James and Steph’s journey of transformation is nothing short of extraordinary. Before they met 15 years ago, both of their lives had hit rock bottom. They were both financially, emotionally, and spiritually bankrupt. Life had beaten them down and shattered their self-esteem. At the lowest point in their lives, they met and were united by a shared vision of creating and becoming more. They started the only place they could by working on themselves and helping each other grow. They believed in each other but more importantly, they challenged each other every step of the way, and never settled.
Exclusive Interview
What initially inspired you to write your book, Perception: Seeing is Not Believing?
We feel like a lot of people think that life is a mystery and that idea keeps them stuck and unable to change. There are a few concepts that we share in the book that will help everyone understand their lives in a deeper and profound way. We believe if someone had shared these concepts with us earlier in our journey we may have been able to avoid some of the trauma we inflicted on ourselves. At the very least it would have made our climb out of the darkness much easier.
What’s the most surprising thing you learned about yourself as an individual while you were writing your book?
That we had the capability to take on and complete more things than we ever dreamed possible. In the same six month period of time that we wrote the book, we also filmed and produced our award winning documentary, of the same title. We put on two large scaled events, ran our company, raised our five kids and managed not to get divorced in the process!
Why do you think it’s important to share your personal story with others?
When we decided to share our stories, we had no idea how much impact it could have on people. We soon realized that when you are vulnerable and share your story with others, it inspires and gives them permission to do the same. We want people to know that your story only has power over you when you keep it inside.
How do you feel about the reception of your book so far?
We have had many people contact us to say it has changed their lives forever. We feel really good about that. Obviously being an author in today’s world is much different than it was in the past. Brick and mortar bookstores are quickly becoming extinct and those that are left are only stock books from known authors. Authors are left to market their books themselves; we are fortunate to have a good size following which we continue to build. We believe over time this book will continue to reach a larger audience and impact more lives.
What is one main message you hope readers take away from Perception: Seeing is Not Believing?
If your life is not what you want it to be, it’s not because you have done anything wrong, it’s because you made the only decisions you could with the information you had available to you at the time. In life success and failure comes down to information. If you want to understand your personal source of information and how to change it, read the book.
On a more personal note: Tell us a little about your “real” (non-writing) life — family, job, hobbies.
We have five children so we pretty much have our hands full at all times. We love spending time with the kids doing all of our favorite activities: snowboarding/skiing, golf, arts, and crafts. We also love spending time together at our second home in Hawaii.
Who is a creative person (not a writer) who has influenced you and your work?
Albert Einstein! We loved his ability to question everything and see the world through a different lens than everyone else.
You both have such an amazing testimony! You went from being financially, emotionally , and spiritually bankrupt, to now being authors, business owners, and motivational speakers who inspire others to transform their lives. What advice would you give to someone who feels as if they have hit rock bottom?
That there is always hope. If we could pull ourselves out of the darkness then you can too! You just need to learn the tools necessary to adapt and change. If you need support we are happy to send you a free company of our book. We need more people who have the courage to change to help others to do the same.
You are such a creative pair, where will you be putting your energy next?
So far we have created books, a movie, an assessment, a subscription content hub, and live events. We are putting all of our efforts into bringing people out of suffering at scale on a global level.
If you had to persuade someone to buy ‘Perception: Seeing is Not Believing,’ in a tweet (140 characters) what would you say?
Fear is a lie, stop trying to live your life to please others. It's time to wake and stand in your power!!!
What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, etc.) and link(s)?
The best place to go is to our website, www.powerful-u.com. From here you can follow us on social media, contact us, as well as learn about the resources we have to help you evolve your life!
Where can your book(s) be purchased?
About The Book
When James and Steph Purpura first met, both of their lives were at rock bottom financially, emotionally, and spiritually. The story of how they dedicated themselves to transforming their inner and outer experience of life, creating a fortune in the meantime, is an inspiring journey with practical lessons of self-transformation.
At the lowest point in their lives, they met and shared a vision of creating a life beyond their wildest dreams. They helped each other to personally evolve, clearing away barriers to self-fulfillment, using the power of perception to change self-limiting beliefs, enabling them to better sense and take advantage of opportunities.
Shortly after meeting, Steph wrote James’ first resume and taught him how to send an email. This initiated an unlikely but highly successful career in the technology industry. Fast-forward more than a decade, and their personal philosophy around perception had further evolved, along with the rapid growth in their tech company, until its sale gave them the freedom to begin helping others full-time.
With their seminar company, Powerful U, they are now sharing their accumulated knowledge so that personal development can be made affordable and accessible for all seekers.