Review of “From Fired to Freedom” by Valentina Janek

Score: 96/100 (9.6 out of 10)

From Fired to Freedom is an extraordinary, entertaining, insightful, and inspiring book by Valentina Janek!

This has to be one of the most entertaining and interesting books we've read so far this year! One of the best pieces of advice we've ever heard for new authors is to write what you know. People are morbidly fascinated by your job or hobby. Why? It's because we all have one life to live. Many of us don't know the crazy stories that the electrician, plumber, or mortician down the street could tell us. Many of us don't know what it's like to be an executive for a big company, then be fired after 20+ years. Many of us haven't gone to 20+ interviews in a matter of weeks.

However—here's the key—we're all human. We can all relate to disappointment. We can all relate to being upset. We can all relate to failure. We can all relate to rejection. We can all relate to being told “no.”

Many of us can relate to being told that we're not pretty enough, handsome enough, strong enough, young (or old) enough, tall enough, smart enough, educated enough, or qualified enough. Heck, there are even some instances in this book in which contributors were told they were overqualified or too experienced (and, thus, a threat to their employer's position of power or wallet).

This book is full of stories—TRUE stories—that are simultaneously so wild that they become foreign and yet so familiar that they become relatable.

From Fired to Freedom chronicles the inspirational stories of Janek and various other contributors who were fired or left a promising job only to come out the other side better and happier.

There are so many fascinating stories in here! Each one is unique and interesting in its own way.

There's a singer in here, a college football player, a vice-president of marketing, a New York Court officer, a wine taster, a lawyer, a Ecuadorian jazz dancer, a travel agent, and even an adult escort in here! All of them have their own story to tell about how they were in one position, job, or field, then ventured into another. There is never a dull moment in this book!

There are also a lot of great lessons and quotes in this book. Here are a few of our favorites:

“...sometimes we mistake youth for a cape and feel we are invincible”

“Never think doing the right thing measures up to a good thing”

“Even if you are on the right track, if you simply stand still, you are going to get hit by that train. When we question everything we free ourselves to think, and when we think we allow ourselves to act.”

“...when your Vision and your Why is big enough… the How To will take care of itself!”

This book is also a great reminder to keep your eyes open for opportunities. Keep your options open, and don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Business is largely a selfish endeavor. Businesses chew people up and spit them out. Do you want to be the one being chewed or the one doing the chewing?

This is a great introduction to the Long Island Breakfast Club Podcast as some of its key members contribute to this book.

This was a lot of fun and very inspiring!

Check it out on Barnes & Noble!