The Trade is entertaining, uplifting wisdom.

This is a captivatingly genuine story about the choices one person made, and the fundamental difference they made for he and those who love him. 

Lon Stroschein’s journey is uniquely his own, but every reader will see parts of their own lives in his. 

The Trade is a must-read for anyone facing transition. 

Stan McChrystal, General, US Army (Retired) CEO & Founder, McChrystal Group Author of Team of Teams, Leaders: Myth and Reality, and Risk

I not only endorse 'The Trade' - I wrote the foreword! 

You may wonder: “Am I too late? Did I miss my chance? Is this only possible for men in their 20s?” 

These questions find me every day, often from men like you. 

I used to think I was the only one who would wrestle with these questions. I soon came to discover that these thoughts are nearly universal. When you discover that you are not invincible, and there is no permanent security, you remember that freedom was always your pursuit. 

This is what drew me to Lon’s message of inspiring people to be intentional about their second-half story. It requires us to make trades that other people are unwilling to make. 

I met Lon when he joined one of our mentoring communities at Capitalism.com. I met him by accident, or maybe by fate; I just happened to walk into the room when he was on a video call with a member of my team. He explained his vision for Normal 40 and his desire to help men navigate the difficulty of making The Trade after their first chapter. He told me how difficult it is for established men to trade who they have become for a chance to do what they are called to do next. 

I was hooked. I believe that is a mission worth fighting for, and this is why I am not only endorsing The Trade, but have also written the foreword.

You need to own this book, create a plan and then make The Trade.

Rooting for you,

Ryan -

I have met with over 5,000 Authors in my publishing career. One of my most telling questions is asking the Author, "How much time do you spend one on one, eyeball to eyeball with their readers and/or customers?" 

Their answer tells me all I need to know about the Author, the quality of content they will be able to produce, and how long their career as an effective Author and a coach is likely going to last. It also reveals how much the Author truly cares about, knows, and understands their readers. 

Immediately, Lon stood out from the rest. Undoubtedly, he has been the most dedicated Author I have ever worked with when it comes to investing in, sacrificing for, and working with his audience and readers, both from paid engagements and many, many free sessions with readers wanting to and trying to support/coach them. Simply because he truly cares about his readers and has a passionate interest that drives him to connect with people. 

Lon has invested hundreds - if not thousands - of hours into the research of this book. His research was not outsourced to a virtual assistant or Google; he did his research eyeball-to-eyeball, hour-by-hour, and one-on-one with people like you.

This will be one of the most relevant, valuable, and life-changing books you will read. Embrace it, and then connect with Lon’s community when you are done. I couldn't recommend a book more strongly. I

It has made a massive difference in my life as well.

Wow! The Trade is for anyone with that gnawing feeling inside that many of us feel. That, 'What am I doing? Is this all there is? Am I settling; because it's easy?' feeling.

The trade is written by someone who has been there. The trade is written in a manner that feels like a deep conversation with an old friend. It made me think about things I didn't want to think about. Answer questions I didn't want to answer. Have the internal conversation I haven't wanted to have. 

The stories Lon tells about himself, his family, and his clients are personal, raw and moving. I found something in nearly every story that applied to me. If you are in a place, wondering whether you need more? Are you capable of more? Deserve more? Spend a few hours reading this book. The Trade may change the rest of your life.

I met Lon Stroschein about 8 months ago, but I feel like I've known him my entire life. He is just one of those guys. 

Lon was writing on LinkedIn. His posts were public and read by thousands of people, but somehow it seemed like he was writing directly to me. Funny thing about that... I've heard hundreds of people say the same thing about his posts. Why? At some point in ALL our lives, we have what Lon calls our "Normal 40 Moment". 

It's that moment when you realize the best years of your life are in the future, and you are the only one who can make them happen. 

Lon's writing and speaking provide the most down-to-earth, clear-headed, and no-BS approach to harnessing your Normal 40 Moment to not let it go to waste. 

Personally, my 'Normal 40 Moment' came about eight months ago, just before I met Lon. Thanks in no small part to Lon's friendship and guidance, I have an excitement for life, work, and health far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. 

I can't thank him enough. 

 Lon has written a book... it's called The Trade. Every single person reading this post should buy this book. It will give you a perspective you didn't even know you needed. 

 This is NOT your usual self-help midlife crisis nonsense. 

This is different. 

 This is the Normal 40.

Lon’s coaching and this book inspired me to make the trade, and I’m on my journey for my second half story. It's allowed me to articulate and communicate my feelings in a way I wouldn’t otherwise be able to and realize what I’m feeling is normal. 

 Lon is a Dude who has done it and will talk about it, and that’s what a person like me needs. It’s free of corporate jargon and academic concepts that don’t apply -- and it moved me forward.  

This book is not about quitting your job; it’s about getting you back. Figuring out what you like and don’t like, What you’ll tolerate and what you will not. 

Inside this book is the progress you’re looking for without the need for perfection holding you back. 

 You make the decision on the trades you want for your second half. The time is now.

I'm Marlon, and this is my Normal 40 Story. 

Lon's posts started showing up in my LinkedIn feed about a year ago, and they immediately resonated with me. We were in the middle of expanding our business which was really stretching my skills. After reading Lon's posts I quickly realized that it was not only my skills being stretched. I was going through a life transition and realized that the time left with my kids living under the same roof as me was rapidly declining. I did a call with Lon and realized how much we had in common. I knew I needed some help. A guide. I engaged with Lon as a coach. Lon has helped me tremendously in regards to getting my leadership skills, business practices and time management to a place that I could not get to on my own. Lon has helped me realize my strengths and passions. This has helped me focus on leading from my strengths, which in turn allows others to thrive in their careers while allowing me to take back something that had been missing in my life: time. I now value time and choose carefully how I spend it. Our relationships in life are really the most important. Healthy relationships require the investment of time. The value of the coaching I have done with Lon is immeasurable. He has helped me grow my business and design my life around it. Past that, he and I have developed a deep relationship which I certainly hope will continue for the rest of our lives. 

 If you are considering coaching with Lon, I would highly recommend it. He changed my life.

A friend referred me to Lon's postings. To say it was the right message at the right time is a true understatement. 

By the time I had reached out to Lon for coaching, I had already resigned from my Firm and decided to walk away from public accounting after 24 years. 

 I have had tremendous support from my network of friends and family. I know everything will be ok but there is still underlying uncertainty. I wanted to rush to figure this out, just like another task on my list. 

 Then I heard Lon say the words ... "It might feel irresponsible to use savings right now because you have believed it was for retirement. But what if you were really saving for this moment to truly make a change in your life to focus on having a greater impact?" That perspective changed everything for me.  It gave me my freedom back.

I am now starting day 3, and I am slowly starting to relax and give up my addiction to stress and having to always be frantic with things to do. I'm not there yet, but I feel the change starting. I also realized as I am talking to others with this new energy - and it is fantastic. 

I want to help more people start to wake up from this trance so many of us are stuck in.

Thank you, Lon. 

I am one of the one thousand dudes!