Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives

By Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek

"An inspirational and practical guide for anyone who wants to incorporate the dynamic skills of entrepreneurs into their own lives and work.

A new generation of "life entrepreneurs" is emerging: people who apply their vision, talents, creativity, and energy not only to their work but to their entire lives, changing the world for themselves and those around them. In this book, successful entrepreneurs Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek draw on numerous interviews with fifty-five leading entrepreneurs worldwide as well as the wisdom of multiple thought leaders to provide vivid examples, moving vignettes, concrete frameworks, and practical strategies for revving up our work and play through entrepreneurial leadership. This book starts by providing strategies for integrating life, work, and purpose and ends by capturing the implications of the current entrepreneurial boom for our workplaces, learning institutions, communities, and families.

Christopher Gergen (Washington, D.C.) is a founding partner of New Mountain Ventures, co-founder and chairman of SMARTHINKING, Adjunct Professor and Director of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Initiative at Duke University, and a life-long entrepreneur,

Gregg Vanourek (Thornton, CO) is a founding partner of New Mountain Ventures, former CEO of Vanourek Consulting Solutions, and former Senior Vice President of School Development for K12 Inc."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wiley
• Release date: Jan 4, 2011
• ISBN: 9781118047422

Book preview

001

Table of Contents

Praise

A WARREN BENNIS BOOK

Books in the Warren Bennis Signature Series

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Foreword

Introduction

LIST OF INTERVIEWS

PART ONE - SURVEYING THE LANDSCAPE

CHAPTER ONE - UNDERSTANDING LIFE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

THE LIFE ENTREPRENEUR

AN INTEGRATED LIFE

ANSWERING A CALL

PUTTING LIFE BACK INTO OUR LIVES

YOUR OWN SECRET OFFICE

PATTERNS OF LIVING

FOUR PATTERNS OF LIVING

CREATING THE GOOD LIFE

THE PATH OF THE LIFE ENTREPRENEUR

CHAPTER TWO - LIFE ENTREPRENEURS INACTION

RAISING THE BAR

CREATING BRIGHT HORIZONS

CHAPTER THREE - DISCOVERING CORE IDENTITY

I . EXTERNAL ELEMENTS

II. INTERNAL ELEMENTS

III. CORE IDENTITY

AUTHENTIC INTEGRITY

PART TWO - PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY

CHAPTER FOUR - AWAKENING TO OPPORTUNITY

CAKE LOVE

WAKING UP TO POSSIBILITY

BEGINNER’S MIND

RECOGNIZING OPPORTUNITY

BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

BREAK ON THROUGH ...

ASSESSING OPPORTUNITY

YOUR LIFE IS YOUR ART

CHAPTER FIVE - ENVISIONING THE FUTURE

CREATING A VISION FOR OUR LIVES

IMAGINING THE FUTURE

AN EVOLVING VISION

CONNECTING VISION TO CORE IDENTITY

STAYING TRUE TO OUR VISION

THE POWER OF SHARED VISION

CHAPTER SIX - DEVELOPING GOALS AND STRATEGIES

SETTING GOALS

COMMON STUMBLING BLOCKS

DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN

AN INSPIRING ENDEAVOR

PART THREE - BLAZING A TRAIL

CHAPTER SEVEN - BUILDING HEALTHY SUPPORT SYSTEMS

ROOTS AND WINGS

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

LIFE PARTNERS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL COUPLES

MENTORS

PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

EXTENDED NETWORKS OF SUPPORT

HOW TO BUILD A STRONG SUPPORT NETWORK

AUTHENTIC NETWORKING

TRUST, DIVERSITY, AND RECIPROCITY

CHAPTER EIGHT - TAKING ACTION AND MAKING ADIFFERENCE

THE COURAGE TO TRY

WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY

PURPOSEFUL SPONTANEITY

IN THE ARENA

PERVASIVE SERVICE

ADAPTIVE PERSISTENCE

ERASING THE LINES

THE COST OF NOT ACTING

CHAPTER NINE - EMBRACING RENEWAL AND REINVENTION

RENEWAL

HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE

THE CONSEQUENCES OF OVERLOAD

DAILY RENEWAL

LONGER-TERM RENEWAL

CYCLES OF RENEWAL

CRUCIBLES

REINVENTION

LEADING AN INTEGRATED LIFE

CONCLUSION: CREATING A NEW FUTURE

APPENDIX A: LIFE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PRIMER

APPENDIX B: EXERCISES AND HELPFUL RESOURCES

APPENDIX C: INTERVIEW METHODOLOGY

NOTES

THE AUTHORS

Acknowledgments

INDEX

More Praise for Life Entrepreneurs

"The real question is not how to just make a living, but how to make a life. Life Entrepreneurs helps all who are struggling to integrate money and meaning in their careers to do just that."

—Dr. Mark S. Albion, New York Times best-selling author of Making a Life,

Making a Living, and True to Yourself

Highly effective people take a principled, integrated approach to life—inspired by vision and implemented with persistence. Gergen and Vanourek do a wonderful job bringing this philosophy to life through colorful storytelling and a well-conceived framework. Pick up this book and read it. It might change your life.

—Stephen R. Covey, best-selling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

and The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness

Gergen and Vanourek provide a great road map for anyone who is looking to find success and fulfillment doing what they are passionate about.

—Steve Ells, founder, chairman, and CEO,

Chipotle Mexican Grill

"Like jazz musicians, good entrepreneurs improvise, finding the roads less traveled. Life Entrepreneurs does a great job of capturing this spirit and sharing valuable lessons for work and life."

—Gary Erickson, owner/founder, Clif Bar & Company;

author of Raising the Bar

"Life Entrepreneurs captures the essence of the Creative Age, where people are the true source of economic growth."

—Richard Florida, best-selling author of Rise of the Creative Class; director,

Martin Prosperity Institute, Rotman School of Management

"In Life Entrepreneurs, Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek address the central issue of every emerging leader, ‘How can I design my life to be both fulfilling and significant?’ Through the life stories of many entrepreneurs who are impacting the world in dramatic ways, this compelling and refreshing new book provides deep insights that make it a must-read for all of us to use on our own journeys."

—Bill George, author of True North and Authentic Leadership;

former chairman and CEO, Medtronic

At last, a powerful guide to integrating life, work, purpose, and work-life balance—one of the greatest needs of leaders in all three sectors of the emerging work force. Christopher and Gregg bring a new definition, a new clarity to life entrepreneurship that will make a difference in the lives of leaders at every level. A great gift.

—Frances Hesselbein, chairman, Leader to Leader Institute;

former CEO, Girl Scouts of America

"Life Entrepreneurs is wonderfully written, highly engaging, and inspiring. As people who aspire to be an ‘entrepreneurial couple,’ we found Gergen’s and Vanourek’s book full of thoughtful insights and powerful strategic advice on how to live a life that integrates and balances family, friends, work, and personal fulfillment. The authors demonstrate how anyone can become a life entrepreneur. This book is a gift for all of us."

—Alan Khazei, co-founder, City Year Inc., and Vanessa Kirsch,

president and founder, New Profit, Inc.

"This is provocative reading for all those committed to creating a life of significance and meaning. Filled with helpful strategies and hopeful stories, Life Entrepreneurs is an intriguing, challenging guide for the next generation of leaders."

—Wendy Kopp, president and founder, Teach for America

Our work and life can be a great adventure, an opportunity to serve people in compelling and meaningful ways. In this book, we gain powerful insights on how to realize those important possibilities.

—Linda Mason, chairman and co-founder, Bright Horizons Family Solutions

Gergen and Vanourek offer a fresh and vital approach to life and career planning. The book speaks directly to the younger generations of Americans who increasingly reject pigeon-holed and segmented careers but, instead, are choosing to create integrated lives filled with, ‘passion, connection, and significance.’ I highly recommend this book to anyone who is seeking The Good Life.

—James O’Toole, author of Creating the Good Life;

former executive vice president, Aspen Institute

Gergen and Vanourek have done a spectacular job shining a light on a new approach to professional success and personal fulfillment: the life entrepreneur. With dozens of inspiring profiles and page after page of smart advice, this book belongs on the nightstand of every thoughtful businessperson in America.

—Daniel H. Pink, New York Times best-selling author of A Whole New Mind and

Free Agent Nation

"Life Entrepreneurs offers a new way of thinking about life and work, and a window into the future. I highly recommend it."

—Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor

"Business leaders and entrepreneurs alike will greatly benefit from Life Entrepreneurs . It captures the essential qualities of leadership including finding a worthy path, being willing to fail, and taking courageous action. I highly recommend it."

—Howard Schultz, chairman, Starbucks Coffee Company

This book is true, smart, honest, hopeful, and helpful. It is essential reading for anyone who shares the belief that work and life aren’t two separate categories, divided by pain, pressure, and a paycheck. Instead, here’s the good news: entrepreneurship isn’t just a way of making a living—it’s a way of life. Buy this book, read it, and then do it!

—Alan M. Webber, co-founding editor, Fast Company magazine;

former editorial director, Harvard Business Review

001

A WARREN BENNIS BOOK

This collection of books is devoted exclusively to new and exemplary contributions to management thought and practice. The books in this series are addressed to thoughtful leaders, executives, and managers of all organizations who are struggling with and committed to responsible change. My hope and goal is to spark new intellectual capital by sharing ideas positioned at an angle to conventional thought—in short, to publish books that disturb the present in the service of a better future.

Books in the Warren Bennis Signature Series

002

Copyright © 2008 by Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek. All rights reserved.

Published by Jossey-Bass

A Wiley Imprint

989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741—www.josseybass.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax [phone], or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax [phone], or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Readers should be aware that Internet Web sites offered as citations and/or sources for further information may have changed or disappeared between the time this was written and when it is read.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Jossey-Bass books and products are available through most bookstores. To contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-956-7739, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3986, or fax [phone].

Jossey-Bass also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gergen, Christopher, 1970-

Life entrepreneurs : ordinary people creating extraordinary lives / Christopher Gergen, Gregg Vanourek.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-7879-8862-3 (cloth)

1. Creative ability in business. 2. Entrepreneurship. 3. Work and family. 4. Maturation (Psychology) I. Vanourek, Gregg. II. Title.

HD53.G47 2008

650.1—dc22

2007049549

HB Printing

From Christopher:

To Heather and Maya (Team Daddy)

and to Mom and Dad—my roots and wings

From Gregg:

To Alexandra, enamored with life

and awash in possibility

FOREWORD

Usually in business books that tackle the notion of entrepreneurship, there is the unspoken (and sometimes spoken) assumption that to be an entrepreneur, you have to give 110 percent to your work at the expense of other aspects of your life. These authors focus on how to create extraordinary organizations, while ignoring the balance and quality of the entrepreneur’s life as a whole. But our legacy is so much more than the bottom line.

What I love about this book is that Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek have turned that proposition on its head. Both have succeeded as entrepreneurs—in business, education, non-profits, and more—but at pivotal moments in their lives, each wondered whether they had been channeling their energy and attention into the right things. What they realized is that by turning their entrepreneurial spirit toward other aspects of their lives, they could create something extraordinary and much more fulfilling, both personally and professionally.

This is one of the most inspiring and unique books I have come across in a long time. It addresses many of the most daunting dilemmas that modern workers, especially those under fifty, face: How can I achieve meaning, personal growth, and happiness? How can I impact the world and other people in a positive way? Can I overcome my fears and challenge the status quo to become the person I feel I should be? And on top of it all, how can I find the time and the means to answer these questions while trying to make a living?

The authors deserve much credit for addressing these issues in a totally novel way, one that not only instructs but entertains. Their concept of Life Entrepreneurship is a deep one. Not only have they done firsthand research by finding fascinating, real-life entrepreneurs to share their stories, they have also asked difficult questions and distilled their commonalities so that the rest of us can start to examine our paths as well, at any age and place in life.

And this book couldn’t come at a better time. The world has rarely needed capable leaders more than it does now, and this need goes far beyond the boardroom. We need it in terms of family, community, and social responsibility. Life Entrepreneurs cuts right to the essence of leadership in that it seeks to integrate all of these and encourages us to align our values with everything we do and take responsibility for every facet of our lives.

But above all, life entrepreneurship is an adventure. It doesn’t just arise from need, but from desire—to be something more, to create something new, to explore beyond the usual boundaries. It’s an appeal to all of us to become our best selves. As the authors say, the opportunities for challenge, contribution, and fulfillment are there; we just have to grab them.

Warren Bennis

Santa Monica, California

November 2007

INTRODUCTION

The idea for this book came to us one warm spring afternoon in Virginia, as we sat on a picnic bench with an intriguing question: How can we create extraordinary lives?

As we wrestled with this question, we drew on a source of mutual inspiration—the power of creating innovative new enterprises. We are both entrepreneurs. Between us, we have started or helped to start companies, non-profits, schools, a foundation, a national government initiative, and even a live music café in South America. We wondered if that entrepreneurial approach could be applied to our lives.

As we sat and talked, our lives were at crossroads. Gregg was reclaiming his life after a start-up experience that was both thrilling and punishing. After helping to build a fledgling venture into a national education enterprise, he was eager to take a new direction in life, one definitively of his own choosing. Christopher was ready to pursue a new challenge after cofounding an online tutoring company that serves students globally. Both of us were starting families and were committed to embracing and upholding that awesome responsibility.

Under the hot Virginia sun, we discussed how our penchant for creating new ventures might fit into the context of our lives. Could we apply the entrepreneurial mind-set of opportunity recognition, vision creation, innovation, and initiative to create a better life? Could we creatively design a life aligned with our values? Could we lead our lives in such a way that our work, life, and purpose would be not only balanced but integrated?

The questions were provocative and disquieting. We sensed that the answers carried significant implications for how we could live.

In pursuit of understanding, we reflected on our own experiences and conducted research in the fields of entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal development. Mostly, though, we listened to others. In the end, we went out and interviewed fifty-five business and social entrepreneurs, all of whom brought a certain amount of entrepreneurial flair to their lives as well as their work. Nearly all come from ordinary backgrounds, yet they have created extraordinary lives for themselves and those around them through a mix of drive and direction. You have probably heard of some of their organizations: Starbucks, Chipotle, Cranium, Clif Bar, RealNetworks, Hanna Andersson, KIPP (the Knowledge Is Power Program), Share Our Strength, and perhaps others. The people we interviewed range from prominent figures to less well-known folks, from business, non-profit, and political leaders to chefs, musicians, journalists, professors, and ministers—even a rancher, a fighter pilot, and a yoga instructor. Their professional accomplishments are exceptional, but what really differentiates them is the way they have led entrepreneurial lives—on their terms and aligned with their values and priorities.

In the course of these interviews, we sought to learn about the people behind the enterprises: Who are they? What makes them tick? Who influenced them? Why and how did they make the decisions they did? What mistakes have they made? What have they learned? What advice do they have for others?

Their answers are important because they show how entrepreneurial principles can be applied to life. These are lessons that hold promise for all of us, not just those who have started an enterprise or hung out a shingle. In many ways, we consider this cohort of fifty-five to be pioneers of living in today’s world—harbingers of what the future might hold in store.

For us, the interview process was powerful. It deepened our understanding of the issues, challenges, struggles, and strategies of entrepreneurs. It forced us to look closely at our own life decisions and often left us inspired. In their stories, we found incredible examples of passion, courage, integrity, perseverance, and service.

When transcriptions of these interviews were compiled—altogether about a thousand pages of text—powerful themes were sounded, like a chorus of voices converging in unscripted harmony. Here are some of the major patterns we spotted:

• All of the entrepreneurs we interviewed made a conscious decision to walk their own path and forge their own future—often going against prevailing expectations.

• There was a direct correlation between the purposefulness and conviction with which they walk their path in life and the passion and joy they feel for their life and work.

• Many of them don’t think of themselves as dividing their time between work and life. For many, these are integrated, not compartmentalized, pursuits. They are creating, owning, and taking responsibility for every facet of their lives with an integrated approach.

• Their dispositions toward risk were all over the map—ranging from those who were somewhat risk-averse to a few intrepid risk junkies. But they were all willing to take measured risks in pursuit of a worthy project or goal. They saw risk as an inherent part of life and took steps to mitigate it through thoughtful planning and disciplined execution.

• All of them have experienced failure and dealt with significant setbacks. Many have encountered life-changing episodes of tragedy, illness, loss, financial difficulty, and more.

• Several found great value in stepping off the path to renew, recharge, and sometimes reinvent their lives, discovering that periods of activity and achievement must be counterbalanced with periods of rest and regrouping.

• Their life path was usually a winding one, not linear. In most cases, it made much more sense looking backward. As they moved forward, they were both shaping the future and responding to it.

• Most of them came to the conclusion that it’s not all about them—far from it. They have cultivated healthy support systems, and many have become deeply connected, civic-minded leaders.

From these interviews and our research and experiences, we conclude that leading life in an entrepreneurial manner can be what tips our lives from ordinary to extraordinary. Moreover, it directly addresses a number of challenges currently facing our society. As such, this approach has the potential to transform not only individual lives but also the culture of our workplaces, the dynamics of our communities, and the attitudes and behaviors of rising generations of leaders. Let’s be clear: this approach to life is not solely for business and social entrepreneurs. It is a path that is available to all who choose it as a strategy to improve and transform lives.

We are both in our midthirties, part of a seeking generation navigating a rapidly changing world and searching for a better way to live. Our experiences, research, and interviews have shown us that there is an emerging trend among rising generations, one of rejecting past approaches to stable careers, job security, and lives built around safety, security, and status. In their place, we are seeing more and more people building their lives around passion, connection, and significance.

This approach is filling a growing need among generations of young people eager to find and sound their own voice in today’s world in the hope of improving it. This approach is also becoming a new model for learning, leading, living, and serving. As such, we believe that now is the time to name this emerging phenomenon, define it, and draw out its lessons and implications. We call it life entrepreneurship: creating a life of significance through opportunity recognition, innovation, and action.

An entrepreneurial life tracks the rhythms of start-ups: identifying a need, recognizing an opportunity, creating a vision, developing a plan, building a support network, taking action, mitigating risk, adapting to challenges, evaluating progress, making adjustments, and cycling through the process again.

We believe that entrepreneurship is not solely the province of the professional. It is a mind-set, approach, and process that can be applied to any endeavor—including that of leading our lives. In the same way that a business or social entrepreneur creates an enterprise through artful combinations of vision, creativity, dynamism, and risk, so too can we—any one of us—build an extraordinary life. We can fashion a life that is purposeful, self-directed, and aligned with who we truly are—providing us with opportunities for challenge, contribution, and fulfillment.

The central thesis of this book is this: the path to a better life for growing numbers of people today is to apply the principles of entrepreneurship to life itself. Those principles were developed and honed in the business world and have migrated to the civic sector. Increasingly it is becoming clear that, when applied to our lives, they can be catalytic and positively transformative.

Although this approach is being embraced by younger generations (and may be part of our lasting legacy), it is not confined to us. The trend transcends barriers of age, gender, and nationality. We will see