Career by Default

“He pieces everyone's strengths and weaknesses together like a puzzle — the perfect balance of collaboration and culture.”

This book is the start of something new — not just a milestone in the business leadership canon.

This book might change your life. Or it may not.

If you simply read it and put it back on the shelf, you will learn some new turns of phrase and will appear more emotionally intelligent at your next staff meeting or Zoom call. But if you read a chapter a day and take the time to reflect on your journey each day, you'll see yourself differently. If you take the time to share stories based on this book's themes with friends, colleagues, teammates or folks who report to you, you'll build a better team. If you read it a second time — a bit more quickly all the way through — and take the time to reflect on different instances in your life as compared to the first read, you'll be on "All Fucks Given Boulevard" en route to a more rewarding career. I'm willing to bet you'll also enjoy time with your friends and family more completely and live in the moment as you journey forward.

I've been fortunate to know Lovell for a dozen years now, and, looking back, I can recall times when I heard elements of these thoughts expressed while grilling burgers for the community party, sitting on the deck of one of our porches or hanging out backstage at a concert venue. I can also recall how both of us, at different times, lived through default career experiences he captured eloquently in the pages that follow here. Career by Default casts no blame on how leaders got to where they are; instead, it gives the reader a lens through which she can reflect and learn a bit about how they got there. A feature of the book many folks will take away, especially those who "burn through the book so they can talk about what they read in a LinkedIn post or in a staff meeting," are key insights about how generations engage in the workplace. Lovell's leadership style and experiences working with people in all generations currently active in the workforce is wisdom you can apply immediately. These insights provide context to some of the mannerisms or behaviors that those of us in Gen X and the Boomer generation find mystifying. For Millennial and Gen Z leaders, these insights will explain why their leaders act the way they sometimes do and provide you language you can use to translate your needs into shared goals and policies that will get our organizations where they need to go.

Career by Default is the start of something new, not just a milestone book in the business leadership canon. This book is the beginning of a conversation and a transformation in the corporate culture of teams that embrace its lessons. Like works that Lovell references — The One Minute Manager, Who Moved My Cheese, Good to Great — this book will drive change. While he does not reference Unreasonable Hospitality, I see this work as complementary to Will Guidara's 2022 landmark leadership book. The fact that both Will and Lovell worked in the pressure cooker environment that is the service industry probably informs their shared focus on corporate cultures that fuse true collaboration and joy. In the name of true collaboration, I encourage readers to engage with Lovell after they read the book and share their insights. Let him know which insights help. Talk about points that didn't hit like you think he intended. As a wise man once said, this feedback is "where high expectations meet high engagement" and will "unlock our best."

Cherryh Cansler

Publisher, FastCasual · VP of Events, Networld Media Group · Master's in Journalism

In the world of business, we often measure success by what we can see on a balance sheet — revenue growth, market share, profit margins. We build strategies around abstract concepts and data points, often forgetting that at the core of every thriving enterprise, there are people. I have spent my career observing and reporting on the hospitality and restaurant industries, and I can tell you from countless conversations and conferences that this is a truth too many leaders have forgotten.

I first met Lovell "Lovie" Holloway during my time as editor and publisher of FastCasual.com, a leading media brand for the restaurant industry. I was immediately struck by his singular vision and his ability to command a room not with charisma alone, but with a depth of experience and a genuine passion for the frontline workforce. His perspective is desperately needed.

What Lovie understood, and what so many in the C-suite fail to grasp, is the silent epidemic plaguing modern businesses: the Career By Default. It's the story of the barista who is slinging drinks to pay her college tuition, the warehouse worker who is nothing more than a number but must provide for his family, or the retail manager who cannot afford to retire. These are the forgotten workforces — the hourly, frontline and gig workers who are the backbone of our economy.

In his book, Lovell explores this cycle. He doesn't just identify the problem; he deconstructs it, revealing how fear-based leadership and superficial culture fixes create environments where people don't just fail to thrive — they actively disengage.

This isn't a book of quick fixes or feel-good platitudes. It is a bold, uncompromising manifesto. The power of this book lies in its fundamental argument: what we often perceive as people problems are, in fact, design problems. It's not that your employees are unmotivated or entitled; it's that your systems are designed to demoralize them.

His own journey, culminating in leading the massive $1.5 billion concessions and logistics program at the new Kansas City International Airport, is a masterclass in this philosophy. He didn't just manage a project; he reimagined its very foundation, proving that when you fix your systems, you unlock people's potential.

Read this book, and you will not only understand the problem — you will have the tools to fix it. Lovell has done the hard work of creating the blueprint. Now, it is up to us to build the future of work, one intentional design at a time.

100M+

Americans

30%

of workforce

1 Book

changes everything

“More than 100 million Americans — 30% of the US workforce — are just getting by.”

More than 100 million Americans — 30% of the US workforce — are just getting by. In kitchens, warehouses, loading docks, retail outlets, gig platforms, and construction sites, one-third of the US population woke up today and went to a job that was never meant to be permanent.

Careers by default are characterized by constant churn. These jobs weren't designed to provide any sense of belonging, wellness, autonomy, or purpose. If you close your eyes, you can hear the refrain: You need to ship more product! Move the customers through the line faster!

If you have watched an NFL game at the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium, eaten at Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon, Moe's Southwest Grill, Wendy's, or Culver's, or flown through Minneapolis-St. Paul or Kansas City International Airport — Lovell was there, leading the people who made your experience possible.

Careers by Default challenges leaders to accept that employee disengagement is the direct result of how workers have been hired, trained, and treated — and that leaders can break this cycle today.

The underdogs. The overlooked. The overwhelmed. Your hourly employees affect your business and your future. Decide to be the leader your people need.

Matt Reynolds

Brand Partner

I've spent my life working in service. I started in fast food at the age of 14, moved into 5-star catering, then became a private flight attendant, and today my husband Leon and I are the proud owners of Prima Facie Bistro and Market.

That's why Career by Default resonated so deeply with me. Much like Who Moved My Cheese helped us embrace change, Lovell takes us further — reminding us that leadership is not about control, but about culture, clarity, and care.

I especially love how he reframes the first 90 days. Too many leaders treat it like a test. Lovell shows us it should be the foundation — when trust, expectations, and culture are cemented.

This is a quick read, but don't let that fool you. The lessons here are profound, practical, and necessary for anyone ready to lead differently. If you're ready, this book will absolutely move your cheese.