Welcome to Meatballs and Mindset

I didn’t write this book because I’m a chef. I wrote it because I’m a survivor.  A less than 1% survivor.

In the past few years, I faced two of the deadliest diagnoses you can receive: Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. 

The odds weren’t just against me—they were almost laughable. 

And yet—here I am. Not just surviving, but healing. Not just fighting, but living. 

People often ask me how I did it. 

How I stayed positive. 

How I got out of bed when the weight of those words—Stage 4—threatened to crush everything I believed in. 

The answer is mindset. 

This book isn’t just about food. 

It’s about faith, perspective, and healing—served up with stories from the kitchen and truths from my journey. 

You see, I never set a goal to beat cancer. 

That was never the focus. 

My goal was to be healthy again. 

Whole. Joyful. Alive. 

I knew what I wanted my life to taste like again. 

Much like when I cook a meal, I could see the end result in my mind: 

• Sitting at a dinner table with my family. 

• Laughing without the shadow of illness. 

• Coaching others, walking in purpose, making sauce on a Sunday. 

Cancer? That was just something in the way. 

When I cook, I already know what I want the final plate to look like. 

I know the flavors I’m after. 

And when something burns or boils over, I don’t throw away the whole dish. I adjust. I adapt. I keep going. 

That’s exactly what I did with my life. 

I kept stirring. 

I kept seasoning. 

I kept showing up at the stove—physically, mentally, and spiritually. 

I fully believe in the value of Western medicine. 

But here’s the truth: I never had chemotherapy. I never had surgery. 

I did receive radiation. 

And through it all, my mindset was never about fighting disease—it was about restoring health. 

I fought with prayer. 

I healed with purpose. 

I imagined the taste of the life I wasn’t done living. 

And now I want to share that mindset with you. 

Because we’re all cooking something. 

We’re all trying to turn raw ingredients—like loss, struggle, and uncertainty—into something beautiful and nourishing. After sharing my journey and my mindset on stage or podcasts or wherever, inevitably someone approach me afterwards with the question, “how did you received your mindset?” 

Meatballs and Mindset is my way of handing you a recipe. 

One for resilience. One for hope. One for finding sweetness in even the most bitter seasons. 

Inside, you’ll find lessons learned not just from kitchens—but from hospital rooms, doctor visits, quiet prayers, and hard-earned triumphs. 

This book blends the joy of the Italian culture of cooking with the power of a focused mind— because both, when done with intention, can transform your life. 

So pull up a chair. 

Let’s talk about sauce, setbacks, second chances—and the mindset that makes it all possible. 

Because it’s not just about getting through the struggle. 

It’s about creating a life that’s worth savoring. belonging and connection among our users.