“Stephen Cloobeck’s book covers the life of a modern day business genius."

When I set out into this uncharted territory of writing a book, I asked an acquaintance of mine, who happens to be a three-time published author, for much-needed help.

“I’m trying to write a book about the one piece of advice successful busi- ness leaders of tomorrow need to know. As a successful author, what’s the one tip you would give me about writing a book?”

He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t waver.

“You’ll never go wrong treating the reader as you, yourself, would like to be treated.”

Well, future reader, if you’re anything like me, patience has never been a virtue.

So let’s skip the pleasantries.

Let’s skip the prologue.

Let’s get right to brass tacks.

I’ve spent my entire career, my entire life, in hospitality. You name it, I’ve done it. Back of house, front of house, running the whole house. At the risk of getting ahead of myself, the company I would ultimately found—Diamond Resorts International—today has a network of hundreds of vacation destina- tions on six continents: that’s covering the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Central America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. In 2015, Diamond Resorts, which rose from the ashes of a pre- decessor nearly twice bankrupt, reported a healthy $954 million in revenue with a profit of, give or take, $150 million.1 As we go to print, Diamond Resorts International is among the largest timeshare resort companies in the world—competing with the likes of Marriott, RCI, and Hilton—and is poised to grow.

Mine isn’t a rags-to-riches drama, but it is a true, practical, and instruc- tive story about what it takes to find business success on your terms—nobody else’s. My story is about what it takes to get ahead when everyone else is try- ing just to keep up, what it’s like to see your business and career dreams go from tangled confusion to clear vision to reality.

True leadership is about taking a stand for the people, principles, and products you believe in. Leadership is hollow without ownership.

It’s only right that I warn you now: I built my business by breaking all the traditional rules, and I plan to write my book the very same way. You’ll never hear me apologize for my successes or, for that matter, my failures, of which there are plenty. That’s because true leadership is about taking a stand for the people, principles, and, yes, products you believe in—not shirking from them. I’ve learned that leadership is hollow without ownership.

I never saw myself writing a book of any kind, let alone a business book— and most certainly not a memoir. But I believe that sometimes we need to check in with ourselves, to figure out again what we’re about, where we want to go, and how best to get there. I believe when we take a good, hard look at who we are as people and what we have to offer, we can do something powerful that changes our personal and professional outcomes. So what follows in the ensuing pages aren’t watered-down stories, PC commentary, or self-help incantations. You won’t get that from me. What follows are the once-in-a-lifetime experiences, career-defining moments, and hard-earned lessons you get only by rolling up your sleeves, diving in, and never looking back. What follows are strategies and stories that will make you think and definitively change how you approach people, problems, and possibilities.

To continue reading, please purchase a book below: