Finding the Sweet Spot: The Natural Entrepreneur's Guide to Responsible, Sustainable, Joyful Work [Paperback]

Pollard, a longtime entrepreneurial advisor, distills his extensive experience into sound suggestions in this useful and much-needed book. According to the author, too many individuals hesitate in creating a business in line with their goals, skills and values out of fear or a lack of self-confidence or funds. Pollard argues that entrepreneurship need not imply stress or risk, and he coaches readers through the process of identifying their passion, choosing the right collaborators and discovering unmet needs in the marketplace. Helpful charts and exercises guide the reader in finding where their purpose, passions and gifts intersect; and bite-sized case studies of entrepreneur success studies abound and help illustrate his points. Along the way, Pollard warns against settling for work that is anything less than satisfying. The ideal job—what he calls natural enterprise or the sweet spot—is an innovative business that touches people's lives. Pollard gives an insightful overview of the entrepreneurial process, and the book itself stands testament to the success of the author's methods. (Sept.)
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"Everything I know about life, work, the environment, and entrepreneurship tells me that Dave Pollard is right. Do yourself and the world a favor and read this book."
--Thomas H. Davenport, President's Distinguished Professor of Information Technology and Management, Babson College

"It's an act of high hubris to ask a vitriolic critic of print publishing, and of professional advice-giving, and of mindless entrepreneurship like me to read a book of advice for entrepreneurs. Unless it's a good and useful book, like this one. No advice can change the world, if you leave it on the shelf. But if you read this you can see the crucial threads Dave Pollard has woven together. And then maybe you can change the world. Go do that."
--Bill Tozier, Vague Innovation, LLC, and co-founder of NotAnEmployee.org

"In Finding the Sweet Spot, Dave Pollard has brought forth a keen understanding that unites the latent desires so many people have to exchange their day-to-day lives for ones with meaning, character and purpose and the needs of sustainable, thriving, twenty-first century communities. It has long been said: to make change, begin with yourself. Dave's approach will make many who want change but feel worn down by their lives find a path to reconnect with their values--and begin anew, by finding their own 'sweet spot' of passion for their work, and the places and people that will fill their lives."
--Bruce A. Stewart, futurist, philosopher, writer, and CEO of Accendor Research.

"Have you been waiting for the moment to just frigging do something about having a satisfying work life? Then pick up this book! Don't let your fears or objections stop you. Follow the path Dave lays out and you will not only make your life better, you'll make the world a better place through the reflected joy of your own fulfillment and by meeting real needs with new business ideas. Do it!"
--Nancy White, founder of Full Circle Associates

"Store shelves are full of books that plow already plowed ground. Only rarely does a book take us into a whole new territory. This one does. Dave Pollard proves again that he is not only a brilliant thinker, but one with deep heart and soul--one who is values driven, not circumstance driven. Here's a remarkable look at the question of meaning (personal and societal) in our work and lives. With an uncanny ability to make meaning on a human scale, Dave's unwavering honesty and clear process make this a must-read. I only wish it had been written 20 years ago. This is exactly the right message for these economic times."
--Patti Digh, author of 37 Days weblog, Life Is a Verb, and Global Literacies: Lessons on Business Leadership and National Cultures, and co-founder of The Circle Project