The purpose economy : how your desire for impact, personal growth and community is changing the world. Summary

A series of shifts are happening in our economy: Millennials are trading in conventional career paths to launch tech start-ups, start small businesses that are rooted in local communities, or freelance their expertise. We are sharing everything, from bikes and cars, to extra rooms in our homes. We now create, buy and sell handcrafted products in our local communities with ease. Globally recognized entrepreneur, founder of Taproot Foundation and CEO of Imperative, Aaron Hurst, argues in his latest book that while these developments seem unrelated at first, taken together they reveal a powerful pattern that points to purpose as the new driver of the American economy. Like the Information Economy, which has driven innovation and economic growth until now, Hurst argues that our new economic era is driven by connecting people to their purpose. It's an economy where value lies in establishing purpose for employees and customers through serving needs greater than their own, enabling personal growth and building community. Based on interviews with thousands of entrepreneurs, Hurst shows this new era is already fueling demand for a whole host of products and services and transforming how millennials view their careers. A new breed of startups like Etsy, Zaarly, Tough Mudder, Kickstarter, and Airbnb are finding new ways to create value by connecting us with our local communities. At the same time, companies like Tesla and Whole Foods are making the march from just appealing to affluent buyers to becoming mainstream brands. Hurst calls these companies, along with the pioneering entrepreneurs who founded them, the Purpose Economy's taste-makers. This book is at once a personal memoir of Aaron Hurst s own awakening as a purpose driven entrepreneur, when he left a well-paying tech job in 2001 to launch Taproot, creating a pathway for millions of professionals and Fortune 500 companies to volunteer for nonprofits. It's also a blueprint for a new economic era that is transforming companies, markets and our careers to better serve people and the world. Highlights: ECONOMIC EVOLUTION How did the Information Economy emerge and what does it tell us about what is next? PURPOSE AT WORK What have researchers in the last decade uncovered about what really creates purpose at work and how any job can generate purpose? CAPTAINS OF PURPOSE What are the keys to building and growing a successful organization in this new economy? MOVING PURPOSE MARKETS What do electric cars, organic food, same sex marriage and pro bono service have in Annotation A series of shifts are happening in our economy: Millennials are trading in conventional career paths to launch tech start-ups, start small businesses that are rooted in local communities, or freelance their expertise. We are sharing everything, from bikes and cars, to extra rooms in our homes. We now create, buy and sell handcrafted products in our local communities with ease. Globally recognized entrepreneur, founder of Taproot Foundation and CEO of Imperative, Aaron Hurst, argues in his latest book that while these developments seem unrelated at first, taken together they reveal a powerful pattern that points topurposeas the new driver of the American economy. Like the Information Economy, which has driven innovation and economic growth until now, Hurst argues that our new economic era is driven by connecting people to their purpose. It's an economy where value lies in establishing purpose for employees and customers through serving needs greater than their own, enabling personal growth and building community. Based on interviews with thousands of entrepreneurs, Hurst shows this new era is already fueling demand for a whole host of products and services and transforming how millennials view their careers. A new breed of startups likeEtsy, Zaarly, Tough Mudder, Kickstarter, andAirbnbare finding new ways to create value by connecting us with our local communities. At the same time, companies likeTeslaandWhole Foodsare making the march from just appealing to affluent buyers to becoming mainstream brands. Hurst calls these companies, along with the pioneering entrepreneurs who founded them, thePurpose Economy's taste-makers. This book is at once a personal memoir of Aaron Hurst's own awakening as a purpose driven entrepreneur, when he left a well-paying tech job in 2001 to launch Taproot, creating a pathway for millions of professionals and Fortune 500 companies to volunteer for nonprofits. It's also a blueprint for a new economic era that is transformingcompanies, markets and our careers to better serve people and the world Introduction SECTION ONE: Welcome to the Purpose Economy Chapter 1: The Purpose Economy Chapter 2: Economic Evolution Chapter 3: The Ten Drivers of the New Economy SECTION TWO: Personal Purpose- Owning It Chapter 4: Purpose Is What Matters Chapter 5: Purpose Myth-Busting Chapter 6: The Who, How & Why of Purpose Chapter 7: The Practice of Purpose SECTION THREE: Social Purpose- The Purpose Economy Organization Chapter 8: The Purpose Economy Organization Chapter 9: Purposeful Ventures- Five Opportunities Chapter 10: Working with Purpose- The Purpose-Driven Professional Chapter 11: Leading with Purpose SECTION FOUR: Social Purpose- Moving Markets Chapter 12: Market Movers Chapter 13: The Five Ways to Move a Market Conclusion. Pontefract combines years of experience and research on employee engagement to create a work about the three crucial areas of purpose: individual, workplace role, and organizational. When one area is lacking, this three-legged barstool starts to wobble, and the results range from disengagement to bankruptcy. A business leader that is committed to purpose will create purpose for his/her employees. An employee that feels his/her sense of purpose on the job will be an invaluable asset to productivity and success. An organization centered on purpose will benefit every stakeholder, from employees Presenting a personal memoir of the author's awakening as a purpose driven entrepreneur, when he left a well-paying tech job in 2001 to launch Taproot, creating a pathway for millions of professionals and Fortune 500 companies to volunteer for nonprofits, this book is also a blueprint for a new economic era that is transforming companies, markets and our careers to better serve people and the world. -- Edited summary from book