When people think about The Courage to Commit, they probably picture us writing it.

Just two authors, Andrew and I.

But the truth is, there was one person who took countless conversations, stories, late-night voice notes, random emails, and scattered thoughts and turned them into the book you can actually hold in your hands.

Without him, this book wouldn't exist the way it does. Week after week, he challenged our thinking, asked better questions than we were asking ourselves, helped us work through our disagreements, and somehow wove two very different perspectives into one story.

His name is Jimmy Soni.

For months, we hopped on weekly calls with Jimmy, talking through ideas, disagreeing on chapters, laughing, getting stuck, changing our minds, and trying to figure out how to put years of conversations and experiences into something worth reading. He saw the behind-the-scenes version of this project that no one else did.

Which is why, during our New York City stop on the book tour, we wanted to interview him.

Honestly... it became one of our favorite conversations from the entire book press experience.

Jimmy shared what it was actually like writing with us, the moments that surprised him, how he navigated our very different personalities, and what it's really like to help tell someone else's story. It feels a little like hearing the director's commentary after watching a movie—you get all the behind-the-scenes moments you never would have known otherwise.

If you weren't able to join us in New York, don't worry we recorded the entire conversation, and we just released it!

Maybe you've already read the book.

Maybe it's sitting on your nightstand.

Or maybe you're thinking, "I promise I don't need one more email about this book."

Fair enough. 😂

This conversation isn't really about the book.

It's about the people behind meaningful work. The collaborators whose names aren't always on the cover but whose fingerprints are everywhere. Whether it's a mentor, editor, teammate, spouse, or friend, most things worth creating are rarely built alone.

We're so grateful Jimmy was part of this story, and we can't wait for you to hear his side of it!

We think you'll walk away inspired, whether you ever read a single page or not.

— Shawn Johnson and Andrew East

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