I started reading to my boys from the moment they were born. I still read to them every night. When I travel, I record myself telling them stories on my iPhone and I send them little videos to watch before bed. We listen to audiobooks together. At 7 and 9, they already have my deep love of reading. And I often have to force them to put their books away at the dinner table!
I believe passionately in the words of Charlie ‘Tremendous’ Jones:
“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”
But there’s an important distinction I’ve learned over time:
The best book you’ll ever read will be the one you write…
I’m proud that my first book, The Prosperous Coach, has sold over 75,000 copies. And I’m really proud that it sold more copies in 2020 than any year in its 8 year history. You see, I know that any time someone reads this book, it will not only transform their life as a coach, it will also deeply impact the lives of all their clients.
But I’m even more proud of the growing list of books written by my clients:
- The Wolf Connection: What Wolves Can Teach Us about Being Human by Teo Alfero — Teo is the founder of Wolf Connection—a wolf sanctuary and multi-million dollar nonprofit—that does amazing work supporting at-risk wolves and at-risk people, including inner-city teens, the formerly incarcerated and military veterans. (Teo has been a member of 4PC for 7 years and is now on faculty).
- The Essential Guide to Raising Complex Kids by Elaine Taylor Klaus — All kids have complex needs and this is a book that will help you inspire them with confidence and calm. Elaine is a coach and the co-founder and CEO of ImpactParents. For over ten years she has built this incredible company to support the parents and teachers of complex children and teens. They have grown a community in more than a hundred countries. (Elaine is a member of 4PC).
- I’m Not Crazy, I’m Just Not You by Sarah Albritton (and Roger Pearman) — Longevity means a great deal in the world of books and this one was first published almost 25 years ago. It also has one of my favorite titles ever! Sarah has long been ahead of the curve. She’s been a coach and consultant for over 27 years. She’s a mother of six(!) adult children. And she brings a combination of business experience, psychological expertise, and finely-tuned intuition to her C-suite clients. (Sarah is a member of 4PC).
- Free for Life: A Navy SEAL’s Path to Inner Freedom and Outer Peace by Christopher Lee Maher — Christopher‘s personal story is fascinating and moving. He faced physical and emotional abuse as a child but went on to serve at a high level in the Navy SEALs and to train for the Olympics. He now works with military veterans, top athletes, entrepreneurs, celebrities and billionaires to help them resolve the deepest levels of physical, spiritual, mental and emotional stress and tension. (Christopher is a member of 4PC).
- Soulbatical by Shelley Paxton — Shelley was a former CMO at Harley Davidson and some of the most iconic brands on the planet. Yet, throughout her career, she was a rebel at heart. One day, she walked away from it all, on her own terms, to completely reinvent her life. She wrote this book to help you—or your clients—to become Chief Soul Officer of your own life. (Shelley is a member of 4PC).
- Mindset Mondays with DTK by David Taylor Klaus — Your most powerful tool as a coach is mindset and this is a book about how to master it. David is a serial entrepreneur who founded his first firm 25 years ago. He’s a coach to C-level executives, senior management teams and boards of directors. He’s also a gold-medal rower at a state level and an avid cyclist, so he’s a man who understands mindset—from the locker room to the boardroom. (David is a member of 4PC).
- Requiem For My Rave by Chris Frolic — Chris is a life-long entrepreneur and one of his online businesses has generated over a billion dollars in revenue for its users. But he was once known as “Anabolic Frolic,” the DJ behind the biggest selling electronic music compilation of the 1990s. He was the promoter of one of the most celebrated raves of its time and the host of the #1 dance streaming show of 2000. This book is his story. It includes drug overdoses, murder and showdowns with the police, media, and government. It’s a story of mistakes made and lessons learned by a man who knows what it is to make millions of dollars and still feel like a fraud. (Chris is a member of 4PC).
- The Unwritten Rules of Women’s Leadership by Helen Appleby — This book is designed to give women in the corporate world the self-awareness, confidence and tools to lead themselves, their teams and their organisations, at a high level. Helen should know—she’s the former Senior Vice President of a billion dollar healthcare organization, now a leadership coach, whose clients are CEOs, senior leaders and high performing women. (Helen is a member of our 4PC alumni).
- Only 10s by Mark Silverman — There’s a reason the first edition of this book sold over 60,000 copies. As Mark says, “You don’t have a time management problem. You have an honesty problem!” Mark is a former top sales executive, who made over $90 million of high-tech sales. He has worked at fast growing startups and led teams through multi-million dollar complex sales. He coaches executives and leaders around career, resilience and relationships. (Mark is a member of our 4PC alumni).
- The Artrepreneur: Financial Success for Artistic Souls by Evelyne Brink — Evelyne was Europe’s premier Madonna impersonator, she’s performed her one woman show at the Edinburgh Festival and she now coaches Britain’s top executives and performance artists. This book is part of her mission to rid the world of starving artists. Evelyne is one of the bravest people I know. Her second book, It Takes Guts, is the incredible story of her young son’s life. He has become the first ever survivor of having been born with no small intestine. It’s a deeply emotional story of a mother’s love and a refusal to listen to what is ‘impossible.’ (Evelyne is a member of our 4PC alumni, she has also been a 1:1 client and she was a member of my very first Salon).
- Unconditional by Allison Garner and Piper Garner — Allison is a former engineer and top executive, who worked in the oil industry for 20 years. She wrote this book with her daughter about how they both faced her daughter’s emotional, mental and behavioral struggles. They wrote this book for anyone who suffers with mental illness or who loves someone who does. Allison is a leadership coach who also wrote, Think Possible: The Light and Dark Side of Never Running Out Of Ideas. (Allison is a member of our 4PC alumni).
- This Book Will Make You Dangerous by Tripp Lanier — Tripp founded his first business at 23 years old and sold it 12 years later. He’s hosted The New Man Podcast for over ten years and has interviewed hundreds of the most talented people on the planet, including: Tim Ferriss, Laird Hamilton, Steven Pressfield, Mark Manson, Jonathan Haidt and Alan Alda. Tripp‘s book is a funny and direct guide for men who want to get the most out of life. (Tripp is a member of our 4PC alumni).
- The Evolved Masculine by Destin Gerek — Destin has become a leading voice in masculinity, sexuality, and personal empowerment. He wrote this book to help men build integrity, confidence and healthy sexual energy. It’s a provocative read, designed to push men out of their comfort zone to create the life and the relationships they really want. (Destin is a member of our 4PC alumni).
- The Creative Block by Laurie Shiers — This is not a book but an innovative series of idea cards, designed to help you think differently and to get unstuck. You use them to overcome mental blocks and to find inspiration. Laurie is one of the most creative people I know. She has made a living as a writer for over 25 years. She had a career in advertising for over 15 years. And she coaches high-performing, creative leaders. (Laurie was a member of our 4PC Source Team for two years).
- 5G, AI & The Future of Business in Africa by Dan Maxwell Jr. — Dan is a powerful business coach and leadership consultant, who I first met when I visited his country, Liberia, 6 years ago. If you think living through the pandemic has been challenging, I witnessed Dan support others to survive and thrive during the traumatic Ebola crisis in 2014—the most widespread outbreak of Ebola, in history. Dan is a deep thinker and a serial entrepreneur, who has built and exited 7 different businesses. (Dan is a member of The Kaleo Project).
- Detached Love by Cordelia Gaffar — Cordelia spent a decade in a high-pressure career as a corporate accountant, while homeschooling 6 (yes six) children! She’s a trusted advisor to women leaders. She’s also an advisory board member for a non-profit that supports women on the other side of domestic and intimate partner violence, plus those still in the struggle. This is a guidebook for successful women who feel underwater, amidst the chaos of life—yet no one would know it. (Cordelia is a member of The Kaleo Project).
- The SHED Method by Sara Milne Rowe — Over 20 years ago, Sara and I were teachers together in inner city London. She was my inspiration when she left teaching to become a coach and she’s now one of the UK’s leading performance coaches. Her clients are senior leaders and teams in the fields of creativity, media, education and startups, as well as female entrepreneurs. This book is published by Penguin Random House, one of the top 5 publishers in the world. In it, Sara shares the mind management techniques she uses to help her high-level clients achieve more confidence, more calm and more success. (Sara is a Thinking Partner).
- Where’s Dad? by David Foster — Being a father is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It is also one of the most exhausting! David’s book is full of insights and gentle challenges to remind you that there are far more important things in life than your business revenue, your job title, or how many hours you spent in the office. If you’re a dad, you need to read this. (David graduated from the Salon—which then became Project Kairos).
- Remarkably Easy by Danielle Macleod – My favorite coaching question is, “What if it was easy?” and in this book, Danielle shows you how to answer that question. A former executive, Danielle was once responsible for leading over 10,000 people—one of the biggest people leadership roles in the UK. She now leads a community of thousands of women who are moving beyond exhaustion, hard work, and fighting daily for what’s right, to leadership, impact, mission and vitality. (Danielle is a former 1:1 client).
- The Success Trap: Why Good People Stay in Jobs They Don’t Like and How to Break Free by Amina Aitsi-Selmi — This is a guide for high-performers to create the career they truly want, written by a trusted adviser to highly successful doctors and high achievers. Amina is one of the most extraordinary, courageous and humble people I have ever met. She left Algeria due to the civil war, as a young child, eventually studying medicine at Cambridge University. She has a PhD in Epidemiology and Statistics from University College London. She’s been a Clinician Scientist, a UN advisor, a consultant in Global Health Security at the Royal Institute of International Affairs and she volunteered with Médecins Sans Frontières, in South Sudan—one of the world’s most dangerous countries. The Success Trap will take you through the mindset shifts and strategic steps to create what you truly want in your life. (Amina is a Salon graduate).
- The New Golden Rule by Emily Golden — Emily has almost 20 years of corporate experience in talent management and recruitment. She’s an expert in emotional intelligence and a coach to executive level and emerging leaders. This book is about removing the single biggest roadblock that holds leaders back from realizing their full potential. The new Golden Rule says: stop treating others the way you’d want them to treat you and start treating yourself the way you’d treat others. (Emily is a Project Kairos graduate).
- The 3 Alarms by Eric Partaker — Eric was named one of “Britain’s Most Disruptive Entrepreneurs” by the British newspaper, The Telegraph. He has advised Fortune 50 CEOs at McKinsey, built a multi-million dollar restaurant chain and now coaches entrepreneurs. This book is based on the premise that you don’t have to sacrifice your health to achieve success and you don’t have to sacrifice success to have great relationships. (Eric is a Project Kairos graduate).
In 2021, look out for more books by my clients, including Angela Tennison’s book on leadership, informed by her time as an aide to President Obama, John Wineland’s book on masculine leadership, Catherine Hammond’s book on reframing hope, Georgie Dickins’ book on Stratospheric Leaders and Mandy Lehto’s book on what lies on the other side of being an overachiever.
Now, tell me: what’s the title of the book you want to write?
Love. Rich
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