The Practical Optimist : An Entrepreneurial Journey Through Life's Turning Points

My Personal Turning Points aybe I shouldn't admit this, but the movie Jerry Maguire always makes me tear up. Now this isn't because I have some weird emotional attachment to Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger, or sports agents in general. It's because of one particularly memorable scene. Jerry Maguire, as played by Cruise, is invited by his boss, played by Jay Mohr, to eat in a crowded restaurant. Inside that eatery, his boss unexpectedly and brutally res Maguire, knowing he won't make a scene in front of a crowd. is affects me so strongly because the exact same thing happened to me. In 2005, I started working at a small boutique recruiting agency in San Diego. e business was owned by Fred, 1 someone who allegedly wanted to retire in a few years. Our arrangement was that when he was ready to step aside, I would buy him out and take over. So we worked together toward that outcome. At rst, everything was very amicable. The World Has Changed Enormously. Has Your Leadership? No one will dispute these are turbulent and troubled times, times when "business as usual" no longer seems like a viable attitude. So, just how do you cope with a world that often seems to be spinning out of control — especially when your business is caught up in all the chaos? Now, Ken Schmitt, Founder and CEO of TurningPoint Executive Search, one of America's leading boutique recruiting firms, pulls back the curtain on the many life-changing challenges he's faced as a business leader in The Practical Optimist: An Entrepreneurial Journey Through Life's Turning Points to reveal what's worked for him — and what hasn't. This frank, funny and revealing book pulls no punches as Ken details the massive challenges he's faced personally and professionally in his journey to the C-Suite, leading his own company. More importantly, he also breaks down the secrets and strategies he's discovered to be the most effective in navigating the highs and lows which all businesses experience. And he layers it all with a personal touch that makes his advice relatable and real. You'll learn what happened after the Great Recession hit, when Schmitt had to tell his staff he had a whopping $200 left in the business account. How he later successfully rebranded and redirected his business, taking it to new heights. How he and his team weathered the unexpected trauma of the pandemic when all their clients disappeared in a matter of weeks — by taking the time to rebuild, refresh and restructure so the company could come back stronger than ever when all the lockdowns ended. You'll also find out how Schmitt's father, a serial entrepreneur, sparked his passion for running his own operation — along with the hilarious hiccups he experienced early on in his professional career, working for a series of belligerent and less-than-reliable bosses who drove him out of several business categories until he stumbled onto his true love, recruiting. Challenging the status quo. Transparency. Diversity. Perseverance and resilience. Staying Connected. Allowing yourself to be human. Schmitt makes it personal by taking these well-known leadership topics and exploding some of the myths around them — by providing incisive new perspectives that are both illuminating and instructive. The Practical Optimist: An Entrepreneurial Journey Through Life's Turning Points is the book you need to understand what successful business leadership looks like in the 2020's. Testimonials Half-title page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents Introduction | My Personal Turning Points Chapter 1 | The Practical Optimist Chapter 2 | It’s Okay to Be Human Chapter 3 | Know Your Values Chapter 4 | The Courage to Challenge the Status Quo Chapter 5 | Transparency Brings Teams Together Chapter 6 | Why Leaders Need to Stay Connected Chapter 7 | Winning with Perseverance and Resilience Chapter 8 | Diversity Does You Good Chapter 9 | The New Abnormal—or Don’t Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste Conclusion | It’s a Wonderful Life Acknowledgments Endnotes