Are you frustrated with your career? Need to find a job? Looking for a different direction? Try reading a book. It might be the very inspiration you need to move ahead.
It was for these Atlanta workers and readers.
The book: “Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God” by Mark Batterson (Multnomah Books, 2008)
Rosalind and Anthony Fletcher had good corporate careers. She was a director of finance for Verizon Wireless and he works building turbine engines for GE Energy, but they felt that something was missing. “We wanted to do more with our lives, to make a difference, and we both had a passion for helping others,” said Rosalind Fletcher.
Having lived with the need to find good care for ill family members, they conceived of starting their own home care agency. They read “Wild Goose Chase” in 2010. Last May, they launched CarePoint Home Care, an Alpharetta-based, nonmedical private duty agency licensed in 12 counties to provide personal care and companionship services for families.
“When we read the book, the words came off the page and gave us confirmation that we were pursuing the right track. The chapter about the ‘cage of routine’ told us it was time to step out from our comfortable routines and live into a deeper purpose,” said Rosalind Fletcher, co-owner. The book helped them to overcome their fears, do the market research, discover a huge need with the aging population, and develop a family-focused business.
“Anthony has kept his job for now, but he’s the creative one. I run the business day to day with his support. Now we’re a couple that is more afraid of missing opportunities than making mistakes,” said Fletcher. “This book would be good for anyone re-evaluating his life. It will get your juices flowing.”
The book: “Stuck on Stupid: A Guide for Today’s Professional Stuck in a Rut” by T. Murray (Perfect Paperback, 2011)
“After getting my second job in a traditional law firm, I realized it wasn’t what I wanted to do,” said Lashonda Council Rogers, president of Council & Associates LLC, an Atlanta law firm. “After reading Tiffani Murray’s book, I realized I was stuck on living someone else’s dream.”
Murray offers a variety of stuck scenarios. Council recognized herself as "an octopus," someone with her hands stuck in everything out of fear of turning down anything, and as a "flat tire." She felt deflated, with no energy. “In my former office, I never saw a client. I was behind a computer all day, and I’m a people person,” she said.
Taking Murray’s tips to heart, Rogers began networking, opened her own firm and focused on personal injury, trucking accidents and day care center abuse. “By specializing, I can better serve my clients, and we’re opening a second office in Douglas, Ga.,” she said. “This book is informative and humorous. If you’re stuck, the last thing you need is someone browbeating you from the pages. It’s a must-read for anyone in transition.”
The book: “The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life” by Laurie Beth Jones (Hyperion, 1998)
Kathy Brunner was a speech and language pathologist with a thriving private practice in Pittsburgh, before moving to Atlanta almost eight years ago. People always told her that they connected with her easily and that she was a good writer.
“Reading ‘The Path' inspired me to do something about the things I wanted to do. It’s about finding a direction when you have a passion. I realized I could be more deliberate in my choices about using my talents. It was up to me. No more excuses or setting up roadblocks,” said Brunner, a Woodstock author and speaker.
She joined writers groups, began talking to other motivational speakers and has since self-published the book “One More Serving,” a collection of stories about ordinary people changed by a defining moment in their lives. Brunner speaks at conferences and meetings and leads workshops to help people develop a plan to pursue their own passions.
“This is a great book for people who feel like their lives are at a standstill and want to take action on creating something new. It allowed me to take something I was passionate about and make it into a career,” she said. She’s working on a second book, “Finding Your Fire.”
The book: “Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding the Three Fears that Sabotage Client Loyalty” by Patrick Lencioni (Jossey-Bass, 2010)
“I love the way Lencioni writes. Most of the book is a parable, a page turner, and only in the last part does he summarize the lessons and take-aways,” said Matt Tovrog, partner with Bell Oaks, an Atlanta executive search firm. “Establishing long-term relationships is the hallmark of our firm, and this book helped me chip away at those fears that would keep me from best serving my clients.” It explores the fear of losing the business, the fear of feeling inferior and the fear of being embarrassed.
“The way to create lasting partnerships and serve your clients’ best interest is to be completely honest and authentic. It’s helped me to develop my own personal brand and improve my abilities as a consultant,” said Tovrog, who was recently promoted from associate partner to partner. “This book would be good for anyone who is in consulting or personal services. It helps professionally and in personal interactions.”
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