New Release · 2026
One Step Forward: 100 Life Lessons from 100 Marathons
Becoming Who You're Meant to Be
By Gene Jochen
Paperback • Hardcover • Digital (KDP & Kobo) • ISBN: 9798244400168
About the Book
What Is One Step Forward?
Gene Jochen turns the discipline of 100 marathons into practical life lessons on resilience, focus, and leadership. Written for health-conscious professionals, leaders, teams, and anyone facing pressure or burnout, this book shows how to keep moving when life and work get hard and the finish line feels far away.
More than a running story, One Step Forward is an invitation to build endurance in business, in life, and in the person you are becoming.
Through 100 hard-earned lessons, readers gain the mental tools to break through fatigue, sustain momentum, and step confidently into their next level of leadership and personal growth — to help them become who they were meant to be.
Who Should Read This
Written for People Who Refuse to Settle
Leaders under pressure.
If you are responsible for a team, a department, or an organization, and you feel the weight of sustained performance expectations, this book gives you a framework for leading with endurance instead of burning hot and fading.
Professionals facing burnout.
If you have been running hard for years and the energy is starting to flag, Gene's lessons will help you reset your approach to performance without sacrificing your ambitions.
Health-conscious individuals.
If you believe that physical and mental health are connected to professional performance, this book bridges the gap between athletic discipline and career growth.
Athletes and runners.
If you have crossed a finish line — or want to — Gene's stories and lessons will resonate with your experience and deepen your understanding of what endurance really teaches.
Anyone chasing a long-term goal.
Whether your marathon is a career change, a creative project, a relationship, or a literal race, this book is about the mindset that gets you through the hardest miles.
Inside the Book
What's Inside
One Step Forward is organized into 13 chapters that follow Gene's journey from a 220-pound couch potato to a 100-marathon finisher — and the professional career he built alongside it.
The Boston Marathon experience that started a lifelong friendship and taught the importance of community
The turning point in Las Vegas that forced Gene to confront the patterns he inherited from his family
Running 6 marathons in 6 weeks and what that taught about managing energy, not just effort
The Ironman races that tested every limit Gene thought he had
The 100th marathon and the realization that finishing is not the point — becoming is
The 100 Lessons — Five Themes
Getting Started & Building Momentum
Rock bottom as a turning point, the power of consistent small steps, data as motivation, investing in yourself.
Mindset & Mental Toughness
'One step forward' is enough, borrowing belief from others, reframing identity, talk to yourself like a coach not a critic, mantras, visualization.
Community & Relationships
Big dreams grow faster in good company, shared suffering forges deep bonds, the right tribe keeps you going, givers gain.
Identity & Transformation
You can rewrite the story you inherited, honest self-assessment, your body teaches your mind, compounding identity.
Endurance & Legacy
Slowing down is not quitting, recovery is part of the race, finish lines are just new starting lines, become who you were meant to be.
Reader Reviews
What Readers Are Saying
“Gene captures the essence of the rewards of individual athletic pursuits. It is about being. It is about becoming. It is not about awards or personal bests. It's about the people you bond with along the way. Gene's storytelling is entertaining and very personal. His 100 lessons alone are worth the read. I strongly recommend this read for any endurance athlete — and anyone who struggles with the discipline to take that one more step forward.”
“Having logged countless miles with Gene, from interval sessions to those grueling long runs on Division Road in the dead of winter, I have seen firsthand the relentless discipline he describes in these pages. One Step Forward is an authentic reflection of how shared suffering and collective accountability build an unbreakable mindset.”
“Gene is a lifelong learner. Having the opportunity to learn from, be motivated by, and improve relative to whatever I am seeking to do makes this book a 'real' read versus a self-imposed influence tactic. I can personally attest to Gene's view of knowledge as a lifelong journey.”
“Feeling stagnant in your life or career? This compelling read offers transformation through real-world lessons tailored to high achievers. Drawing from over 100 marathons, ultras, and 10+ Ironman races, Gene Jochen delivers 'aha' moments that translate directly to your work and personal growth.”
“This isn't just another 'how to' book about running or fitness. Gene openly shares the challenges he faced growing up and how running has reshaped both his body and mind. Most of all, it reveals that the race isn't always about the finish line, but the life lessons and joy along the journey.”
Foreword
Foreword by Dr. Oudi Abouchacra
One Step Forward features a foreword by Dr. Oudi Abouchacra, Amazon bestselling author of Work Your Network with the 4Cs (co-authored with Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI) and founder of Inspired Results performance coaching and training.
Dr. Abouchacra shares his own marathon story — including collapsing at kilometer 37 of the 2008 Beirut Marathon and finishing in an ambulance — and writes about why Gene's 100 lessons are essential reading for anyone who believes that sustainable performance starts with investing in the human being first.
Get Your Copy
Get Your Copy
One Step Forward is available now in Paperback, Hardcover, and Digital formats. Also available in digital format on KDP and Kobo.
Bulk Orders for Teams & Events
Ordering copies for your team, conference, or corporate event? Gene offers bulk pricing and signed copies for organizations. Each attendee receives a copy of the book alongside Gene's keynote or workshop, creating a shared language and framework for the team to reference long after the event.
Inquire About Bulk OrdersIf you keep moving forward, one step at a time, no matter the challenges, setbacks, or doubts, you will eventually reach your goals and transform your life.