I just completed the last page of the manuscript, and I feel so incredibly blessed to sit and write these acknowledgments.

There have been so many people who have inspired me, encouraged me, and supported me. I will never be able to list them all but I have to start with Who it all starts with—God. Thank you for guiding me during all of the challenging times in my life. Thank you for your voice, for your protection, and your reassurance. Thank you for laying this book on my heart and giving me the courage to write it. I am immensely grateful for Your grace and the gift of this life.

Thank you to Daniel Decker for seeing something special in me and for masterfully orchestrating the book launch. You were the first domino for this book and I am so grateful for your friendship.

To Shannon Vargo, Sally Baker, and the incredible team at Wiley for believing in me and this book, and for taking me into the Wiley family. A special thanks to Julie Kerr for carefully editing this manuscript and for being so kind and patient with this rookie author. And to the Wiley team who copyedited and typeset my words and turned them into this incredible book.

To Tony Robbins, if I hadn't found you and your cassette tapes when I was a teenager, I have no idea how my life would look. I am forever grateful for you and those 3 a.m. infomercials. You were a mentor long before you ever knew who I was. I am grateful for your presence and thank you for being a cornerstone in my life. To Brendon Burchard, thank you for your being a bright light during one of the most difficult times in my life. Your talents and example in this industry have been invaluable and I appreciate you so much. To my friends in the industry, Rory and AJ Vaden, Jon and Kathryn Gordon, Lewis Howes, Michael Ellsberg, and so many others, thank you for all of your encouragement and support—this wouldn't be what it is without you.

To the authors of the books that I learned so much from—David Bach, Thomas J. Stanley, Napoleon Hill, David J. Schwartz—your words gave this once uneducated kid an invaluable self-education. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with the world.

Kel and Kimmie—two of my closest friends since high school—thank you for your lifelong friendship, endless laughs, and sister-like love. To my friend Anne Degre who passed away before her time. Thank you for your example of strength and for showing me how to be unapologetic as a female in business. I miss you dearly.

To all the rescue dogs who have given me so much unconditional love along the way. Louie, Mia, Henry, Gucci, Carlos, Gianni, Winston, and the rest of the pack—you have taught me so much, given me so much joy and truly rescued me.

The team and board at Heal Animal Rescue, thank you for your dedication to being a voice for the animals. A special thanks to Bethany Morse and Jessica Rafferty for your continued friendship, loyalty, and commitment to our mission.

To my team and clients all over the world, thank you for giving me this incredible opportunity, and for accepting my gritty, hard-hitting education with love. I am grateful to each of you for giving me the joy of watching you succeed, I am continually cheering you on.

To my dad, thank you for your continued example of strength, hard work, and for showing me how to never give up. Thank you for always being there for me—regardless of the challenge, and for reminding me to never care about what people think. And to my mom, for having me when she was 16 when she could have very easily not. Thank you for always being willing to help, to lend a hand, and be there for me whenever and wherever needed.

Last but certainly not least, Anthony. Thank you for always making me laugh, for your strength in the storms and for always believing in me. Every year together brings more excitement, greater adventure, and a deeper love. Thank you for your continued encouragement, for your support, and for loving me—for who I am, and for who I'm not.

To you the reader, and everyone who has supported this book, thank you does not begin to describe my gratitude for you.

Much love,

Candy