James Mercer spent a decade as a management consultant, advising Fortune 500 companies on strategy and operations. At 35, he burned out, walked away, and spent the next several years researching what actually makes people effective?not in theory, but in practice. His books focus on actionable strategies for productivity, decision-making, and sustainable performance. He's allergic to hustle culture, suspicious of morning routines, and believes most productivity advice fails because it ignores how people actually live. James holds an MBA from Indiana University and lives in Denver, Colorado, where he spends his free time trail running and building furniture he doesn't need.