The Portfolio Life

February 13, 2023
Wallace (New to Big, coauthor), a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, delivers a refreshing perspective on how to lead a fulfilling life that embraces professional ambitions and personal passions. She contends that readers should approach their lives as investors do a financial portfolio and follow the principle of diversification by cultivating a variety of interests on and off the clock that one might use to pivot in one’s career. The author encourages readers to identify their strengths by asking colleagues and friends “Where do I stand out against my peers?” and looking for commonalities among one’s hobbies and jobs. To develop a variety of skill sets, Wallace suggests moonlighting or taking on positions in “seemingly unrelated industries.” This is the rare career guide that balances professional considerations against personal ones, encouraging readers to make time for activities even if they don’t directly relate to one’s vocation. However, Wallace’s application of wonkish managerial concepts to personal matters—she discusses how to build the “business model for your life” and “measure your life” with a balanced scorecard, a corporate assessment method—feels at odds with her assertion that “you are more than your work.” Nonetheless, readers will appreciate the helpful recommendations on staying flexible in the job market.