Welcome to the BFF Book Club, presented by Bumble BFF and Indigo! This month, we’ll be breaking down stereotypes in Fran Hauser’s book, The Myth of the Nice Girl. Grab your copy at Indigo and get 50% off the book through June 1st. Just match with our BFF Book Club profile on Bumble BFF to get the code.

Nice women are often seen as weak, while tough, assertive women are branded as bitchy. Hauser’s book unpacks “niceness” through a female perspective and proves that women don’t have to hide their authentic selves in order to be successful. She shares a wealth of personal anecdotes, time-tested strategies, and shows you how to cultivate confidence to become strong leaders in life. No matter who you are, Hauser explains that antiquated models of aggressive leadership aren’t the only successful model.

Ready to rise above the double standard together? Hop onto Bumble BFF now for our exclusive discount codes, and make sure to snag your copy at an Indigo bookstore or online. 

And if you’re looking to start a book club of your own? You can use the following questions for your gathering!

• After reading The Myth of the Nice Girl, how would you define the word “nice”? Discuss what other meanings this word has and what you can do to reframe it. 
• When Fran Hauser states that “nice is your superpower,” what does she mean? 
• Share examples with the group from your own experience: when has being nice helped you in your own career? Can you think of examples when it has hurt you? Review these latter experiences and discuss what you might have done differently. 
• Fran Hauser writes, “I have come to learn that the strongest, most effective leaders are often also the nicest. They use their kindness to inspire their teams, to encourage others, and to create powerfully positive workplace environments in which their employees thrive because they’re happy, engaged, and motivated.” In what other ways does Fran discuss how being both strong and kind in the workplace go hand-in-hand? As a leader, how do you balance kindness and strength?
• How has networking helped you in the past? What strategies do you use for networking? Share tips with each other about how to find a mentor, or how to reach out to people outside your industry, and what to ask once you have a meeting set up. 
• How do you say “no” while still staying nice? Review the Four Square Model and discuss how you might use it in your own lives. Pair up to put the Four Square into action and figure out ways you and your peers could hold each other accountable to your priorities. 
• What’s the difference between being nice and being a people-pleaser? 
• What did you learn in The Myth of the Nice Girl about negotiating? Can you cite an example of when empathy has helped you in your own negotiations? 
• If you were to ask your boss for a raise right now, what would you say? Practice on the person next to you.
• What is evidence-based confidence and what can you do to strengthen your own? 
• Now that you’ve read The Myth of the Nice Girl, how will you respond if someone at work tells you you’re too nice? 
• How will this book change you as an employee and as a manager? What spoke to you most? What are your major takeaways?

Enjoy! And don’t forget to check back next month for June’s BFF Book Club pick.