The 5 am club

Whoosh, whoosh whoosh
, went the sound. The pilot, seemingly in some sort
of imperturbable trance and certainly not at all friendly, pushed the control
stick. The helicopter began to rise above the grassy field. Unexpectedly, the
aircraft tilted to the left dramatically. Then it descended aggressively toward
the Earth in a freefall before jerking upward again.
“Total disaster,” shouted the artist. “This pilot is incompetent. I hate him.”
“Just breathe. All will be well,” reasoned the entrepreneur. She looked
relaxed, secure and in complete control. Her morning training was working.
She pulled the artist closer to her. “I’m here. We’ll be safe. This will end
well.”
Soon, the helicopter was high in the sky and moving steadily, efficiently
and gracefully. The quiet pilot fiddled with the dials and tinkered with the
controls, seemingly oblivious to the fact he carried two passengers.
“I’ve seen that watch before,” observed the artist as he spied the big
timepiece on the pilot’s lean wrist.
“Same one Stone had on at The Spellbinder’s presentation. This is nuts,”
he stated in a quivering voice. The painter was sweating like a polar bear in a
heatwave.
“Own your morning. Elevate your life,” came the singing voice from the
front of the helicopter.
“Hi, cats. Bonzour. Enjoying being members of The 5 
AM
Club this
morning?” he questioned in a raspy tone. “Boy, oh boy, you’re gonna love the
surprise that’s coming. Another country for another lesson on the morning
routine of legendary leaders, creative geniuses and the great women and men
of the world.”
The pilot turned his head around radically and whipped off his sunglasses
intensely. Then he let out a monumental burp.

---

It was the billionaire.
“Hey, people. I didn’t mean to scare you two glorious human beings. I do
have my helicopter pilot’s license, you know,” said Mr. Riley sincerely,
almost apologetically.
“Sure,” remarked the artist, still clinging to the entrepreneur like a
gambler holding his last chip.
“Got it years ago,” the billionaire continued. “Helicopters are uber-cool.
But with all my business ventures these days, I don’t get in the airtime I used
to. Sorry for the rough liftoff. I guess I need more practice.”
“So where are we going?” the entrepreneur asked as she eased into her
supple leather seat.
“Agra” was the billionaire’s one-word answer.
“What does that mean?” asked the artist. “What’s an Agra?”
“I’m taking you guys back to the airport,” said the billionaire. “Gotta keep
us moving on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure we’re on.”
“We’re 
leaving 
Mauritius?” 
wondered 
the 
entrepreneur 
with
disappointment. Her bracelets dangled and knocked against each other as she
said this.
“What about everything you still have to share with us?” the artist asked.
“We still haven’t learned 
The 20/20/20 Formula
you say will revolutionize
our lives. You told us that it’s pretty much the foundation of The 5 
AM
Method. I’ve been waiting to learn it,” argued the artist, punching a fist into a
hand again. “And I really, really love Mauritius. I wasn’t ready to leave.”
“So do I,” agreed the entrepreneur. “I thought you promised us you’d get
into the detailed tactics around what to do after we get up at 5 
AM
. And at The
Spellbinder’s conference you promised that you’d share practical productivity
hacks so I could scale up my business and some key techniques to build my
own fortune. And me and my man only had one picnic together. And you
crashed it with your loud music and your pimped-up Jet Ski!”
No one spoke for a moment. Then, slowly, everyone in the helicopter
began to giggle.
“Relax, guys!” hollered the billionaire. “My home is your home. You can
come back to Mauritius any time you want. I’ll send the same drivers and the
same jet, and I’ll make sure you feel the same love from me and my awesome
team. No sweat. Happy to be helpful. Always.”
He adjusted another dial before adding, “I’ve got a plane waiting for us on

---

the runway right now. You lovebirds have been 
tremendous
students.
Absolutely first-rate. You’ve passionately embraced The Spellbinder’s
teachings. You’ve been up with the sun and on time every morning. I’ve seen
all your progress. So I wanted to give you a great present today.”
“A present?” the artist queried. “I’ll need to get back to my studio at home
pretty soon. I’ve got some serious restructuring of my craft and fixing of my
life to do after all this.”
“And I’ll need to be at my company soon, too,” the entrepreneur said.
Some of the worry lines returned to her forehead as she pronounced these
words, though there were many fewer than before she had joined The 5 
AM
Club.
“Well not yet, guys. Not yet—please,” pleaded the billionaire. “We’re
going to Agra.”
“I have no idea where that is,” admitted the entrepreneur.
“Agra is in India,” the billionaire explained. “I’m taking you two to see
one of The Seven Wonders of the World. And get set to learn the next part of
The 5 
AM
Method. Everything you’ve learned so far has been preparation for
all that’s coming. Lock and load, dudes. We’re now ready to get into the
advanced
information to help you drive exponential productivity, maximum
performance, legendary leadership and a towering life that upgrades the
world. Get set to receive the most practical information you could ever learn
on the morning routine of world-builders and history-makers. The best is
about to come.”
The billionaire expertly landed the helicopter next to a pristine private jet
that had its turbines running. Unlike the first one, this aircraft was all black.
But like the one that brought the two students to Mauritius, it had 5AC
emblazoned on the tail, also in a hue of orange similar to a mandarin.
“Let’s go to incredible India!” exclaimed the billionaire energetically.
“Let’s go, then!” replied the entrepreneur and the artist.
One of the most valuable experiences of their extraordinary escapade with
Stone Riley, the eccentric magnate, was about to begin.

---

Chapter 12
The 5 
AM
 Club Discovers The Habit
Installation Protocol
“I hated every minute of training. But I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a
champion.’”