Former Marine hopes book will help troops
Prior Lake resident Erik Therwanger served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps and got out in 1991, but there isn’t a day that goes by when he doesn’t dwell on the lessons he learned.
For over 20 years, Therwanger has dedicated his life to the leadership training he received in the Corps. Now, having self-published three books and developed what he calls “a formula” for success, Therwanger says it’s time to get his third book, “The GOAL Formula: Completing the Big Picture of Your Life,” into the hands of everyone currently serving in the U.S. military.
He’s just looking for a few good men, women and children to help him make it happen.
THE FORMULA
The GOAL Formula is a system Therwanger developed to help him and his wife, Gina (Crosby), overcome hardships. It employs an acronym that Therwanger said is consistent with the message of his company, Think GREAT.
He uses GREAT as an acronym for goals, reasons, expectations, actions and tracking.
The book consists of strategies and techniques that one can follow toward the systematic achievement of personal and professional goals. He said it’s “a formula that works through the toughest of times.”
Therwanger knows.
The formula is based on leadership training he learned in the Marine Corps, but it was during a period of extreme difficulty that he put everything together.
Gina was diagnosed with cancer 10 months after they were married and Erik became her caregiver. They were newlyweds, lived in a small apartment and didn’t have a dime in savings. Gina’s oncologist tasked Erik with keeping her positive.
“That was very tough to do when she was getting chemotherapy,” Therwanger said.
But he reflected back on lessons learned in the Marines.
“No matter how bad things are you can control two things. You can control your thoughts and you can control your actions,” he said. “What I found was as I started to talk about goals with her, she would get that spark back in her eye. She would come to life. She would talk about how great the future would be, rather than how tough the present is.”
It was during the next five years of turmoil when Erik said he developed the GOAL Formula. He left his job to serve as Gina’s caregiver and Gina was placed on disability. They accumulated debt, lost their vehicle and had the utilities shut off several times.
After Gina was diagnosed with cancer a fourth time, they moved to be closer to Gina’s family in Prior Lake about one month ago, bringing with them their daughter, Erika, 5, and Brandyn, 22, Erik’s oldest of two sons from a previous marriage. The younger son, Jacob, 20, remained in California.
Therwanger is a volunteer ambassador for the American Cancer Society in Minnesota and one of the event chairs for the upcoming Relay for Life in Scott County.
SPONSORSHIP
Operation GOAL Formula is a sponsor program Therwanger developed to get the public involved with supporting troops by sending them his book.
Through Operation GOAL Formula, individuals, business and organizations can purchase copies of the book at a discount, and then the books are delivered to troops via care packages through organizations like The USO, America Adopts a Soldier, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon and Blue Star Mothers. Each book will contain a personal message from the buyer to the service member and an opportunity for the service member to write back to the sender.
Therwanger has five levels of sponsorship available: bronze sponsor, which involves purchasing 10 to 24 copies at $12 per book; silver sponsor (25-49 copies); gold sponsor (50 to 99 copies); platinum sponsor (100 to 199 copies) and patriot sponsor (200-plus copies).
Therwanger said getting his book into the hands of service members will help boost troop morale, will keep them focused on a positive future, and will assist with their reintegration into society and family life after a tour of duty abroad.
RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE
Information about Operation GOAL Formula can be found on the Web site for Think GREAT and contains testimonials from business leaders, private citizens and service members, but the book, “The GOAL Formula,” has not been officially endorsed by the Department of Defense.
Therwanger said the contents of the book are applicable to all aspects of life, but specific to service members he can “talk the talk.” He said spouses of service members have also expressed thanks to him for creating the book.
Therwanger also does sales training and inspirational speaking based on his blend of self-help and leadership-based training. And if the testimonials on his Web site are any indication, there’s a receptive audience for the message.