Where did you grow up, and what was your childhood like?

Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life? I grew up in Hartford and then East Hartford, Connecticut. My childhood was a rough and dysfunctional one with an abusive alcoholic father. I didn’t do well in school. But, I did eventually learn to do well in sports. Finally, I took those success habits I learned in sports and transferred them to other parts of my life to become successful.

What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?

That I’m not a loser. 

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

Hmm… I have multiple areas of expertise, so this one might be a bit tricky. But, come to think of it. I think too many people rely on talent and natural ability when it’s really the effort one puts forth that is the game-changer. I didn’t have much to offer this world as a youth. And I certainly didn’t have any special talents. But, with lots of effort sustained over time, I have become pretty talented. I now can help many others live better lives.

 Tell me about one of the darker periods you’ve experienced in life. How you came out of it, and what you learned from it?

Most of my childhood was very dark, living in poverty with a father struggling with his own mental health and self-medicating with heavy alcohol usage. I survived those days by finding one thing that I could become good at, sports. Then clinging to that one thing with everything I had until I could take my life’s journey to the next level as a young man. I was then able to branch out and use those success habits to develop other areas of my life that had been neglected. 

What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?

Getting up early every single day to do some productive work before anyone else in the house wakes up.

What is your morning routine?

 4:00 AM, wake up and read. 

4:30 AM, do some writing.

5:00 AM, exercise

5:30 AM, get ready for work and eat.

6:00 AM, go to work and listen to audiobooks in the car while driving to work.

What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?

Audiobooks have enriched my life in so many ways. I’m always listening to them. 

What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?

Get up early and work hard. Always look for the most productive thing to do at that moment. Multi-task when it makes sense, like listening to audiobooks when driving your car. Every day, do something productive. Finally, eat right, exercise, sleep enough, and spend quality time with family and friends.

What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?

The book that really sticks out was the book Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins. At the time, I wasn’t a big reader. But I couldn’t seem to put that book down. Every page seemed like a new success secret to me. It gave me faith in my own abilities to work hard, learn every day, and take charge of my destiny.

Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?

My grandma used to always say, “This, too, shall pass.” For some reason, that saying always pops up in my head when I’m going through a tough time. The phrase, “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” also seems to continuously resurface in my life. I don’t know where I learned it. And the earliest memory I have of using it was when I was 18 years old. My army recruiter pulled up in front of my parents’ home to bring me to the Army infantry basic training. He asked me in the early morning so long ago if I was ready. I replied, “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” I’ve used that saying and lived my life according to that philosophy, and it has served me well over the last several decades.