The Finch Effect: The Five Strategies to Adapt and Thrive in Your Working Life

Praise for The Finch Effect "Every chapter of this book is worth it, but the last chapter sets the whole thing ablaze. Read this."—Chris Brogan, president, Human Business Works; and bestselling author, Trust Agents and Social Media 101 "In this chaotic day and age, merely ′adapting to change′ is woefully inadequate. In this powerful book, Carson gives us the keys to thriving and succeeding in this and all economies – and that beats adaptation any day."—Steve Farber, author, The Radical Leap Re–Energized "If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. Nacie Carson′s The Finch Effect provides solid ideas and strategies on how to adapt your career in a new professional paradigm through both preparation and action."—Carol Roth, business strategist; New York Times bestselling author, The Entrepreneur Equation "Unless you′ve been living in a cave with no access to the internet, you no doubt have witnessed our world being turned on its head. The business environment no longer favors people looking for security, loyalty, and certainly not a pension. The Finch Effect sheds light on what traits allow people to thrive in today′s economic environment, how to adapt these traits, and how to evolve faster to prepare for the next big shift!"—John Haydon, founder, Inbound Zombie; author, Facebook Marketing for Dummies

Foreword by Craig Newmark vii 1 Survival of the Fittest 1 2 Adopt a Gig Mindset 27 3 Identify Your Professional Value 57 4 Cultivate Your Skills 89 5 Nurture Your Social Network 115 6 Harness Your Entrepreneurial Energy 141 7 The Finch Effect 171 Notes 183 Acknowledgments 189 About the Author 192 Index 193

Nacie Carson is the director of development services at Cleaver Company, a boutique professional development and consulting firm, where she researches, develops, and helps corporations implement leadership and skill–development programs. Her writings on career development, life balance, and the gig economy are published regularly in Entrepreneurs–Journey.com and Portfolio.com as well as on her popular site, TheLifeUncommon.net. For more information, visit TheFinchEffect.com.

“Every chapter of this book is worth it, but the last chapter sets the whole thing ablaze. Read this.” —Chris Brogan, president, Human Business Works; and bestselling author, Trust Agents and Social Media 101 “In this chaotic day and age, merely ‘adapting to change’ is woefully inadequate. In this powerful book, Carson gives us the keys to thriving and succeeding in this and all economies—and that beats adaptation any day.” —Steve Farber, author, The Radical Leap Re–Energized “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. Nacie Carson’s The Finch Effect provides solid ideas and strategies on how to adapt your career in a new professional paradigm through both preparation and action.” —Carol Roth, business strategist; New York Times bestselling author, The Entrepreneur Equation “Unless you’ve been living in a cave with no access to the internet, you no doubt have witnessed our world being turned on its head. The business environment no longer favors people looking for security, loyalty, and certainly not a pension. The Finch Effect sheds light on what traits allow people to thrive in today’s economic environment, how to adapt these traits, and how to evolve faster to prepare for the next big shift!” —John Haydon, founder, Inbound Zombie; author, Facebook Marketing for Dummies “Nacie Carson brings a fresh mindset and solid experience to show us how to win again in times of vocational Darwinism and the ‘gig economy.’ Her ability to distill ideas and support them with situations and stories we all recognize makes The Finch Effect a crucial tool for taking back control of our businesses, our careers, and our lives.” —Liz Strauss, social business strategist; author, Successful–Blog