FORWARD BY DAVID MELTZER

Meltzer“If you're lost, go do something good for someone else, what you will find is purpose and passion”.

That was a quote that I shared in a recent newsletter, and one that resonates with me deeply. I have been fortunate to have had several different careers in my life, but one thing that has always come through is my mission to empower others to be happy. More than that, I am on a mission to empower over 1 billion people to be happy, sharing strategies and tools for success, so we can scale happiness across the planet. Whether that is through coaching, my podcast, or speaking to an audience of thousands of people, I receive the most joy getting to know the impact that my clients and business colleagues have on the world.

Thanks to a career that has spanned the legal, technology, and sports industries, I’ve been able to connect with some of the world’s top performers, from billionaires, to Hall of Fame athletes, and beyond. What those interactions over the years have helped me to understand is that these people all have one thing in common: they have a desire that they must become who they can become. They are driven to fulfill their potential, and that is something that I saw in Jim Riley when I first met him.

I connected with Jim on my top business podcast, “The Playbook”, where I got to learn about how his mindset played into his successful racing career for Ford Motor Company in the Baja 1000 Off Road Race series. It was clear that we were aligned, and this brief encounter opened up the door for me to work with Jim as a business client. Throughout his time as a client I taught him some of my key principles such as “Ask and Attract”, “Say Thank You Every Morning and Night”, “Value for Value (aka the 100/20 Rule)” and many more. Jim also applied his key philosophy of having the “Freedom to say Yes” when it came to launching his podcast into a consulting business, after I had suggested it. I’ve always been impressed with Jim’s ability to be organized for our meetings and have a plan of attack to get things done. He’s always voted for “Faith over Fear” and understands the importance of time and execution in business.

Now, I have the pleasure of calling Jim a friend and he’s become someone that I can call on when needed. He often has our clients to be guests on his podcast show “The Answer is Yes” and is quick to tell them about his experience while working with me and the lessons he’s learned. It’s great to see that Jim understands the right approach to any situation, he’s a person who takes the perspective that he “gets to do things” instead of that he’s “got to do things”. It’s been an honor to be a part of Jim’s journey writing this book and I would expect that there will be much more to come. Here’s to leading like and champion and choosing to set the example for others to follow.

- David Meltzer