Wednesday, May 22, 2019

# Interviews

Talking Books with Jerry Ford, Author of 'Guns, Drugs, or Wealth' @RealJerryFord #Interviews



 We're happy to have Jerry Ford with us today! Jerry is the author of Guns, Drugs, or Wealth. More about him and his new book below!

Jerry Ford is a Detroit native who grew up in the ghetto. He has been involved in and witnessed everything from gun violence to drug trafficking and addiction, jail, gang life, and murder. At age fourteen, Jerry’s brother, Sam, was murdered on their mother’s birthday. At age seventeen, Jerry’s best friend, Steven, was also murdered. The list goes on. One of the ways Jerry channeled his anger was through martial arts; he became a black belt in multiple styles and received gold medals in the Junior Olympics and other world-respected tournaments.
Jerry received his Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University. Immediately after college, he started his career as a personal-fitness trainer at New York Health & Racquet Clubs, and soon became one of the company’s top trainers. Having established himself as a fitness professional in New York City, Jerry moved Los Angeles, where he became a top trainer at Equinox. After mastering the science of human engineering, Jerry parted ways with Equinox to launch his own private training business. His clients currently include high-net-worth individuals, celebrities, royal family members, fighters, and a variety of other tastemakers. While still based in Los Angeles, he travels nationally and internationally to train clients.
Jerry is also an investor in stocks, real estate, television and film properties, and anything else he believes to be worth the risk. This is his first book, and he wrote it to help others walk their own paths to success.
Visit him at Twitter at www.twitter.com/realjerryford.

About the Book:

Author and Celebrity Personal Trainer Jerry Ford has authored a powerful, painfully honest book entitled GUNS, DRUGS, OR WEALTH as a help and inspiration to others who also seek personal wealth and independence.
Said Jerry Ford: “ ‘Guns, Drugs, or Wealth’ is about how I went from the hard streets of Detroit to building wealth through stocks, real estate and smart spending. I share with my readers how I began to build my wealth as a personal trainer. As I wrote this book, I imagined myself having a front porch casual conversation with my readers. This how-to guide on building wealth will not only teach people how to build wealth, but it’s written in layman’s terms. The genres of this book are business, inspiration, and self-help.”
Mr. Ford’s book tells all that he has learned, offering readers specific, tried-and-true tools for building wealth by creating three streams of income: (1) passive income (through real-estate investing), (2) portfolio income (through stock market investing), and (3) earned income (through hard work and smart spending).
As a personal trainer, Jerry Ford has worked with many, many “big name” clients, including rapper Big Sean to musical artist MoBeatz. One special trip led to Ford becoming an author. “I was traveling with Big Sean and MoBeatz and decided to journal a few hours a day on the trip. A few hours turned into many…and two months later I had created the manuscript for my book.”
A tragedy earlier in his life also drove Jerry to pull himself up from a hard life in his native Detroit and build a life for himself as a personal wealth coach and trainer. “My brother Sam was murdered…I miss him every day. He inspires me to get out of bed and go as hard as possible in life every day…I feel like I am living for two people instead of just one, myself.”
“Being an author was never a plan,” asserted Jerry. “I knew I needed to figure out a way to help the eighty percent of America who are poor or middle class. I knew that I needed to help the three billion people on the planet who are really poor. Of course this book doesn’t make up for the world’s educational flaws, but it’s a start. Schools don’t teach people how to build wealth.”
Praise for Jerry Ford and His Method

"Jerry traveled across the globe to train me. He goes hard in fitness and in life!"  
--Alisha Boe, actress best known for 13 Reasons Why on Netflix

"I am inspired by Jerry's principles of building wealth through real estate and stock market investments as well as entrepreneurship. With multiple streams of income, the sky is the limit when it comes to potential earning power. This book is here to help!"  
--Adrienne C. Moore, actress best known for Orange Is the New Black on Netflix

"Jerry is a beast, and I can totally understand why. Coming from our city, it's life or death." 
--Dj Mo Beatz, best known as Big Sean's official DJ

"Jerry is not only a trainer; he's an entrepreneur. He has come up with incredibly creative ways to service his high-end clientele. Not only do I enjoy working with Jerry--he's great to hang out with." 
--Marc Webb, film and television producer

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon



Q: Thank you so much for this interview, Jerry!  Can you tell us where you are from?

I am from Detroit, Michigan.

Q: How did you come up with your title?

Before my book was titled Guns, Drugs or Wealth, it was called MIQ (which stood for “Money IQ”). I was settled on this name until I did a simple exercise that quickly made me change my mind. I put MIQ next to all of my favorite books and asked myself which book I would read. So, there was Think and Grow Rich, MIQ, The New Jim Crow, and Rich Dad, Poor Dad. From this exercise I realized that I would never think to pick up MIQ. I changed the name to Guns, Drugs, or Wealth.

Q: They say you can judge a book by its cover.  Can you tell us a little about your cover and who designed it? 

I think that a book’s cover plays a huge role in selling the book. It is the book’s only chance to make a great impression to the world. I believe that the cover of the book, along with the words on the cover, is what sells the book. Erin Tyler designed my cover. She was exactly what my book needed.

Q: Can you tell us something about your book that would make me run out and buy it?

I have read or listened to every business book or wealth-teaching book worth reading. After my own trial and error, I sum up how to create a billion-dollar fortune in layman’s terms. I cut to the chase. Guns, Drugs, or Wealth will motivate, inspire, and entertain you.

Q: Are there any messages in this book that you want the reader to know about?

The most important message to me is figuring out if you are a reader or a listener. We need to figure out our strengths and weaknesses because we can only take over the world at our strongest. If you cannot catch up to a Harvard graduate by being one way, figure out a way to catch up by being different. I want my readers to educate themselves on the different forms of income I explain in my book and then dive in. Jump. Go for it.

Q: What was your most favorite chapter to write and why?
My favorite chapter was “The Billionaire Track” where I talk about going to my mentor, Bill, and asking him how to get on his level. Asking him how to get myself on the right track in order to become a billionaire changed my life. He told me to write down all of my liabilities and my assets on a piece of paper. I did and I was surprised at the truth of the lack of assets I saw. After becoming liability-free by sacrificing fancy cars and other expenses that did not line up with my goal, Bill gave me a long list of books to listen to in order to build my mind which, in turn, help build my pockets. This is why I started a real estate investment company, focused more on my stock portfolio, and built up my training business more so than ever before. 
Q: Why did you feel you had to write this book?

Writing this book was so important to me because I grew up poor. Most of the time growing up my family did not have heat, water, electricity, or food. I responded poorly to the murders of my best friend, my brother, and my aunts. My response could have landed me in jail or a grave. I wrote this book because eighty percent of Americans are poor or middle class. I wrote this book because everyone deserves the opportunity to gain specialized knowledge to build wealth. With that, they deserve to know how to work on their own responses. To learn that their responses to life actions will define everything that they are and everything that they will become. The word “responsibility” literally means the ability to choose our responses. I needed to write this book because, like I stated before, I wanted people to know that if they cannot catch up to a Harvard graduate by being one way, figure out a way to catch up by being different.


Q:  Now, some fun questions - What deep dark secret would you like to share with us?

I have never read a book cover to cover, except for my own. I have to listen to audiobooks.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I really want to go to Peru to explore Machu Picchu. I have heard so many different stories of how difficult it is and have seen so many photos. I want to conquer it.

Q: Are you a morning person or a night person?

I am definitely a morning person. I wake up at 5am every day. I am up and ready to go.

Q: Are there any members in your family who also like to write?

My brother, Fatt Father, is a very talented rap artist who writes his own songs.

Q: As a child, were you a dreamer?

Yes, I was a dreamer as a child. I always knew there was something bigger than what was in front of me. I don’t know how I knew, but I did. I would look up into the stars, the moon, and tell myself that there had to be another life out there. A life with less pain and more wealth.

Q: Last but not least, the magic genie has granted you one wish.  What would that be?

I would wish to bring my brother Sam back to life. He was murdered on my mom’s birthday. This caused a lot of pain in many different ways.

Q: Thank you so much for this interview! Do you have any final words?


Losing my brother Sam on my mom’s birthday is by far the hardest thing that has ever happened to my family. It’s hard. People don’t understand. But here me when I say that now I live for two.

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