Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

...this is not a warm and fuzzy "do-it-and-the-money-will-come" wish book. What you'll find here is an excellent, nonacademic, no-nonsense, down-to-earth, hands-on, "insight-full" working guidebook, led by an innovative, caring, and extremely bright man who may not know all the answers, but, much better, shows us how to go about finding them. However you may define business success and meaning for yourself, this will become one of those books you often turn to for idea sparks and troubleshooting; a manual that stays close by after you've dog-eared, starred, and underlined the pages most useful to you... Grab this book and a friend or two, and head to the woods for a few days of study, hiking, and brainstorming. Explore what you are good at, what you love doing, who you love and want to work with, and then come back ready to make it happen no matter what.

Dave's apt examples, depth, wide-ranging background and an ability to embody his message enables him to resonate with readers who do not think they would, to quote a colleague, "like that sort of soft and squishy approach to work." Yet, inevitably, when I suggest Finding the Sweet Spot to entrepreneurs or the would-be ones. those who actually read it start referring to it when discussing their ideas to grow their business - the what and the why.

Any library strong in business books will find this a key acquisition, coming from an author whose career is serving as an advisor to entrepreneurs, studying those successful at starting and building 'natural enterprises'. Responsible, sustainable and joyful work is where passions and purpose blend, and FINDING THE SWEET SPOT tells how to find such work, offering six steps to finding the right partners and acting responsibly in the business environment.

Bought Dave's book after reading an interview with him in Ode...

I have not just read this book, I am putting the principles he outlines into action and its working! Oh yes, this is a PRACTICLE book - you must put words into action (I mean this is always the case) but really!

It is the BEST book I have read on finding work as an entrepreneur (although I don't really class myself as one those) it really doesn't matter - if you wish to work for yourself you really owe it to yourself to buy this book and read it - lot's!

I at present work a free lance trainer and life coach, I'm doing well, extremely happy with my work (Gift and Passion sorted) but wanted more Purpose and Dave's book has literally changed the way I am looking at my Purpose. I have contacted people I know who share my vision and asked them if they wish to join me, this is something I would never have considered being a bit of a lone wolf as far as work went. But WOW, the response is very positive and I can really see how my Purpose is going to expand exponentially by doing something that I would never have considered prior to reading this book.

The Sweet Spot, is a fantastic mixture of radical thinking and practical advice, and Dave has shared his own journey to show you how he applies these principles successfully in his own life - and this has to be the bench mark of any author - do they use their own ideas and does it work for them!

Dave doesn't say finding your bliss in work is easy - coz it ain't... BUT IT IS DEFINITELY POSSIBLE - if you make the effort...

And that's the crux, how badly do you want responsible, sustainable and joyful work?

I love my work, I really do - and this book has showed me the way to increase the joy I find by doing what I love - and for that I an eternally grateful to Dave Pollard and the great book he has produced

Buy this book and buy one for a friend that maybe doesn't like their work - they'll thank you...

Max :)

My comment is not a review. it is merely an expression of annoyance with reviewers who have the hubris to "review" a book only partially read.

I read this book with increasing urgency. The reality is that I need to find my "sweet spot" and spend time enjoying what I am doing. Walking away from plan A is never simple and this book helps you to organise your thoughts and to clearly see what could work. It will not spoonfeed you into a new sense of security, it will ask that you work and check perceptions about yourself. Unless you can do that, stay in your current job, or keep on hunting. If you are thinking about going "solo", read this book and find the collaborators that will be your network to success, think about what you want and then design from there. This is a template (but not a simple one) to help you set up a collaborative network and to understand where you would fit in.

A guide to finding where your gifts, passions and purpose interact. I could not put this book down. Just when I thought I had heard a lot of this before, Pollard would come up with the twist that really made sense. He is a skilled writer, who pulls a lot out of the reader. So much in this little book (195pp) For example we all too often find work due to our gifts, rarely do we share the passion of our hobbies at work and even less so have we found our purpose for being here. The author gives you a blueprint on how to help yourself find all this. In another section , he quickly much of what my firm, Rocket Builders, used to consider its own secret sauce wrto effective market research methods and meaningful analysis. You could say this is one chapter or a whole book on meaningful innovation. A surprise and a joy to read. Hard to believe the author was an accountant for 27 years and not a journalist.

I began reading "Finding the Sweet Spot" with great anticipation, but found it difficult to continue, finally stopping mid-way. So, my review must be tempered by the fact that I haven't finished the book. Maybe it has an awesome finish! For me, the reason to read the book was to find help in discovering what it is that I am passionate about. The book almost starts from that point (already knowing what you want to do) and then instructs you on how to proceed from there. So, perhaps once I discover my focus, I will return to the book.

Starting from the open letter, this book unfortunately is a whole lot of nothing - it leaves me with the feeling that I have not really read anything of substance. It seems to be a thinly veiled attempt for Pollard to transfer my savings to his pocket. Hopefully, and contrary to what he recommends in this book, he DOES have a day job.