Publishing a book has been one of my life’s grandest goals for nearly a decade. Though I did not initially think of myself as an author, after entering the world of personal development, I knew deep down that I wanted to model my life after the amazing men and women who have continually inspired me to become the highest and best version of myself.
When I sat down to write this section of the book, my wife, Tessa, challenged me to let go of my ego for a moment and truly acknowledge reality: Bringing this book to life has been nothing less than a community effort. Though my name is on the cover, it really should say, “Created by the 5 a.m. miracle global community, an ambitious group of early risers who want nothing more than extraordinary achievement.”
I need accountability and motivation just as much as anyone, and this book has been a phenomenal test of endurance, discipline, and prioritization. To that end, I want to thank every single person who has helped contribute to this book’s fruition.
First, I want to thank God. A major part of my own morning routine is reading the Bible and spending a few moments in prayer. My mornings have become my best chance to deepen my faith and reconnect with what matters most in my life. To that end, this work would not be possible without a few real miracles and I never give Him enough credit for those.
To my wife, Tessa. Without you this book would not exist. You have worked tirelessly to keep our lives moving forward as I have been the wild card, trying to build a business and pursue endless crazy ideas. You are my biggest cheerleader and always hold me to a high level of excellence, even when I want to cut corners. I can’t thank you enough and I will love you always!
To my endlessly quirky pug, Benny. You are the mascot of my podcast and the only soul who has heard me record every episode. I don’t think you did much to help make this book happen (after all, you did take a lot of naps during work hours), but you are really funny and a great companion. Thanks for being a man’s best friend.
To my family, especially my parents, Brian and Loretta, and my brother, Tim, you have never ceased supporting me through my wild ambitions and that means everything to me. Even when it appears that I am heading off the deep end, you stand by and help me with unconditional love. That’s all a grateful son and brother could ever ask for. Big thanks to the rest of my awesome family, Diana and Marc Olive, Janet and Ken Meyer, Helen and Raymond Sapp, Dorothy and Milt Sanders, and Mary and Leon Hoskins. I love you all!
To my friend and weekly accountability partner, Matt Frazier. You have been a guiding light and inspiration to me for years. Thank you for keeping me on my toes and sharing so much of your life, business, and wisdom with me. It’s ambitious people like you that remind me to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
To my incredibly generous attorney and talented friend, Andrea Wallace. You went above and beyond helping me with contract negotiations and navigating the crazy legal jungle that only you know so well. Next time I will actually pay you, I promise.
To my lifelong friends going all the way back to early childhood, especially Pearce Landry-Wegener, Tyler Mallory, Jesse McIntosh, Andrea Wallace, Megan Fox, Juliette Schmidt, and Peter Curby, you guys are my rock. You have seen me at my best and certainly at my worst. Thank you for putting up with me through it all. I love you guys!
To my friends, coworkers, and leaders at Anthem, especially Rachel Chandler, Michael Harlan, Sarah Fossett, Bailey McChesney, Chris Perry, Mark Roberts, Karen Pitts, Samantha Cox, and Ryan Ball, thank you for standing beside me through the formative years of my blog and podcast. Whether you realize it or not, you helped create this and I wouldn’t be where I am today without you.
To my fellow Nashville podcasters, especially Jeff Brown, David Hooper, Dave Kirby, and Stu Gray, thank you for letting me sit and absorb your collective radio genius. It’s a little daunting to be surrounded by such talent and it’s humbling to know how much further I have to go. Thank you for paving the way and making this job look so easy.
To my mentors, including the authors, speakers, coaches, podcasters, bloggers, designers, online marketers, and content creators who have been pushing the envelope for years ahead of me, thank you for doing the hard work so I wouldn’t have to. Without you I would still be where I was years ago, graduated and clueless. I want to personally thank Michael Hyatt, Darren Hardy, David Allen, Rich Roll, Erik Fisher, Hal Elrod, Bob Proctor, Dan Miller, Nicole Antoinette, Dean Karnazes, Grant Baldwin, Jess Lively, Sean Stephenson, August Turak, Todd Henry, Jeff Goins, and Ray Edwards for exemplifying an authentically great life and purposeful business.
To my publishing team at Ulysses Press, especially my editor Kelly Reed, you gave me my first chance to publish a book professionally and that is a real testament of your faith in me. Thank you for this amazing opportunity to share my thoughts with the world. I will be forever grateful.
At its core, this book is a comprehensive manifestation of my blog and podcast. The readers of my articles and the listeners of my show embody the spirit of The 5 AM Miracle more than anyone and they are my constant source of inspiration. To all of my fans around the globe, it has been an honor creating content each and every week for you and I thank you for making this book possible. You rock!