Chris Farrell is drawing big crowds as he tours the U.S. to promote his new book, The New Frugality, which paints a picture of a seismic shift in our society away from unfettered spending, toward healthier financial habits. In a conversation with Civic Ventures Senior Fellow Marci Alboher, he explains why changing your attitude toward money can also help you live a good life that reflects your personal values and may help you find your true calling – in, perhaps, your encore career.

Marc Freedman, founder of Civic Ventures, calls Farrell’s book “a roadmap to a better life and a better future.” Freedman recently heard Farrell address a crowd in Northern California. “Speaking in front of a roaring fire,” says Freedman, “Farrell laid out his vision for the great changes, already under way, that will produce a more sustainable lifestyle in America over the coming decades.

Dan Pink’s latest book, Drive, turns traditional thinking about how organizations motivate people (and how we try to motivate ourselves) on its head. After studying the scientific research on motivation, Pink came to the conclusion that what science knows about how to motivate people is entirely different than what organizations do.

If more of the world starts paying attention to Pink’s ideas, we should be seeing fewer carrots and sticks, and a lot more recognition that people are motivated by intrinsic forces like the desire for autonomy and mastery, as well as the quest to be part of something bigger than themselves, which Pink calls purpose. Sound familiar?

It’s clear that lots of people have warmed to the idea of encore careers and have an interest in getting started. But as Civic Ventures founder Marc Freedman always says, finding work that provides both money and meaning is still a do-it-yourself project without many established pathways. That’s why I recently joined Civic Ventures — to help figure out new ways to help people as they move into encore careers.

As I settled into my new position here, I was thrilled to get my hands on the new Get Started Guide, which is loaded with useful information and resources for anyone eager to create an encore career. The Guide begins with some basics on how to think about mid-career transitions as well as specifically transitioning to the nonprofit sector. It continues with solid job-hunting tips and targeted advice for those over 50.

The problems facing older workers are well documented in the media, so it was refreshing to attend the Encore Opportunity Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., yesterday, where the buzz in the room was all about the value and values that experienced employees bring to a job. The event honored 8 nonprofits or government organizations that have demonstrated their commitment to encore talent.

“Seven out of 10 nonprofits have recently hired someone we’d think of as in an encore career,” said Civic Ventures Vice President Phyllis Segal, citing recent research done by Civic Ventures and MetLife Foundation. “And those who have done it are far more positive about recruiting the encore workforce than those who haven’t.” That led to what Segal jokingly called her very sophisticated theory on hiring encore talent: “Try it, you’ll like it.”