Gordon the Gnome
A business /career book for adults offering a fun futuristic world where elephants, humans, foxes and gnomes are all trying to work together.
(IN PROGRESS)
Imagine Gordon — a business gnome — who is on a short-list for a promotion.
He only has five days to decide, “Should I stay or should I go?”
"Unique, Charming, Inspiring"
- Jack Canfield
Co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul™ series and author of "The Success Principles: How to Get from Where you Are to Where you Want to Be"
Gordon is a business gnome who has been with the company ten years and is up for promotion.
And he only has five days to decide whether to take this promotion and stay with his company where he is valued and appreciated or pursue other goals he’s been quietly considering.
Can he figure out what’s calling him and incorporate it in his current job? Does he really want a job with more administration, or is his current position “enough”? Is there a way he can get what he wants while staying where he is?
In this engaging parable, Gordon encounters mentors in the form of a slick PR fox and a wise owl. He learns from his larger-than-life CEO, his poetry-slamming tech team, and a nature-inspired artist. With their profound advice, he finds the courage to craft a work life that fulfills and thrills him.
Gordon’s story unfolds over six chapters (about 20,000 words in total). Each chapter ends with three pithy lessons that mirror Gordon’s insights, and three questions you can apply to your own career or life. This format makes the book relevant for book clubs and corporate teams alike.
As a gnome, Gordon transcends human stereotypes. (He does, however, conform to several gnome stereotypes.) Readers can see themselves in Gordon and the characters who guide and mentor him along the way.
Through the story, we come to know the true Gordon, who wants to be an even more effective leader and just isn’t sure what that looks like.
No matter where you are in your life and career, you will relate to this story. You will ask yourself questions you haven’t dared to think about. You will gain the clarity you seek about which career path feels congruent for you, and whether you can find your ideal work life right where you are.
“The perfect book for anyone considering a career pivot. I consider Gordon the Gnome ‘the Alchemist’ for everyone in the workplace who wants to be seen, heard and valued.”
- Len Preeper
Owner/ Partner, Thinkwell Research
Audience & Market
Gordon the Gnome appeals to three primary markets:
- Young professionals who are searching for a pragmatic way to make a career decision that works for them in the short and long term.
- Managers who want to help employees with their career development and next steps.
- Individuals who welcome growth, who enjoy inspirational self-help books and fun fiction. (and...of course...readers with an affinity for gnomes)
About the Author
Karen Kelloway is endlessly curious about how people have applied the classic story elements of a hero’s journey to their chosen career path — how they launched their careers, what obstacles they faced along the way and their resulting lessons learned that help them live and leave a meaningful legacy. An award-winning author, leadership coach and Founder/CEO of the Career Story Project, Karen coaches high-performing professionals on how to live their best career stories.
