Serial entrepreneur George Appling has written a book to help people choose the right career path for them.
Don’t Settle: A Pick-Your-Path Guide to Intentional Work is a unique book which helps the reader choose the right relationship between passion and work for them. Available from October 1, the book sets out five different paths – Independent, Money, Passion, Experiment, and Balanced and includes a set of exercises to help people work out which one suits them best.
Author George describes himself as a ‘passionpreneur’ and owns eight businesses, including the Texas-based Sherwood Forest Faire, which reflect his interests and passions. But, while he himself is on the Passion path detailed in his book, he acknowledges this won’t be the right fit for everyone.
He says: “The book is a framework from which the reader can choose the relationship between their passion and their work. My belief is that you’ll be more content, joyful and productive if you intentionally make that choice as opposed to letting the world make it for you.”
George wrote the book to help young people at the start of their career as well as those already established in the world of work who feel they haven’t found the right balance in their life so far. And he has been speaking to students at colleges in the United States to encourage them to consciously pick a path before they graduate.
The 55-year-old, who lives in Austin, Texas, says: “Each of the five pathways resonate with their own audience, although the most popular is balanced. It’s really important for people to feel they have made an intentional choice when it comes to work rather than feeling trapped on the wrong path.”
George himself followed traditional career path, which included becoming the CEO of a $1 billion cellphone distribution company. But at the age of 36, he realised he wanted something different from his life so he made a one word note in his Blackberry calendar for his 40th birthday which simply read STOP.
This message to himself signalled an intention to move away from the career he had built since leaving college, which saw him rise to senior positions within the telecoms industry. Once George hit 40, he began starting businesses he was passionate about, initially beginning with the Sherwood Forest Faire, a Texas-based Renaissance festival.
His businesses now also include a mead-making company, a medieval-themed summer camp for children and a charity which provides equine therapy to veterans.
Don’t Settle: A Pick-Your-Path Guide to Intentional Work is available from Amazon and all major bookstores from October 1.
