Ryan Holiday is a young, smart, marketing powerhouse-turned-motivational-speaker who has attracted fans from every imaginable discipline.

When it comes to motivation, Holiday makes readers—and listeners—take stock of their lives and careers through the timeless lens of ancient philosophy, stoicism. His book The Daily Stoic distils the ancient wisdom of the stoic philosophers into 366 practical meditations; each meant to enrich and enliven our daily lives—at work, on the field, and in our relationships. In Ego Is the Enemy—an instant Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and an international bestseller—he explains how “the battle against ego must be fought on many fronts,” and provides helpful examples of major figures who’ve achieved success by eschewing the spotlight and putting the greater good above their own vanity. And in the now cult-classic The Obstacle Is the Way, he shows us how to turn even the most insurmountable obstacles into advantages, inspired by an ageless set of philosophical principles used by icons from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart, Richard Wright to Steve Jobs. Forbes calls it “an inspiring read for anyone faced with adversity” that can “save years of future angst.”

Publishers Weekly argues that “Holiday’s performance is commanding and optimistic, sure to inspire readers to take new perspective on their apparent obstacles.” It has so far been translated into over 30 languages and has sold over 400,000 copies. In total, his books have sold 1.3 million copies. But Holiday is also a premier marketing speaker, and the renowned media strategist behind celebrity authors Tucker Max and Timothy Ferriss. The former Director of Marketing at American Apparel, his campaigns have been studied by YouTube, Twitter, and Google. After dropping out of college at 19 to apprentice under the strategist Robert Greene (The 48 Laws of Power), he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multi-platinum musicians. His latest book marks a resounding return to the world of marketing and publicity. Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work That Lasts explores iconic products, artworks, artists that achieve longevity in our disposable age. To The Financial Times, it outlines “how to create lasting success in a world of flash-in-the-pan hits and how to extend the proverbial 15 minutes of fame to a decade or even a century.” It’s a book Inc. says, “every entrepreneur should read” and an FT book of the month selection.

His book Growth Hacker Marketing: A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing, and Advertising explains how multibillion-dollar brands are built without spending a dime on ‘traditional marketing,’ and frames the overnight success of companies like Dropbox, Facebook, AirBnb, and Twitter. Porter Gale, Former VP of Marketing at Virgin America, says: “This book is a wakeup call for every marketing exec in the business. And a tutorial for engineers, IT, founders and designers. Read it.” Holiday is a media columnist for The New York Observer, and his other writings—published in 28 languages—appear in Forbes, The Huffington Post, Fast Company, Thought Catalog, and The Columbia Journalism Review, among others. Holiday’s first book, Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator, a tell-all expose of modern online journalism, is a Wall Street Journal bestseller and an Amazon Editor’s Best Book of the Month. The Financial Times called it an “astonishing, disturbing book.” To The Big Picture author Edward J. Epstein, “Ryan Holiday’s brilliant expose of the unreality of the Internet should be required reading for every thinker in America.” His seventh book, Conspiracy, has been optioned for a film.