Jove is a life long educator who had battled bad habits and his weight for decades. He found himself at the lowest point in his life in the fall of 2019. The bathroom scale had a limit of 600lbs and he had gotten so big it couldn’t weigh him anymore, he was addicted to nicotine and was using alcohol to self medicate. Jove found himself on a beach and was so large that after being knocked over by a wave he couldn’t get himself up off the ground. People on the beach were laughing and filming him trying to get up. It was at this point that he feared this event would become a viral moment in his life that would define him until the day he died. He knew this instance that the excuses, rationalizations and the “waiting for tomorrow to start” mentality had to stop right then and there.

Jove began to take control of his life with the help of his family, doctors and friends he would spend the next two years making changes to his life that were focused and centered around one simple mantra “when your commitment is greater than your feelings you get results.” When things became hard or he seemed like he couldn’t carry on he would repeat this mantra over and over again until the negative feelings passed. This simple act would make a transformative change that would catapult him to new heights not only in his own physical and mental health but also in his relationships on a personal and professional level.

Jove had always been a leader in his family, in his classroom, as a coach and later as a building principal. In doing so he always put others first often ignoring his own needs and his physical and mental health. Jove sought medical help and began to exercise eventually running more than 15 half marathons, 2 marathons and an ultra marathon while maintaining a run streak that is at 1,403 days and counting. Jove gave up tobacco and changed his relationships with food and alcohol. He began to see the importance in prioritizing himself first, realizing that if he couldn’t lead himself effectively how could he be the leader his family and staff deserved. In two years Jove had lost over 300lbs, changed jobs, was named a regional middle school principal of the year and started to speak at professional conferences to share his unique experiences in order to help others.

Jove’s passion for leadership and self improvement is the cornerstone of his message. If you want to inspire people in your school, company or organization then Jove is the right person for you. His 28 years of experience in leadership positions and his own personal experiences give him the ability to connect with people from different backgrounds and interests groups.