Press Release
Entrepreneur & Best-selling Author Helps Readers Discover the One Thing They Love—and Do it Masterfully Well Jordan Raynor Refutes Common Misconceptions Related to Work and Calling in an Inspiring & Practical Manual for People at Any Stage of Their Vocation Imagine how different your life would be if you spent your days doing the very thing that brings you the greatest joy. It’s possible, but rare. Most people spend their days making minimal progress in a million different directions, competent at many things but exceptional at none.
But what if you could shift your focus from a million options to one? In
Master of One: Find and Focus on the Work You Were Created to Do (WaterBrook, 1/21/20), entrepreneur, thought leader, and best-selling author Jordan Raynor reveals the exponential power of pursuing a singular craft or calling. Through practical principles, inspiring stories, and gospel-centric writing, he provides the four steps—Explore, Choose, Eliminate, and Master—for finding and thriving in your “one thing.”
Whether someone is at a turning point in their career or already doing work that makes them come alive,
Master of One will inspire readers to become a world-class master of their craft.
By sharing more than a dozen real-life examples of high-impact individuals—including Olympic athletes, pioneering entrepreneurs, biblical figures, teachers, entertainment executives, and more—Jordan Raynor demonstrates his “less but better” theory.
The solution isn’t to do more; it’s to become a master of one. “When you and I pursue mastery of our chosen work, we fulfill our call to be the salt of the earth.” Raynor says.
Laying a foundation for the path to mastery, Raynor deftly exposes and refutes three of the most common and pervasive lies about work and calling:
--“You Can Be Anything You Want to Be”
--“You Can Do Everything You Want to Do”
--“Your Happiness is the Primary Purpose of Work”
While writing
Master of One, Raynor became so convinced of its core thesis—“
the path to doing our most exceptional work is the path of less but better”—that he decided to do what many people told him was crazy. He replaced himself as CEO of a well-funded tech startup so he could focus on sharing his message through books, speaking events and other avenues.
In a world of limitless options,
Master of One will help readers discover how to find the work they were made to do exceptionally well in service to God and others.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jordan Raynor, author of
Master of One and the national bestseller
Called to Create,
leads a growing community of Christians seeking to more deeply connect their faith with their work. In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the executive chairman of the tech startup Threshold 360, where he previously served as CEO after launching a string of successful ventures. A highly sought-after speaker on the topic of faith and work, Raynor has spoken at Harvard University, SXSW, Q Ideas and many other events around the world. He has twice been selected as a Google fellow and served in the White House under President George W. Bush. He recently launched “The Call to Mastery with Jordan Raynor” podcast and has written for Relevant, The Gospel Coalition and been interviewed by CNBC, Fast Company, WIRED Magazine and the Startup Camp podcast. A sixth-generation Floridian, he lives in Tampa with his wife and three young daughters. For more information, visit https://www.jordanraynor.com.
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Christian Living / Professional Growth On sale: January 21, 2020
ISBN: 9780525653332 · Hardcover · $24.00 / $32.00 Canada
e-Book ISBN 9780525653349 · $12.99 / $15.99 Canada
Praise for Master of One “We are rightly inspired and grateful for all Jesus Christ did in his essential mission in life. But it is also breathtaking to consider what he
didn't do. As the ultimate Essentialist he modeled the disciplined pursuit of less. This is beautifully illustrated in Jordan Raynor's
Master of One.”
—
Greg McKeown, author of the
New York Times bestseller,
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less “I tell people all the time, ‘You can't do it all,’ but then I catch myself trying to complete ‘just a few more things’ as my to-do list mushrooms every morning. I'm thankful that Jordan has set out such a clear alternative that teaches you how to choose what you want most in your career and how to ignore everything else.”
—
Jon Acuff,
New York Times bestselling author of
Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done “The Lord wants us to be excellent in what we do. He’s placed us in our careers and we have a responsibility to be the very best we can be in whatever field we decide to take up. We should run to win. Jordan's book will show you how.”
—
Tony Dungy, Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach and
New York Times bestselling author
“In a culture where we're told we can be anyone and do anything, Jordan Raynor makes a compelling case for embracing our vocational limits and choosing to do our one thing well. If you're looking for guidance to discern what your one thing might be,
Master of One is a solid place to start.”
—
Emily P. Freeman,
Wall Street Journal bestselling author of
The Next Right Thing “Work is an opportunity to serve the world. But if we are to serve well, we ought to have the highest standards of excellence in our work. This book will help you find and focus on the work you can do most masterfully well.”
—
Jeff Goins, bestselling author of
The Art of Work and
Real Artists Don't Starve “When I started my nonprofit, there were a million ideas swirling around, and a wise humanitarian encouraged me to deeply focus on one thing. That one thing was water, and that encouragement began a movement that’s helped 10M people across the globe get clean water. Jordan gives the same advice in this book, showing you precisely how to find and focus on your one thing.”
—
Scott Harrison, Founder and CEO of charity: water and the
New York Times bestselling author of
Thirst “My stepfather, C.S. Lewis, used to say that, "We do not need more people writing Christian books. What we need is more Christians writing good books." This is true for any Christian in any line of work. I am thrilled that Jordan has taken the time to explore this idea more fully in
Master of One. When Jordan writes, it is a good idea to read what he has to say, maybe two or three times, and this book is no exception to that rule.”
—
Douglas Gresham, C.S. Lewis’s stepson and the Executive Producer of Disney and Netflix's
Chronicles of Narnia films
“The topic of this book speaks to my heart and will serve well with everyone who reads it.”
—
Horst Schulze, Co-founder of Ritz-Carlton and author of
Excellence Wins
“Entrepreneur Raynor (
Called to Create) helps Christians find and home in on their God-glorifying talents in this empowering work. He explains how God’s call for excellence should set the standard in any Christian’s professional and personal life. Glorifying God through one’s vocation, he writes, will also gain the respect of others. Raynor provides illuminating profiles of lives of accomplished Christians—such as Emily Ley, founder of popular organizational planner company Simplified, and television’s Fred Rogers, both of whom did not realize their passions without first experiencing setbacks, uncertainty, and circuitous career paths, but remained steady in their faith and dedication before eventually succeeding. These examples will encourage readers who are unsure of how to find a worthy, engaging career to commit to prayerfully to approaching the practice and mastery of one skill, which Raynor believes is the most effective way of finding a fulfilling career. Raynor walks readers through the process choosing and mastering a vocation through the exploration of interests and passions, elimination of distractions, submitting to the teaching of other masters, and practicing discipline in the name of glorifying God. Raynor’s sage advice will be of help to any Christian seeking guidance in finding their divine professional purpose.” (STARRED REVIEW)
–Publishers Weekly
Contact Publicist
Brett Benson
