When my American Staffordshire Terrier, Mia, developed the same rare allergies, relentless drive, and surprising resilience I had, I realized she wasn’t just my dog, she was basically me in a cone and a collar. Persistent Puppy and the Pursuit of Happiness is a 60,000-word memoir that blends the heart of Marley & Me with the sparkle and satire of Sex and the City. It chronicles the fifteen-year journey of two ailing but unstoppable underdogs navigating their way through New York’s fashion scene, boyfriends, and one outrageous vet bill at a time.

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The story begins on the Lower East Side, where a plucky twenty-one-year-old gay guy from religious, rural Wisconsin is chasing a high-flying life—complete with rockstars, roommate drama, fabulous travel, and a blur of champagne. Enter Mia: found in a soggy cardboard box at six weeks old, she faced a future of devastating medical issues and medically necessary couture costing more than $100,000.

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Together, we sneezed and scratched our way through setbacks and successes, learning that the only way forward was through commitment, creativity, and enduring care. When Mia’s chapter ended in our coastal Connecticut home years later, her impact carried into a new life with my husband and our next AmStaff Benson—who both will be the stars of the sequel!

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The tone is urban, witty, and emotionally honest, with sharp cultural observations threaded through moments of absurdity and growth. While the book began as a personal healing project, it became a tribute to the beauty of persistence, reinvention, and the companions who carry us through. The story resonates with anyone who’s loved deeply, failed upward, or been forever changed by a dog in a cone.

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My background is eclectic. I’ve established and expanded ventures across fashion, tech, fitness, real estate, and public service, where I even drafted legislation as an elected official. You can learn more about me on LinkedIn. I worked with #1 bestselling ghostwriter Alex Foster to kick-start this manuscript and have since rewritten it through nine drafts with input from multiple readers.​ If you are interested in being part of this project, please reach out below! 🐾.  

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