Success Simplified: Defining Achievement and Paying It Forward

Originally published in 2011, Success Simplified brought Tonya and Ian Fitzpatrick together with Stephen R. Covey and other respected authors, speakers and business thinkers to explore a deceptively difficult question: What does it really mean to be successful?

The book is no longer widely distributed, but copies remain available in limited formats and quantities through select online sellers. Its message, however, still speaks to the way many people think about achievement, purpose and the responsibility to help others along the way.

A Different Conversation About Success

It is easy to recognize the conventional signs of success. They may include a prominent title, a thriving business, financial security, public recognition or the freedom to pursue long-held goals.

Those accomplishments can matter. Yet they do not always answer the larger questions: Does your work reflect what you value? Are you building a life that feels meaningful? Who benefits from the opportunities you have received?

Those questions shaped Tonya and Ian’s contribution to Success Simplified. They were selected through a nationwide search to appear in the collection alongside Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; communication and sales expert Dr. Tony Alessandra; and award-winning professional speaker Patricia Fripp.

The contributors shared motivational insights, personal experiences and practical strategies for making better decisions, managing time and pursuing clearly defined goals. Rather than presenting one universal formula, the book encouraged readers to decide what success should mean in their own lives.

That idea may be even more relevant today. People regularly see carefully edited versions of other people’s careers, travels and accomplishments. It can become tempting to measure progress against someone else’s timeline without asking whether their destination is one we actually want to reach.

Success Without Purpose Can Feel Empty

When Success Simplified was released, World Footprints was four years old. Tonya and Ian had founded the travel media platform in 2007 to introduce audiences to people, places and stories that encouraged cultural understanding and global citizenship.

They were building careers that combined broadcasting, writing, travel and public service. Their success did not follow one straight professional path. It grew from the decision to bring their different experiences together and create something that reflected their shared values.

That perspective informed their contribution to the book. Success was not simply about acquiring more. It was also about developing the confidence to choose a direction, learning from setbacks and recognizing that professional achievement carries an opportunity to serve.

A personal definition of success can also change with time. The goal that once represented everything may eventually become less important than flexibility, health, family, creativity or the chance to make a difference. Revising that definition is not a failure. It can be evidence that we understand ourselves better than we once did.

The Original Pay-It-Forward Campaign

Tonya and Ian wanted the release of Success Simplified to benefit more than the people who appeared in the book. In 2011, they donated 10 percent of their book commissions to four organizations and initiatives:

• Pack for a Purpose
• I AM 4 Kids Foundation
• The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit

The organizations addressed different needs, including youth mentoring, childhood empowerment, responsible travel and the fight against human trafficking. Together, they reflected the belief that success becomes more meaningful when it improves opportunities for someone else.

That commission-based campaign belonged to the book’s original release period and has ended. A purchase of Success Simplified today does not generate a charitable contribution from Tonya, Ian or World Footprints.

The book is being shared here as part of the World Footprints story and as a reminder of the ideas that inspired its original pay-it-forward campaign.

Two Ways to Pay It Forward Today

Readers who connect with the book’s message may consider supporting a charitable organization independently. Two organizations whose current work complements the global and community-centered values of World Footprints are GlobalGiving and World Central Kitchen.

Supporting either organization is entirely separate from purchasing Success Simplified. World Footprints does not receive a commission, referral fee or other financial benefit from donations made to these organizations.

GlobalGiving

GlobalGiving connects donors with vetted, community-led nonprofit projects around the world. Its platform allows people to search by country, region or cause and choose work that reflects their own priorities.

Projects represented on the platform address education, child protection, gender equality, disaster recovery, food security, economic opportunity, environmental conservation and other community needs. GlobalGiving currently works with nonprofit partners in more than 175 countries.

That range makes it a useful option for people who want to support a particular destination or locally led project. It also gives donors the freedom to decide what paying it forward means to them rather than directing everyone toward a single issue.

 Explore GlobalGiving Projects

World Central Kitchen

Founded by Chef José Andrés in 2010, World Central Kitchen provides meals to communities affected by humanitarian emergencies, natural disasters, climate-related events and other crises.

Its model relies heavily on local chefs, restaurants and food producers. In addition to delivering meals quickly, that approach can put resources into local communities when businesses and workers are also struggling with the effects of a crisis.

Food carries particular meaning within the World Footprints community. Sharing a meal can offer comfort, dignity and a sense of human connection. During an emergency, it can also address one of the most immediate needs facing displaced families, first responders and communities beginning the difficult work of recovery.

 Support World Central Kitchen

The World Footprints Story Was Still Beginning

Success Simplified captures an earlier period in the development of World Footprints. The platform was still establishing its national audience, expanding its radio programming and defining the role that social impact would play in its coverage.

Over time, that mission grew to encompass responsible tourism, destination stewardship, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability and community well-being. The language evolved, but the underlying principle remained consistent: our actions leave footprints, and we have some responsibility for deciding what those footprints will be.

The book also represents a part of Tonya and Ian’s individual stories. Both had established legal careers, but they continued to create space for broadcasting, writing, travel and public engagement. Their path demonstrates that success does not always require abandoning one identity for another. It can come from allowing different parts of our experience to work together.

What Does Success Mean to You Now?

One of the most useful questions in Success Simplified is not limited to the year in which the book appeared.

What would success look like if you defined it for yourself?

The answer might involve launching a business, completing a degree, accepting a leadership position or reaching a financial goal. It might also involve having greater control over your time, mentoring someone, caring for family, returning to a creative interest or making a meaningful contribution to your community.

There is no single answer that applies to everyone. The more important task is to recognize whether the life we are pursuing reflects our own priorities or someone else’s expectations.

Tonya and Ian’s original pay-it-forward campaign added another question: When we experience success, how can we use some part of it to help others move forward?

The 2011 campaign has ended, but that question remains open. Supporting a cause, mentoring a young person, sharing expertise, introducing someone to an opportunity or helping a community recover can all extend the value of what we have achieved.

Success Simplified may now be an older and difficult-to-find book, but its central message has not expired. Success is not only about how far we travel. It is also about what we do with the opportunities we find along the way.

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