Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, I witnessed firsthand the trials and triumphs of building a business from the ground up. My dad was a true go-getter, embodying the classic "rags to riches" story. After my father passed away in 2014, one of his closest friends shared a story with me that perfectly encapsulates the resilience and determination that defined my dad's journey.
In the early years of his business, my dad, Larry, faced tremendous challenges. At one of the lowest points, he was so frustrated that he found himself sleeping in his car. One day, he stepped out to greet his friend, with one of his shoes torn open and simply shrugged. Overwhelmed by his struggles, he broke down and cried. But in that vulnerable moment, something shifted within him. Larry enrolled in a few business classes at the local community college, determined to turn his situation around.
As the business grew, so did my dad's joy and pride. I vividly remember the day he bought his first red Cadillac when I was a high-school freshman. It was a symbol of his hard-earned success, and the joy he felt was palpable. I spent weekends working alongside him, starting with pulling weeds and eventually moving into the office during high school, where I learned everything from payroll to receivables and payables. He talked to me about the business, sharing stories about the people he worked with and the challenges he faced. These Saturday work sessions became a cherished routine, a way for me to learn about business and life from someone I admired and loved.
When I went to college, I studied organizational communication when Peter Drucker was the leading authority on organizational behavior and considered the father of modern management. He incorporated management with ethics and morals. I was captivated by the subject, and I felt fortunate to have a real business where I could apply the principles I was learning. This hands-on experience reinforced my belief that work should be something one enjoys, given the significant amount of time we spend doing it. My Dad was my example of absolutely loving what he did and almost everything about it.
A few years ago, I began searching for a word that could capture this belief. Initially, I coined the term "plerk," but it didn't have the essence I was feeling for. Then, the word "joywork" came to me, and it has stuck with me ever since. For me, joywork is not just a concept—it's a philosophy. It's about finding joy in the work you do, even when it's challenging. The Stoics offer a powerful framework for understanding this: joywork comes with a deep sense of self-responsibility. It's not always easy, because joy is often defined by its contrast with grief. You can't truly know sorrow without knowing joy, and vice versa.
Joywork is about having the courage to be honest with yourself and others about where you are in your journey. It's about taking the time to create purpose and meaning in the work that you do, prevailing with curiosity and compassion, and carrying on despite the obstacles. In essence, joywork is the pursuit of finding fulfillment in the process of working, even when the results are not immediately apparent.
This journey of joywork is ongoing, and it continues to shape the way I approach both my professional and personal life. Just as my dad found inspiration and turned his life around through expansion and determination, I too work in joy. Joywork is more than just a philosophy—it's a way of life.