John Vespasian is the author of nine books about rational living. He has turned his international background and his personal interest in history into a breed of personal-development books that emphasize rationality, resilience, and learning from real-life examples. His latest books are On Becoming Unbreakable, Thriving in Difficult Times, and Sequentiality: The Amazing Power of Finding the Right Sequence of Steps, which came out in 2017.

Amber Baker saw the early signs of what she would like to do in her future through being in a peer counseling leadership group as a teen. But when she found herself writing a fan email to a neuroscience textbook author, she knew she was crazy for psychology. A clinical psychologist today in private practice and the host of the Go Friend Your Self podcast, her goal is to help people improve their relationship with themselves, investing energy in being their own best friend instead of worst critic.

Richard Maddox was working 16-hour days–often seven days a week– marketing Silicon Valley start-ups. But through it all he did one thing consistently every day since 1975, which gave him a story to tell hard-charging Westerners about finding enlightenment. His 9-part novel, “Remembering Eternity” and “The Whisper of a Saint” are double international Amazon bestselling enlightenment novels.

Greg Centineo has followed the entrepreneurial path for three decades, mastering the art and psychology of what moves people to believe in an idea, invest in it and commit their time and energy to help create the idea. His ground-breaking animation project, “Legends of Oz, Dorothy Returns,” illustrated his skills to raise $122 million through 1,300 investors in the midst of a recession, and to engage thousands of people to believe in and invest their energy in creating the dream.

Laura Sandefer had no plans to start a school, much less turn education on its head. But as she looks back, she has vivid memories of a pre-dawn chat with her father on the morning she left for college. His advice, “Be curious,” has become a consistent thread in her life’s journey. As co-founder of Acton Academy, her school has sparked a global awakening in education. Her book, "Courage to Grow,” documents the journey to pursue the big questions around learning and unleashing human potential.

Jake Carlson was in a career that was mostly satisfying. When his tightly scheduled life made him miss his daughter’s gymnastic tournament, he realized he and his career were not in sync. After 11 years as a tax attorney, he took his three kids out of school for the adventure of a lifetime. They spent a year living in 12 countries. What he had not expected was to observe the need for strong leadership everywhere he went.

Joel Solomon believes that although financial success and power can have great value, it is most important to learn to be successful as human beings. Solomon chairs Renewal Funds, a $98 million mission venture capital firm, delivering above market returns while catalyzing positive social and environmental change. He is also the author of the book, “The Clean Money Revolution: Reinventing Power, Purpose, and Capitalism.”

Emily Pereira played by the rules, giving her highly competitive job 110%. She had proven to others that she could excel in whatever she put her mind to. But when a personal crisis began to crush her, she needed a more radical way to be responsible for herself. A women’s love coach, yoga teacher and international retreat leader, she lives at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica with her beloved and baby girl. Together they are building the Spirit Nature Retreat and Wellness Center.

Arnie Herz knew he was heading to law school, but he took an indirect path that surprised everyone. A brush with his own mortality in college turned his life upside down and sent him on a global search for meaning that changed everything. As a lawyer, mediator and speaker, he often speaks on negotiation, conflict resolution, work-life balance and the attorney-client relationship. Covered in numerous publications, Arnie has received a host of acknowledgements and awards from his colleagues.

Dustin Peterson is the author of "RESET: How to Get Paid and Love What You Do," founder and CEO at Proof Leadership Group, and a career coach. After working an unfulfilling job in public relations, he set out to find his passion and live it, learning along the way the steps to identify purpose and articulate talents. He now dedicates his time to helping others discover their best-fit career.