Endorsements and Media

Praise for The Business of Wanting More

High achievers make their way to the top of companies and organizations, but they tend to be appreciated for what they do and not who they are, and they tend to discover that it is lonely at the top, according to Brian Gast in this book. In response to feeling vulnerable, they encase themselves in a bubble which protects them from emotional pain but at the same time distorts reality, resists growth and prevents fulfillment.

The book describes the author’s painful personal journey through highly successful start-up companies to high profile crashes, making and losing two substantial fortunes before coming to terms with his own reality distortions and discovering that he had to face a number of internal issues in order to achieve a more realistic and more personally rewarding outlook on life.

According to the author, we have four core needs which have to be satisfied in order for us to experience fulfillment: Acceptance, connection, purpose, and service. The majority of the book consists of a description of a seven step process for meeting these four core needs.

One of the ironies of this type of book is that those who are most in need of the author’s advice are those who are the most unlikely to be aware of their need. If you have been wondering recently whether your life is all that it could be, this may be the book for you.
-John Gibb, top reviewer on Amazon.com

Brian is an exceptional executive coach, and The Business of Wanting More brings to life the foundation and framework for all the work we’ve done together. He has a gift for breaking through the clutter of assumptions, misperceptions, and seemingly logical but incorrect belief systems that so many of us live with. The resulting clarity creates an opportunity for success and fulfillment at a new and higher plane than I ever thought possible.
—Bill Hughson
Chief Executive Officer, IntegraMed America, Inc

The Business of Wanting More begins where so many other books end because it charts the path beyond success. For this reason, it is priceless.
—Mark Gerzon
Author, Leading Through Conflict: How Successful Leaders Transform Differences into Opportunities

There is a religious way of saying wise things—and there is a way of saying wise things that is more broadly effective. Brian Gast has found that way! This excellent book will speak to any person of sincerity, search, and struggle. It will speak deeply to people who might never read a theologian or a “spiritual” writer, as well as to those who will.
—Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M.
Founder, Center for Action and Contemplation

Gast has a unique ability to offer a different perspective on critical life issues that allows you to break through deep-seated beliefs and clearly see paths to true happiness. In The Business of Wanting More, he takes very complex subject matter and presents it in a way that’s easy to understand and practical to implement. This book is for people who really want more out of life.
—Randall Mays
Vice Chairman, Clear Channel Communications, Inc.

Brian Gast is probably the most grounded, humble, and authentic man I know. Brian has a gift for coaching and teaching business leaders about what’s really important. I know this firsthand, as Brian made a tremendous impact on my life when he served as a board member of a company when I was its CEO. The Business of Wanting More will not only become a bestseller, it will become a game-changer in the lives of many.
—Tommy Spaulding
Author, New York Times bestseller It’s Not Just Who You Know: Transform Your Life (and Your Organization) by Turning Colleagues and Contacts into Lasting, Genuine Relationships

What a rare opportunity and gift The Business of Wanting More is to the business world. Brian not only eloquently shares this great tale of his personal Hero’s Journey, from quintessential ruthless capitalist to business mystic, but also offers us a precise philosophical and emotional map of theory, skills, and practices that can liberate other business leaders from their pain and turmoil while allowing them to remain in the business world.
—Zen Master Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi
Founder, Hollow Bones Order

The Palu, Micronesian wayfinders, navigated vast oceans without instruments, guided by awareness, mindfulness, and courage. Brian’s core lessons in The Business of Wanting More provide similar guidance to navigate the inner landscape and the journey of a fulfilling life.
—Elizabeth Lindsey, Ph.D.
First Female Fellow, National Geographic Society

Brian’s Q7 coaching process helps us understand our core and thus helps us be independent of the short-term conditions we face. I recommend The Business of Wanting More to any CEO or other senior leader with broad responsibility who wants to grow his business success, his happiness, and himself in parallel.
—Georg Wiebecke
Head of Global Operations, Givaudan International AG

The journey of high achievers can be far more complex than we think. In The Business of Wanting More, Brian Gast shines a clear bright light on the mysterious struggles that can plague our soul. His exceptional insight comes not from theory or speculation, but from his own extraordinary life experiences. Having ridden the rollercoaster to many of its highest and lowest points, Brian is uniquely qualified to share the subtle and somewhat surprising insights he has discovered along the way.
—Zane Robertson
President and Co-Founder, Active Minds; Young Presidents’ Organization International Forum Committee member

Brian’s insightful and direct style has made him a helpful guide and coach for me and members of my team. His book is classic Brian: he reveals his personal story and, in the process, gets you to think of your own. The approach to leadership and personal growth he describes in The Business of Wanting More is practical and simple, yet transformational.
—Andrew M. Miller
Former President and Chief Executive Officer, Polycom Corporation

The Business of Wanting More is for anyone who has worked hard and made sacrifices to achieve their career ambitions only to discover that what they were seeking left them empty, unfulfilled, and lost. In writing this deeply personal book, Brian Gast is writing for an audience—the successfully unhappy—that has been largely ignored and not talked about in business and management publishing. Interview the many commuters on the trains, planes, and busses into and out of any big city, and you’ll find that Brian’s story will resonate with them. As a former coaching client, I can attest to the profound personal and professional impact of being led by Brian through the transformative steps described in this book.
—BrianWatson, Ph.D.
Former Global Head, Operational Excellence and Capability Development, Credit Suisse

The message and specific direction delivered in The Business of Wanting More couldn’t be more timely or appropriate for today’s business climate. Business leaders are facing increased stresses as they work tirelessly to achieve ongoing success. I firmly believe that leaders who read and implement the tactics outlined in this book will live more satisfying lives and be more effective leaders, regardless of inevitable fluctuations in their financial achievements.
—Tom Filippini
Co-Founder, Exclusive Resorts, Inc.

Brian Gast claims that fulfillment is our natural state.  He talks about responding to our heart’s deeper yearnings and using that as the compass for our lives. If you are like me and you value these things and want solid ways to live these values. Buy The Business of Wanting More, read it, and work the process.
—Dr. Robert Wright Ed.D. Coauthor
Transformed! The Science of Spectacular Living