What People are Saying About This
From the Publisher
“Gary and I share a passion for servant leadership, although our stories are very different. My passion was with coffee, as Starbucks Coffee Company’s President of North America for 21 years; Gary’s passion is with health care at Palmetto Infusion. His book tells the inspirational story of how he discovered and realized the ‘success paradox’ in his business and life, in a way he didn’t expect. I highly recommend this book to anyone, no matter what business sector you are in, if you want to become a better leader and create healthy success in your life through humility and service.”
—HOWARD BEHAR
Author, speaker, adviser
“Having pushed hard to be successful as a player and coach, I could relate to success at all costs. But, as this book points out, what is success without a life full of love, family, and friends? For coaches of all kinds: read this book before your next team practice or client session.”
—PAUL DOTY
Former lacrosse coach of the UNC Tar Heels
“For the past 30 years I’ve watched the mental health crisis ravage my loved ones, my employees, and my own well-being, all because of pursuing traditional success. I‘ve had a long career as a leader in the creative industry and this is the first time somebody neatly upends everything you might consciously or unconsciously believe about success—that it requires hard work, that you can’t have it all, that you’ve got to focus on profit at all costs, that your health and that of your employees are not important. This book is a literal life saver. It’s full of inspiring stories and practical lessons, with a clear road map to breaking free and charting towards our own paradoxical success. This is a vital read for post-pandemic leaders.”
—PAULINE PLOQUIN
President and partner, Struck Branding and Marketing Transformation through Creativity, mentor, speaker, board leadership
“As a doctor, author, documentary filmmaker, professional speaker, change and communication skills business consultant, I’ve repeatedly witnessed the toll that the drive for success takes on motivated people and businesses. The authors redefine success by rightly putting health first, for individuals and for organizations. That truly is paradoxical thinking, particularly because they can demonstrate how financially profitable this has been. For anyone wanting to achieve big things, this book will prove itself an invaluable difference maker.”
—RICK KIRSCHNER, N.D., V.N.M.I.
Internationally best-selling co-author, Dealing with People You Can’t Stand
“I can totally relate to the author. I’ve accomplished many of the goals I set for myself as a young man—scholarship sports, world travel, meaningful relationships, a life of creative endeavors, and financial success. But, to the degree that I was drawn into the world of business and finance without my youthful love and creative drive, I inevitably lost my grounding and peace of mind. Those challenges made this book much more than an inspiring read for me, it’s an experience—an interactive virtual workshop with exercises and online materials that guide me out of that lonely fearful world and back home. For anyone else suffering from too many hours in a loveless business state of mind, keep reading!!!”
—DAVID STANLEY
Owner Wheaton Creek Ranch, artist, designer, investor
“How different our world might be if The Success Paradox were required reading for every young man and woman as they set off to make their mark on the world. What if we dumped the paradigm of success as an achievement earned at the loss of happiness and health, to discover success as a personal expression of integrity that earned us both? After four decades as a ‘successful’ architect I am ready to go back to the drawing board for round two!”
—PAULA BAKER-LAPORTE, FAIA
Architect, educator, and author, Prescriptions for a Healthy House (1st–4th editions)
“I hit the wall early and rejected the traditional success story in my twenties, becoming a leader in several NGOs and progressive political campaigns. I totally relate to Cooper’s amazing story and predict that this book will inspire many readers into a deep inquiry of what true success would be for them and will launch many ‘turnarounds’ into service-first enterprises of all kinds.”
—GIGI COYLE
Co-author, The Way of Council , mentor, consultant, community activist, trainer and guide in rites of passage and circle ways for forty years with individuals, NGOs, businesses and communities
“Combining Gary Cooper’s remarkable life story with a set of practical, hands-on, and at times counterintuitive tools and tips results in a wonderfully rich and valuable life/ business framework that can benefit many. Independent of age, gender, education, profession, ethnicity, and religion/ tradition, The Success Paradox shows how to create tangible abundance and purpose that come from releasing ourselves to a greater power for the highest service to all. This offering comes at a special time for our species to realize its potential to experience our collective consciousness by exploring that which unifies us as being far greater than what is perceived to separate us.”
—NIRAJ MEHTA
Founder/CEO, Kilowatt Capital; cofounder, Coongie!
“I was the founder of what grew to be a large architectural firm responsible for innovative buildings scattered across the US (you may have seen some in Las Vegas). I know my dad (who had told me: ‘If you’re not working, you’re a bum’) was proud of my achievements. Success is rewarding, but it typically comes at a steep price. My loving wife convinced me to retire at 72. It took two years of therapy to be OK without a 12-hour workday. I wish Gary and Will had written this book sooner. But, it’s not too late to benefit me, or you.”
—BARRY THALDEN
Architect
“Knowing Gary for 15 years, I’ve witnessed firsthand his personal and business trials, tribulations, and successes. His positive transformation in all aspects of life has been phenomenal. I think his best traits are his disarming personality, being genuine, honest, transparent, and he’s a wonderful listener. I learn something of value from him every time we get together. The business leadership ideas and tools Gary offers are invaluable and his book will help nurture a much-needed movement supporting mental wellness!”
—JOHN ADAMS
Retired chairman and CEO, AutoZone
“The Success Paradox blends a compelling memoir with a practical guidebook, taking us on a journey from the ashes of a devastated life through to the phoenix rising. A self-described workaholic, do-aholic, and alcoholic, Gary Cooper hit the wall hard. When given just one month to live, he let go to the fire of trauma and used it as a force for profound transformation. He shares his hard-earned footholds on the way to sustainable success. While the arc of this hero’s journey was literally deadly serious, Cooper and Wilkinson have crafted a book with humor, inspirational reflections, and practical exercises that show us what is possible when we come home to our true nature, surrender to something larger than ourselves, and walk through our dark night to become a light for others. This is a guidebook you will want to carry with you on the rugged road of life toward true success, sourced from the ground of being.”
—SUZANNE ANDERSON
Founder, Mysterial Woman and author of You Make Your Path by Walking: A Transformational Guidebook Through Trauma and Loss, and co-author of the triple award-winning The Way of the Mysterial Woman: Upgrading How You Live, Love, and Lead
“The Success Paradox is not your typical ‘how to succeed’ or ‘this is how I succeeded’ book. Instead, it’s a faith-filled story of a life full of lessons learned by someone who discovered that achieving success in the traditional manner was profoundly unfulfilling. He found another, much better way. Following from his remarkable journey, readers just might completely change their own personal definition of success in its truest form.”
—JAMES H. MORGAN
Retired chairman/CEO, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.
“I was engaged by Gary and his newly promoted CEO as their Executive and Business Coach at Palmetto Infusion, so I had a front-row seat for their transformational journey. Gary meets my criteria for a 21st-century leader because he walks his talk and is a lifelong student. Through this book, he is giving back by enabling us to learn from his remarkable experiences so we can focus on what really matters in our businesses, our relationships, and our lives. What a gift!”
—SHARON D. RANDACCIO
CEO, Performance Management Partners Inc.
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