Our founder’s story
After two near-fatal heart attacks, MORE founder AJ Jones stopped waiting for the right moment and rebuilt his life from the inside out. In Powered by Authenticity, he shows you how to recognize the signs of misalignment and what to do before life forces your hand.
At 46, MORE founder Adrian "AJ" Jones nearly died on a mountain bike trail. At 54, death came for him again in his shower. Both times, he came back with the same message: stop waiting.
Powered by Authenticity is AJ's account of surviving two widow maker heart attacks, searching for his biological parents, walking away from a 20-year career, and rebuilding a life that finally felt like his own. It's also a book for anyone who has built something that looks like success but feels, quietly and persistently, like someone else's life.
Through honest storytelling and hard-earned reflection, AJ introduces the concept of Urgent Authenticity — living your truth before life forces the issue. He examines why high achievers so often end up trapped in lives that no longer fit, what happens when we keep ignoring the signals, and how small acts of courage can open into something larger.
As AJ puts it: "You don't need a heart attack to wake up. I've had enough for both of us."
If you've been asking is this really it?, this book is your answer.
About the book
“Adrian Jones delivers undeniable authenticity in his deeply personal and often complex experience of discovering his biological truth later in life. His adoption search and reunion story expose the inner conflict adopted people cope with longing for answers, hoping for meaning. Yet his story is relatable for anyone searching for a deeper sense of self.
Powered by Authenticity is grounded in the inevitability of facing our mortality, Adrian’s focus on reinvention, and the exploration of identity—as an adoptee and two-time heart attack survivor. There is no one more qualified to share lessons of living with clear purpose than Adrian, and I’m grateful to learn from his experiences.”
Damon Davis
Author & Host, Who Am I Really? Podcast
Adrian “AJ” Jones possesses a rare and powerful gift: the ability to help others grow wiser, more empathetic, stronger, and ready to embrace meaningful change. Through his journey, he reminds us that true leadership begins within. When we choose to lead ourselves first, we become capable of inspiring and guiding others.
Leveraging his own suffering, AJ invites us to take an honest inventory of our emotions and humanity. He is vibrantly awake to the possibilities of life and stoically determined to leave a lasting imprint for both present and future generations. AJ does not simply seek to understand; he helps us innerstand, guiding us toward a deeper connection with our authentic selves.
This book is like an emotional LEGO® set, offering readers the pieces needed to build meaningful and lasting change. AJ is an analyst of the heart and soul, committed to personal growth and the betterment of community. Through his story, he encourages us to admit where we are, submit to the lessons life offers, and recommit to beginning each new day with purpose and intention.
The Foreword
Having endured profound, life-altering experiences, AJ has emerged as a compassionate leader and teacher. In these pages, he provides what I think of as a “PTSD parachute” for humanity—tools and insights that help us navigate adversity and land safely into a more purposeful life.
AJ’s writing is a blessing not only to us, but also to our children and future generations! I firmly believe he is a global ambassador for positive change, an adjunct professor of transformation whose lessons extend far beyond the classroom and into the fabric of our shared human experience.
I am honored to introduce you to this remarkable book and to the wisdom AJ so generously shares. May it inspire you to embrace your own journey of growth, authenticity, and purposeful living.
by Dr. Michael Pritchard
PBS Host, Power of Choice
Youth Counselor & Comedian
“This book names something important I see in my work every day: the brain can't think its way into alignment. Real change happens when we start to really listen to what the body is telling us and act.
Adrian Jones learned this the hard way, and what he calls 'urgent authenticity' is the practice of paying attention before a crisis forces us to rethink. For anyone feeling the quiet dissonance of a life that looks successful on paper, but feels draining, read this! A compassionate and actionable guide, written by someone who has gone through it all, to finally doing something about it.
Birgit Rauchbauer, PhD
Psychologist, Neuroscientist, Coach, Head of Research at MORE®