NAVIGATING THROUGH THE VALLEYS OF SUCCESS

Debut author Joseph recounts how Christianity guided him during doubtful periods of his professional career in this inspirational remembrance.

The author grew up learning the entrepreneurial spirit from his father, Milton Joseph, a Los Angeles businessman who made millions in various enterprises, including a construction business and a real estate investment firm. His father also taught Joseph failure, however: while the author was in his early 20s, his parents were nearly driven into bankruptcy by poor business decisions. Joseph had expected to follow in his father’s footsteps as a businessman, but instead he became a police officer. He channeled his energy into off-duty martial arts and raising a young family, but Joseph felt unfulfilled until he heard a chance sermon from his Baptist pastor one Sunday: “The sermon he preached was not a message of hope and triumph. It was about the realities of the valleys in your life. I was taken aback by the sermon because it patterned my current state.” Joseph says that he then opened himself to divine guidance, often finding it in the form of friends or strangers who offered him advice or opportunities. He began to build a fitness and martial arts training gym, slowly investing time and money to grow his reputation and client base. Relying on his trust in God and the support of his wife, he sought to avoid the mistakes of his father. Joseph recounts his story in confident, straightforward, and unexpectedly nuanced prose: “I had a moment of doubt in the middle of my good fortune,” he writes. “You might call me a positive pessimist. It means I’d rather think of the worst-case scenario so if something does not go well my emotions would be balanced.” Joseph also recognizes that not everyone is a Christian believer, and so the book is rather light on proselytizing. Joseph can be quite confrontational, as proven by the numerous feuds detailed in the book; whether the reader attributes his success to divine intervention, luck, or hard work, his account surely demonstrates a doggedness that would-be entrepreneurs should note.

A forthright motivational memoir from a professional motivator.