Indiana
Before any of this.
G. Richard Bradford, III grew up in Indiana. He spent the first quarter-century of his life “directionally challenged” — his words, from his own book.
The People Who Made Him
Before there was a mission, there was a family.
“Help one more person.”
In 2011, Glen held his grandfather's hand as he lapsed in and out of consciousness, hours before he died of cancer. Glen asked: "If you could do one more thing, what would it be?" The answer became Glen's life mission: To Empower Success.
“Not for fame. Just to get it out.”
College professor who had an original song pop into his head at 25, couldn't let it go, eventually recorded it and made a music video. Not for fame. Just to get it out. Glen inherited whatever that gene is.
“Eternally optimistic and overflowing with youth.”
You'll understand where Glen gets it from the second you meet her. Eternally optimistic and overflowing with youth. Whatever frequency she runs on, Glen locked onto it early.
“The first hundred and last fifty pages is all you need.”
Still sharp. Told Glen the first hundred and last fifty pages of any book is all you need. Glen proved it by putting blank pages in the middle of his.
Life Mission
To Empower Success.
Born from a grandfather's last words. Carried forward ever since.
The Teachers
Two people who are still in Glen's life. One taught him to write. The other created a monster.
Gene Stowe
Middle school literary teacher
Taught Glen to write. Still in touch.
Engineering.
Everything is a system.
The directionally-challenged kid from Indiana walked into Purdue University and discovered that the entire world could be modeled, measured, and optimized. Inputs and outputs. Feedback loops. Tolerances. It changed the way he saw everything — investing, writing, people, himself.
He hasn't stopped thinking in systems since.
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Continue the Story
The Full Story
The complete arc — from Indiana to hedge fund to AI.
Read moreNext ChapterAct I — The Investor
What happens when a systems engineer discovers the stock market.
Read moreBookAct As If
Glen's book on becoming the person you want to be.
Read moreTimelineInteractive Timeline
Every milestone from Purdue to today, on one page.
Read more