Earn a Living Doing What You Love

In one of the most popular classes at Parsons School of Design, B. Jeffrey Madoff gave students a reality check: “Most of us have had the feeling of ‘I could’ve done that,’ whether at an art gallery, watching a performance, or finding a new product or even a new business idea. What’s the difference between you and them? They actually did it. You didn’t.” With Creative Careers, you will learn how to do it, too: use your creativity; have a sustainable, profitable career; and do what you love.

Creative Careers pulls from interviews with more than forty experts–notable entrepreneurs, artists, and business leaders–as well as from Madoff’s own decades of experience to supercharge your career. Creativity can often feel sporadic and unfocused, coming in bursts and peaks. That’s why Madoff focuses your professional path by asking vital questions that will ultimately help you:

• Determine your value

• Be smart about your hustle

• Ruthlessly edit down your creative projects

• Overcome fear and doubt

• Create a successful, long-lasting career on your own terms

You may aspire to start your own business, join the fashion world, to work in visual arts, or be a filmmaker. You may be an executive who leads a creative team, or a professional looking to make a career change. Madoff takes you down a practical and inspirational path that will lead to success in any field or endeavor.

#1Amazon Bestseller

Throughout the book, Madoff points out the symbiotic relationship between business and creative, giving encouragement and specific recommendations for creatives to build their business or career and for the business-minded to look for opportunities to create and innovate. The real-life examples are particularly helpful, giving practical advice but also demonstrating how a wide variety of career paths can lead to fulfillment and financial reward.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes

Madoff has been at this game for a long-time. You can tell he's worked with people for many decades. A "creative career" is not for the faint-of-heart. You'll have many failures along the way. You'll question yourself. You'll be forced to go deep into your own psychology and emotions if your "art" or creations are really going to connect at the deepest level. I found this book to be refreshing and filled with many gems.

Benjamin Hardy, PhD for Psychology Today

A perfect book for the those with ideas. A perfect book for the new economy. A perfect book for the times we live in. Jeff Madoff has written an irresistible spark to ignite people with good ideas to bring them to life in a practical way. 

Josh Sapan Pres & CEO, AMC Networks

There is often a progression laid out for those who want to climb up the chain of command, and the guesswork of finding your way from A to B is marginalized. For those who seek to create their own path, there is so much more unknown in finding your way to success. In Jeff's new book, he has created a guidepost for the person that wants to create a career through their passion, which many long for but very few know how to accomplish. His advice on how to steadily progress on goals while overcoming the mental trials of fear and doubt are critical in demystifying the road to a sustainable creative career.

Dorie Clark, Author, Professor, Leadership Consultant

Jeff's incredible gift as a storyteller makes this book such an adventurous, rich experience; but it's his uncommon ability to drill into the psyche of the creative process that makes this book stick with you, and grow with you.
Jeff manages to both shed light on some of the most complicated aspects of a creative path and to completely re-think how we define and approach a creative career. His insatiable curiosity, his deep empathy and his wit and humor make him the ideal companion along this journey of discovery.
This is a book that I wish I had read when I was 20, but it's also a book that I will read and re-read now, after 20 years of work in creative fields. The questions that Jeff asks, more than the answers in my opinion, will stay with you for a long time. And will change the way you think. An absolute must read.

Laura Lanteri, Adjunct Instructor, Marketing and Public Relations, New York University

Jeff Madoff has put together a comprehensive handbook for all entrepreneurs and those who are considering entrepreneurship. We spent 20 years building the world famous Barefoot Wine brand. Jeff covers the universal truths that we discovered the hard way and so many of our successful entrepreneurial colleagues advocate.

This is a must have reference book to help you overcome the hurdles, solve the problems, and develop the relationships you will need to be a success. I only wish I had had Creative Careers in my hand before I started on my journey. It would have saved me hundreds of thousands of dollars and many years in achieving my goals. Bravo!

Michael Houlihan, Founder Barefoot Wine

I really enjoyed reading this book. Its full in insightful advice from an interesting and varied life. I found myself highlighting passages over and over again. Jeff Madoff has traveled the road to accomplishment and success. He's written a great book showing others how to travel that road as well.

Christopher Voss, Founder The Black Swan Group LTD, Author “Never Split the Difference”

Thank you to Jeff Madoff for a thoughtful, funny glimpse into the world of the world's most creative people.

One of the great things about Jeff is that he doesn't just teach these ideas (at Parsons) he lives them.
I particularly appreciate that he tackles the tough topic of pricing (yourself as a creative), as well as the need to foster a collaborative spirit that embraces diverse opinions.
Give it a read if you want some inspiration to make a change in your professional or personal life.

A. Peter McGraw, Professor of Marketing and Psychology at the University of Colorado

I’m proud to be featured in B. Jeffrey Madoff’s truly inspiring book for entrepreneurs and creative visionaries.

Dylan Lauren, Founder & CEO of Dylan’s Candy Bar

This book is for anyone from a recent graduate, someone wanting a mid career change to a retiree looking to fulfill and lifelong dream in virtually any field. He lays out clear principles and suggestions for finding your passion and turning it into a career, illustrated by real life success stories from the famous and regular people. It is very timely for our rapidly changing economic times, when a career path is a lifelong learning process and success often means having several different careers during a person's work life.

John G. Guffey, Founder, Director Emeritus, Calvert Impact Capital

98% Five Star Ratings on Amazon

Jeff Madoff showcases his storytelling prowess by weaving together the narratives and insights of leading creatives. He shines a light and provides specific context onto how to succeed in business by nurturing one's passions.

I added this book to the required reading of my graduate business students as I think it is important for graduate students to learn to think creatively and act on one's ideas and how that can be essential to their success. It introduces readers to a variety of businesses and known executives while allowing readers to extrapolate what is relevant to their own lives and careers. Don't let the title of the book fool you - this isn't just about roles in "creative" industries. This is a book that is relevant to all fields with core principles that are fundamental to business success and career fulfillment.

Creativity is an essential component of all businesses and this book illustrates that fact. Even those who consider themselves as non-creative or in non-creative industries will contemplate their ideas and passions in order to fuel innovation. It is an especially timely book as the pandemic has created uncertainty and unprecedented challenges - which are the exact moments in history that require creativity to spur innovation and advancement.

Kristie McGowan, Director - Global Luxury and Management at North Carolina State University

The author, Jeffrey Madoff, walks his talk. No "armchair quarterback" here! In an era with so many fake, poser "thought leaders" on the internet, it's refreshing to hear from a clear voice with decades of experience on the front lines of working in the creative industry, in arguably the toughest-yet-richest market on the planet - New York City.

Tim Francis, Entrepreneur, Founder The Profit Factory

When it comes to harnessing the business brain to the creative, no one does it better than B. Jeffrey Madoff. His personal trajectory from fashion designer to hugely successful and award-winning video and film producer/director and professor at The Parsons School of Design is testament enough. Now he shares his personal wisdom and experience as well as advice from highly successful creative luminaries such as Daymond John, Kathleen Ireland and Randi Zuckerberg, along with many others he has interviewed are smart, engaging and valuable – not only for how to navigate the creative life but how to navigate life itself. recommend Madoff’s book wholeheartedly. It’s a treasure trove!

Phyllis Melhado, Author, Former VP of Public Relations, Estee Lauder