Taken during the holidays in the '90s. Tony took me under his wing like a big brother and welcomed me into his chosen family.
Even before Tony Robbins wrote the foreword to 8 Minutes in the Morning, we were friends. He treated me like a little brother and even met my beautiful mom, Gloria — the heart of my life's work.
I was a 23-year-old political science major at UCSD when I walked into one of Tony's one-day seminars in San Diego. I walked out with a new life. A single question hit me between the eyes: What would you do if you couldn't fail?
My answer was simple: get healthy, help people, and build a method that actually fits real life.
Tony became a mentor and big-brother figure. He pushed me to think bigger, to serve, and to turn action into identity. Years later, in 2001, he wrote the foreword to my first book, 8 Minutes in the Morning. That foreword didn't just endorse a program — it set a standard for how I coach to this day.
From Tony's foreword (2001):
- "Your body is not your enemy."
- When your body is in optimum condition, your energy and possibilities expand.
- "It is in our moments of decision that our destiny is shaped."
Tony believed 8 Minutes could be the "coach" people need — focused, consistent, doable — so momentum finally sticks. He was right. The book is still out there, still helping people every day, now in 16 languages. I'm forever grateful.
