From the Publisher
As a master motivator, Alex Toussaint has inspired millions of people to reach new heights—not just on their Peloton bikes, but in every part of their lives. In this moving memoir, he reveals how he learned to face pain and keep on climbing. It should come with a warning: this book may fire you up to do better and feel better.”
–Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential and Think Again, and host of the podcast Re:Thinking
"If I'm honest, I really needed to hear Alex Toussaint's story. I needed his encouragement. I needed his inspiration. I needed the life lessons he's learned and I'm trying to learn myself. And what else can you be but honest after reading Activate Your Greatness from cover to cover in one day?"
–Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
“For everyone who realizes that in order to look good on the outside, you have to feel good on the inside, Alex Toussaint’s Activate Your Greatness is a blueprint for building a stronger you in every way. It’s truly a great read.”
–Dr. Mark Hyman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Young Forever
“So many of us are raised to believe we are not strong enough, either mentally or physically. Alex Toussaint’s Activate Your Greatness shows us that everyone, and I mean everyone, can rise to their full potential. Read it. Live it. And then, when you reach the top, help others up too.”
–Reshma Saujani, New York Times bestselling author of Brave, Not Perfect: How Celebrating Imperfection Helps You Live Your Best, Most Joyful Life
“Activate Your Greatness boasts key leadership lessons for so many of us struggling to balance the personal and professional, the constant code-switching among family and work and everyone in between, and to somehow establish boundaries within.”
―Time
"Told with humility and gratitude, Toussaint's mix of memoir and self-help is sure to inspire a wide range of readers."
―Booklist, Starred Review
Library Journal
06/10/2024
Peloton über-instructor Toussaint presents a volume that is equal parts motivation, inspiration, and memoir. Toussaint is the son of Haitian immigrants who tried to instill in him the importance of education. Yet, he dropped out of college and began working at a gym, mopping floors. Tapping into his lived reality of knowing how it feels to be thought of by others as someone with little potential, he internalized these feelings and did not expect greatness from himself. He draws from these life experiences and describes how he found strength from within to propel himself to greatness. As a result, the author turned his life around and now counts professional athletes like Roger Federer as fans. VERDICT Weaving between providing inspiration and telling his life's story, Toussaint describes his mental and physical methods for tapping into one's inner greatness and achieving one's dreams. This is a straightforward account guiding readers to embrace his motto: "Feel good, look good, do better." —Jacqueline Parascandola
Kirkus Reviews
2023-08-04
A deep dive into what drives a senior Peloton instructor.
Alex Toussaint sets the stage with a vivid depiction of the moment when his parents left him at military school. First generation American, Toussaint describes the ups and downs of his childhood and teenage years, centering around his relationship with his dad abruptly changing as a child. Feeling confused and angry, Toussaint explains how he found himself kicked out of schools, landing at what he describes as his dad’s only option- military school - where he spent four years. Toussaint opens up about his struggles with what he thinks is his dad’s lack of belief in him early in life, and his inability to activate his own greatness from within. Toussaint explores his heart-wrenching low moments where his feelings of self- worth and self- doubt were high. His journey from rock bottom was hard fought with grit and determination to do better. Landing his first job as a janitor at a spin studio, he “outworked” the role. His grit and hustle put him in a position to be noticed. Reading this book feels like you are on a long ride with Toussaint as he takes you through his lessons learned as they shaped his life and hopeful perspective. Step-by-step he leads you along with him to want to “feel good, look good, and do better” his mantra and mission. He explains the importance of believing in yourself, looking good “about the inside, that internal light that radiates out into the world” and how to shine that light outward to pay it forward.
An authentic story that will leave readers wanting to hustle for the greater good.
