When to Jump: If the Job You Have Isn't the Life You Want

by Mike Lewis, Sheryl Sandberg (Foreword by)

Overview

“A lively and inspiring guidebook for anyone who wants to make the jump from normal to extraordinary.”

—Tony Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Unshakeable and MONEY: Master the Game

An inspirational book that lays out the “Jump Curve”—four steps to wholeheartedly pursuing the career of your dreams—through experiences from a variety of people who have jumped and never looked back

When Mike Lewis was twenty-four and working in a prestigious corporate job, he eagerly wanted to leave and pursue his dream of becoming a professional squash player. But he had questions: When is the right time to move from work that is comfortable to a career you have only dared to dream of? How have other people made such a jump? What did they feel when making that jump—and afterward?

Mike sought guidance from others who had “jumped,” and the responses he got—from a banker who started a brewery, a publicist who became a Bishop, a garbage collector who became a furniture designer, and on and on—were so clear-eyed and inspiring that Mike wanted to share what he had learned with others who might be helped by those stories. First, though, he started playing squash professionally.

The right book at the right time, When to Jump offers more than forty heartening stories (from the founder of Bonobos, the author of The Big Short, the designer of the Lyft logo, the Humans of New York creator, and many more) and takeaways that will inspire, instruct, and reassure, including the ingenious four-phase Jump Curve.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250295736
Publisher:	Picador
Publication date:	01/08/2019
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	333,608
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Mike Lewis worked at Bain Capital before chasing his dream of playing professional squash. He is the founder and CEO of When to Jump, a global community of people who have left one path to pursue a very different one. When to Jump has reached millions through media impressions, in-person events, and brand collaborations. When to Jump, a collection of case studies with clear guidance on how and when to jump, is Mike's first book. He received his BA from Dartmouth College and lives in San Francisco.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Sheryl Sandberg xiii

Introduction: Mike's Story 1

The Jump Curve 13

Phase 1: Listen to the ­Little Voice 17

Jeff Arch—­Karate School Owner to Hollywood Screenwriter 27

Teresa Marie Williams, MD—­Nurse to Doctor 35

Nate Chambers—­Mechanical Engineer to Fitness Entrepreneur 40

Laura McKowen—­Marketing Executive to Writer 49

Tommy Clark—­Medical School Research Fellow to Nonprofit Founder and Executive Director 54

Elle Luna—­Technology Designer to Paint­er 58

Rashard Mendenhall—­Professional Football Player to Writer 64

Jhovany Castaneda—­Warehouse Worker to High School Student Supervisor 67

Merle R. Saferstein—­Education Administrator to Author and Teacher 72

Kelly O'Hara—­Advertising Professional to Advocate for Sexual Assault Survivors 76

Listen to the ­Little Voice: Section Takeaways 82

Phase 2: Make a Plan 87

Debbie Sterling—­Marketing Director of Jewelry Com­pany to Founder and CEO of Multimedia Com­pany for ­Children 97

Brian Spaly—­Private Equity Investor to Founder of Men's Clothing Com­pany 101

Barbara Harris—­PR Executive to Bishop in the Episcopal Church 105

Adrian Cárdenas—­Professional Baseball Player to College Student 108

Adam Braun—­Consultant to Nonprofit Founder and Executive Director 112

Akansha Agrawal—­Internal Jump: Advertising Operations Associate to Market Research Analyst to Sales Analytics Professional 116

Maia Josebachvili—­Wall Street Derivatives Trader to Founder of Social Adventure Com­pany 123

Eric Wu—­Investment Banker to Tech Professional to Designer of an Activewear Brand 128

Paige Johnson (pseudonym)—­Internal Jump: Customer Support Representative to Sales Engineer 133

Alexandra Stein—­Investment Professional to Coxswain of US Paralympic Rowing Team 139

Rahul Razdan—­Financial Ser­vices Professional to Social Impact Entrepreneur 144

Make a Plan: Section Takeaways 148

Phase 3: Let Yourself Be Lucky 155

Michael Lewis—­Finance Professional to Bestselling Author 162

Juan Romero—­Curator of National Marine Aquar­ium and BBC Field Producer to Sailing Explorer 166

Ethan Eyler—­Video Game Marketer to Inventor of the Lyft Carstache 171

Abigail Ogilvy Ryan—­Technology Operations Man­ag­er to Art Gallery Own­er 177

Olakunle Oladehin—­Health Care Researcher to Nonprofit Executive Director 182

Brian Kelly—­­Human Resources Professional to Founder of Travel Rewards Media Platform 187

Bruce Huber—­­Lawyer to Pastor to Professor 193

Eleanor Watson—­Teacher to Ski Instructor 199

United States Senator Angus King—­­Lawyer to Journalist to Energy Entrepreneur to Politician 204

Greg Klassen—­Garbage Collector to Luxury Furniture Designer/Maker 209

Let Yourself Be Lucky: Section Takeaways 214

Phase 4: ­Don't Look Back 219

Dan Kenary—­Commercial Banker to Brewery Own­er 225

Kyle ­Battle—­IT Con­sul­tant to Digital Director at Special Olympics 231

James Bourque—­Corporate Hospitality Ser­vices Professional to Restaurant Own­er 235

Elizabeth Hague—­Secretary to Photographer 240

Jack Manning (pseudonym)—­Private Wealth Man­ag­er to Sober-Home Operator 245

Matt Pottinger—­Journalist to United States Marine 251

Sarah Dvorak—­Retail Operations Analyst to Cheese Shop Own­er 257

Danni Pomplun—­Bartender to Yoga Instructor 264

Manisha Snoyer—­Actress to Education Entrepreneur 270

Jacob Licht—­Corporate ­Lawyer to Government ­Lawyer 274

Anoopreet Rehncy—­Investment Banker to Fashion Entrepreneur 278

Brenda Berkman—­­Lawyer to Firefighter 284

Brandon Stanton—­Bond Trader to Photographer 288

Don't Look Back: Section Takeaways 296

Conclusion: Jumping Again 303

Acknowl­edgments (or, The Story ­Behind the Story) 307

Editorial Reviews

Whether you’re burned out, in a rut, or just feel that you want something else, Mike Lewis’s When to Jump is the book for you. With more than forty stories of people who decided to make a major change, this book offers the inspiration as well as a practical and simple framework to help you make your own jump. A must read for anyone seeking to not only succeed but thrive.”

—Arianna Huffington, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thrive and The Sleep Revolution

"I got a little choked up. . . . Take that, Bozo Guidance Counselor."

—Judith Newman, The New York Times Book Review

“The perfect guidebook for those who are only tentatively dipping their toe into the entrepreneurial world. . . . An inspiring and useful read which will hopefully convince you to take the plunge!”

—The Independent (UK)

“The most successful start-ups are often defined by one or two key decisions that massively accelerate their growth and value. The same is true for individual careers. This wise and engaging book will inspire you to go farther, faster, by showing you how to take intelligent risks at exactly the right moment. Read it before you leap!”

—Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn and coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestsellers The Alliance and The Start-up of You

"[When to Jump] offers enough wisdom that readers will return to these stories even after making their own jump."

—Publishers Weekly

"An easy reading book of supportive encouragement to follow one's dreams."

—Kirkus Reviews

“With When to Jump, Mike Lewis has written a captivating must-read for anyone aching to pursue a long-held dream. At once inspiring and practical, this book is packed with instructional stories from those who've done it. Yes, it's terrifying to make a big leap, but this book is an outstretched hand. Go for it! (But not before reading When to Jump!)”

—Julie Lythcott-Haims, New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult and Real American

From the Publisher

What makes this book fun are the collections of stories from fellow jumpers: P.R. executive to bishop in the Episcopal Church, video-game marketer to inventor of the Lyft Carstache, and so forth. The jumps don't have to be unusual to be moving.

The New York Times Book Review - Judith Newman

11/20/2017
In his debut, Lewis, a financial analyst turned pro squash player, gathers together 44 first-person case studies from career changers to help readers make their own career jumps. The stories range from small changes, such as an internal move within a company, to dramatic ones, such as the case of a pro football player who becomes an HBO writer. The examples are a mix of people famous (e.g., Michael Lewis, bond salesman turned bestselling author) and not (Barbara Harris, PR person turned bishop). Lewis shares stories of his own “jump” as a preface to each of the book’s four sections: “Listen to the Little Voice,” “Make a Plan,” “Let Yourself Be Lucky,” and “Don’t Look Back.” By “Let Yourself Be Lucky,” when Lewis decides to quit his company and head to New Zealand to pursue his dream of playing squash professionally, the reader can’t help but cheer him on. Lewis is overeager in a Boy Scout way, but likable and helpful, offering collections of tips extracted from the jumpers’ stories at the end of each section. As he states in the introduction, he wants his book to be a “steady hand of support” rather than a mere manual. Most importantly, Lewis and his jumpers offer enough wisdom that readers will return to these stories even after making their own jump. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Author Mike Lewis provides not so much a manual for radical career change as an array of examples and lessons from those who have made the jump to more fulfilling work. After an introduction by Sheryl Sandberg, known to LEAN IN readers for her move from Google to Facebook, Lewis and the others recount their own stories. This approach does two things: It adds a layer of authenticity to the idea that anyone can make such a change, and it creates an uneven listening experience, as we are not all the best narrators of our own stories. Still, the tactic of providing wide-ranging examples involving varying socioeconomic circumstances and careers is both instructive and inspiring. K.W. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2018 - AudioFile

2017-10-17
More than 40 career-changers tell their stories.Introduced by Facebook executive and founder of Leanin.org Sheryl Sandberg, Lewis' second cousin, the book offers exuberant advice for people who want to make a leap—daring or modest—from one career path to another, just as he did. At the age of 24, working for the investment firm Bain Capital, the author felt restless and dissatisfied. "I began to realize," he writes, "that I wanted this life mostly because I thought I should," but he heard "a very distinct if faint voice" urging him to try something "very different." As he considered following his passion to become a professional squash player, Lewis sought advice from others who made similar jumps: a banker-turned-cyclist, for example, and a journalist-turned-politician. From them, and the others whose stories fill the book, he came up with the idea of the Jump Curve, a process of four key phases: listening to your inner voice, making a practical plan, believing in your own good luck, and rejecting regret. "You will come out stronger," Lewis insists, even if your initial plan fails. "I keep coming back to the idea of agency," said a man who made a move from corporate hospitality service to restaurant ownership: "the difference between life happening to you versus you making life happen." Among the individuals profiled are a nurse who, at the age of 50, became a doctor; a football player-turned-writer; an investment professional who became coxswain of the U.S. Paralympic Rowing Team; a PR executive who found her calling as an Episcopal bishop; and a lawyer who sued the New York fire department to admit women firefighters—and then became the first woman hired. "Harassment, discrimination, death threats," and physical abuse dogged her 25-year career. But, she says, "this was a jump worth fighting for," a sentiment that Lewis underscores. Changing careers is risky, but "there is a risk to not taking a jump at all."An easy reading book of supportive encouragement to follow one's dreams.

Kirkus Reviews