wherever you want to use them, whether on your website or on any of your other branding assets.

Because you’re able to reuse design elements and styles, you’ll have consistency across all the vectors you create. (Plus you’ll save major time.)

Figma is great for website designers who work with clients or teams. You can collaborate with others in real time by accessing the same project from multiple accounts. You can get a little bit of help from AI, too!

5. Adobe XD

Got products and want to show them off? Adobe XD is great for creating prototypes, so your website visitors can see what your products look like before you’ve even made them.

In addition to prototypes, Adobe XD can handle other graphics and animations. Because it integrates with other Adobe products, it’s easy to use these elements not only as part of your web design but also with other branded design materials.

6. Spline

3D designs are always fun. Spline makes it possible for you to bring animations and interactive objects to life for your website. 

Even minor website elements like buttons or icons look so much better when they have the visual pop of being three-dimensional. 

Spline optimizes your 3D designs for the web, so they load quickly and don’t slow down your site. Plus, it will generate your own embed codes, so you can easily integrate your Spline designs onto your site via an embed widget.

7. Canva

Canva is one of the easiest, most user-friendly platforms for creating designs that match your brand and website.

With plenty of predesigned templates and drag-and-drop capabilities, Canva lets you design elements like banners, infographics, and other designs to post on your website. You can also create graphics for social media that will complement the look and feel of your website design. 

Canva also allows you to create a custom brand kit, where you can store your logo, fonts, colors, and other assets for quick access when designing. 

 Put These Web Design Tools into Action!

Thanks to all these web design tools, it’s easier than ever to create a striking, memorable, and effective website that reflects your professionalism and impresses your potential customers. 

Whether you're curating perfect font pairings with Fontjoy, building cohesive color palettes with Color Hunt, or adding eye-catching graphics using Canva and Figma, each of these tools handles a specific aspect of your website design you don’t want to overlook.

When you’re ready to bring it all together, Showit is the platform that gives you complete creative control of your website design. Sign up for a 14-day free trial and see how easy it is to bring the site of your dreams to life!

It's awards season! The Golden Globes, Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, and Tonys are taking center stage, and we’ve been diving in (well, at least I have). We’ve hit the theaters, checked out some fresh TV shows, and listened to top-tier podcasts and audiobooks. It’s been so good to soak up all the creativity.

Let’s be honest, though—we all have those go-to favorites. You know, that playlist that gets you through a busy day (or the workout you don't feel like doing at 5 am), the comfort movie you’ve rewatched a million times because it never fails to make you smile, or that website you turn to when you’re searching for fresh ideas (I actually have a list on my notes app called “Sarah's favorites”). Think of these as your “Creative Curations.”

So, here’s our (the Showit team) list of Creative Curations: shows, music, books, and more that have inspired us—whether we needed a little nudge to finish a project or just a laugh to lighten the mood.

February's Best Music

Music is something we all connect with, and our playlists are as unique as we are. This month, here are three of our favorite songs, albums, or artists we can’t get enough of!

• The Living Room, Vol. 1 by The Kruse Brothers- Ethan from Marketing
• Polo & Pan, Sarah the Illstrumentalist, Tame Impala, Poolside- “Whoops, probably looking for one at a time, eh? Those are all just good music to vibe to that are easy to tune out the lyrics of (or don't have lyrics or are in another language).”- Jeff from Support
• Penny and Sparrow- I love these artists because of how intentional they are with their song writing as well as their overall unique sound.- Kara from Support

February's Best Books

We love a good story—whether it’s on the page or in your earbuds. This month, we’re spotlighting three standout books and audiobooks that grabbed our attention with unforgettable tales, powerful authors, and narratives that linger long after the last word.

• Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling by Matthew Dicks – “It's a great book that encourages you to look at your life and all of the details that make up the very unique and interesting story of you.” – Jihae from Admin
• I’ll Be There (but i will be wearing sweatpants): Finding Unfiltered, Real-Life Friendships in This Crazy, Chaotic World by Amy Weatherly– “Finding unfiltered real-life friendships in this crazy chaotic world. I love how it talks about the realness of adulthood and finding and maintaining those true authentic friendships that are hard but also so rewarding.”– Shamesha from Marketing
• Main Street Millionaire by Codie Sanchez– “Practical strategies on how to purchase profitable businesses!”– Adria from Admin
• Wild Color by Jenny Dean and Karen Diadick Casselman– “A book about classic ways of making different color dyes. Super fun and easy to follow”- Keegan from Product
• A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders– “Exposure to the greats of Russian literature! Amazing advice for storytellers! Humor! Depth!” – Elisa

February's Best Podcasts

• The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott- “If you have loved the TV Show, you will love this podcast. it's an in-depth conversation about each episode of season 1 so far. It's intriguing and engaging!- Sarah from Marketing
• The Jefferson Fisher Podcast– “I love engaging with people. All. The. Time. Jefferson's podcast highlights common communication scenarios that typically leave one or both parties hurt or offended and offers tools and actionable steps to remedy these very same moments, creating the atmosphere for both parties to walk away better people.” – Hilary from Admin
• Jocko Podcast– “I enjoy this podcast because it is a good resource for building discipline and a good mindset.”- Zac from Product
• Stuff You Should Know– “It shares interesting facts and information.”- Shelly

February's Best Movies/TV Shows

• Severance on Apple TV– “This show is good. The new season was just released!”- Josh from Product

February's Best Websites/Apps

• Descript.com – “It's an Ai utility knife for creating content. I use it for writing descriptions and titles.”- Jefferson from Marketing
  

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