The Price of Power
By Eric Bernard Gardner Jr.
📖 Coming November 18, 2026 | Pre-Order Now
"Power is never given. It is earned. And everything earned comes at a price."
In my highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling The Ego's Labyrinth, I go deeper into the corridors of ambition, the weight of sacrifice, and the often unspoken cost that high achievers pay on their ascent to the top.
The Price of Power is a raw, unflinching examination of what it truly means to lead, to build, and to sustain influence in a world that demands everything from those who dare to rise. Drawing from years of experience advising executives, government officials, entrepreneurs, and individuals navigating life's most complex challenges, I deliver a work that is as practical as it is profound.
This is not a book about shortcuts. This is a book about truth.
A Story Forged in Real Fire
This book is personal. It is not drawn from theory or borrowed wisdom. It is drawn from my life.
I have walked through seasons of real financial hardship, moments where I had to stop, humble myself, and go back to the drawing board entirely. I had to unlearn, relearn, and rebuild my understanding of money, value, and self-worth from the ground up. Financial literacy was not handed to me. I had to seek it, study it, and fight for it, and that journey reshaped everything about how I think, how I advise, and how I lead.
Through those seasons, I was never truly alone. The women who raised me planted seeds of wisdom that I did not always recognize in the moment, but that I carry with me every single day.
My mother, Sankia Ball-Lewis, taught me resilience before I even knew what the word meant. She showed me by example what it looks like to keep going when the road gets hard, to hold your head up when life tries to bring you low, and to never stop believing that better is possible. Her voice has been the quiet compass in every storm I have navigated.
My grandmothers, Mrs. Cleola Mack and Mrs. Gladys Mae Gardner, were pillars of wisdom, grace, and strength. They carried generations of knowledge in their hands and their hearts. The values they instilled, the lessons they passed down, and the love they poured into me without condition are woven into the very foundation of who I am. I would not be the man I am today without them.
"To my mother, my grandmothers Mrs. Cleola Mack and Mrs. Gladys Mae Gardner: you were my first teachers. You taught me before I knew I was being taught. Everything I have built, every word I have written, every client I have served carries a piece of you. Thank you. I love you more than words can hold."
And then there is Moe Lewis, my pops. He did not just show up. He stayed. He taught. He led by example in ways that no book, no seminar, and no degree ever could. Through his actions, his patience, and his character, Moe showed me what it truly means to be a man. He showed me how to properly love a woman, with consistency, with respect, with presence, and with a love that does not waver when life gets hard.
"Moe, I do not have enough words. You taught me things I did not even know I needed to learn. You showed me what a man looks like when he chooses love every single day. Thank you, Pops. I love you."
In January 2027, I will stand proudly as Best Man at my mother and my pops' vow renewal and binding ceremony, one of the greatest honors of my life.
A Father's Love
At the heart of everything I do is my daughter, nine years old and on the cusp of ten, a light that has never stopped shining in my life. She is my greatest motivation, my purest joy, and the clearest reminder of why the climb is worth it.
What to Expect
- The hidden sacrifices behind every great achievement
- How to recognize the true currency of power and whether you are prepared to spend it
- Strategies for maintaining integrity, identity, and purpose as your influence grows
- Lessons forged from my real-world experience at the highest levels of business, government, and advisory
- A deeply personal account of resilience, financial literacy, faith, family, and the people who helped carry me through
📅 Release Date: November 18, 2026
If you have not yet read my first best-seller, start your journey now:
📖 Order The Ego's Labyrinth: Finding Your Way to the Top for $9.99
I am the proprietor of Eric B. Gardner Jr., P.C., a premier financial consulting and advisory firm headquartered in McLean, Virginia. I bring the same depth of thought, precision, and unwavering commitment to excellence to my writing as I do to every client engagement.
Connect with me: Contact the firm here.