In 2013, Jake Ducey, a 19 year old college dropout independently released his first book entitled Into The Wind, about quitting college basketball to backpack the world. Without a publisher or budget, he made it to the top 300 of all books on Amazon. The book became a viral sensation, enabling then 21-year-old Jake to build a strong and loyal on-line following, give a TED Talk, and travel the nation to speak to over 100 schools and corporations, in just a year and a half.
The demand for more of Ducey started almost immediately, and after aligning himself with the legendary literary agent Bill Gladstone (Waterside Productions), then 22-year-old Ducey secured a publishing deal with Penguin/Random-House for his second book, The Purpose Principles. It became the largest deal of its kind for the iconic publishing house. In fact, Ducey is the youngest motivational author to ever sign a book deal with Penguin/Random-House.