Jeff Ponders II - BEtter: 3 Steps to Shed Your Masks, Own Your Freedom, and Make One Day Today

C lutching his alto saxophone tightly, the intensity began to surge. Leaning back, knees bent, and swaying with the intricate rhythms of the drum set behind him, Jeff Ponders started to wail. Feverishly trying to keep up on the guitar, I glanced up at the captivated audience and noticed all eyes transfixed on the story being told from Jeffs horn. His improvised melodies conveyed the full range of emotion, from calm to fury, from determination to compassion. At the crescendo of his solo, he bounced up and down, expressing the joy of a child.

Im not sure which was more noteworthy: the finale of his perfectly-timed creative expression or the exuberance of the crowd. On their feet and cheering with verve, this difficult-to-impress audience at the historic Cliff Bells jazz club in downtown Detroit was roaring with delight.

With grace and humility, Jeff nods appreciation to the audience and then passes the musical baton to the piano player for his turn in the limelight. Jeff steps back with a nearly undetectable smile peeking through the right side of his mouth. The kind of knowing, confident look that a true master expresses when he knows hes delivered on his calling.

Jeff Ponders doesnt only reach such heights when playing jazz. In fact, hes achieved remarkable success in numerous areas of his life: from his time as an elite college athlete at the University of Pennsylvania to his entrepreneurial success as a digital pioneer scaling tech startups to his proudest accomplishment of all, his beloved family. Other people have achieved strong results, but Jeff has been able to do so while being grounded, peaceful, purposeful, and happy.

In the follow pages, Jeff shares the lessons he learned and the struggles he overcame to become such an exceptional musician, business leader, scholar, athlete, husband, father, and friend. He takes us on a journey, decoding success and liberating us from the traps that hold us back. He shows us how to be betterin both business and lifehelping us lock our sights on our true calling and then pursue it with vigor.

Ive had the pleasure of performing on dozens of stages with Jeff over the last twenty years. Ive also seen him shine in business, in his community, and with his family. In Better , this modern-day renaissance man delivers a prescriptive approach for us all to elevate our performance in the pursuits we care about the most. Rich with detail, humor, and humility, the book delivers on the promise of helping us upgrade ourselves and those around us.

Better stands out from the endless sea of self-improvement and leadership books by revealing unexpected truths rather than spouting cliches and platitudes. It gives us the roadmap with grace, humility and compassion, just like author himself.

I was exhausted as we ended that set in the crowded Detroit jazz club, but Jeffs enthusiasm never waned. He was energized by creating, sharing, and contributing. His carefully placed notes and has masterfully developed ideas flowed as if his instrument was plugged directly into his soul, and the long line of fans waiting to shake his hand removed any question that Jeff was not only the master of his craft but was truly living his purpose. In this book, hes traded eighth notes for prose, arpeggios for words. Yet the same creative brilliance shines through each sentence, paragraph, and chapter.

Its been a delight to watch Jeff become Better over the last two decades, and Im grateful that hes now generously sharing his wisdom to uplift us all. Take your time to careful read and absorb Jeffs insight, and you too will become Better .

Josh Linkner, June 2021, Detroit, Michigan