Setbacks Into Comebacks

Most of us will never be the army general staring down an enemy line after suffering large casualties or an NFL coach plotting their way to a Super Bowl after a difficult season, but almost all of us will suffer real-life setbacks-cancer, ailing loved ones, lost jobs, or financial hardship. Andy Billman's life script is a tutorial on how ordinary people can face extraordinary challenges with the resources we all have: the ability to say yes to opportunities, the capability to coach and be coached by our friends, family, and co-workers, and the strength to keep going when life throws us roadblocks. Andy's story is inspiring and energizing. It will make you laugh and cry and will surely help you turn your next setback into a comeback.

-Sean Murray

President of Eurofins 

Taking a page from Ryan Holiday's The Obstacle Is the Way, Andy Billman's story is a timeless primer on how to rally and achieve success. Unfailingly personal and brutally honest, Billman opens up about the trials he faced as president of a billion-dollar business, as well as the perils of having to digest the haunting outlook of brain cancer. When life doesn't go as planned, Billman has figured out the secret of turning Setbacks into Comebacks.

-Brady Schlesener 

Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Gemini Group, Inc 

Andy Billman believes in the power of saying, "Yes!" Over his lifetime, he's faced various obstacles that he reframed into opportunities he could learn and grow from. His most recent "yes" was to a stage-three malignant brain cancer diagnosis in 2018. Faced with this mountainous challenge, Andy's past, present, and future crystallized into a sense of clarity most people do not achieve in a lifetime. Andy is the author of Setbacks into Comebacks: Saying Yes! to Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Opportunities. His mission is to help people find hope and take action by saying yes to winning at the game of life, especially in times when it feels easier to give in, withdraw, and sleep away the pain, fear, and overwhelm. Instead of saying, "It's over," Andy says, "It's the beginning. It's what you make of each moment." Through his writing, speaking, and coaching, Andy helps individuals identify what is most important to them, find the courage to say yes, and then choose to live fully with the people who matter most. Former president of Worthington Cylinders, a $1.1 billion global manufacturing leader, Andrew J. Billman now focuses on investments at Tri-W Group, a private family investment group. Andy earned his bachelor's degree in business from Miami University, where he played football and was a team captain and a three-year letterman. Andy defines himself as a husband, father, football player, speaker, leadership coach and trainer, and author with a passion for helping others realize they don't have to experience cancer to find clarity and true happiness in life. He loves spending time with his wife, Jodi, and their four children, Ellie, Ryan, Emily, and Owen, along with their spouses and growing bundle of grandchildren. Short Description: Struggles are as much a part of life as breath, but they don't have to be debilitating. If you let them, challenges can be a catalyst for change and bring focused clarity to what's most important to you. You can turn your setbacks into comebacks!

PRESEASON: CHILDHOOD INTO HIGH SCHOOL

CHAPTER 1: A BIG KID NICKNAMED "BEAR"                               3

CHAPTER 2: I'M GLAD I DID MY CHORES                                 11

CHAPTER 3: HIGH SCHOOL, FOOTBALL, & HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART       19

REGULAR SEASON: COLLEGE INTO CAREER

CHAPTER 4: FROM BENCHED TO "SHOULD I QUIT?" TO IN THE GAME        27

CHAPTER 5: INJURY WILL NOT STOP ME: MY POSITION, MY RESPONSIBILITY 33

CHAPTER 6: WAKE-UP CALL                                           41

POSTSEASON: CAREER, FAMILY, AND LOSS

CHAPTER 7: BELTS AND SUSPENDERS IN THE BULLPEN OF MARRIAGE       49

CHAPTER 8: THE FAILED INTERVIEW AND BUYER'S REMORSE               57

CHAPTER 9: FROM LOSING IT ALL TO A GOD THING                       63    

CHAPTER 10: FROM PROMOTED TO VP TO 'STEP ASIDE, BILLMAN'          71

OFF-SEASON: HEALTH BATTLE INTO FAITH, WISDOM, AND TEACHING

CHAPTER 11: A SEASON TO SEARCH, REENERGIZE, FIND PEACE AND NEW PURPOSE  81

CHAPTER 12: FROM SEIZURE TO OPEN CRANIOTOMY TO DIAGNOSIS        87

CHAPTER 13: WAKE UP. SAY YES. KEEP GOING                           95

FAMILY REFLECTIONS                                               105 

PLAYBOOK TO WIN ...