Welcome to the download page for my book “The Circle: Careers with Impact” which has reflections from my journey that I hope will help you think about your work.
“This book helped me reflect on my journey and inspired me to think deeply about how I can align my career with my purpose and values. It also reminded me that I am the leader and driver of my own life and this perspective reignited my excitement for the future.” Jasmine Muhlmann
If this book helps you out in any way would you consider posting the image of the cover with a short review or comment about it so more people can find it? As a free resource you’ll likely be thanked by your networks so it is a win for you too!
My thanks to the early reviewers for their feedback and comments below. Feel free to send a review to add by emailing me at stevenmoe@parryfield.com
Steven Moe
June 2025
Comments from those who have reviewed
Steven’s book is a powerful distillation of his own lived experience and the insights he’s gathered from many thoughtful guests on his podcast. It’s a brilliant, concise guide to finding meaning and purpose in today’s complex world. I’ve already recommended it to friends and family.
Daniel Bullen
I believe things happen for a reason. Receiving Steven’s “The Circle” could not have come at a better time. It’s as if Steven has gone into my brain and printed the reflections that I’ve been having over the past year about the law and whether this is the career and life that I want. The best thing is that he articulates his experiences and learnings in such a nice and simple way. It’s a tricky journey when you’re detangling many factors of life (predominantly unhealthy and unsustainable) that get you to where you are but this book sets out clear and actionable steps that anyone (not just lawyers) can apply in their own lives. Thank you Steven, I feel less alone 🙂
Shaanil Senarath-Dassanayake
Steven Moe provides an enlightening perspective for integrating purpose with work; an easy read with some absolute pearls to implement and share. My key takeaway was the reminder that to have studied a profession and be able to work is a privilege, and we have a responsibility to serve others with the fortune to do so.
Katy Studer
Too often in this busy world, life takes over. The Circle is a timely collection of practical insights to help keep your work journey in check. It’s an incredibly useful and enjoyable read for anyone, of any age, wondering how their career fits with their personal lives. Thanks again Steven Moe for the provocative, deep thinking.
PAUL BROWN
Boardworks
I have been able to advise and mentor hundreds of young professionals and college students during my 30 year career. The advice and insights offered in this book are spot on and deeply relevant for all who want to pursue a life with purpose and meaning.
Rob Gailey
Wish I had read this book 50 years ago! I particularly liked the breadth of sources you reflected on (from Brene Brown to Peter Drucker and so many others!) as well as your own personal journey! My congratulations to you on this excellent resource for people of all ages!
Dr John Vargo
Have just finished reading The Circle. I love the content and the messaging in there. I have worked in a business for the last 23 years where things like ‘work life integration’, ‘purpose’ ‘passion’ ‘being more afraid of missing an opportunity than making a mistake’ have been our ethos. Yet we so often found ourselves as outliers in an ecosystem that still focuses on traditional paradigms and thinking. On my recent IoD CDC programme I was reminded again of this. The messages you are making in The Circle are so critical to bringing our best selves for us individually, for our businesses and for our country. The more this message can get out there the better. Well done.
Pete Floris
This book invites us to deepen our thinking on our work. For me it stimulated thoughts on my life, not just work, beginning with source of identity and how we define our identity vs accepting our identity as a given; the importance of clarity of purpose and value; the danger of the “work-life balance” misconception; the simple but profound power of the Japanese ikigai philosophy; and many more. Importantly, the book not only has numerous recommendations and pieces of advice (the “what”) but takes the time to explain the “why” – and does it in a very enjoyable manner, with support from Socrates, President Roosevelt, and Robert Louis Stevenson amongst others. Thanks again Steven I will now send the book to my two children who are in early stages of their careers.
Andrei Link
I enjoyed reading your paper and was challenged throughout about the intersection for me re my identity and work roles.
Overall I thought this is a lovely sharing of your journey with great opportunity to pose questions and be reflective of your own journey when you are reading.
The word that kept coming to me was authenticity – how do we be our own authentic self wherever we are at work, at home, with our hobbies. I agree and prefer your word of integration rather than balance. From time to time all our lives are chaotic, just ask anyone who has a major health scare – balance is definitely out the window and the focus quite rightly is on healing.
When we are clear about what we value and what our responsibilities are at work, home or elsewhere it enables us to make better choices about where we spend our time or how we choose to be in the world.
Values – I loved the ikagai model, i did not know this and it made sense to me. I realised many years ago that relationships, variety and doing meaningful work for me was important – the what and who for was not a driver. This meant that I have worked in quite diverse areas but the common theme is positive impact in the community and with people.
Service, accountability for my own behaviour, fostering self-awareness are all important aspects to me. The section on graduates may have started with “it is not about you”. I laugh when I think about a graduate session I was at and all these men came to me and asked what I could do for them. I employed the one who asked what did I need?
Loved the section on best advice you ever got. I have been very fortunate to have had great mentors, family and friends who cared enough about me to challenge me and tell me when they thought I needed it.
Thanks for sharing
Pam Elgar
Steven points out when we view work only as a means to support life, we risk undervaluing its potential to enrich our identity and drive meaningful change. Thank you Steven, Work/life Integration is a term I wont quickly forget.
Dean Warwick
In the work that I do, I often talk about, and help teams create principles. Rules are dictated and to be followed, principles are co-created and agreed to. Steven’s book is like conversing with yourself and co-creating your own principles, an agreement between your current and future selves on the impact you want to have in your world.
Tim Davidson
As I host a podcast all about careers for lawyers in Japan, I found this book to be useful because it highlights what I discovered only later on in my own career – contributing to a community and giving back to others through mentorship are what matter most. If you read this book early on, you’ll gain insights that can shape your direction from the start. It offers a grounded yet inspiring framework for aligning your values with your vocation. I especially liked the sections on Community and Mentorship because they spotlight how you build your network and give to others is what ultimately makes the most impact, not just on your career path, but also on shaping your character.
Catherine O’Connell
Wow this book really resounded with me. Former Australian High Court Justice Michael Kirby was famous for telling aspiring lawyers to be “joiners” – open to opportunities to be involved in extracurricular or extra-vocational pursuits to add balance and colour to one’s life. Nothing is quite so vibrant as finding purpose and self actualisation in work. Stepping away from transactional corporate law/in-house legal and into charity and social enterprise consulting helped me achieve precisely that. I commend the book to anyone seeking to find curiosity, passion and joy in all aspects of their lives.
Will Rosewarne
