Jono isn't your typical author. In fact, in school, he was in the "small class," the remedial one, or what we kids called it, “The Retard Class,” where writing and English weren't exactly his strong suits. Getting a C was cause for celebration. If someone had told his teachers back then that he'd eventually write a book, they probably would have checked him for a head injury.

Growing up shy and introverted, lacking self-confidence and real friendships in school, Jono found himself pulled down a dark path he was never meant to travel. A road filled with jail bars, drugs, and eventually an attempt to end his own life. Turns out, when you're your own worst enemy, you're really good at the job.

But he turned it around. Today, he's married to the love of his life, Ali, and they have two kids, Gio and Olivia, who are his unending joy and the driving force behind everything he does. They're also the reason he can't afford to screw up again, which is excellent motivation.

Jono always knew he'd never work a traditional job, so he was constantly chasing new business ventures. Not counting the drug dealing phase, which was less "entrepreneur" and more "future felon with poor life choices." He's experienced both spectacular success and crushing failure in business. And he would be the first to tell you, nothing hits harder than blowing your life savings on a failed venture while simultaneously being diagnosed with incurable blood cancer. Talk about life's twisted sense of timing.

Cancer tried to take over his life, but with thoughts of his family and an unshakeable passion for living, Jono refused to break. The doctors gave him the average life expectancy statistics for his specific cancer type. His response? "Fuck average." Average is mediocrity, and that's not how he operates. Besides, he's already died once metaphorically, so doing it literally seemed redundant.

Twenty years ago, Jono was facing down a SWAT team in his pajamas, wondering how he'd destroyed his life so completely. Pro tip: when armed officers are at your door before sunrise, you've made some questionable decisions. Today, he's thriving despite daily challenges as an entrepreneur, speaker, and author. The path between those two moments? That's where the real story lives, and where the life-changing lessons are found.

Here's what Jono learned: rock bottom isn't a place you visit, it's a foundation you can build on. Every scar tells a story, and every story has the power to heal someone else's wounds.

Jono is a life warrior who's learned through fire. He discovered that life's biggest disasters can become your greatest teachers if you're willing to learn from them. They can also fuel you through present and future struggles. Sometimes the best compass for moving forward is understanding exactly how lost you once were.

The years between living recklessly and today taught him something powerful: adversity isn't your enemy, it's your teacher. Every setback contained a lesson. Every failure held a gift. The 10 transformation principles in "The Breaking Point" are the roadmap he wishes he'd had during his darkest moments. Consider it his gift to you, because misery may love company, but wisdom loves sharing the way out.

Today, Jono wakes up every day grateful for Ali and their kids. They're his why, the reason he fights, the reason he refuses to let cancer define his story, and the reason he's sharing these hard-won lessons. Because if his struggles can help one person find their way back from rock bottom, then every painful step was worth it. After all, the only thing worse than going through hell is going through it for nothing.