About the Book
The days of being defined by a single job title are vanishing. The future of business is project-based, rather than role-based, and the people who will thrive in this kind of economy are labeled by Fast Company as "Generation Flux."  They are adaptable, multi-talented people with "a mind-set that embraces instability, that tolerates - and even enjoys - recalibrating careers, business models and assumptions."  

Authors Ian Sanders and David Sloly show readers how to "mash-up" their full skill set to create the work life they want. Along the way, they introduce an army of "mashers" who are already making the most of their multiple interests and skills.  Interviewees include Worldwide CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi Kevin Roberts, entrepreneur, film-maker and Grammy-award winning musician Dave Stewart and a long list of mashers whose plural careers include running a spice trading company, writing a biography of Florence and the Machine, founding a famous series of "ideas" lectures, zookeeping, setting up a DJ agency, and blogging for the London 2012 Olympics. 

To help readers unleash themselves from the black and white single job-title mindset, the authors offer advice on:

- How to use the "mash" concept to gain a competitive edge in the job market and be more of an asset to employers
- How to get satisfaction and stimulation by crafting the work-life that reflects them
- How to communicate talents clearly so people understand what they do and want to work with or hire them
- How to go plural when you already feel short on time by making the most out of hobbies
- How a masher is more productive when portable rather than chained to a desk

Mash-Up! explains that the future of the workplace will be just like Generation Flux, embracing instability, a business model that is agile, a career with no "Five Year Plan" and ultimately, a world where roles, departments, careers and businesses are all "mashed." Collapse

About the Book
The days of being defined by a single job title are vanishing. The future of business is project-based, rather than role-based, and the people who will thrive in this kind of economy are labeled by Fast Company as "Generation Flux."  They are adaptable, multi-talented people with "a mind-set that embraces instability, that tolerates - and even enjoys - recalibrating careers, business models and assumptions."  

Authors Ian Sanders and David Sloly show readers how to "mash-up" their full ... Expand

Authors / Editors
Ian Sanders helps businesses and entrepreneurs make their ideas happen. He launched his own business in 2000, specializing in the creative industries. He has contributed to BNET.com, Virgin.com, TomPeters.com and has spoken at the South by South West Interactive in Austin, Texas.

David Sloly trained as a journalist with the BBC. Fired for humiliating a politician, he became highly sought after and was snapped up by the UK's first independent radio production company, where he created award winning content. Collapse

Authors / Editors
Ian Sanders helps businesses and entrepreneurs make their ideas happen. He launched his own business in 2000, specializing in the creative industries. He has contributed to BNET.com, Virgin.com, TomPeters.com and has spoken at the South by South West Interactive in Austin, Texas.

David Sloly trained as a journalist with the BBC. Fired for humiliating a politician, he became highly sought after and was snapped up by the UK's first independent radio production company, where he created ... Expand

Press Coverage
"Sanders and Sloly use edgy language and… drop some big names (q&a's with Dave Stewart, formerly of the Eurythmics, and Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi) to introduce their big idea-'mashing' or 'going plural' with your talents is essential in this fast-moving world. The authors try to help readers identify the skills that give them the edge, understand what 'drives' them, and how to craft their story and promote marketable skills. …[T]he message that employers today are seeking not specialists but workers with a range of talents and skills could help job seekers prepare and present themselves optimally." --Publishers Weekly

"[A] fine, essential guidebook to living life on several levels and tells how to mash-up skills an interests by picking business ideas that support each other. …It's a fine pick for any business holding." --California Bookwatch

Mash-Up! haiku on Bloomberg Businessweek

Fast Company Article: How Career Mashup Artists Showcase Multidimensional Skills--And Get Hired 

Interview on Puttylike.com

Check out Mash-Up! on Swiss Miss!

One skill is no longer enough  

Work isn't just a place you go


Online Reviews:

"No matter what industry you represent, the last 4 or 5 years have changed the way business is done, jobs are found and kept, and careers are grown. [Mash-Up!] clarifies why being versatile, applying your multi-talents and passions to build a "mashed up" life is a good and future-friendly approach. …Almost every chapter includes actionable steps to help the reader with implantation of the concept at hand: Chapter 5 - what's driving you and how to identify your passion; Chapter 9 - crafting your mashed up story and communicating your differentiating aspect; Chapter 16 - covers analytics and ways to review your "mash up" progress. …[G]o! Buy it, read it, apply it!" --Amazon 

"I highly recommend this book for anyone who has multiple interests/careers/talents! Sanders and Sloly not only help you realize that you are far from the only person who struggles with balancing all these things, but how to use them all to your advantage. The main take-away I found in this book is that having multiple interests doesn't make you less desirable or 'not able to focus or become an expert on one topic' but gives you an edge over other people in the changing world today. The key is to figure out how to find the common thread and use that to market yourself, which is what this book will help you do!" --Amazon 

"This is the most practical book I've ever read about how to build a career based on diverse interests and connections. …I liked how this book emphasized how a masher can develop unusually valuable projects for established companies. I feel like this angle is often missing from books about unconventional careers, which seem to emphasize becoming an entrepreneur rather than consulting. … A must-read." --Amazon

"This is great for people who still need convincing that a 'project' mindset won't work for them. The book employs good use of interviews of mashers. For people who are already doing it, the book provides the reader with a pretty good entry-level framework on how to go about the management of all these mash-ups." --Goodreads Collapse

Press Coverage
"Sanders and Sloly use edgy language and… drop some big names (q&a's with Dave Stewart, formerly of the Eurythmics, and Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi) to introduce their big idea-'mashing' or 'going plural' with your talents is essential in this fast-moving world. The authors try to help readers identify the skills that give them the edge, understand what 'drives' them, and how to craft their story and promote marketable skills. …[T]he message that ... Expand

Reviews Collapse

Awards Collapse

Table of Contents
Acknowledgements 
About the authors 

Introduction 

01 First there was sausage… 
"Work" used to be so single-track. Pick a trade and climb a ladder. Keep climbing; don't stop. 

02 …and then there was mash 
Welcome to the wonderful world of mash, a world where your work life can reflect your multidimensional talents. 

03 Using mash as a competitive edge in the job market 
How adopting a mash-up way of working will make you an asset to employers. 

04 Your personal unifier 
How your personal unifier wills how the world that you are so much more than a job title. 

05 What's driving you? 
How to make sure that you are going to get the most out of plural living by working out what motivates you. 

06 Adopting a portable mindset 
By thinking plural you can open your heart and mind to a new world of possibilities. 

07 How to harmonize your different skills 
Knowing how your multiple skills can work better together to create multi-skill harmony. 

08 The joy of mash 
How to get stimulation and satisfaction by getting close to the work life that reflects the real you. 

09 Crafting your mashed-up story 
How to communicate your talents clearly so that people can understand what you do. 

10 How to sell your multiple offerings 
So what is the trick to selling your multiple skills successfully? Setting up your mash stall is so your offerings are compelling and gettable. 

11 Your ideas lab 
Mashing is not about "all or nothing": choices; you don't have to quit your day job - you can develop a hobby business in your spare time. 

12 Adding a new string to your bow 
How to add more sellable talents by finding your by-products. 

13 Reinvention time 
How being a master of reinvention will serve you well in this period of rapid change. 

14 The meaning of mash 
How to make 1+1=3: how your mash can be greater than the sum of its parts. 

15 Mash-marketing 
How to stand out from the crowd.

16 Mashalytics 
Welcome to mashalytics - your very own customizable dashboard to control every aspect of your plural life. 

17 How to unplan for success 
Why staying agile and allowing opportunities to come to fruition via serendipity are more powerful than a career plan. 

18 Workflux 
Why the future is in flux - and what you can (and can't) do about it. 

19 The mashifesto 
Tools 'n' tips to manage your mash-up life. 

References 
Index
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements 
About the authors 

Introduction 

01 First there was sausage… 
"Work" used to be so single-track. Pick a trade and climb a ladder. Keep climbing; don't stop. 

02 …and then there was mash 
Welcome to the wonderful world of mash, a world where your work life can reflect your multidimensional talents. 

03 Using mash as a competitive edge in the job market 
How adopting a mash-up way of working will make you an asset to employers. 

04 Your personal unifier 
How your personal unifier wills ... Expand