I had been thinking about writing a book for more than 25 years. During that time, I have been given numerous opportunities to tell my story about overcoming adversity, and these talks seemed to resonate with people in a very profound way. After each talk, people would approach me and ask if I had a book because they would like to know more about how I started Great American Cookies, set world records, and ran for Congress.
I started wondering: If I were to write a book, what would it include? I did not want to write another rags-to-riches story; that just seemed too clichéd. I wanted to write a book that could help motivate people to step out of their safe space and do more than they believed possible. I started taking notes in a small notebook that I carried with me and would even write on napkins or hotel stationary. When I bought my first smartphone, I transferred those notes to my Notepad app.
One day, while staring at a note that I had just added, I wrote: “Why do you keep taking notes but cannot seem to get around to writing the book?” Now, you know you’re in trouble when you start to talking to yourself. But you are in even more trouble when you answer your own question. But that is exactly what I did and it said: “I have not written my book because something else important might happen to me, and I don’t want to omit anything.” That logic has two major fallacies: If you keep waiting, you will either forget what happened to you or you will be dead. I called Dr. Catherine Lewis, a professor of history at Kennesaw State University and author of 13 books, that same day. It took us two years to write the book, and now I realize why I never was able to get started. I was waiting for Catherine to help me find my voice.
I did not write "Time to Get Tough: How Cookies, Coffee, and a Crash Led to Success in Business and in Life" to boast about my career but rather to put my story in the hands of people whom I would probably never meet. I thought my story — with all the false starts, failures, and eventual triumphs—is something with which they might relate. My success is not conventional, and I wanted to tell readers that they can face their own Goliath-like challenges and still refuse to let anyone tell them what their limits are.
Since the publication of the book, I have had a hundreds of readers tell me what they learned from reading it. While struggling to write the book, I often thought about giving up, but my wife, Donna, urged me on by saying: “If your book reaches one person and makes a difference in their life, it will be worth it.” Based on the responses that I have received in person and online, I think we succeeded. Frankly, it has been pretty overwhelming, and I have had to contain my own emotions as I listen to readers talk about how much they have been inspired.
The truth is, my story helps people find the strength that they have always had. It reminds me of the lyrics in the song “Tin Man”: “Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man that he didn’t, already have.” I want my book to help them find their strength and passion, and I don’t want the credit for what they do with that inspiration. They deserve it.
I have been fortunate to have had people come into my life at just the right moment. My childhood mentor Irving Settler, my wife Donna, my co-author Catherine—they all came into my life when I needed it most. No one’s success in life is without the help of others. My book is an attempt to pay it forward.
In the epilogue of Time to Get Tough, I have distilled my story down to 10 lessons. They provide a snapshot of the wisdom that I have gleaned after years starting and leading companies, raising a family, setting world cycling records, battling cancer, running for public office, and serving my community.
- Take risks early in your career.
- Associate only with people of integrity.
- Find a mentor to guide your career. When you make your mark, become one.
- Know what you don’t know.
- Even in the digital age, customers respond to, respect, and remember the personal touch.
- Have a clear mission statement, and make sure your team is fully committed to it.
- How you respond to the unexpected is the difference between success and failure.
- Trust your team and give them the opportunity to do their best work.
- Use the skills that helped you build a great career or business to build a better world.
- Never let someone else tell you what you cannot achieve or put limits on your potential.
As you read this article, I want you to think about your own lives and your own stories about overcoming adversity, about pushing yourself beyond limits. Do not minimize the effect of putting those stories in print, and do not underestimate how much it might encourage someone else.
My life has been about turning obstacles into opportunity, poverty into philanthropy, and tragedy into triumph. I hope my book and story will continue to inspire others to do the same. One more thing! All royalties from my book and honorariums from speaking engagements benefit a scholarship fund for veterans at Kennesaw State University Foundation, that my wife Donna and I are establishing.
