Life Entrepreneurs Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives

by Gergen, Christopher; Vanourek, Gregg

• ISBN13: 9780787988623
• ISBN10: 0787988626
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-03-07
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

"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."

Author Biography

Christopher Gergen is a founding partner of New Mountain Ventures and a lifelong entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and chairman of SMARTHINKING, the leading provider of online tutoring in the U.S. He is also a visiting lecturer and director of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Initiative in the Hart Leadership Program at Duke University. Christopher lives with his wife and two children in Washington, D.C.

Gregg Vanourek is a founding partner of New Mountain Ventures. Previously, he ran Vanourek Consulting Solutions and served as senior vice president of School Development for K12 Inc., and vice president for Programs at the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. He is coauthor of Charter Schools in Action and lives with his wife and daughter in Denver, Colorado.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xiii
Introduction	p. xv
List of Interviews	p. xxvii
Surveying the Landscape
Understanding Life Entrepreneurship	p. 3
Life Entrepreneurs in Action	p. 25
Discovering Core Identity	p. 38
Preparing for the Journey
Awakening to Opportunity	p. 65
Envisioning the Future	p. 80
Developing Goals and Strategies	p. 93
Blazing a Trail
Building Healthy Support Systems	p. 111
Taking Action and Making a Difference	p. 129
Embracing Renewal and Reinvention	p. 145
Conclusion: Creating a New Future	p. 165
Life Entrepreneurship Primer	p. 181
Exercises and Helpful Resources	p. 187
Interview Methodology	p. 189
Notes	p. 191
The Authors	p. 199
Acknowledgments	p. 201
Index	p. 205
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