Smith, public speaker and author of Eat Your Feelings: The Food Mood Girl’s Guide to Transforming Your Emotional Eating
“Whether you’re a social worker (my previous career) or an artist (my current career) every profession includes beauty—and plenty of challenges, too. You’re Going to Survive is a book that reminds readers: not only are you strong enough to navigate the ups and downs of your career path, but your mistakes, disappointments, and setbacks can be a wide-open canvas where beauty and possibility emerge.”
—Kelly Rae Roberts, artist and author of Taking Flight: Inspiration and Techniques to Give Your Creative Spirit Wings
“This book is a gem. I have no idea how Alexandra convinced so many incredible, accomplished people to reveal their most cringeworthy examples of career failure, but I’m incredibly grateful that she did. You’re Going to Survive feels like the best friend who listens patiently to the story of your worst ever day at work and then tells you exactly what you needed to hear to bust out of your funk, reclaim your mojo, and get back to kicking butt. This book is perfect for those disastrous days at work when you really, really need to be reminded that you’re not alone, and that you don’t suck. You will get through this and you will bounce back.”
—Jo Miller, Founding Editor of Be Leaderly
“If you ever think to yourself, ‘Why am I even bothering to keep trying to do what I care about?’ then this book is for you. And me. And all of us. We need reminders from people who have been there that ebb and flow is the nature of life and work, not a sign that there is something uniquely wrong with us when things don’t go as planned. This book is that reminder.”
—Anna Guest-Jelley, founder of Curvy Yoga, as seen in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and xoJane
“A writer, a teacher, a guide, a muse: whatever Alexandra Franzen does, she does it with a mission of kindness, love, and acceptance. I don’t think anyone could better navigate the lowest lows with such wisdom, humor and strength. There’s nobody else I’d want as my survival skills guide.”
—Michelle Ward, Career Coach, as seen in New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Newsweek
By Sarah Von Bargen.
Founder of Yes & Yes.
It’s fall of 2010 and, between sips of lukewarm coffee, I discover that I’ve inadvertently achieved the Holy Grail Of Blogging: something I’ve written has gone viral.
And what’s more, something I’ve written has gone viral via Reddit, that usually-cantankerous-quick-to-criticize online forum.
I watch with wonder as new comments and readers pour into my site. I refresh Reddit and see my article—“31 Things I’ve Learned in 31 Years”—work its way up the page.
And then the first snarky comment lands in my inbox.
“This isn’t wise. Anybody with half a brain has learned these things before they leave high school.”
My inbox pings again. As the day progresses, I’m told that I write like a teenager and that I look ten years older than I am. Commenters tell me I should keep my day job (I wasn’t planning on leaving it) and that I used the wrong form of ‘compliment’ (I didn’t).
A day that started with rose-colored glasses and visions of a book deal ends in tears. I eat my feelings and consider deleting my entire blog.
Instead I called Alexandra.
Alex Franzen, the author of the book you’re holding right this second, is my IRL friend and perhaps the world’s best pep-talk giver. You see, she doesn’t just give pep talks via books. She also gives them to her friends, in real life, after trolls say that said friend is “collectively lowering the IQ of the Internet.”
Good friend that she is, Alex was able to raise my spirits and give me a loving reality check. She assured me that, regardless of the trolls and the traffic spike of meanies, I’d survive. I’d live to blog another day! She reminded me that I could choose to gather myself up, brush myself off, and keep writing, blogging, and publishing.
She was right, of course. In the years since that post went viral, I’ve encountered other setbacks, trolls, and snark—online and off. And you know what? I’ve survived all of those as well.
Maybe you’ve never been trolled online, but I’m sure you’ve encountered your own version of this. You’ve been passed over for a promotion, dumped, or fired. Maybe your application wasn’t accepted. Perhaps you showed up for picture day with a stain on your shirt, a giant zit, and greasy hair.
Whatever the setback, this book (and Alex) will help.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to Suzanna. You are a survivor, in
a million different ways, and one of the strongest people
I’ve ever met. I can’t wait to watch you rise into the next
chapter of your life—and career.
Having a Rough Day at Work? Worried About Your Career? Feeling Frustrated? Overwhelmed? Embarrassed? Discouraged?
You are definitely not alone.
Right this second, somewhere in the world, I can guarantee:
—There’s a graphic designer who’s wondering how he’s going to find enough clients to pay his rent this month.
—There’s a restaurant owner who just peeked at Yelp and noticed yet another one-star review—and it’s four paragraphs long and filled with angry exclamation points. Yikes.
—There’s a Senator who’s panicking that she might disappoint her constituents, that she won’t get re-elected, or that an unflattering photo will get posted online and the Internet goblins will mock her clothes, her hair, and her beliefs.
Everywhere, in every corner of every city, and in every industry and profession, everyone’s going through…something.
Everyone’s grappling with some kind of challenge. It might be a huge challenge, or a comparatively small one. It might be happening privately, or publicly, or even on live TV. But everyone’s dealing with something, and everyone has moments where they wonder, “Am I going to make it?” “Why are people so cruel?” “Do I have what it takes to excel in my industry?” “Am I stupid for even attempting this project/path/semi-crazy idea?” “Why does it feel like my career is a flaming dumpster fire?” “Will it ever get easier?” “Maybe I should quit and begin a new life in a nunnery?”
I’ve felt that way many times. The person sitting in the cubicle or coffee shop seat next to yours—they’ve felt that way, too.
I wrote this book because I wanted to remind people (including myself) that feeling frustrated, discouraged, criticized, and rejected in the course of your career is actually…very normal.
Every career has its ups and downs. Everyone goes through dry spells, difficulties, and setbacks at some point or another—even
