Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
The Practical Optimist - An Entrepreneurial Journey Through Life's Turning Points - cover

The Practical Optimist - An Entrepreneurial Journey Through Life's Turning Points

Ken Schmitt

Publisher: Advantage Media Group

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

The World Has Changed Enormously. Has Your Leadership?No one will dispute these are turbulent and troubled times, times when “business as usual” no longer seems like a viable attitude. So, just how do you cope with a world that often seems to be spinning out of control — especially when your business is caught up in all the chaos?Now, Ken Schmitt, Founder and CEO of TurningPoint Executive Search, one of America’s leading boutique recruiting firms, pulls back the curtain on the many life-changing challenges he’s faced as a business leader in The Practical Optimist: An Entrepreneurial Journey Through Life's Turning Points to reveal what’s worked for him — and what hasn’t. This frank, funny and revealing book pulls no punches as Ken details the massive challenges he’s faced personally and professionally in his journey to the C-Suite, leading his own company. More importantly, he also breaks down the secrets and strategies he’s discovered to be the most effective in navigating the highs and lows which all businesses experience. And he layers it all with a personal touch that makes his advice relatable and real.You’ll learn what happened after the Great Recession hit, when Schmitt had to tell his staff he had a whopping $200 left in the business account. How he later successfully rebranded and redirected his business, taking it to new heights. How he and his team weathered the unexpected trauma of the pandemic when all their clients disappeared in a matter of weeks — by taking the time to rebuild, refresh and restructure so the company could come back stronger than ever when all the lockdowns ended. You’ll also find out how Schmitt’s father, a serial entrepreneur, sparked his passion for running his own operation — along with the hilarious hiccups he experienced early on in his professional career, working for a series of belligerent and less-than-reliable bosses who drove him out of several business categories until he stumbled onto his true love, recruiting.Challenging the status quo. Transparency. Diversity. Perseverance and resilience. Staying Connected. Allowing yourself to be human. Schmitt makes it personal by taking these well-known leadership topics and exploding some of the myths around them — by providing incisive new perspectives that are both illuminating and instructive.The Practical Optimist: An Entrepreneurial Journey Through Life's Turning Points is the book you need to understand what successful business leadership looks like in the 2020’s.
Available since: 01/24/2023.
Print length: 198 pages.

Other books that might interest you

  • HBR Guide to Being a Great Boss - cover

    HBR Guide to Being a Great Boss

    Harvard Business Review

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Are you a good boss—or a great one? 
     
     
     
    We know people don't leave jobs, they leave bosses. How can you be the type of boss that doesn't send employees running? One who makes your people happy to work for you? 
    You've got the basics covered. But can you raise your leadership level to be a boss who develops trust with their employees? How do you create a culture where learning—and failing—are ok? Can you go beyond evaluating performance and distributing bonuses once a year to finding ways to regularly share productive feedback—and recognize great work—in ways that work for the people who work for you? 
     
      
     
    You can meet the basic requirements of your job as leader and rise above to motivate the people on your team to do more—and be more—than they thought possible. Whether you're a first-time boss or you've been managing people forever and are looking for some new insights and inspiration, the HBR Guide to Being a Great Boss collects a variety of expert voices to share their advice on being a boss who sparks creativity, engagement, and collaboration. You'll learn how to: magnify your people's strengths; communicate effectively—and regularly—with your team; cultivate trust; help your employees find meaning in their work; challenge your people to reach beyond their current limit; help struggling employees improve; and bring out the best in your people—and yourself.
    Show book
  • The Simplest Guide to Financial Literacy for Young Adults - Budget Save Invest Money and build a strong foundation for financial freedom - cover

    The Simplest Guide to Financial...

    Ethan Davi

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Every financial decision you make today shapes your future—are you making the right ones? 
    If you're a young adult feeling overwhelmed by credit cards, student loans, or saving and investing, you’re not alone. Most people were never taught how to manage money. The result? Years of costly mistakes and financial stress. 
    But it doesn’t have to be that way. 
    In The Simplest Guide to Financial Literacy for Young Adults, Ethan Davi makes money management easy to understand and even easier to apply—no jargon, no fluff, just what you need to take control of your future. 
    Inside, you’ll learn:How to use credit cards without falling into debtA smart strategy to handle student loansHow to start investing with as little as $50The truth about renting vs. buyingHow to break free from the paycheck-to-paycheck cycleHow to build confidence around every financial decisionAnd the #1 reason most people stay broke (and how to avoid it) 
    BONUS: The Money Map Toolbox—a simple tool to help you track spending, manage your budget, and plan your financial future with clarity. 
    Whether you're just starting your financial journey or want to finally feel in control of your money, this audiobook gives you the confidence and tools to make smarter choices—starting today. 
    📢 Your financial freedom starts now. Scroll up and click Buy Now to begin!
    Show book
  • The Champagne CEO - A Sparkling Journey of Success Through Courage Confidence and Collaboration - cover

    The Champagne CEO - A Sparkling...

    Terri Eagle

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Terri Eagle’s career is a remarkable testament to the power of reinvention, celebration, and leadership. From her early days at L’Oréal, where she mastered the art of sales in her region, to her leadership roles at Montblanc, David Yurman, John Hardy, Schumacher, and Morilee, Terri’s journey represents continuous dedication and growth.
    Show book
  • The Accountability Advantage - -Play your best game - cover

    The Accountability Advantage -...

    Darren Finkelstein

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    * Are you working hard but still not achieving your goals? 
    * Are you feeling so overwhelmed it’s overwhelming? 
    * Do you need some direction on how to get your business to the next stage? 
    * Perhaps you are high-performing and successful and want to juggle more balls in the air at once? 
    Accountability is your superpower that you must harness; that is why you must read this book. 
    Darren Finkelstein has a simple, game-changing 7-step road to accountability process that is easy to follow and will increase the probability of achieving your goals, tasks and promises to a massive 95%.  
    When you know how to become truly accountable, the results will change your life and your business forever. NO more missed goals, NO more broken promises, NO more excuses, blame or finger-pointing.  
    By introducing effective accountability into your organisation and your life, you’ll start to notice your business going from strength to strength faster than you ever imagined.  
    And Darren has been in your shoes and walked this road before. 
    Having experienced what it is like when your goals feel more like dreams and desires – sometimes vague, sometimes specific, but always unmet and buried deep in that ever-growing to-do list. 
    Former Apple executive and successful entrepreneur reveals… 
    Darren Finkelstein is an international accountability coach, business advisor, mentor & author/speaker. Darren works with high-performing individuals and teams to get results, achieve their wildest dreams, and smash their goals by leveraging over 30 years of experience, both in the corporate world and in small business. Darren is a successful entrepreneur, winning the Australian Entrepreneur of the Year award for Dent Global. He built a wonderful lifestyle business which he successfully sold and exited after 15 years. Before all of this, Darren worked for Apple for 10 years as manager of commercial markets during the inspirational Steve Jobs era and won the Golden Apple award.
    Show book
  • Survive and Advance - Lessons on Living a Life without Compromise - cover

    Survive and Advance - Lessons on...

    Derek Lewis, Elle Glencoe

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    In the face of difficulty, an inspirational leader will overcome.Survive and Advance shares an intimate family portrait and professional journey, elevating readers and showing them how to imagine themselves into a new future with optimism, conviction, and confidence.Grind and single parenthood on one side of his family, mental health and addiction issues on the other, Derek Lewis’s childhood role was to protect himself and his younger brothers from hardship and abuse. Growing up in Washington, DC, in the 1970s, it was enough just to survive.But Lewis demanded a different future for himself and his family. Growing his 1988 just-out-of-college Pepsi sales management trainee route into multiple C-suite roles, he overcame early adversity to achieve the highest levels of corporate success. Not content with delivering record-breaking financial results, Lewis leveraged his reputation and relationships into building gender and racial equity and justice inside and outside the company.In this personal growth memoir, Lewis shares his path to Black excellence from Chocolate City to HBCUs to the Divine Nine to Pepsi’s Team Elite to national catalyst for social change.
    Show book
  • The Equity Mindset - Designing Human Spaces Through Journeys Reflections and Practices - cover

    The Equity Mindset - Designing...

    Ifeomasinachi Ike

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    In The Equity Mindset, Ifeomasinachi Ike delivers a moving and impactful exploration of why equity is so important, the shortcomings of institutional diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives, and how we creatively and boldly design cultures centering the expertise of those who know firsthand how inequity has shaped work culture. The book examines the dynamics of normalized institutional oppression, offers real-world case studies, and provides listeners with new practices, key performance indicators (KPIs), and milestones for measuring the success of modern DEI efforts. At its core, The Equity Mindset is about adopting a problem-solving mentality to address social inequities to ensure we all thrive. 
     
     
     
    This book also includes practitioner interviews with guidance on how each person, regardless of industry, can advance equity personally and professionally; strategies for addressing organizational bias, inequity, and lack of representation; and tools for leaders and decisionmakers seeking concrete steps to create safer cultures for historically marginalized communities. 
     
     
     
    A can't-miss resource for managers, executives, board members, and other business leaders, The Equity Mindset is for those with and without traditional authority who seek to advance the movement for equitable treatment in every environment.
    Show book