A question I often ask people I’ve just met — and always ask when interviewing potential employees — is what’s on their reading list. It’s partly selfish: Even with a cluttered nightstand, I’m always looking for the next great book. Beyond that, their answers can provide clues about their interests and personalities and help me get to know them better.

The questionnaire we ask our Florida 500 nominees to fill out each year aims to do the same. In this seventh edition, we asked our Influentials for suggested reading and podcasts, as well as who they find inspiring, who mentored them and what motivates them. We also asked what they’d focus on if they were governor and what lessons life has taught them. Their answers — often entertaining and always enlightening — did not disappoint.

Some takeaways:

• Florida’s Influentials treasure their reading and podcasts. Far and away the most recommended title was A Land Remembered, Patrick D. Smith’s award-winning historical novel chronicling the hardships and triumphs of three generations of the MacIvey family. Another top-mentioned read: Good to Great, Jim Collins’ data-driven examination of how average companies transformed into extraordinary ones. More than one Influential recommended Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality, in which the New York restaurateur shares how exceeding customer expectations can be the secret sauce to success. And more than one suggested Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Among periodicals, the Wall Street Journal, the Harvard Business Review and Florida Trend were popular picks. Among podcasts, Guy Raz’s How I Built This, in which entrepreneurs share their success stories, was a runaway favorite.

• When asked to name an inspirational Floridian, many Influentials selected Mary McLeod Bethune, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Wayne Huizenga, Henry Flagler, Jimmy Buffett, Bobby Bowden and Clyde Butcher. And many pointed to former Florida Governors — specifically, Reubin Askew, Bob Graham, Bob Martinez, Lawton Chiles and Jeb Bush. West Palm Beach attorney Harvey E. Oyer II lauded Collins for leading Florida “through one of its most difficult times with grace and class, ending segregation when other Southern governors would not.” Miami attorney Raquel “Rocky” Rodriguez, who served as Bush’s general counsel in the mid-2000s, praised her former boss for his willingness to engage with those who disagreed with him, and his for accessibility. “Unique among politicians, he handed out his personal email and personally responded to anyone who took time to write,” she noted.

A desire for a kinder and more civil political environment manifested again in Influentials’ answers to the question of what they’d do if they were governor. “On day one, I’d signal a new era of civil discourse, where it’s possible to disagree without being disagreeable,” wrote Southern Group Managing Partner Rachel Cone. Influentials’ other top priorities include clean water, affordable housing, reducing insurance costs and addressing the impacts of climate change. Many said they would champion increased investments in early childhood education, infrastructure, workforce development, mental health and other critical areas.

I appreciate the time and thought this year’s honorees put into answering our questions — and the candor in their responses.

Y. Lisa Colon, an accomplished Fort Lauderdale attorney specializing in construction and real estate development, makes her third appearance in our list this year and shared a recent life-changing experience — her 2023 heart transplant. “We are all capable of doing hard things,” and “tackling something difficult (each day) — even if it’s small — moves us closer to success,” she wrote. And her motivational mantra — “But did you die?” — is a perspective from which we might all benefit.

Indeed, grit and determination are common themes running through the pages of this year’s list.

Craig Richard, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, shared that his mother, his mentor, raised six kids before going back to college and finishing her degree. Mario Trueba, chairman of First Horizon bank in Coral Gables, recounted how his father, who died four years ago, immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba “in his mid-20s, with a bride, two kids under 3 years old, and essentially nothing, other than a thirst for freedom.”

And Shirl Penney, the founder and CEO of St. Petersburg’s Dynasty Partners, described being “orphaned and homeless as a child,” but said that learning about “integrity, hard work, honesty, loyalty and how to do more with less” from his step-grandfather proved to be “great training to be an entrepreneur.”

There’s much I’ve learned during our year-long process of vetting, selecting and profiling the Florida 500. I trust you’ll find a treasure trove of wisdom and inspiration in the pages ahead, and I look forward to hearing from you about the 2025 Florida 500. It will be here before we know it.