I woke up in a dreadful fury. The red light on the alarm clock glared at me: 5:30 AM. A few more minutes of sleep was all I wanted—anything to put off going back to the office.
Does this sound like your average day? It used to be mine.
For many years I enjoyed my job, but now it felt more like a prison sentence, and I knew I had to find a way to escape. I decided that I deserved to follow my creative calling. It was time to get real, face my fears, develop a critical path to transition and become the master of my own destiny.
That’s how this whole thing started.
My personal career transition sparked my curiosity. Every day, I observed people bumping around from one role to the next, one task to the next, seemingly dead inside. It made me ask myself: how have so many people become cut off from a Universe filled with abundance and wonder?
The delightfully curious creature in my head started to tease and taunt me with questions:
What if I could talk to wildly successful entrepreneurs who have figured out how to fully leverage a life of entrepreneurial freedom, happiness, tranquility and passion?
What if together, these entrepreneurs and I could identify common threads amongst these visionaries who have summoned the courage to push through the keyhole and gain access to the shiny world on the other side?
What would happen if I distilled these entrepreneurial characteristics into an inspirational guide?
If I was able to create a life filled with abundance and passion, and if my personal story was inspirational to others, then wouldn’t a collection of stories be even more powerful?
What if I shared my story—and the stories of entrepreneurs who are living life on their terms—with even just one person, who in turn might tell one friend? Would the wisdom begin to spread across the global landscape?
It was these questions that guided me to write this book, which I hope will inspire even just one person to find the courage to follow his or her heart, and to live fully, with complete abandon.
The more than forty interviewees I selected for this project are strong entrepreneurial spirits who are highly successful and passionate about their lives and careers. There is an eclectic cross-section of coaches, artists, authors, CEOs, creatives, directors, videographers, marketers, brand creators, bloggers, “practiced people,” life assistants, and intuitives. They come from places around the globe, including Oregon, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Ohio, Vermont, Florida, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Asia, The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. All are extraordinary people who, through epiphanies or multiple nudges, managed to uncover, identify, and clearly see where they belong in this great big world.
A quarter of the way through the interview process, I knew I was onto something much greater than I’d imagined. Not only are the people involved gracious, kind and bright, they are torch-carriers for the rest of us.
Each inspirational, life-changing story made its indelible impression on my heart. Through the entire process, I felt I was in the presence of greatness. The enthusiasm exuding from each creative, courageous individual was an honor to experience. Truly, these men and women are unfiltered creatures of the universe, following their natural rhythms through freedom’s pass. And here, in this book, each of them opens up to share their own personal brand of brilliance.
From chucking it all and backpacking around the world, to not being afraid to die; from never tasting a meal in the same way again, to conquering cycles of mental illness; from climbing the corporate ladder, to base-jumping off the top into the realm of personal freedom: these are the tales of individuals desiring to be their best, giving back to their communities, allowing for divine love, even traveling to remote areas of the world to uncover stories of elephant whisperers. Each stands today, transformed by their own transitions, passions and legacies, reaching out with arms wide open, and saying, “Come join me, and the best is yet to be!”
If you are looking for rags-to-riches stories, this book is not for you. More often, it’s about giving up material riches to gain natural richness and wonder, or finding the courage to embark on an individual journey while overcoming obstacles with grace. It’s about finding a genuine passion for life and accepting the nature of things as they are.
The book is divided into chapters leading through the stages of lifestyle and career transition, with individual interviews supporting the commentary. These true stories of entrepreneurial greatness are intended to spark your curiosity and inspire you to explore your own liberation.
This journey began with my personal transition and reinvention. It’s my hope that it will lead to yours. Potential entrepreneurs: it’s time to get moving—to wake up, lift the veil of the status quo, and embrace the richness of a full life!
