Success Biographies

Go to college or learn a trade? For Joey Snider, this common high-schooler’s dilemma was easily resolved. He was going strong as a teenage apprentice plumber. That is, until his parents packed him off to college. But Joey couldn't stay away for long, and after eight years becoming a master in his trade, he bought and built up his own plumbing and water treatment company into a multi-van, seven-figure business.

Ian Purkayastha is New York City's leading truffle importer and boasts a devoted clientele of top chefs nationwide, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten, David Chang, Sean Brock, and David Bouley. But before he was purveying the world's most expensive fungus to the country's most esteemed chefs, Ian was just a food-obsessed teenager in rural Arkansas - a misfit with a peculiar fascination for rare and exotic ingredients. The son of an Indian immigrant father and a Texan mother, Ian learned to forage for wild mushrooms from an uncle in the Ozark hills.

Often Wrong, Never in Doubt is an inspirational book from one of America's most colorful and exciting entrepreneurs. Donny Deutsch lays out the core principles that propelled him to create tremendous wealth, build a huge and influential business, and become a national personality.

For women of color and children of immigrants, who are the “the other” at work, there's a different threshold of belonging that creates a false feeling of inadequacy. It can lead to being overwhelmed, overworked, and overlooked. The Other shatters the unspoken expectations for you to stay in your lane and gives you the tools to build unshakable confidence and a career that excels--on your own terms. Bestselling author and MSNBC reporter Daniela-Pierre Bravo shares her journey and those of other women to help you recognize your power in the workplace outside of the white gaze.

The Leadership Alchemist is your ultimate guide to mastering emotional intelligence (EQ) and turning uncertainty into opportunity. Whether you’re navigating workplace challenges, leading diverse teams, or striving for personal growth, this book equips you with the tools to thrive in today’s dynamic world.

Learn valuable lessons while Hollywood actors voice the parts in this entertaining and true story of Barefoot Wine. A Sherwood Players Production featuring a full ensemble cast ​including Hollywood Legends Ed Asner and Gigi Perreau​, an original cinematic score, sound effects, and behind the scenes interviews with the real Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey (creators of Barefoot Wine) with author Rick Kushman. It is amazing that such an iconic brand as Barefoot Wines began as a startup in the laundry room of a rented farmhouse.

Kip Tindell, the founder and CEO of The Container Store, reveals the seven secrets to keeping both customers and employees happy and all fully engaged. In Uncontainable, Tindell reveals his approach for building a business where everyone associated with it thrives through embodying the tenets of conscious capitalism. Tindell's seven foundation principles are the road map that drives everyone at The Container Store to achieve the goals of the company.

Rock Bottom Is Where Bad Bitches Are Built is a unique memoir, chronicling the author’s journey from rock bottom to resilience that will inspire listeners to find their own path to healing. Dr. Adkins takes you on the journey of her life. Of her pain. She shows you that pain and trauma can happen to anyone and that you can not only heal but you can grow and thrive following horrific incidents.

Collecting deeply personal conversations with inspirational LGBTQ+ trailblazers (from Troye Sivan to Margaret Cho) about how they leveraged the challenges and insights they had as relative outsiders to succeed in the worlds of business, tech, politics, Hollywood, sports and beyond, Andrew Gelwick’s The Queer Advantage celebrates the unique power of queer identity. Their stories brim with the hard-won lessons gained over their careers.

This is a story meant to be a beacon of hope and inspiration for the minority women in speech-language pathology who find themselves struggling with a sense of belonging in their field. It follows the autobiographical account of Barbara Fernandes, an adult immigrant to the US, as she embarks on her journey as a CSD student learning both English and Spanish. It tells of her struggles facing isolation, microaggressions, and her own internal battles to eventually become one of the most successful entrepreneurs within the SLP field.

How much do we know about the woman behind the famous name? In this book we'll attempt to get a closer look at the life of one of the world's biggest stars and how she made it all happen. How did she overcome extreme poverty and turn her life into a financial success story? Learn from her strategies, and create your own financial victories. So, are you ready to learn from Oprah Winfrey's life? Are you interested in learning about overcoming hardships and achieving goals?

This book is for people who want to learn the ins and outs of business by studying the examples of the best. Just as a philosopher might study Plato or Socrates to establish a philosophical foundation, so too a businessman can study the greatest businessmen and women in order to establish a business foundation.

From America's most beloved comedic actress and the star of Desperate Housewives comes a personal, heartfelt, and often very funny manifesto on life, love, and the lessons we all need to learn, and unlearn, on the road to happiness.

Being alone has a serious branding issue. We've only ever had negative language to talk about flying solo - but what about when time spent alone is restorative and joyful? What if it's something you crave? Enter: alonement, Francesca Specter's empowering new word to express valuing your own company and carving out time to spend with yourself, whoever you are and whatever your relationship status. In Alonement, Francesca Specter reveals how we can all thrive alone, whatever our circumstances, and harness the untapped power of some meaningful time with me, myself and I.

In Cowgirl Power, advertising CEO and cowgirl Gay Gaddis shares insights and examples for women to lead like fearless, risk-taking cowgirls: enhance and exude confidence, developing personal power on all fronts. As the owner of one of the largest female-owned independent agencies in the U.S. and former chairman of C200, one of the country’s top women’s business organizations, Gay Gaddis knows a thing or two about empowerment. Gay’s secrets of success have roots in the spirited strength of real cowgirls who were fearless risk-takers in everything they did.

The Way to Wealth, originally a preface to the 1758 edition of Franklin's beloved Poor Richard's Almanack, presents a brief fable of a local wise man, Father Abraham, quoting Poor Richard to an eager crowd. In this inspiring tale, Franklin steps out of the past and shares with you his famed maxims about wealth, knowledge, virtue, and all other elements of business success.

A miracle disguised as a tragedy (a daughter's traumatic brain injury) became the birthplace of a successful God-centered, residential, entrepreneurial community designed to truly enhance the lives of adults with special needs. Out of this "tragedy" came a new life for this population utilizing effective vocational, emotional, spiritual, and educational methods which provided opportunities to help them find meaning and purpose in their lives through practical education in tandem with life.

Steve Jobs: The Unauthorized Autobiography Discover the mind of one of the greatest innovators of our time in Steve Jobs: The Unauthorized Autobiography. This groundbreaking book offers a deeply immersive, first-person account of Steve Jobs’ life as you’ve never imagined it. Step into Jobs’ shoes as he wrestles with ambition, creativity, failure, and success. With unparalleled insight into his personal struggles and professional triumphs, this narrative captures the raw genius and relentless drive that transformed industries, disrupted norms, and inspired millions. This isn’t just a...

In the 1990s, Steve Farrell cofounded and led two high-growth technology companies based in Silicon Valley that were featured in the INC500 and spanned the United States and Europe. A New Universal Dream is the inspiring story of Steve's journey from the pursuit of wealth and traditional ideas of success toward a more fulfilling life of caring and service to others and to humanity. It's also the story of the potential each of us has for profound change.

From opening his first hot dog stand in 1961 to growing his business to over three hundred restaurants nationwide, John Galardi wholeheartedly shared each new success with his loved ones, his friends, and the many people who helped him realize his vision. His journey to achieve the American dream shows his struggles and triumphs, his disappointments and determination, and the hard work and imagination required to build the world’s largest hot dog chain.