Next!: The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work
by Joanne Lipman
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The Net-Net
Next! is a book about change, transformation, and reinvention. By cataloguing unique and interesting stories of remarkable pivots and presenting a research-backed argument on how to best make one yourself, author Joanne Lipman delivers a handbook for successfully navigating big life changes. Throughout the book, Lipman goes inside the minds of remarkable individuals who have reinvented themselves—many of whom are world-famous for their second acts—to reveal the behaviors and conditions that facilitate successful transformations. As a result of Lipman’s well-crafted book, readers will finish Next! with great stories to share, actionable takeaways to inform their next transition, and a deeper appreciation of how valuable having diverse interests and hobbies can be. Whether you’re struggling to cope with an unexpected life change or plotting a career move into an unfamiliar industry, Next! is a great place to start for anyone seeking guidance or inspiration during change.
Top 3 Insights
- Successful transformations take time. Lipman uses the framework “Search → Struggle → Stop → Solution” to characterize the problem solving process as one that has many ups, downs, starts, and stops before success is realized. As Lipman shows through her profiles of reinventive individuals, the novel ideas, creative solutions, and life-changing epiphanies we seek often present themselves when we least expect it—after giving up! As it turns out, our brains continue problem solving long after we’ve actively grappled with a problem, which explains how answers and solutions can come to us seemingly out of the blue. Acknowledging and embracing this reality, Lipman argues, keeps our minds more relaxed, curious, and open to new ideas, which facilitates improved problem solving.
- Baby steps first. One key to a successful reinvention is gradually testing the waters before fully embracing a new identity, or what Lipman calls “moving before you move.” (168) For example, one Harvard-trained economist’s transformation into a full-time cattle farmer took decades: he purchased a rural weekend home and slowly acquired equipment and animals over the years, quitting his full-time job only once the farm responsibilities were too onerous to juggle simultaneously. Taking smaller steps toward a goal not only gives us the freedom to experiment and iterate until we feel comfortable, but also avoids the significant risk and stress that comes with making a single, giant leap into something new.
- Find an “expert companion” to aid reinvention. Lipman discovered that successful reinventors almost always had someone by their side to listen, provide support, and deliver objective feedback as they navigated a potential change. It was Ina Garten’s husband, for instance, who convinced her to abandon her successful career as a White House analyst and open a grocery store on her way to becoming a world-famous food icon. Similarly, Danny Meyer’s uncle persuaded him to abandon LSAT prep and instead start a career as a restaurateur. Expert companions, Lipman says, “see you with a clear eye and help you recognize new opportunities” (221) while also creating a powerful source of accountability and support that can help us stay motivated during change and transformation.
Actionability
Lipman highlights a diverse array of reinventions, striking a good balance between calling out the commonalities while also acknowledging the idiosyncrasies that contributed to a specific example’s success. As a result, readers of Next! encounter myriad tactics from which to draw inspiration for their next big personal or professional move. Additionally, Lipman’s use of academic and scientific research to support her a arguments adds an appreciated layer of detail and helpfully illuminates the mechanisms by which suggested tactics actually support problem solving and reinvention.
- Take more breaks throughout the day to give my brain time to subconsciously process information and ideas.
- Identify an “expert companion” to help me navigate a challenge and start sending them weekly accountability updates.
- Take a baby step toward a larger change I’m hoping to make.
Good Stories
Lipman illustrates her main points with enjoyable stories that pack a punch. Next! is full of examples—from individuals to entire companies, and from world-famous authors to obscure inventors—that show how reinventions can bring about new purpose, success, and enjoyment in life. Lipman’s original reporting ensures the stories aren’t trite, and her thoughtful curation of anecdotes from across industries and disciplines keeps each chapter fresh. Overall, you’ll find Next! pleasantly entertaining and will surely pick up a few tidbits worth sharing with others.
- How one of the world’s most successful authors pivoted from the CEO of a marketing firm to a full-time writer in his late forties.
- How learning take a break helped Einstein, Beethoven, Thoreau, Nietzsche, and others achieve their greatest accomplishments.
- A Julliard-trained Alan Greenspan abandoning his life as a professional musician to pursue a career on Wall Street and go on to chair the Federal Reserve.
Key Quotes
- “You start working on another project, and then another, and your brain compares different patterns…So often, you discover the answer for project A lies in project C, and, aha!” (Post-it note creator Art Fry, 108-109)
- “Intriguingly, the people who to all outside appearances have made the most radical transformations are the most likely not to see it that way themselves.” (157)
- “You don’t necessarily know where you will end up, and very often you don’t even have a plan. You may well go through a dark period of struggle without seeing where that path is leading. But as uncomfortable as it may be, the key is to lean into the struggle and embrace the mess. It may not make any sense now, when you’re still in the middle of it. Sometimes the path isn’t clear until you look backward, even if its obscured by darkness when you look ahead.” (169)
- “The seeds of where you will go next already exist in what you’re doing now.” (184)
If This Were an MBA Class, it Would Be Called:
Constructing Your Second Act
Best For:
- Anyone contemplating a major life or career change
- Individuals coping with an unexpected professional setback or personal tragedy
- Late-career professionals seeking inspiration for post-retirement life
Can’t get enough? Consider:
- The Defining Decade by Meg Jay. Jay dives deeper into the power of reciprocity and weak ties within networks, two ideas Lipman discusses in Next!
- American Symphony (Netflix) – A documentary about Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste and his wife Suleika Jaouad as they simultaneously navigate success and tragedy.
- Gabi Rooker: From All-American Gymnast to Elite Marathoner – Hear from 2023 U.S. Olympic marathon team trials qualifier Gabi Rooker, who unexpectedly became an elite distance runner following her NCAA Division III gymnastics career.
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