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Praise for The Great Ones
‘‘Withmasterfulstory-tellingreminiscentofHemingway,RidgelyGolds-
borougheducates,enlightens,andinspireswithhisgreatnewfable,The
GreatOnes.Youwon’tbeabletoputthisonedownandyou’llenjoyevery
entertaininglesson alongtheway.’’
Dr.JoeRubino,
CEO,www.CenterForPersonalReinvention.com
AuthorofTheSelf-EsteemBook
‘‘Ridgelyneverceasestoamazeme.TheGreatOnesspellsoutthebeauty
oflifewhenwehavesomeonetolookupto,learnfrom,andmostofall
mentorfrom.TheGreatOneswillnodoubtbeabestsellerasitdepictsa
relationshipbetweenaboyandanoldman,whichis,byallaccounts,one
ofthemostprecious,soul-touchingrelationshipsknowntomankind.The
GreatOneswillsitonmybookshelfattheveryfrontrepresentingoneof
themostimportantgrowingexperiencesthatlifecanoffer . ..mentorship
andguidance alonglife’s narrowhighway tosuccess.’’
Dr.DallasHumble,
CEO,TheHumbleGroup,
AuthorofMakeItHappen,AHealthierYou
‘‘Ilovedthisstory!Ridgelyoffersabeautifulparableaboutthepowerand
magicofhavingamentorwhofansthatsputteringlittleflameofself-respect.
From a woman’s perspective, I find his descriptions of both despair and
delightquitemoving,andhehasanuncannyabilitytocapturethecoreof
thehumanexperience.’’
MayaFrost,
TheMindMasseuse
‘‘Thereisanimportantgroupofindividuals,menandwomen,whomake
a tremendous impact across the world. They are nurturers who give of
themselvesunconditionally,thusshapingthedestiniesofthosetheytouch.
Theyarecalled‘mentors’andcomefromthewholespectrumofthehuman
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race.TheGreatOnesexemplifies,inagloriousway,theragstoriches
tale—ofthespiritualrange—ofayoungboywhotransformshislifebythe
touchofamentor.Weshouldallbesoblessedastohavesuchapersonin
ourlives .. .orto becomeone.’’
LuciaDeGarcia,
President,ElanInternational
‘‘AMust-Read.Ridgelyhasdoneafinejobcapturingataleofgrowinginto
whowe can allbecome,regardless ofwherewe came from.’’
NickSarnicola,
Founder,FusionTrainingSystem
‘‘With storytelling skills reminiscent of Richard Bach, C.S. Lewis, and
ErnestHemingway, Goldsborough’sbeautifulfableun-concealsoneof the
Universe’s mostvaluablelessons—thepoweroftakingone’slifeintheir
own hands. Couldn’tput itdown.’’
RussDeVan,CEO,
SuccessbyDesign,Inc.
‘‘Packed with timeless wisdom, this engaging tale is a fast read with a
timeless message.An inspiration foranyage!’’
DonFergusson,LifeandRelationshipCoach
ChiefArchitectofTheHouseofIntimacy
FormerPresident,Rust-OleumCorporation
‘‘Wow!IjustfinishedreadingRidgely’snewbook,TheGreatOnes.Iread
it inoneseatingbecauseitwassocaptivating,powerful,artistic, andtrue.
Asa10thdegreeblackbeltandHallofFamechampion,Icanconcurwith
thispowerfulbook.EverygreatpersonhasaSensei, Coach,Trainer,and/or
Mentorthatcanhelpdrawoutthegreatness.Thisbookneedstobereadby
everylivingpersonwhowantstoexcelinlife.BesuretogetamentorASAP,
ifyou needhelpfinding one,checkoutwww.mentorsclub.com!’’
Dr.Stan‘‘BreakThrough’’Harris
www.TheInternetMentor.com
www.DrBreakThrough.com
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‘‘Heart-wrenchinginitsinnocenceandsimplicity.Upliftinginitslessons
andperseverance.’’
JayeshPatel,
Partner,Pumilia,Patel&Adamec,LLP
‘‘Thereare fewpeopleIcheckinwithonaregularbasisthatgivememore
pleasure,insight,andenthusiasmforlifethanRidgelyGoldsborough.He
ispartwarrior,partBuddhistmonk,partcounselor,andalwaysaloyal,
intelligent friend. In his new book, The Great Ones, you get a clear
visionofwhatittakestobeagreatone,too—but,moreimportantly,you
seewhathewentthroughinhisowndevelopment.Makenomistake,this
book is as much ‘how to’ as it is ‘how I did it’—written so well that
you’ll forgetyou’re learningfrom aGreat One yourself.’’
ScottMartineau,
CEO,www.ConsciousOne.com
AuthorofThePowerofYOU!
‘‘This book is a must read! The Great Ones is a heartwarming,
passionatestoryforanyonewhoneedsreassuranceofourhumanpotential.
RidgelyGoldsboroughwriteswithclarityandcandor,compellingyouto
readon.Thereisnoputtingthisbookdown!Itiswarmandfascinating,
andfilledwithpriceless nuggets abouthow todesigna wonderful life!’’
KathleenDeoul,
AuthorofCancerCover-Up
‘‘TheGreatOneselegantlyrelatesamessageforalldreamersgreatandsmall.
WeshouldallhaveafriendliketheOldManmuchearlierinourlives!’’
KevinBriley,
ManagingPartner,AscendEducation
‘‘Amentorissomeonewhohasalready walkedthepathweseektotravel.It
makesnosensetotravelwithoutamap.Withoutquestion,amentoris
someonewho can‘PassIt On.’Great work, Ridgely.’’
GregoryScottReid,
CEO,TheMillionaireMentor,Inc.
FilmProducer,PassItOn
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‘‘TheGreatOnesinstillstheessenceofpersonaldevelopmentonyourmind
without you ever noticing thatyou’re being taught anything atall. This
bookgivesyoutheuniqueopportunitytofinallyunderstandthetruthsyou
mayhavereadaboutinalltheotherself-helpbookssittinginyourlibrary.
Withinminutesofopeningit,you’llfindyourselfgettingstuckinthestory
and growing into a more focused personwitheverychapter youread.’’
ChristopherGuerriero,
AuthorofMaximizeYourMetabolism
‘‘Thisbookisapowerfulexplorationofcharacterbuildingandtheimpactof
thesignificantpeopleinourlives. Icouldn’tputthebookdown.Amustreadfor
thoseofusstrugglingwithourpastandalsoforthoseofuswhomentorothers.’’
BenitaCreacy,CFP,
President,DC&Associates
‘‘Asathree-timeOlympian,themessageofnevergivingupresonateswith
metothecore.Itisthedifferencebetweenachampionandawannabe,
every time.’’
RubenGonzalez,
AuthorandCo-starof
themotivationalmovie,PassItOn
‘‘Ridgelyjustgetsit.TheGreatOnesvividlydisplayshowmuchweall
needamentortolightthewayforus.Persuasionandmanipulationare
lightyearsbehindandRidgely’sbookshowsthatclearly.Youmusthave
loveinyourheartforthepeopleyoulead.Thisbookmademefeelgood.’’
DaleBrown,
FormerLSUBasketballCoach1972–1997
AuthorofWordstoLiftYourSpirits
‘‘TheGreatOnesisabookyouabsolutelydeservetoread.Ridgelyisa
masteratdeliveringtheinsightthatwillallowyoutotransformtheway
you feelaboutyourselfso thatyoucan produce larger results inlife.’’
JefferyCombs,
President,GoldenMastermindSeminars,Inc.
AuthorofPsychologicallyUnemployable
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‘‘This book has impacted me on many levels, steadily working down
throughthestrataofmypersona,likepeelingawaythelayersofanonion.I
amforeverchanged,andnolongerwillingtoplaysmall.Myalreadydog-
earedcopyisnotonthebookshelf,butrathernearby,whereatanytimeI
canopenitspagesandhearthevoiceofawisementorencouragingmeto
livealifeofgreatness,andremindingmethat‘ourchoicesdefinewhowe
become,notourintentions.’Thisisanextraordinarybook;acompanion
forliving.TheGreatOneswillbejudgedaclassic,readandrereadfor
generations.’’
DonnaCicotteCastro,
Founder,CoastalWealthBuilders
‘‘Amustreadforanyoneinvolvedinnurturingthecareerofaprot(cid:1)eg(cid:1)e,a
promisingsubordinate,orevenasonordaughter...beautifullydepicts
thesecretsofasuccessfullife.’’
RearAdmiralJamesE.Koehr,USN(Ret)
‘‘Ridgelyprovidesanincrediblestorywherethemessageisinspiringand
thelessonsaretrue.Theturnofeachpageunveilsatalethatwillenhance
yourownmagical journeyin life.’’
JeffreySt.Laurent,
AuthorofAlreadyReady!
www.TrueYouNow.com
‘‘PerhapsIwastired,perhapsithadbeenalongday,perhapstheemotions
finallycaughtupwithme.AsIfinishedthelastwordsofyourbook,Iknewthe
messagewouldbeblatantlyclear,butlittledidIknowthatthemessagewould
bethatloudandclear.Ineverysituation,thereisanopportunity.Sometimes
thatopportunityislife-changing,sometimesnot.Butthecompilationofallof
ouropportunitiesandthechoiceswemakecanchangenotonlyourlives,but
otherlivesaswell.Yourbookstates,‘Notonlydowenotgraspamessagefully
thefirsttimearound,mostofusneedtohearthesamethingoverandover,
fromdifferentperspectivesandoutlooks,beforeitwilltrulysink.’Howtrue!
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Thestoryisa‘greatone’andhaddeepmeaningforme,becauseasIturnedthe
lastpage,mymentor,myfather,wassittingrightnexttome.’’
LaurieLipseyAronson,
President,Lipsey’s
‘‘Verypowerfulmessages,deliveredinacompellingandeasytoreadstory—
somethingfor everyone—student, parent,manager, executive...’’
JohnTolmie,
VPFinance&Administration,
VisalusHoldings,LLC
‘‘Mentorsmakeupanintegralpartofanysuccesssystem,particularlyfor
those who wish to accelerate their learning curve and reach their goals
morequicklyandeffectively.TheGreatOnespaintsamasterfulpicture
ofthedevelopmentandacceptanceofamentoringrelationshipalongwith
the building of stalwart character that inevitably accompanies such a
noblejourney.’’
H.LairdGoldsborough,
President,ShanerAppraisals
‘‘Life’ssuccessesarebuiltonafoundationofkeyyetsimpletruths.The
Great Ones is both an entertaining and inspirational story that
reminds us of these fundamental yet critical truths of how we can
achieve success in our lives. I highly recommend this book.’’
NeilElmouchi,CLU,ChFC,
President,SummitFinancialConsultants,Inc.
‘‘Eye-Opening.Powerful.AMustReadforanyonewhodesiresmoreoutof
themselves. Ridgely, thanks fora greatpiece ofSuccess Wisdom.’’
JohnDiLemme,
AuthorofFindYourWhyandFly!
www.FindYourWhy.com
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‘‘RidgelyGoldsboroughhasagiftformakinguslookatthewaywelearn
andhowwepassmessagesontoothers.Thisisagreatreadformentors,
students, parents, and professionals from all walks of life.’’
CliffMichaels,
CEO,CMAMortgageandRealEstate,
CEO,1DayMBASuccessTraining
‘‘Ridgely’sbookisbeautifulinbothitswritinganditsmessage.Aparableof
characterandstrengthemergingfromchildhoodstrugglethanksinparttothe
wiseguidanceofamentor—agreatmessagetosharewitholdandyoungalike.’’
GrahamBarronsAnthony,
CEO,AnthonyAdvisors
www.aadvisors.com
‘‘Inordertogrow,weallneed someonewhoattimesbelievesmoreinus
thanwedoinourselves.Wecanwaituntilwehavegatheredallourown
experiencesfromwhichtolearn,orwecanlearntolistentootherswho
havealreadyhadthoseexperiences!TheGreatOnesdoesanamazingjob
ofrelayingsomeofthebestlifelessonswithinacreativeandrelatablestory.
We all have ‘the Boy’ within us, and if you are willing to become the
student,the lessonsfrom TheGreatOnes willchange yourlife.’’
BlakeMallen,
CMO,ViSalusSciences
‘‘Very entertaining read! Powerful lessons that teach about our
ownuniquenessandtheendlesspossibilitiesweallhaveifwesimplyseek.’’
ToddFalcone,
CEO,www.ToddFalcone.com
‘‘Amustreadforthoseofusengagedinthepursuitofgreatness.Ridgely
masterstheprocessofmentoringthroughstorytelling.Heencouragesusto
seekamentorand,inturn,becomeone.’’
WinnieHart,
PresidentandCreativeDirector,
TheHAgency
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‘‘Ridgelyremindsusinaverybeautifulanduniquewayofthepowerof
storytelling—remindsusonceagainoftheimportanceofreachingoutand
becomingamentorandwhatwecanlearninreturnfromtheyounger
generation. Intheir own way, they, too, canmentor us and helpus see
opportunities we nolongerobserve.’’
EricVanBladel,
Dir.Corp.Development&Strategy,
BlythInc.
‘‘Thewisdomoftheagessooftenflowsgenerationallyfromthosewhohave
walked the path to those barely beginning their journey. Ridgely’s book
showcasestheimmensevalueofamentoringrelationship,inthecontextof
a fable that tugs at our heart strings and leaves the lessons indelibly
engraved inourhearts wherethey willforever live. Powerfullytold.’’
ShepHyken,CSP,
CEO,ShepardPresentations
‘‘Ialwaysknewthatyouwereagreatwriter,butI’mjustamazedatan
all around solid product. Great story, engaging at all times, unforced
messages that seem effortlessly woven through, and a book that could
easily be read and re-read for more nuggets. I love how profoundly
simplethemessageisandthissoon-to-beclassicwillimpactthousandsif
notmillionsofpeopleandchangetheirparadigmsforever.Toamentor
of mentors, thank you for bringing us this message.’’
JasonLew,
Ambassador,VisalusSciences
‘‘TheGreatOnesisapowerfulandcaptivatingstoryfilledwithvalues
thatapplytomanyoflife’scircumstancesfrompersonaltoprofessional.As
abusinessleader,husband,andfathertryingtolearntobea‘GreatOne,’
the book’s message came to me with great timing. In the challenging
environmentthatourworldfindsitself,Ihighlyrecommendthisreminder
oftimeless truths!’’
JamesBethea,
CEO,ThePerfectBass,LLC
Description:A business fable on the power of mentors and essential keys to success in business, life, and relationshipsWhen it comes to personal and professional success, few relationships prove more vital and powerful than that of mentor and student. Unfortunately, most of us seldom gain access to a thoughtful
