Activate Your Greatness

Starred review from July 1, 2023
Life wasn't easy for popular Peloton instructor Toussaint, the child of Haitian immigrants. Kicked out of schools, from preschool through military school, caught up in bad crowds, and headed for a life of crime, he also suffered physical and mental abuse, and his relationship with his father was a disaster. As he struggled to find his place and calling, Toussaint decided to turn his pain into success. He found a job as a janitor at Flywheel, a fitness center offering spin classes. Mentored by the company's owner, Toussaint began to take pride in his work, eventually moving up to instructor. His key to getting ahead centers on three steps, ""Feel good,"" ""Look good,"" and ""Do Better."" Toussaint stresses believing in yourself, letting the inner light shine, and helping others. He offers many upbeat slogans: "If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail." "Inhale your confidence and exhale your doubt." "Stop existing and start living." Bolstered by positive energy and working his heart out, Toussaint moved on to Peloton and became a top instructor. When COVID-19 hit and the Black Lives Matter movement intensified and grew, Toussaint stepped up and used his platform to call for change. Told with humility and gratitude, Toussaint's mix of memoir and self-help is sure to inspire a wide range of readers.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Peloton star Toussaint has many celebrity fans and all will have high praise for his motivational book.

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Starred review from September 1, 2023
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.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 10, 2024

Peloton �ber-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

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