I just finished reading Free Agent Nation by Daniel Pink. Had I read this book when it was first published in 2002, I 
wouldn’t have gotten as much out of it as I have reading it in my current Free Agent infancy. It’s almost as if I’m living his book right now…
When I was looking for a job in 2009, I was networking with amazing people, who, surprisingly enough, were and still are Free Agents. I’d heard the phrase mentioned quite often, but didn’t quite fully grasp the concept until I began reading Free Agent Nation. I’d had about four people recommend that I read the book.
If you have an open mind and are interested in getting out of cubicle-world and living your life now, this book is a must. Daniel Pink talks about both the pros and cons of free agency, but he definitely makes compelling arguments FOR becoming a Free Agent.
At the end of the book, Pink includes an exercise that aspiring Free Agents can go through to discover their direction. Interestingly enough, I’d gone through a similar process of discovery with the help of the mentors I’d discovered while networking before I ever picked up the book…
I still network with the Unemployed of Des Moines and am nudging them towards becoming Free Agents in lieu of, or in addition to, traditional W-2 jobs. But I truly believe that every person comes to discover free agency in different ways. There are some cons that go along with the pros, so this is really a lifestyle that you have to be comfortable with in order to make it work.
Are you a Free Agent? How did you discover free agency? Are you a Free Agent evangelist?
