Success in life and business can be tough. Achieving success in business when you are a professional of color can be even tougher. The challenges of growing up in an inner-city neighborhood, with a diminishing industry, unexpected life tragedies and obstacles, struggling against the odds in a society which slanted away from giving opportunities to people of color, sets the backdrop to Michael Mitcham’s book. Ahead in the Count: One Baseball Fan’s Guide to Career and Life Success is a story of success against the odds, with a distinct reference to baseball and the Detroit Tigers. It tells of an upbringing in a city that was going through periods of upheaval and turmoil. Ahead in the Count is an inspirational, motivational read, filled with a lifetime of experiences, applied leadership skills, and strategies that begets success in your personal and professional life. In life, just like baseball, you keep your eye on the ball, know that you won’t hit every pitch, but you must make the most of the balls that are thrown in your strike zone. Michael N. Mitcham is a senior network engineering and operations executive, possessing over three decades of experience in the telecommunications industry. He grew up in Detroit, MI and earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University, and a Master of Business Administration from Northern Illinois University. In 2016, he joined Charter Communications in Cincinnati, OH. He is married and has three adult children.