I would like to first express my gratitude to my family: To my mom, Dawn, for providing me with unconditional love and encouragement. Whenever I have a hard day, you’re the first person I call; your advice and encouragement means everything to me. To my dad, Steve, for taking an interest in everything I pursue and always pushing me to do better. My entire life, you’ve inspired me to follow my passions. And to my brother, Austin. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without any of you.
To my best friend Andrew Spalding, for not killing me during the book-writing process (seriously). Even during my worst moods, you’ve continued to be the most loyal and patient friend I could ever ask for.
To Ronald Goldfarb, for your unflagging support and advocacy. Your feedback, critiques, and thoughts were invaluable to me as I organized the book and brought my ideas to life.
And finally, to the team at Hachette Book Group for giving me the opportunity to publish my first book. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with better people. An extra special thank-you to my editor, Kate Hartson, for believing in me from the beginning of this process.