perseverance Archives - Amy Jo Honey

Howard Brown: From the depths of two cancer battles to the heights of Silicon Valley success—Howard Brown’s memoir is a beacon of resilience and triumph

Liz Rubico October 11, 2024 October 11, 2024Meet The Authors

Howard Brown’s story is one that really sticks with you. It’s not just about surviving two battles with cancer—it’s about finding a way to thrive, no matter what life throws your way. In Shining Brightly: A Memoir of Resilience and Hope, Howard takes you through his personal journey, from being knocked down by cancer (twice!) to building a successful career in Silicon Valley. But it’s more than that. His story is about fighting for something bigger—hope, connection, and even peace between different faiths. Imagine being in your twenties, excited about the future, only to be told you have cancer. Most people would understandably break down, but Howard didn’t. He fought hard, leaning on cutting-edge treatments and the support of loved ones. And he won. But then, years later, cancer came back. It would’ve been easy to feel defeated, but Howard faced it head-on again, determined not to let this disease be the end of his story. Meanwhile, in his professional life, Howard wasn’t just coasting. He was making waves as an entrepreneur in the fast-paced world of Silicon Valley. It wasn’t an easy path—building companies from scratch never is—but the same resilience that helped him beat cancer fueled his success in business. He embraced risks, stayed innovative, and pushed forward when things got tough. But what makes Howard’s story even more special is his work outside of the cancer fight and business world. After everything he’d been through, he developed a deeper connection to others, especially those from different backgrounds…

Scott Cramer: Life’s messes don’t stop for dads – Discover how to rebuild when everything seems to be falling apart

Liz Rubico October 5, 2024 October 4, 2024Meet The Authors

Life’s messes don’t stop for dads. Discover how to rebuild when everything seems to be falling apart. Fatherhood is an incredible journey, filled with love, joy, and, let’s be honest, a lot of responsibility. From the moment you become a dad, you’re no longer just living for yourself—you’re shaping the world for your kids. But let’s face it, life doesn’t slow down or get easier just because you’ve got little ones depending on you. Bills, work stress, relationship problems, personal struggles—life has a way of throwing chaos at you when you least expect it. And sometimes, it all feels like it’s crumbling around you. In Daily Dad: Picking Up the Pieces, author Scott Cramer dives into these moments when being a dad feels overwhelming. He reminds us that the real strength of fatherhood isn’t about never falling down. It’s about learning how to get back up and rebuild when everything seems to be falling apart. We dads often feel like we need to keep everything together, no matter what. Maybe it’s the pressure to always appear strong, or the fear of letting our families down. But the truth is, life’s messes don’t stop just because you’ve got kids. In fact, the responsibility of fatherhood can sometimes make those messes feel even bigger. You might be struggling with losing a job, dealing with relationship issues, or even just trying to manage the day-to-day stresses of life. When things get tough, it’s easy to question your ability to lead and wonder how…

Dan Clouser: The diamond is where talent meets hard work, but only a coach can unlock the full brilliance of both

Liz Rubico October 4, 2024 October 4, 2024Meet The Authors

The diamond is where talent meets hard work, but only a coach can unlock the full brilliance of both. In Dan Clouser’s The Beauty of a Diamond, Through the Eyes of a Coach, the baseball diamond is more than just a field—it’s a place where magic happens. It’s where talent and hard work meet, but without the guidance of a coach, that magic might never be fully realized. You see, a coach isn’t just there to call plays or yell from the sidelines. They’re the ones who help players see the potential within themselves, even when they don’t yet believe in it. Think about it: talent can only take an athlete so far. A gifted player might have all the skills in the world, but if they don’t have someone to guide them, they may never reach their full potential. It’s like a diamond in the rough—valuable, sure, but it needs to be polished to truly shine. That’s where hard work comes in. And that’s where the coach steps in. A coach sees things that others can’t. They see beyond the game, beyond the stats, and beyond the surface-level abilities of their players. They’re able to recognize the untapped potential that might not be obvious to anyone else, including the player themselves. But talent and hard work alone aren’t enough without direction. And that’s why coaches are so essential—they take raw talent, shape it, and guide it toward excellence. In The Beauty of a Diamond, Through the Eyes of a…

Kent Sanders: A Father’s Legacy in 18 Words: Discover the Values That Lead to a Life Well-Lived

Liz Rubico September 26, 2024 September 24, 2024Meet The Authors

It might be difficult to determine what really important in a world where noise is all around us. However, often the most valuable teachings are the most basic, handed down through the centuries. In his book 18 Words to Live By: A Father’s Wisdom on What Matters Most, Kent Sanders condenses ageless principles into just 18 words, each of which contains a nugget of knowledge that makes life more meaningful. Think of having a set of eighteen straightforward terms that could help you go through the highs and lows of life. These aren’t just any old words; they stand for principles that Kent inherited from his father, principles that are firmly based on integrity, compassion, love, and tenacity. Each word is a reminder of what’s truly important—principles that help us stay grounded, no matter how crazy life gets. What’s beautiful about these 18 words is how straightforward they are. Life often feels complicated, but Kent’s father knew that true success doesn’t come from chasing after the latest trends or stressing over things that don’t last. Instead, it comes from living with integrity, treating others with respect, and holding onto the values that never go out of style. These words encourage you to pause and reflect, to ask yourself: Am I living in a way that honors these timeless values? The real magic is that these 18 words aren’t just for fathers to pass down to their children. They’re universal. They’re for anyone who wants to find clarity, focus, and a…

Jen Du Plessis: Success is sweeter when it’s unexpected. Tell Me I Can’t, and I’ll show you the impossible made real

Liz Rubico September 21, 2024 September 20, 2024Meet The Authors

Success is sweeter when it’s unexpected. Tell me I can’t, and I’ll show you the impossible made real. There’s something about being told, “you can’t” that just hits different, isn’t there? For some, it’s discouraging—like a weight pulling them down. But for others, it’s the spark that ignites a fire within. In Tell Me I Can’t, Jen Du Plessis talks about this exact feeling, about using that doubt as fuel to make the impossible possible. When someone tells you, “you can’t,” it’s tempting to believe them, especially if the odds seem stacked against you. But that’s where the magic happens. You get to make a choice: do you accept that as truth, or do you take it as a challenge to push harder and prove that anything is possible? For Jen, and for so many of us who’ve been counted out, the choice is simple—we prove them wrong. And here’s the thing—success is never easy. It’s messy. It’s full of long nights, quiet sacrifices, and moments of doubt. But when you achieve it, especially when no one expects you to, there’s no feeling quite like it. Jen captures this perfectly in her book. She talks about how those small, unexpected wins become personal victories. When people don’t see it coming, that success feels even sweeter, like you’ve quietly snuck in and claimed something that was meant for you all along. When people say “you can’t,” they’re not just doubting your ability—they’re trying to put limits on what you can achieve. But…