Story of the book

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Stack Your Deck: How to Be an ACE in Business & Life draws upon 25+ years of experience in corporate America and lessons through work as a business leader and executive, career, and life coach. Through research, stories, interviews, and exercises, this book centers on success principles aligned to the pillars of Attitude, Connection, Empowerment, and Strength (ACES).

My name is John Thompson and I am the author of Stack Your Deck: How to be an ACE in Business & Life. I wrote this book because I have a passion to help others reach their full potential. From an early age, I dreamed of being a teacher and have always learned the most by teaching others. I have reached great heights over my 25-year corporate career and the key has been through the adoption of what I call the ACES pillars of success: Attitude, Connection, Empowerment, and Strength. In a world where the deck may be stacked against you, I believe that through intentional steps that align with the ACES pillars of success, you can be an ACE in business and life.

My hope is that, in reading this book, you will discover how much control you have over your life. Despite the challenges, obstacles, and road bumps you may face along your journey, you, too, can rise above the odds and stack the deck in your favor. In this book, I hope to instill in you the same sort of passion and excitement I have for living a life of meaning, purpose, and service to others. Ultimately, I want you to see this book as a tool to help you develop the right Attitude, Connection, Empowerment, and Strength to take your business and life to the next level.

In this book, you'll learn about success, business, and life:

• Breaking through your comfort zone: One of my favorite stories was from Grammy-nominated musician, Wayna, who shared what it was like to tour with Stevie Wonder and how she learned the power of stepping outside of her comfort zone through how he often failed himself. 

• Following your passion: US Coast Guard Captain Bryan Durr shared a great story of heroism where he described what it's like to fly a helicopter on a search and rescue mission with the idea that “you have to go out, but you may not make it back”. Starting with “It was a dark and stormy night,” his story of survival sends chills through your body as you imagine what it’s like to serve in the ultimate capacity.

• Rising through adversity: It’s not the obstacles we face, but how we respond in the face of adversity that determines our success in life. You’ll hear about stories of loss, stories of defeat, and how individuals were able to build upon the lessons to ultimately rise above the challenges they were facing. I also share a personal story from my journal that documents my early journey and lessons learned on a road that is approaching 5 years alcohol-free.

You will love this book if you are a corporate executive looking to get more meaning out of life. This is for the early career professional who wants to understand how to make a mark in the world. You know there is more out there for you but you can’t seem to muster up the courage or discipline to go after what you want consistently.

Stack Your Deck: How to be an ACE in Business & Life is a nonfiction book that speaks to success—defining and achieving success as you see it, not as the world sees it. It’s about owning your Attitude, building your Connection, claiming your Empowerment, and leveraging your Strength to be an ACE in business and life.