Among the Giants: How One Underdog Pursued His Dreams & You Can Too!
by Jesse LeBeau
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BLURB:
The sound of the basketball slapping the floor echoed hollowly in the gym, as I began working it playfully with my hands. Planning my next move, I locked eyes with my opponent. I noticed small beads of sweat beginning to form in the furrow between his eyebrows. My heart was pounding, and my nerves tightened in response . . . but slowly a smile formed on my lips. Here I was, 5’8” Jesse LeBeau, going one on one with basketball superstar Kevin Durant . . . and I was making him sweat! As I started to make my move on him, I briefly wondered, “How did a skinny kid from a small town in Alaska ever get the chance to do this?” Here I was, involved in the filming of the 2012 Warner Brother’s basketball movie Thunderstruck, playing against the NBA scoring champion! It shouldn’t have happened. I didn’t fit the profile and anyone would have told you that. But I did make it, despite the odds. And here is my story . . .
Growing up as an undersized white basketball player on a remote island in Alaska, Jesse had nearly every chip stacked against him. Yet despite his size and circumstances, he managed to rise above it all and make it to the big screen in Hollywood. With only the love of the game of basketball and the tenacity to follow a dream driving him, Jesse’s persistence has led him to star in national commercials and movies with some of the most recognizable celebrities and professional athletes in the world. More importantly, he found a way to tweak the system and alter his dream and get paid to do what he loves to . . . every day! Be inspired by his story and learn the keys to successfully creating a life that is uniquely yours.
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Excerpt:
The majority of you don’t know my name, although you’ve probably seen my face on television. at the age of twenty-four, i began starring in national commercials for Kobe Bryant and other nBa players. i’ve been featured by sports magazines and played in basketball games that were televised to a global audience. i’ve done interviews for radio, television, and websites. i’ve met and spent time with famous, wealthy, and influential people from all over the world, and i have relationships some of the most re- spected and intelligent business men and women in the country.
do i think i’m special because of this? no. i know my efforts have been blessed. i also know that if there is anything special about me, it isn’t necessarily my talent. it would more likely be my dogged tenacity to pursue a dream and my drive to put every ounce of my energy into making that dream happen. i was an underdog my whole life, but i refused to become a victim or a “less- than” in any endeavor i attempted. i always believed in myself, even when the odds were stacked against me. and they usually were.
even with the success i’ve had so far, i still feel like i have room to grow before reaching my fullest potential. But i believe i am on the right track. The fact that all of this happened for me in such a short time is a true testament to the principles i have learned and applied to my life. i want to share my story and these “life lessons” with you . . . and i want this book to inspire you to find your passion and chase your dreams, so you can wake up every day and do whatever it is you love.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Over the course of the last couple years, Jesse has propelled himself from a small, alaskan fishing town to the Hollywood big screen, being seen by millions all over the world. By leveraging his love of the game of basketball and making the most of every opportunity, he has suc- cessful created a life all his own. at 5’8”, he may not be an nBa player, but by tweaking his dream, he has been able to use his passion (basketball) to star in national commercials and movies, work with pro athletes and celebrities, and even give back on a regular basis as a motivational speaker for youth. His un- derdog story, outlined in his book, Among the Giants, serves as an inspiration to anyone who has ever been told they can’t make their dream a reality.
Jesse was born and raised on Pennock island, alaska, where his mother worked as a school teacher and his father was involved in the logging industry. Jesse played basketball growing up, but no one wanted to take him seriously, and coaches told him he was too small and would never make it. despite his critics, he believed not only in himself but also in the plan God had for him. Jesse has experienced big wins and frustrating losses, but both triumph and defeat helped him grow as a leader and a person, and helped deepen his faith.
Today, he uses his message to motivate and inspire young people around the world as a speaker and author. combining his love of basketball, speaking, and entertaining, Jesse founded the fab4 Takeover, which brings celebrities into schools to teach and impact students. He also released an instructional dribbling dVd titled Dribble Like a Star. for a free download from the dVd visit www.JesseleBeau.com or text the word ‘dVd ‘to the number 58885. you can find more information, read news in the press, watch highlight video foot- age, and follow Jesse on a more personal level at the following websites:
www.fab4streetball.com
www.facebook.com/jesselebeau
To purchase Among The Giants on Amazon visit: http://amzn.to/1gg7apn
To get a free download from his DVD visit: http://bit.ly/U9w32m
To get a free download from his eBook “What Allen Iverson Taught Me About Life” visit: www.JesseLeBeau.com
How To Avoid The Rejection Blues (Guest Post by the Author)
When I wrote my book I was virtually unknown. But I had a story I believed could help people and I was determined to get it out there. Finding a publisher wasn’t easy, but I decided I was going to ‘reject rejection’ and do whatever I had to do (within my moral scope) to get my book published.
I was told ‘no’ by all kinds of publishers. They told me there wasn’t an audience for my book. I was told I didn’t have a big enough following or platform. They seemed nice enough but I knew they just didn’t get it. I needed to find the one person who would believe in not only my book, but also would believe in me.
A key to success in any area of life, (not just finding a book publisher) I’ve found is to be persistent and to reject rejection. Instead of being bummed out when I was told ‘no’ I took on the attitude that with every ‘no’ I got I was that much closer to a ‘yes.’ It wasn’t easy and took a serious mental adjustment but that kept me positive and moving forward. I believe it’s because of this attitude choice that I was eventually able to sign with an awesome publisher that catered to my audience.
Your attitude is everything. Even the best authors / books are usually rejected. Look it up. Jack Canfield’s Chicken Soup For The Soul Series has sold over 80 million copies and has been printed in over 39 languages to date and they were rejected by over 123 publishers! The publishing world is a hard nut to crack so you can’t be bummed when you don’t hear your big ‘yes’ right away. Just remember that one ‘yes’ can change everything for you and is worth the first 99 ‘no’s’ you may hear.
A couple of quick tips if you want to get a publisher. Write an AMAZING book proposal. You should spend more time on that than you even did on your book. That is key. Remember, you aren’t just an author, you are a marketer. Marketing your book is more important than writing it in my opinion, because you may have a great story, but if no one anywhere gets to hear it then it’s worthless. Start building your platform yesterday. This is almost all publishers care about. Will you have an audience who will buy your book. It’s just a numbers game for them. Whether it’s going out and speaking, doing a webcast, podcast or having a Facebook group you need an audience who wants to listen to what you have to say.
You can get yourself a publisher if you determine to, but only if you will. Remember the biggest key: attitude is everything!
Jesse will be awarding a signed Deuce Brand watch to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Be sure to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/07/virtual-book-tour-among-giants-by-jesse.html
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3 Comments
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Interesting bio
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I enjoyed the Guest Post.
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Thanks for hosting!
