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WORK TITLE: The Quarter-Life Breakthrough
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.thequarterlifebreakthrough.com/
CITY: San Francisco Bay area
STATE: CA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamsposwolsky * https://www.amazon.com/Adam-Smiley-Poswolsky/e/B00JAZQT2O/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1 * https://www.thindifference.com/2014/05/daring-millennial-leader-adam-smiley-poswolsky/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Male.
EDUCATION:Wesleyan University, B.A., 2005.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Business coach, public speaker. Peace Corps, program specialist; Hive Global Leaders Program, director of community engagement; the Bold Academy, director; Camp Grounded, counselor; StartingBloc Institute for Social Innovation, mentor; teacher for Esalen, General Assembly, and the Passion Company.
WRITINGS
Contributor of articles to periodicals, including the Washington Post, Fast Company, Time, Forbes, and GOOD.
SIDELIGHTS
Adam Smiley Poswolsky is an expert on millennial workers and is a frequent keynote speaker for professionals and entrepreneurs on finding meaningful work. He has spoken at Fortune 500 companies, international conferences and leadership development programs, and universities. He works as a mentor for the StartingBloc Institute for Social Innovation, and as a teacher for Esalen, General Assembly, and the Passion Company. Before that he served as director of community engagement for the Hive Global Leaders Program and was director of the Bold Academy. He has published articles on millennial and workplace success in such outlets as the Washington Post, Fast Company, Time, Forbes, and GOOD.
Originally self-published, Poswolsky’s 2016 The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: Invent Your Own Path, Find Meaningful Work, and Build a Life That Matters is a self-help memoir based on his own personal career crisis. Fresh out of college he got a $70,000 per year job with the Peace Corps, but still he felt unsatisfied. “With wit and candor, Poswolsky shares funny and odd things about himself” as he provides encouragement to people unsatisfied with their career to find passion and meaningful work, according to a writer in Publishers Weekly. Stuti Sharma explained on the Youer Than You Web site: “So many of us know that we can be passionate, but we’re not sure what about. This book tackles that problem head on. Poswolsky writes that life does not pave the same path for everyone; it’s up to you to shape it.”
Geared to twenty- to thirty-year-old young adults, but applicable to anyone feeling stuck in a job, the book rejects common misconceptions about career choices and offers guidance for millennials who want to find a balance between good pay, career advancement, and maintaining relationships with friends. Jennifer Clifton remarked in Library Journal, “Anecdotes about successful peers mostly provide inspiration but seem pretentious at times.” Nevertheless, Clifton noted that readers will enjoy the fresh and conversational style.
Poswolsky explains why many Americans are dissatisfied in their job, helps people determine both what they hate about their job and what made them happy, and reveals that there are more paths to meaningful work than nonprofits and humanitarian aid. In an interview online at Thin Difference, Poswolsky explained that careers are going to have ups and downs and backwards and forwards. He said that each change provides a new opportunity to find purpose and develop new skills. “Motivated and purpose-driven people make frequent career jumps based on their changing interests and desires in order to maximize their impact,” he said.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Library Journal, July 1, 2016, Jennifer Clifton, review of The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: Invent Your Own Path, Find Meaningful Work, and Build a Life That Matters, p. 94.
Publishers Weekly, June 27, 2016, review of The Quarter-Life Breakthrough, p. 71.
ONLINE
Adam Smiley Poswolsky Home Page, http://www.smileyposwolsky.com (April 9, 2017), author profile.
Quarter-Life Breakthrough Web site, http://www.thequarterlifebreakthrough.com/ (April 9, 2017), author profile.
Thin Difference, https://www.thindifference.com/ (May 28, 2014), Molly Page, author interview.
Youer Than You, http://www.youerthanyou.org/ (April 9, 2017), Stuti Sharma, review of The Quarter-Life Breakthrough.
Adam Smiley Poswolsky
Smiley's website: http://www.smileyposwolsky.com
ADAM SMILEY POSWOLSKY is a millennial career expert, internationally renowned keynote speaker, and bestselling author of "The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: Invent Your Own Path, Find Meaningful Work, and Build a Life That Matters," published by TarcherPerigee (Penguin Random House).
Smiley has inspired professionals and entrepreneurs to find fulfilling work as the former director of community engagement for the Hive Global Leaders Program, and previously as director of The Bold Academy. Smiley is a mentor for the StartingBloc Institute for Social Innovation, and a teacher for General Assembly and The Passion Co. He is also an 10-time counselor for Camp Grounded, a summer camp for adults where grownups go to unplug and be kids again.
Smiley has spoken about finding meaningful work at Fortune 500 companies, international conferences and leadership development programs, universities and graduate schools.
Smiley writes stories about purpose-driven millennials who are making a positive impact in their communities. His writing has been published in The Washington Post, Fast Company, Time, Forbes, Quartz, and GOOD, and his work has been featured in Mashable, VICE, CNBC, and the World Economic Forum. He previously worked as the special assistant to the director of global operations at the U.S. Peace Corps.
He is a proud graduate of Wesleyan University, and can usually be found dancing in San Francisco, California.
Website: http://www.smileyposwolsky.com
Speaking: http://smileyposwolsky.com/speaking/
Book: http://www.thequarterlifebreakthrough.com/
Twitter: @whatsupsmiley
Adam Smiley Poswolsky
Millennial Workplace Expert, Keynote Speaker, Author at Penguin Random House, Author of The Quarter-Life Breakthrough
Penguin Random House Wesleyan University
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Adam Smiley Poswolsky is a millennial workplace expert, internationally renowned keynote speaker, and bestselling author of The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: Invent Your Own Path, Find Meaningful Work, and Build a Life That Matters, published by TarcherPerigee (Penguin Random House).
Smiley has inspired professionals and entrepreneurs to find fulfilling work as the former director of community engagement for the Hive Global Leaders Program, and previously as director of The Bold Academy. Smiley is a mentor for the StartingBloc Institute for Social Innovation, and a teacher for Esalen, General Assembly, and The Passion Co. He is also an 10-time counselor for Camp Grounded, a summer camp for adults where grownups go to unplug and be kids again.
Smiley has spoken about finding meaningful work at Fortune 500 companies, international conferences and leadership development programs, universities and graduate schools.
Smiley writes stories about purpose-driven millennials who are making a positive impact in their communities. His writing has been published in The Washington Post, Fast Company, Time, Forbes, and GOOD, and his work has been featured in Mashable, VICE, CNBC, The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, and the World Economic Forum. He previously worked as the special assistant to the director of global operations at the U.S. Peace Corps.
He is a proud graduate of Wesleyan University, and can usually be found dancing in San Francisco, California.
Web: www.smileyposwolsky.com
Book: www.thequarterlifebreakthrough.com
Twitter: @whatsupsmiley
Facebook: The Quarter-Life Breakthrough
#QuarterLifeBreakthrough
Experience
Penguin Random House
Author
Company NamePenguin Random House
Dates EmployedJul 2015 – Present Employment Duration1 yr 9 mos LocationSan Francisco Bay Area
THE QUARTER-LIFE BREAKTHROUGH was published by TarcherPerigee (Penguin Random House) on October 4, 2016.
Buy the book: http://www.thequarterlifebreakthrough.com/
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Company NameThe Quarter-Life Breakthrough
Dates Employed2013 – Present Employment Duration4 yrs LocationSan Francisco Bay Area
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SAP, Unilever, Salesforce, Deloitte, IDEO, TEDx, General Assembly, Stanford University, CAMPUSPEAK
Keynote Speaker
Company NameSAP, Unilever, Salesforce, Deloitte, IDEO, TEDx, General Assembly, Stanford University, CAMPUSPEAK
Dates Employed2014 – Present Employment Duration3 yrs
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Company NameNasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
Dates EmployedDec 2016 – Present Employment Duration4 mos LocationSan Francisco Bay Area
StartingBloc
StartingBloc Institute for Social Innovation Fellow
Company NameStartingBloc
Dates EmployedFeb 2012 – Present Employment Duration5 yrs 2 mos
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Education
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Degree Name B.A. Field Of Study Film Studies
Dates attended or expected graduation 2001 – 2005
Activities and Societies: Taught full-credit course on social documentary film, Ford Foundation Writing Tutor, Published in History Journal of Wesleyan University
Universidad de la Habana- Cuba
Universidad de la Habana- Cuba
Field Of Study Studied public health, Cuban cinema, New Latin American cinema, Spanish language
Dates attended or expected graduation 2003 – 2004
About Smiley
Adam Smiley Poswolsky is a millennial workplace expert, internationally renowned keynote speaker, and bestselling author of The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: Invent Your Own Path, Find Meaningful Work, and Build a Life That Matters, published by TarcherPerigee (Penguin Random House).
Smiley has inspired professionals and entrepreneurs to find fulfilling work as the former director of community engagement for the Hive Global Leaders Program, and previously as director of The Bold Academy. Smiley is a mentor for the StartingBloc Institute for Social Innovation, and a teacher for Esalen, General Assembly, and The Passion Co. He is also an 10-time counselor for Camp Grounded, a summer camp for adults where grownups go to unplug and be kids again.
Smiley has spoken about finding meaningful work at Fortune 500 companies, international conferences and leadership development programs, universities and graduate schools.
Smiley writes stories about purpose-driven millennials who are making a positive impact in their communities. His writing has been published in The Washington Post, Fast Company, Time, Forbes, and GOOD, and his work has been featured in Mashable, VICE, CNBC, The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, and the World Economic Forum. He previously worked as the special assistant to the director of global operations at the U.S. Peace Corps.
He is a proud graduate of Wesleyan University, and can usually be found dancing in San Francisco, California.
Smiley's Purpose
My work is for anyone who ever heard, "That's not possible, you can't do that, you're not good enough, you're too young or too old, you don't have the money or the connections, it's too late," and took a deep breath, listened to their heart, and went out and did it anyway.
Four years ago, I quit my comfortable, well-paying job, with the intention of not living one more day failing to reach my full potential. Since then, I've embarked on a journey to pursue meaningful work and surround myself with believers who are also pursuing their dreams. I write and speak about the joys (and challenges) of living in alignment with your true self, working with purpose, and being a creative.
My purpose is to help all people find work they care deeply about. In doing so, I want to build transformative communities and companies where changemakers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and leaders, can create a more innovative, sustainable, and compassionate world.
It’s true that many millennials are very privileged, but I’m in the business of helping people use that privilege with intention. To take the opportunity, the knowledge, the access they have, and use it for something more than just earning a paycheck, for something more than just a 9 to 5, for something more than just a job, for something more than just a fat savings account and a round of golf at the age of 65. To realize that meaning comes not from personal gain, but from service.
Millennials already make up the majority of the world’s population, and will soon control the majority of its assets. Despite struggling with debt, recession, and the jobs crisis, millennials (who will account for 75% of the workforce in 2025) are not motivated by money. Rather, they are driven to make the world more compassionate, innovative, and sustainable.
We aren't the "me, me, me generation." We are the purpose generation, and we will be engaged with our work because we have to be. The challenges facing our generation are simply too serious to ignore. They are too serious to only worry about on the weekends or after five p.m.
I believe empowering millennials to find meaningful work is essential to solving the world’s most serious challenges; climate change, income inequality, access to health care and education and jobs, and the ability for everyone regardless of where they’re born to reach their potential.
I hope your quarter-life breakthrough (and third-life breakthrough, and mid-life breakthrough) bring you closer to who you are, the types of people and experiences that make you come alive, and the change you want for the world.
I wish you all the best on your journey to meaningful work! Please let me know how I can help.
Daring Millennial Leader: Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky
Have you ever gotten just what you wanted only to realize it was absolutely wrong for you? When something seemingly perfect turns out to be anything but, it can be confusing and disheartening. But disappointment doesn’t have to be the end of the story. When daring millennial leader, Adam Poswolsky, found himself in a situation like this he chose not to settle for “perfect” and sought something meaningful instead.
Adam Smiley PoswolskyAt 28 years old, Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky’s career seemed to be right on track. Working in D.C. as a program specialist for the Peace Corps, his job appeared ideal. He was making great money, working for an organization doing important work and he had an impressive answer to the question, “So, what do you do?” The only problem was, he was miserable. He woke up each morning in intense pain. The pain developed into shingles and he began to worry if he couldn’t be happy working for the Peace Corps, where could he be happy?
Poswolsky was knee deep in a quarter-life crisis. But rather than stay there, he took a leap.
In his new book The Quarter-Life Breakthrough, he distinguishes between mediocre work (a job that pays the bills) and meaningful work stating, “Meaningful work provides personal meaning, reflecting who you are and what your interests are, allows you to share your gifts to help others, and is financially viable given your desired lifestyle.” Meaningful work pays the bills and lights you up inside. It pushes you to be the best version of yourself and gives you freedom to grow. But be warned, what is meaningful to you now might be very different from what is meaningful to you in ten years. Because of this, Poswolsky believes the traditional idea of a career ladder is incredibly limiting for most people.
Millennial LeadersWhen we spoke he explained, “For a variety of reasons (a career ladder mindset) is no longer relevant, the major reason being the current state of the economy and the job market. Those clear paths are just no longer available to folks.” But the stressed job market isn’t the only reason a career ladder mindset doesn’t work. When we consider how quickly technology is re-shaping the job market it isn’t a stretch to believe that in 10 years there will be jobs that we can’t even envision today. Poswolsky admits there are clear exceptions; medicine and law for instance require very specialized training and a singular path. But on the whole, he believes the current job market tends to reward those who experiment and try different things to broaden their skill set. He argues that adopting a career ladder mindset suggests that we must choose one thing, and for so many that just isn’t the case.
Instead he suggests that we’re much better served with a breakthrough career mindset. Using the imagery of career strategist Nathaniel Koloc, Poswolsky proposes thinking of a career path as a series of lily pads. Forget about up and down or backward and forward. Consider each leap a new opportunity to find purpose and develop new skills. Poswolsky writes, “Motivated and purpose-driven people make frequent career jumps based on their changing interests and desires in order to maximize their impact.” Each leap prepares you for the next, often in unexpected ways. He believes that despite the shingles, the Peace Corps might have been the most meaningful job he’s ever had. His time there pushed him closer to realizing who he is and what he wants.
Those of us fortunate enough to decide what we do should think deeply about what we care about, how we want to use the time we have, and how we can each leave this world a little better than we found it.
Poswolsky’s latest leap landed him in the Bay Area where he wrote and is now promoting The Quarter-Life Breakthrough. He is also serving as the director of The Bold Academy. Certainly leaving the security of what some would consider the perfect job had to be a scary decision. But he felt confident that it was the right one for him. He writes, “I knew it was a right fit for me because I could share my gifts to inspire others and show up every day as my positive, creative self.” Now he is prioritizing a work-life balance while relishing the chance to support young entrepreneurs.
[inset width=”50%” float=”left”]
3 Ideas from
Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky
to Give You Momentum
Life is more than “What you Do”
Accept that there probably isn’t only One Answer & Explore Multiple Answers
Be okay with being a Beginner
[/inset]
He’s also making time to write for a number of notable publications including Forbes, Huffington Post and Thought Catalog. When asked what he’s learned about the freelance world he offered, “Don’t wait for someone to certify you as a ‘real writer.’ If you’re writing, you’re a writer. You’re a writer if you’re pitching people. You’re as good as your last piece and you’re as good as what you’re pitching. To be bold and take risks is huge.”
There is no question that Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky is bold. His daring leap in search of meaningful work not only improved his own quality of life, it provided material for The Quarter-Life Breakthrough. His book is an entertaining read but more importantly it’s a little dangerous. Watch out, it might equip and inspire you to make a daring leap of your own.
Poswolsky, Adam Smiley. The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: Invent Your Own Path, Find Meaningful Work, and Build a Life That Matters
Jennifer Clifton
Library Journal. 141.12 (July 1, 2016): p94.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
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Poswolsky, Adam Smiley. The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: Invent Your Own Path, Find Meaningful Work, and Build a Life That Matters. TarcherPerigee. Oct. 2016.224p. illus. ISBN 9780143109525. pap. $15; ebk. ISBN 9781101992296. CAREERS
In a follow-up to his successful 2014 self-published edition, millennial workplace expert Poswolsky provides career and life advice for the twenty to thirty-something set. The author explores what it means to find "meaningful" work (beyond nonprofits or humanitarian aid) and affirms that there are "infinite paths" to success, not just a ladder. Now freshly out of his 20s, Poswolsky humbly describes his own untidy career trajectory (including a brief stint at home and a bout with shingles). Through examples, he refutes common misconceptions about today's career choices, while validating mutual concerns of millennials, such as finances, friendships, and FOMO ("fear of missing out"). Breakthrough exercises are included in each chapter, with specific advice on job searching and graduate school. Anecdotes about successful peers mostly provide inspiration but seem pretentious at times. Despite its title, the book is written broadly enough to appeal to people of all ages ready to hustle. Fans of Jon Acuff's works (e.g., Start) will enjoy the fresh, conversational style. VERDICT Recommended for job-seeking millennials, or anyone ready to try something different in their career.--Jennifer Clifton, Indiana State Lib., Indianapolis
The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: Invent Your Own Path, Find Meaningful Work, and Build a Life That Matters
Publishers Weekly. 263.26 (June 27, 2016): p71.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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The Quarter-Life Breakthrough: Invent Your Own Path, Find Meaningful
Work, and Build a Life That Matters
Adam Smiley Poswolsky. TarcherPerigee, $15 trade paper (224p) ISBN 978-0-
14-310952-5
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Poswolsky, using his own personal crisis as an example, convincingly explains why so many Americans are dissatisfied with their careers--and how they can solve this quandary. In this self-help memoir (originally self-published), Poswolsky recalls that after graduating from college and quickly landing a $70,000-per-year job, he nonetheless felt miserable. With wit and candor, Poswolsky shares funny and odd things about himself while at the same time encouraging people who are unsatisfied with their career path to seek out their passion and pursue meaningful work. One method he shares is answering a series of self-discovery questions, such as "When was the last time you were really happy?" and "What do you absolutely hate doing?" Though the book is targeted to 20- and 30-somethings, his lessons will speak to anyone going through a career crisis. Numerous personal testimonies from millennials who found their callings and were still able to pay their bills lend credence to Poswolsky's prescriptions. (Oct.)
Stuti's Review of The Quarter-Life Breakthrough by Adam Smiley Poswolsky
Ashley Strawser 8:00 AM 0
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Book%2BReview
The questions about whether you're wasting your days. The guilt when you check your phone for an hour or two after coming home from your tiring job. What about all the creative projects you had in mind? Do you join the majority of adults and retire your imagination? When I worked at a library, these were the questions haunting my mind during my entire shift when I stumbled on this book in the "New Releases" shelves.
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Adam Smiley Poswolky quit his administrative job at the Peace Corps to pursue freelance writing and other passions, like not-for-profit work, that had taken the backseat while he climbed the corporate ladder.
As a writer, knitter, photographer, musician, and college student who postponed everything, including school, in order to work two jobs, this resonated with me. Whatever your situation is career-wise, this book is worth a read. At a mere 192 pages, it goes by fast, but the lessons stay with you. Every morning, I picked it up to read a few pages to start my day by reminding myself of the choices that I needed to make.
The most important part of this book is that it never offers starry-eyed, "regret finances and pursue what you want to do!" advice, and it doesn't assume that you have a life passion. So many of us know that we can be passionate, but we're not sure what about. This book tackles that problem head on. Poswolky writes that life does not pave the same path for everyone; it's up to you to shape it.
Here is a summary of the book's main framework.
1. Invent Your Path
Poswolky writes of the differences between a career ladder mind-set and a lily pad mindset. One is about getting higher and higher, aiming for an arbitrary goal that might not even be in sight, while the other is about being dynamic and moving constantly, making each move in your career or life a goal.
2. Find Meaningful Work
I have been happiest when employed at not-for-profit organizations, like libraries or museums. The author says that we define meaning in our work and he give examples of both people who quit their jobs to pursue what they wanted to do all along and of people who kept their jobs but made time for their passions. Hearing both sides of that was convincing enough that we need to be active about these decisions.
3. Build a Life That Matters
We have to hustle persistently. Set goals and achieve them. The passion comes intermittently, but persistence shows up when you do. Also, you are not alone in your goals, whatever they are. There are people who are talented and will help you, whether that means partnering with you or talking to you. It's ridiculous how easy it is to communicate with professionals in your chosen field.
"This book came to me at a time when I was (and still am) questioning all my choices and their long term repercussions. There's the fear of missing out and the guilt of wasted time. It's possible to say "It's just work." We just shut down the computer, lock the office doors, drive home, and forget about work and all the people we don't like at work. However, we spend at least half, if not most, of our waking ours making a living. It's dishonest to think we can ultimately detach the two spheres' influences on each other. This book helped me realize that it is okay and normal to worry about your life goals as long as the strife drives you do productive action."
Stuti Sharma