{"id":145166,"date":"2025-07-31T12:40:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T16:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=145166"},"modified":"2026-01-22T21:34:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T01:34:51","slug":"professional-troublemaker-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/professional-troublemaker-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Professional Troublemaker: Book Overview & Takeaways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you want to become more comfortable with who you are<\/a>? Do you struggle to speak up, even if it’s the right thing to do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her book Professional Troublemaker<\/em>, Luvvi Ajayi Jones argues that challenging the status quo<\/a> is scary. Still, it’s worth doing because it’s a powerful way to improve our lives and the lives of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more in our overview of Professional Troublemaker<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Overview of Professional Troublemaker<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In her New York Times<\/em> best-selling book Professional Troublemaker<\/em><\/a>, Luvvie Ajayi Jones provides a how-to guide for becoming a changemaker, or \u201ctroublemaker\u201d: a person who isn’t afraid to speak up and take action to create positive change in their own lives and the lives of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jones is a Nigerian-American speaker, podcast host, and author of four New York Times<\/em> best sellers, including I\u2019m Judging You<\/em><\/a>. She is also known for her large social media following and her popular blog, AwesomelyLuvvie.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jones defines a \u201cprofessional troublemaker\u201d as someone who:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Is comfortable with who they are, so they have a foundation for saying and doing things that challenge the status quo <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Speaks the truth and advocates for what they believe in, even (and especially) when it\u2019s difficult or unpopular<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Takes action to make the world a better place<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Part 1: How to Be Comfortable With Who You Are<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Jones asserts that you need to be comfortable with who you are if you\u2019re going to challenge the status quo. Speaking up and taking action for what you believe in isn\u2019t easy, so you need a strong foundation to fall back on when you inevitably encounter challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Know Where You Come From<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Jones says that to know yourself, you first have to know where you come from. Who are the people and communities that made you? Jones gives the example of the or\u00edki, a praise poem sung to or about a person in the Nigerian Yorub\u00e1 culture to remind them of their ancestors and the larger collective of which they\u2019re a part. Jones suggests writing your own or\u00edki, in which you include your name, your family name, and the personal qualities or accomplishments you\u2019re proud of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Define What\u2019s Important to You<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Jones also suggests creating a personal identity manifesto, which you can use when the going gets tough to remind you of who you are. She recommends that you write a statement that includes: what you care about<\/a> most, the values that define you, what makes you happy<\/a>, what you love about yourself, what you believe is worth fighting for, and what you want people to say at your funeral. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Know That You\u2019re Not \u201cToo Much\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Jones says that people will often tell you that you\u2019re \u201ctoo much\u201d in some way (too fat, too thin, too emotional, too bossy, and so on). Ironically, these statements are often meant to make you feel \u201cless than.\u201d But, Jones writes, the aspect of your personality people criticize as \u201ctoo much\u201d is often central to your identity and should be celebrated, rather than suppressed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jones gives the example of being made to feel like she was \u201ctoo Nigerian\u201d when she came to the US as an immigrant at the age of nine. She felt like everything about her was different, from her name (Ifeowula) to the food she ate. But when she went to college at the University of Illinois, she met other people like her and realized that her culture was an important part of who she was and how she saw the world; it was a strength, not a weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jones\u2019s approach when she is accused of being \u201ctoo much\u201d of anything is to be more<\/em> of that thing. She recognizes that this can be hard to do in the work context, where conformity may be required, but she suggests thinking twice before you alter your personality to make it more palatable to others. She advises doing whatever you can to be your full self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dream Big<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Jones observes that life is full of challenges and obstacles, especially if you\u2019re not born privileged. If you\u2019ve experienced racism, sexism, xenophobia, poverty, or other inequities, it can be hard to dream big because your life experience has taught you that the odds are stacked against you<\/strong>. You might have to work harder than other people (such as wealthy, white men) to accomplish the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, Jones argues that failing to dream big can be a self-fulfilling prophecy: If you place limitations on yourself, you\u2019ll live within those limitations. If you\u2019re afraid of failure, you\u2019ll never even try. But, if you have big dreams<\/a>, you set yourself up to make them come true. It\u2019s not a matter of \u201cmanifestation\u201d or magic\u2014it\u2019s that acknowledging your dreams allows you to see all the possibilities for your life<\/strong>. With hard work, those possibilities can become a reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jones uses her own life as an example: While studying medicine and organizational psychology in college, she started writing a blog. She loved writing, but was afraid to dream big by calling herself a writer\u2014in part because the only models for Black women writers she had were towering literary figures like Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. Instead of pursuing a career as a writer, Jones worked in various marketing jobs after graduation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nonetheless, she kept writing, and began to be recognized for it. She finally got over her fear of calling herself a writer. She had two big writing dreams: To write a New York Times<\/em> best seller, and to help her mom retire. Calling herself a writer and stating her dreams to herself allowed her to sit down and write her first book. Within a week, her book hit the New York Times<\/em> best seller list. She soon made enough money to help her mom retire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Be Less Humble<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Jones notes that women in particular have been taught that humility is a virtue. Many women deflect when people compliment them and shy away from sharing their successes. Meanwhile, there are plenty of mediocre men who are always bragging about themselves and can\u2019t seem to function without constant praise. While Jones doesn\u2019t advise that women become that arrogant, she writes that women who are afraid to recognize their value\u2014or afraid that others will judge them if they do\u2014could benefit from being less humble<\/strong>. If people have a problem with you being proud of who you are, maybe they\u2019re not the people you want in your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jones suggests some ways to drop the humility and step into your worth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n