Once a month, I curate the best links on how to find work that you love, be excellent at what you do, and unlock any door that stands in your way. This month’s links feature advice from the unconventional, the experienced, and those whose careers took off later in life. The bottom line — just keep at it and never give up hope.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
• The great series Mad Men may have come to an end but here is its writer, Mathew Weiner’s advice to struggling artists.
• She calls is her Eat Pray Love moment without the love. Read Rose Marcario’s roundabout tale that begins with her burning out on a private equity job in 2006, segues to India for her inward journey, and ends with her as CEO of Patagonia.

• The idea that you’re supposed to have “made it” by the time you’re 30 — or even 40 — is unrealistic enough, even for ambitious women. But what about the idea that, at age 50, your biggest career successes are behind you? Or that your career is now stagnant? That was clearly not the case for these five outstanding ladies, whose illustrious careers reached new dimensions after 50.
• You’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. You have finally mustered the courage to leave your job and start your new business. Now what? Career coach, Michelle Ward, lays out what you can expect when you change careers to become an entrepreneur.
• The multi-talented Dale Franzen “retired” this year and then promptly decided to raise several hundred thousand dollars and produce a new “folk opera” based on the Greek myth of Orpheus in the Underworld. The opera is called Hadestown. It debuts next year and the music is phenomenal.
• Don’t know what to do with your life? No need to panic. Take a deep breath and power through the moments of doubt and burnout with the help of these 9 TED talks.
• “Your wrinkles reflect the roads you have taken; they form the map of your life. My face carries all my memories. Why should I erase them?” Bonnie Hammer, chairman of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group, writes about her 65th birthday – and her refusal to accept that she’s “past her prime.”
• What do you want to be when you grow up? These speakers have stalked out the coolest jobs – some you didn’t even know existed! My favorite: building a seed cathedral!
• New York and Silicon Valley are known as popular startup hubs, but there are other US cities that have become home to cool and successful tech companies too. Here’s a list of 25 of the hottest startups in cities across the U.S. There is even a company to warn you when drones are approaching (don’t laugh – someone actually gave them $150,000 in funding!)
• I just love reading about people that are working to change the world for the better. Hearts of Fire seeks to inspire people of all walks of life to join the social change movement by telling the stories of today’s visionaries and creating a community of like-minded individuals. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter. They spotlight new people each week.
• And if you are hungry for more- here’s one person’s guide to 50 more greats!
• Anyone that knows me – knows that I have a soft spot for school gardens. I dedicated 20 years of my life to building and nurturing them. That’s why I loved ths story about how a box of daffodil bulbs next to a classroom radiator germinated an idea for teacher Stephen Ritz — an idea that as led to national teaching awards, a viral TED talk, and an invitation to the White House garden plot.
• What’s it like to be a woman engineer? Check out this cool new site, Wogrammer. They interview women engineers and showcase the cutting-edge technology they’ve built. From the high school student teaching herself to code, to the CEO running her business, read the interviews of over 50 engineers from Cape Town to Silicon Valley in all types industries.
That’s a wrap for this month!
Find great work. Do great work. Unlock every door in your way.
Image: Willie Franklin