Fearless and Free: How Smart Women Pivot and Relaunch Their Careers - Hardcover

Sachs, Wendy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0814437699 ISBN 13: 9780814437698

Publisher: AMACOM, 2017

Synopsis

Women tend to be inherently cautious, to the point of overthinking their every move. This may help them stay safer than their male counterparts, but it also keeps them stuck in the action-first, fake-it-til-you-make-it ethos celebrated in the tech world shaking up the workforce today. What if women embraced the startup spirit? What if they had the confidence to take chances, even if they knew they may fail first? What if instead of agonizing over which step to take, they leapt forward quickly? These are the traits that helped Silicon Valley redefine our culture, and not surprisingly, these are the same lessons that can help all women succeed in all stages of their careers.In Fearless and Free, author Wendy Sachs has provided what O, The Oprah Magazine has called “pithy, invaluable guidance to women stymied in the workplace.” With lessons learned from a wide range of women who faced down fears, roadblocks, and failures to reinvent themselves, Sachs’s invaluable resource teaches women how to:· Boost their confidence· Sell their story· Capitalize on their skills and expand them· Nurture their network· Brand themselves--without bragging· Reposition themselves for reentering the workforce· And much more!By taking the disruptive methods that helped Silicon Valley send shockwaves across industries, Fearless and Free seeks to empower women in the workforce, showing them how to lean into their strengths, increase confidence, and make their impact known loud and clear.

About this title

Book Description

"...pithy, invaluable guidance to women stymied in the workplace" — O, The Oprah Magazine

We are in the midst of a wild job market. Technology has disrupted nearly every industry, blowing up many careers, but creating millions more. Many women feel forced to pivot to stay relevant, while others choose to pivot to keep engaged. Or we may be struggling to get back into the workforce after taking time off to raise kids.

We hear words like hustle and grit and are told we need to think strategically, cultivate our own brands, and sell ourselves. But how do we do that? How do we pivot or radically relaunch our careers? How do we become unapologetically bold and badass—the boss of our own future?

Getting ahead today requires the action-first, fake-it-'til-you-make-it ethos celebrated in the tech world. It’s the tech industry that’s redefined our culture, and perhaps not surprisingly, it’s those Silicon Valley lessons that can help all women in all stages of their careers succeed.

This mindset is not typically a female one. Women tend to be cautious. We overthink our next moves. We might be safer . . . but we're also stuck. What if women embraced the startup spirit? What if we had the confidence to take chances, even if we knew we may fail first? What if instead of agonizing over which step to take, we leapt forward quickly? Fearless and Free empowers women, showing us how to lean into our strengths, increase our confidence, and follow successful lessons from Silicon Valley that can help us pivot in any career—and unlock a world of possibilities.

Author Wendy Sachs talked to a wide range of women who faced down fears, roadblocks, and failures to reinvent themselves. The book weaves their insights and experiences together with current research and actionable advice. You'll learn how to:

Capitalize on your skills and expand them · Grow comfortable with being uncomfortable · Boost your confidence · Sell your story · Engineer serendipity · Nurture your network · Shake off setbacks · Brand yourself—without bragging · Build momentum · Compete with digital natives · Reposition yourself if you’re reentering the workforce · And more

Whether you want out of a shrinking industry or into a business of your own creation, Fearless and Free helps you dream big—and act now.

From the Inside Flap

From Wendy Sachs, one of Forbes 40 Women to Watch Over 40

We’ve seen the job market change radically these past few years. Career success today requires an action-first, “fake it ’til you make it” ethos, like we see in hot startups. “Think like an entrepreneur” we’re told. Take bold risks. Seize opportunities. Change course quickly. . . . But the celebrated startup model of disruption that feeds on failing fast and pivoting is not a typically female one. Women tend to be cautious. We overthink our next moves, get paralyzed by fear—and simply don’t act. We might be safer, but we’re also stuck.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could be fearless, confident, and always on the cusp of grabbing new opportunities? What if there were a formula to make us feel brave and badass—the ultimate boss of our careers?

In Fearless and Free Wendy Sachs reveals the issues and self-imposed barriers that hold women back: from perfectionism to fear of failure to using power-draining words like “Sorry.” To break free, she turned to the startup model of Silicon Valley, the motherland of innovation, with its confident, agile, “fail fast, fail often” culture—and she discovered their formula: patterns, themes, and secrets for success. Sharing those lessons in this book, Sachs empowers us to be fearless and flexible—to pivot or totally relaunch our careers.

Sachs talked to a diverse group of women who did just that. Spanning industries and ages, they faced down fears, roadblocks, and failures to relaunch themselves. And in this inspiring and practical book, she weaves together their insights and experiences with current research and concrete advice. Sachs discusses how to grow more confident, and take the small steps that lead to big steps that lead to change. You’ll learn how to:

· Grow comfortable with being uncomfortable

· Craft your narrative

· Brand yourself—without bragging

· Sell yourself online and in a resumé

· Create and nurture effective professional networks

· Engineer serendipity

· Shake off setbacks

· Compete with the digital natives

· Build momentum

· And pivot to a new career, even if you don’t feel 100% qualified.

Whether you want out of a shrinking industry or into a new job or business of your own, Fearless and Free will show you how you can shift your course, redefine your career, and unlock a rich new world of possibilities.

About this edition

• Publisher: AMACOM
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0814437699
• ISBN 13: 9780814437698
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240