What is a radical career? And does it involve surfing? These were the questions I had when I met up with Sally Hogshead, a noted advertising creative director turned author and motivational speaker. (And yes, she recognizes the humor in her name, so I’m not going there.) Sally’s new book, Radical Careering, explores the 100 best ways to live your work life, all presented in a simple, yet startling original way.

“I come from advertising, so the format of the book to me was inseparable from the content,” says Hogshead. “I know how to communicate with people so they’ll respond. If you’ve been to the career section of the bookstore, you know how awful it is. It’s dark and scary and there’s all these losers hanging out there. I’m not one of those people! I needed something that reflected me.”

Hogshead started her career exploration path after her own ad agency, which opened on Sept. 10, 2001, faced a rough future.

“I learned a lot of lessons; my own path had been seemingly easy, but after 9/11, I realized I wasn’t charmed. Essentially, this is what I learned: you are driving your own train! You have to create your own path and be passionate about what you do; otherwise, you’re just a victim of circumstance. That’s radical careering.” (more…)