JOSEPH BROOKS, AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERO: San Antonio author, actor, celebrity fitness expert and CEO, on surviving poverty and welfare, the meaning of family and his new tome, The Value of a Single Woman

Joseph Brooks’ message has already impacted and inspired the lives of so many people ― and the number continues to grow with each new speaking engagement. Born into poverty on San Antonio’s violent east side, he endured bullying and abuse in school and lost both parents by the age of 18. His incredible story of growing from "Welfare to Wellbeing" and becoming a highly successful fitness expert to the stars is awe-inspiring.  In his new book, The Value of a Single Woman, and in his motivational presentations, Brooks recounts his past and his extraordinary turnaround. “As an only child, I went through a period of deep depression after my mother died,” he says. “And I credit God for saving me from a 9 mm bullet that should have ended my life. Instead, it changed me forever and allowed me to see the positives instead of the negatives in life.”  Brooks, who learned to be articulate and persistent from his mother, took his first job at 17 as a floor trainer at a local gym and created an after-school program called Impact to help at-risk youth. Both places played outsize roles for him. From such bleak beginnings, he managed to change his life's trajectory, becoming one of the most successful personal trainers in Texas, a television fitness guru, an actor, an author and a motivational speaker. He has also been a featured guest on national and local podcasts, covering issues that range from business to relationships. "I have an incredible story I call 'From Welfare to Well-being' and it's a message I need to get out,” he says. “It has impacted so many lives already.”  Author, actor, fitness expert and speaker Joseph Brooks has been helping individuals transform their lives physically, spiritually and mentally for over 30 years. A regular fitness expert on KSAT-12’s top variety show SA Live, Brooks has helped thousands by coming into their homes via TV. He is also listed on IMDb at: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10956746/. He has been a featured guest on national and local podcast such as Erica Vargas’s “In Search of good Men,” Janie Terrazas’s “Rise above TV,” Heather Whitestones “Whitestone Marketing” and Our Lady of the Lake Universities “Book Nook.” He is also cast to play the role of “Doc” Brown, a major character in Director/Choreographer Joemer Dulatres Grandmaster movie due for release in 2020.  To learn more about Brooks' story and his motivational speaking, please visit the following: www.gotothenextlevel.net; www.youtube.com/; or www.facebook.com.  The Value of a Single Woman Publisher: HPNbooks.com Released: October 2019. Available from www.gotothenextlevel.com ISBN # 781944 891459 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-aidan-byrne0/support