Looking for inspiration to transform your career and infuse your work with purpose? Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul by Shawn Askinosie invites you on an extraordinary journey from courtroom drama to the heart of a thriving, award-winning chocolate company. As the founder and CEO of Askinosie Chocolate, Askinosie shares how he traded a high-powered legal career for a mission-driven business that champions direct trade, profit sharing, and community impact—proving that it’s possible to do well by doing good.

This compelling book offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Askinosie built one of the most respected craft chocolate brands, partnering directly with cocoa farmers and supporting local communities. Through his personal story and actionable insights, you’ll discover practical tools and inspiration to help you find deeper meaning in your own work—no matter your field. If you’re searching for your true calling or want to make a positive difference through your career, this is a must-read guide to feeding your soul while doing great business.

Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul

Why This Book Stands Out?

• Real-World Inspiration: Written by Shawn Askinosie, founder of the acclaimed Askinosie Chocolate, the book draws directly from his fascinating journey from high-powered lawyer to purpose-driven entrepreneur.
• Purpose Meets Business: Discover how meaningful work isn’t just a dream—it’s possible in any field. Askinosie’s story shows how blending values, business, and service can create lasting impact.
• Direct Trade Pioneer: Get an insider’s perspective on revolutionizing an industry—Askinosie’s direct trade and profit-sharing model sets a new standard for ethical business and global connection.
• Heartfelt Community Impact: Learn about real partnerships with cocoa farmers and life-changing initiatives, like providing daily lunches for 1,600 children, showing business can truly be a force for good.
• Practical Guidance: The book offers actionable tools and visioning exercises you can use in any career to find and nurture your own sense of calling and fulfillment.
• Personal, Engaging Storytelling: Askinosie’s honest, relatable narrative makes this much more than a business book—it’s a guide to living with intention, kindness, and courage.

Personal Experience

Diving into Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul felt like having an honest conversation with someone who has wrestled with the same questions about purpose that so many of us face. As I turned each page, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own journey—those moments of doubt, the longing for a career that feels more than just a paycheck, and the curiosity about what it would be like to truly align my work with my deepest values.

What struck me most was how Shawn Askinosie bravely shares the vulnerability of stepping away from a successful legal career, something many would hesitate to leave behind, in pursuit of something more meaningful. That leap of faith resonated with me, especially during times when I’ve felt stuck or uncertain about my own path. His willingness to explore, fail, and ultimately succeed in a completely different field made me feel less alone in my own uncertainties.

I found myself nodding along as Shawn described the power of service—whether in a hospital’s palliative care wing or in fostering real relationships with cocoa farmers. It made me rethink the value of connections in my own work, and ask myself how I might bring more intention and kindness into my daily tasks.

• Feeling Stuck or Burned Out: If you’ve ever felt trapped by the routine of your job, Shawn’s story offers hope that reinvention is possible, no matter how entrenched you feel.
• Seeking Purpose: For anyone yearning to find deeper meaning in their career, the book gently encourages self-reflection and provides practical tools to help clarify what truly matters.
• Embracing Vulnerability: The honest accounts of failure and uncertainty were a refreshing reminder that the journey to meaningful work is rarely linear—and that’s okay.
• Connecting Values and Work: Shawn’s commitment to ethical business practices and direct relationships inspired me to consider how my own values show up (or could show up more) in my professional life.

Reading this book felt like being given permission to slow down, ask big questions, and listen to what my heart truly wants out of my work. If you find yourself searching for inspiration, guidance, or even just a moment of connection, this story is a gentle companion on your journey.

Who Should Read This Book?

Are you searching for more purpose and fulfillment in your work? Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul is the perfect read for anyone who wants to align their career with their deepest values, make a positive impact, and rediscover true satisfaction in what they do each day. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a job that pays the bills but leaves your spirit hungry for more, this book is your invitation to something greater.

Here’s who will get the most out of this inspiring story and practical guide:

• Professionals craving a career pivot: If you’re feeling burned out or unfulfilled in your current role, Shawn Askinosie’s journey from high-profile attorney to chocolate maker will inspire you to explore new paths and redefine success on your own terms.
• Entrepreneurs and business leaders: This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to build a business that’s about more than just profit. You’ll learn how direct trade, profit sharing, and community partnership can create a company culture that’s both ethical and deeply rewarding.
• Purpose-driven individuals: If you believe work should be meaningful and make a difference in the world, Askinosie’s insights and visioning tools will help you translate your values into action, no matter your field.
• Students and career changers: For those at the start of their journey or contemplating a big change, this book offers practical wisdom for finding your calling and building a life that feeds your soul as well as your wallet.
• Anyone interested in social impact and conscious business: Learn how one company is making a real difference—from supporting farmers around the globe to feeding thousands of school children every day—and discover how you can be part of something similar.

If you’re ready to be inspired, to rethink what’s possible in your career, and to find the intersection of passion, purpose, and work, this book will resonate deeply with you. Pick up your copy today and start your own quest for meaningful work!

Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul

Key Takeaways

If you’re looking for inspiration to find purpose and fulfillment in your work, “Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul” by Shawn Askinosie offers valuable insights drawn from the author’s personal journey. Here’s what you can expect to gain from this book:

• Discovering Purpose Beyond Profit: The book demonstrates that business can be a powerful vehicle for positive change, showing how profit and purpose can go hand-in-hand.
• Real-Life Inspiration: Shawn Askinosie’s transformation from criminal defense lawyer to award-winning chocolate maker proves it’s possible to reinvent your career in pursuit of deeper meaning.
• Direct Trade and Ethical Sourcing: Learn how building genuine relationships with suppliers and prioritizing ethical sourcing can create lasting impact for communities and businesses alike.
• Giving Back Through Business: The story of Askinosie Chocolate’s school lunch program shows practical ways companies can give back—feeding over 1,600 children daily without outside donations.
• Visioning Tools for Any Career: The book offers actionable tools and exercises to help readers clarify their own values and design a more fulfilling work life, regardless of industry.
• Personal Fulfillment Through Service: Askinosie shares how volunteering and serving others played a crucial role in his journey to meaningful work, encouraging readers to explore service as a pathway to satisfaction.
• Mindful Approach to Work: Inspired by monks and the concept of “being” rather than just “doing,” the author explores how mindfulness and introspection can guide us to work that resonates with our true selves.
• Encouragement for Everyone: The book reinforces that anyone—no matter their job or background—has the capacity to find meaning and make a positive difference through their work.

Overall, this book offers a roadmap for those seeking not just a job, but a calling—one that feeds both the soul and the world.

Final Thoughts

Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul by Shawn Askinosie is more than just a business book—it’s a heartfelt invitation to transform the way you think about your career and purpose. Through the remarkable story of founding Askinosie Chocolate, Askinosie shares how following your values and investing in people can create a legacy far beyond profit. His journey from high-powered attorney to pioneering chocolatier is both inspiring and deeply relatable for anyone seeking greater fulfillment in their work.

• Discover practical strategies to align your career with your deepest values and passions.
• Gain insight from real-life examples of how business can be a force for good in the world.
• Learn visioning tools that apply to any profession, helping you create a more meaningful and inspired work life.
• Be inspired by a story that shows it’s never too late to reinvent yourself and make a positive impact.

Whether you’re at a crossroads in your career or simply searching for more meaning in your everyday work, this book offers guidance, hope, and actionable steps to help you find your own calling. Let Shawn Askinosie’s journey encourage you to pursue work that not only sustains you, but also enriches the lives of those around you.

If you’re ready to embark on your own quest for meaningful work, don’t hesitate— get your copy of Meaningful Work today and take the first step toward a more purposeful and inspired life!