Facing Hard Truths

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Successful businessman, activist, and philanthropist, and 2026 candidate for governor of California Stephen J. Cloobeck applies an unflinching problem-solver's eye to America's most pervasive challenges. Cloobeck built his reputation transforming dysfunctional companies at the brink of ruin into performance powerhouses. In Facing Hard Truths , he focuses this proven business acumen on our most pressing concerns like immigration, crime, the cost of living, and the coarsening of political discourse. He offers sometimes tough—but always sincere—lessons learned over a lifetime of public and private sector experience. From his first job bussing tables in a small California restaurant, to his time operating a global hospitality juggernaut, to helming federal public-private partnerships, state agencies, and local organizations, Cloobeck's journey propelled him from busboy to boardroom. In this book, he relies on the action-oriented principles that drove his