​

Let’s start with a question you may already be asking: In a world saturated with career advice, why should this book earn your attention?

 

Because most of what’s out there is noise. It’s abstract theory, disconnected from the rhythm of a real workplace. This book is different. It’s a signal that thoughtful, intentional colleagues are needed and highly sought after. It’s a playbook for earning relevance from the work you do and the people you work with. What are the models that allow some people to navigate complexity with grace? Josh MacKinnon has written this book, not from an academic perch, but from the front lines where the work actually gets done. Josh is one of those rare individuals who doesn’t just operate within a system; he sees its underlying logic.

 

In my thirty-year career, I’ve learned to listen for the “pulses”—those subtle signals that show when a team is truly working at its best. I always look for team members who don’t just follow the process, but who can lead the band. They understand that a great career, like a great band, isn’t about pushing an agenda; it’s about creating an environment where every element works in tune. Josh is one of the finest band leaders around.

 

Josh stands in my top 1% of individuals who operate at the highest professional levels. Why? Because he cares about the people on his team, his clients, and his work. He knows that success isn’t about being the loudest; it’s about making sure the entire band is brilliant. Josh, whether leading, following, or contributing, never just manages his work; he orchestrates every team’s success. He makes everyone better, and everyone wants to work with people like this.

 

That’s why I’m so excited that Josh wrote this book. KICK ASS AT WORK generously shares this important way to see work and your role to make work better. He’s taken his experience and broken it down into a practical framework that gets to the core of how you can power your own success. This is not a set of rules; it’s a working life toolkit designed to help you remove friction and add value on every project and team.

 

Read this book and keep it close. Reread it. Do the exercises. It works! It’s a system I have seen work firsthand. This book will show you how to stop adding to the noise and start creating your own signal. It gives you a framework to become the conductor of your career. Wishing you every success.

 

Baron Manett

President & Executive Producer, Per Se Brand Experience

Co-chair, Adjunct Professor, Seneca Polytechnic, School of Creative Advertising

​