Order Stack Your Deck:
How to Be an ACE in Business & Life
Released January 2023
This book 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).
Story of My 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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
The Book - Stack Your Deck: How to Be an ACE in Business & Life
The book is written in 4 Parts that align with the ACES pillars of success: Attitude, Connection, Empowerment, and Strength.
Part 1 is the Attitude (ACE of Spades) section and contains three chapters that will help you build the right mindset and focus on your success journey. Readers will learn about burnout and the importance of striking balance in life. We’ll also discuss how to focus your time and attention on what you can control and to lead a life with more intention. I share a deeply personal story about how I experienced burnout early in my career and ended up spending two weeks in a psychiatric ward. This early lesson taught me the importance of balance and how to lead a more well-rounded life with an emphasis on my well-being. We’ll also hear lessons from Spanx Founder Sara Blakely on how a no-limit mindset she developed as a teenager helped her chart a path to billionaire success.
Part 2 is the Connection (ACE of Clubs) section and contains three chapters that discuss the importance of connection across three key areas: connection to self, connection to others, and connection to the world. As humans, we were born to connect and we will hear lessons from my research on notable figures, such as Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey and Apple founder Steve Jobs, as well as interviews with other ACES about how they bring connection into their life. Grammy-nominated musician Wayna tells the story of how she was humbled by the universe, and business executive and entrepreneur Mina Brown shares the importance of a mission statement to keep her on track toward who she desires to be in life.
Part 3 is the Empowerment (ACE of Hearts) section and is all about living and leading from love with love. Recognizing that you have the power within, this section will give you tools to help you discover your purpose and live a more meaningful life. In addition, you’ll hear stories from well-known individuals, such as musician and fashion icon Kanye West and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, and interviews with executive leaders, including Deanna Moffitt, who left a thriving business career for the unpredictable world of improv comedy. It was through this transition that Deanna discovered the path to true freedom and confidence.
Part 4 is the Strength (ACE of Diamonds) section where we learn how to rise above the challenges that life throws our way. We will hear from ACES such as Toks Oyelola, a business executive and entrepreneur who talks about the tragedy of losing a young daughter to cancer and how these painful moments in life can provide a lesson that helps carry us toward hope. We’ll also hear from business executive Brandon Bowers who describes how the time he spent in the foster care system shaped his approach to leadership. We discover that what we do in our valley determines the height of our peak. You will learn how to weather the storms of life by staying true to your strengths and ultimately transforming any environment in which you operate.
More About My Publishing Journey
My publisher (New Degree Press) gave me a publishing team to help me produce and launch my book. I worked with:
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A revisions editor, copy editor, and proofreader to further hone my book
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A marketing specialist to coach and support me in marketing efforts, and help me reach new audiences
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A cover artist and layout editor designed my book. (The mockups you see currently are a placeholder!)
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I am also offering some exclusive rewards for people who buy a ticket to my book launch event:
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All tickets include a physical copy (softcover, paperback)
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You will be invited to join my Author Community and get behind-the-scenes sneak peeks into the publishing process. If you have ever thought about writing a book, or are interested in the book writing and publishing process, this up close and personal experience is just for you!
As an added bonus, I am offering a limited number of VIP packages:
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For those who select the VIP option, you will receive 2 tickets to an exclusive in-person launch event in the Greater Washington DC/DMV area.
About the Author
John Thompson III is a dynamic business leader, executive coach, entrepreneur, author, proud husband, and father of two young daughters. He has spent the past 20+ years in sales, service, and operations roles across GE and United Technologies Corporation. In his current role, John is a Regional Vice President for GE Healthcare where he leads a team of Sales Leaders and Account Managers within the imaging business focused on driving orders, revenue, and service margin while providing high technology equipment solutions to customers.
He is the Founder and CEO of Team ACES, a coaching and consulting company that helps individuals and organizations develop success habits centered on the pillars of Attitude, Connection, Empowerment, and Strength (ACES). Through 1:1 and group coaching as well as professional development workshops, John helps individuals elevate to the top of their game and become ACES in business and life.
Throughout his career, John has received numerous honors and awards and is passionate about giving back and developing the next generation of leaders. Through teaching, coaching, and sharing lessons learned over the years, John has expanded his toolkit and developed this easy-to-follow ACES pillars of success framework that he is excited to share in the pages of this book.
John holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Penn State University and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. John is a Board Certified Executive, Career, and Life Coach, Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation, and a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. In his spare time, John enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, taking in nature on a daily 5-mile walk, reading, and writing poetry.
For more information, you can connect with John Thompson via email at JT@GoTeamACES.com, LinkedIn, and his website, www.GoTeamACES.com.
Other Ways You Can Support Me
Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help:
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Please share my book on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn with your friends, family, and network. Please use #StackYourDeck and #GoTeamACES and tag me on LinkedIn and Instagram (@GoTeamACES), as well as my publisher, New Degree Press, so we can help amplify your efforts.
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Please recommend my book to five (5) friends, family members, or co-workers who you think would enjoy it via text or direct message on social media.
Thank you so much for all of your love and support!
John Thompson III