
Fire in the Hole!
The Untold Story of My Traumatic Life and Explosive Success
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $16.07
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Bob Parsons
-
By:
-
Bob Parsons
About this listen
In Fire in the Hole!, Bob Parsons, founder of GoDaddy, shares his story of extraordinary success as a self-made serial entrepreneur.
Born in the tough town of East Baltimore to parents who were inveterate gamblers, billionaire philanthropist Bob Parsons’ early years were marked by hardship and financial struggle. While he vowed his own children would never lack for anything, never did he imagine the wealth he would one day amass as the founder of Parsons Technology, GoDaddy, PXG Golf, and YAM Worldwide.
In his literary debut, Fire in the Hole!, this extraordinary entrepreneur recounts the exploits of his youth, his hellish days at the mercy of Catholic school nuns, his harrowing tour of combat duty in Vietnam as a US Marine, his pioneering contributions to the software and internet industries, and his latest ventures in power sports, golf, real estate, and marketing.
Along the way, we witness his remarkable resilience as he copes with his mother’s mental illness and his father’s struggles, battles PTSD resulting from both his childhood and war traumas, and mounts a quest to find new and effective treatments for himself and others who suffer from this affliction. He strongly supports veterans organizations, and believing in the concept of paying it forward, has awarded grants to more than ninety-six charities and organizations worldwide through the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.
Perhaps the only thing that has come easy to Parsons is his gift for storytelling. His reflections are at turns heartbreaking, heartwarming, hilarious, and inspiring. If ever there were a story about a self-made man whose wealth can be measured as much by the contents of his heart as by the contents of his bank account, this is it.
More than anything, Fire in the Hole! is a “can’t pause,” damn good listen!
©2024 Robert Parsons (P)2024 Forefront BooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
Together We Roared
- Alongside Tiger for His Epic Twelve-Year, Thirteen-Majors Run
- By: Steve Williams, Evin Priest
- Narrated by: Chris Abell
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Tiger Woods went on an extraordinary majors run between 1999 and 2008, one man stood at his side: his caddie Steve Williams. Together Steve and Tiger dominated the PGA Tour and won an astonishing 13 major championships, their sights set on breaking Jack Nicklaus’s record 18 majors. Before they could overtake Nicklaus, however, their partnership ended abruptly, and a 12-year period without talking began. Years later, the two reconnected. Together We Roared offers an inside look at what it is like to ride alongside greatness.
-
-
Really cool perspective.
- By Anonymous User on 04-08-25
By: Steve Williams, and others
-
Tough Rugged Bastards
- A Memoir of a Life in Marine Special Operations
- By: John A. Dailey
- Narrated by: Tom Beyer
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the 9/11 attacks, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed the Marine Corps to establish a unit that would answer to US Special Operations Command. The eighty-six-man "Detachment One" was formed with a two-year charter to train and deploy as a "proof-of-concept" to assess the viability of a larger Marine Special Operations contribution in support of the Global War on Terror. For such a departure from the norm, a special leader was needed.
-
-
Great historical account of the precursor to today’s MARSOC
- By bryan on 01-14-25
By: John A. Dailey
-
Your 15th Club
- The Inner Secret to Great Golf
- By: Dr. Bob Rotella Dr., Bob Cullen
- Narrated by: Dr. Bob Rotella Dr.
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Any golfer will understand this: You go out to the driving range, you warm up with your irons, everything is going right. You pull out your utility clubs, you are hitting great. Your driver - boom. The ball flies far and lands just where you want it. You head for the practice green...you drain every putt from 30 feet in. But eventually, you end up quadruple bogey.
-
-
Breaks you down and Builds you
- By Jay R Johnson on 01-08-17
By: Dr. Bob Rotella Dr., and others
-
Take Charge of Your Life
- The 12 Master Skills for Success
- By: Brian Tracy
- Narrated by: Michael Tracy
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the hallmark's of Brian Tracy's philosophy is that you are 100% responsible for the results in your life. While Brian Tracy has discussed this philosophy since the 1980's, it is increasingly out of place in our current cultural moment. Today there are numerous voices telling you that any of your struggles or challenges are due to other people or societal conditions that are beyond your control. But, as you'll hear in this life-changing book, the philosophy of complaint and "blaming others" is ultimately a dead-end path that leads to despair.
-
-
GOAL SETTING
- By Tyson Alfons on 08-09-24
By: Brian Tracy
-
The Whole Story
- Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism
- By: John Mackey
- Narrated by: Adam Barr, John Mackey
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whole Foods Market's cofounder and CEO for forty-four years, John Mackey offers an intimate and provocative account of the rise of this iconic company and the personal and spiritual journey that inspired its remarkable impact.
-
-
A Fabulous Rollercoaster of life, love and liberty
- By Anonymous User on 05-06-25
By: John Mackey
-
Made from Scratch
- The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse
- By: Kent Taylor
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Made from Scratch, the late business maverick Kent Taylor tells the legendary story of Texas Roadhouse and in the process reveals its recipe for success: embracing unorthodox business practices. Because isn’t it a little unusual for a company to do almost no advertising? Is it wild to give away free peanuts and rolls and keep prices low, even as costs rise, or to keep the menu basically the same since it opened? Does it fly in the face of reason to prohibit coats and ties at headquarters and to have a CEO who dressed like he was part of the landscaping crew?
-
-
rock on
- By Eric Bourgeois on 09-16-21
By: Kent Taylor
-
Together We Roared
- Alongside Tiger for His Epic Twelve-Year, Thirteen-Majors Run
- By: Steve Williams, Evin Priest
- Narrated by: Chris Abell
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Tiger Woods went on an extraordinary majors run between 1999 and 2008, one man stood at his side: his caddie Steve Williams. Together Steve and Tiger dominated the PGA Tour and won an astonishing 13 major championships, their sights set on breaking Jack Nicklaus’s record 18 majors. Before they could overtake Nicklaus, however, their partnership ended abruptly, and a 12-year period without talking began. Years later, the two reconnected. Together We Roared offers an inside look at what it is like to ride alongside greatness.
-
-
Really cool perspective.
- By Anonymous User on 04-08-25
By: Steve Williams, and others
-
Tough Rugged Bastards
- A Memoir of a Life in Marine Special Operations
- By: John A. Dailey
- Narrated by: Tom Beyer
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the 9/11 attacks, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed the Marine Corps to establish a unit that would answer to US Special Operations Command. The eighty-six-man "Detachment One" was formed with a two-year charter to train and deploy as a "proof-of-concept" to assess the viability of a larger Marine Special Operations contribution in support of the Global War on Terror. For such a departure from the norm, a special leader was needed.
-
-
Great historical account of the precursor to today’s MARSOC
- By bryan on 01-14-25
By: John A. Dailey
-
Your 15th Club
- The Inner Secret to Great Golf
- By: Dr. Bob Rotella Dr., Bob Cullen
- Narrated by: Dr. Bob Rotella Dr.
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Any golfer will understand this: You go out to the driving range, you warm up with your irons, everything is going right. You pull out your utility clubs, you are hitting great. Your driver - boom. The ball flies far and lands just where you want it. You head for the practice green...you drain every putt from 30 feet in. But eventually, you end up quadruple bogey.
-
-
Breaks you down and Builds you
- By Jay R Johnson on 01-08-17
By: Dr. Bob Rotella Dr., and others
-
Take Charge of Your Life
- The 12 Master Skills for Success
- By: Brian Tracy
- Narrated by: Michael Tracy
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the hallmark's of Brian Tracy's philosophy is that you are 100% responsible for the results in your life. While Brian Tracy has discussed this philosophy since the 1980's, it is increasingly out of place in our current cultural moment. Today there are numerous voices telling you that any of your struggles or challenges are due to other people or societal conditions that are beyond your control. But, as you'll hear in this life-changing book, the philosophy of complaint and "blaming others" is ultimately a dead-end path that leads to despair.
-
-
GOAL SETTING
- By Tyson Alfons on 08-09-24
By: Brian Tracy
-
The Whole Story
- Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism
- By: John Mackey
- Narrated by: Adam Barr, John Mackey
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whole Foods Market's cofounder and CEO for forty-four years, John Mackey offers an intimate and provocative account of the rise of this iconic company and the personal and spiritual journey that inspired its remarkable impact.
-
-
A Fabulous Rollercoaster of life, love and liberty
- By Anonymous User on 05-06-25
By: John Mackey
-
Made from Scratch
- The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse
- By: Kent Taylor
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Made from Scratch, the late business maverick Kent Taylor tells the legendary story of Texas Roadhouse and in the process reveals its recipe for success: embracing unorthodox business practices. Because isn’t it a little unusual for a company to do almost no advertising? Is it wild to give away free peanuts and rolls and keep prices low, even as costs rise, or to keep the menu basically the same since it opened? Does it fly in the face of reason to prohibit coats and ties at headquarters and to have a CEO who dressed like he was part of the landscaping crew?
-
-
rock on
- By Eric Bourgeois on 09-16-21
By: Kent Taylor
-
Know What Matters
- Lessons from a Lifetime of Transformations
- By: Ron Shaich
- Narrated by: Will Tulin
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ron Shaich is a business visionary who has been part of building three iconic restaurant brands: Au Bon Pain, Panera Bread, and now Cava. Along the way, he developed "fast casual," a $100 billion-plus segment of the industry. Now he reveals what he learned about entrepreneurship, running large enterprises, business transformation, and life itself. He illustrates these lessons with his experiences turning a small cookie store into 2,400 restaurants with $5 billion in revenue, delivering annual investor returns of 25% over two decades, and outperforming both Starbucks and Chipotle.
-
-
Inspiration with purpose
- By J Timothy Smith on 01-25-25
By: Ron Shaich
-
Make Magic
- By: Brad Meltzer
- Narrated by: Brad Meltzer
- Length: 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on bestselling author Brad Meltzer’s viral commencement speech for his son’s graduating class at the University of Michigan, Make Magic is the little book of hope for anyone who has ever wished for more. More authenticity. More empathy. More gratitude. A more fulfilling life.
-
-
Creating a Life of Meaning and Purpose!
- By Marianne Pestana on 03-22-25
By: Brad Meltzer
-
The LEGO Story
- How a Little Toy Sparked the World’s Imagination
- By: Jens Andersen
- Narrated by: Peter Cross
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s estimated that each year between eighty and ninety million children around the globe are given a box of LEGO, while up to ten million adults buy sets for themselves. Yet LEGO is much more than a dizzying number of plastic bricks that can be put together and combined in countless ways. LEGO is also a vision of the significance of what play can mean for humanity.
-
-
not very interesting
- By chris p on 09-25-24
By: Jens Andersen
-
Conquering Crisis
- Ten Lessons to Learn Before You Need Them
- By: Admiral William H. McRaven
- Narrated by: Admiral William H. McRaven
- Length: 4 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout his 40-year career, Admiral McRaven has experienced every manner of calamity imaginable. From managing failed hostage rescues to responding to student unrest, McRaven has learned how to successfully navigate crises—those moments that push the limits of your experience and challenge your confidence, when leadership skills alone may not be enough.
-
-
Bravo Admiral
- By Empress Karen on 04-23-25
-
LIV and Let Die
- The Inside Story of the War Between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf
- By: Alan Shipnuck
- Narrated by: Alan Shipnuck
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In LIV and Let Die, Shipnuck delivers fly-on-the-wall reporting from the yachts where LIV was hatched and within the corridors of power as the PGA Tour flailed to fend off the threat. Shipnuck has traveled seamlessly between both tours—having countless conversations with players, caddies, CEOs, agents, financiers, lawyers, flaks, fans, and Instagramming wives—to deliver a no-holds-barred account of the most chaotic moment in golf history. Anyone who has a stake in professional golf lined up for an interview with Shipnuck—because they knew everyone else was talking to him, too.
-
-
Golf, NOT politics. Please.
- By Jordan M. Lamb on 06-19-24
By: Alan Shipnuck
-
Unstoppable Mindset
- How to Use What You Have to Get What You Want
- By: Alden Mills
- Narrated by: Alden Mills
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What would you do if you knew you were unstoppable? Where would you go? What would you own? Who would you help? Unstoppable Mindset will help you uncover the answers to those questions and show you how to achieve more than you thought possible.
-
-
Uncomfortable & Unstoppable
- By Thomas King on 08-04-24
By: Alden Mills
-
The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger
- The Inside Story of California's First Drive-Through and How It Became a Beloved Cultural Icon
- By: Lynsi Snyder
- Narrated by: Amanda Sanfilippo, Lynsi Snyder, Tim Tremaine, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Lynsi Snyder’s grandparents founded In-N-Out Burger in 1948, they built it with a passion for quality and service that Lynsi embraced at a young age. After starting as a store associate at age seventeen, she then worked in other departments, gaining firsthand experience with almost every aspect of the family business until she became president in 2010. She has led the company through explosive growth—today, there are three-hundred-ninety-two stores and counting—and is deeply committed to the well-being of the In-N-Out Burger family.
-
-
Great story about dedication and perseverance
- By Anthony Fasulo on 10-20-23
By: Lynsi Snyder
-
Make Your Next Shot Your Best Shot
- The Secret to Playing Great Golf
- By: Dr. Bob Rotella, Padraig Harrington - foreword, Roger Schiffman
- Narrated by: Dr. Bob Rotella
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Acclaimed sports psychologist and best-selling author Bob Rotella has advised everyone from professional golfers to business executives on how to flourish under pressure and overcome challenges. As a sports psychologist, Bob Rotella’s work is to make average athletes exceptional. By focusing on incremental progress, Rotella demonstrates how you can achieve more than you ever imagined.
-
-
Nothing New Here! Boring!
- By Ramp on 02-20-22
By: Dr. Bob Rotella, and others
-
The Humor Habit
- Rewire Your Brain to Stress Less, Laugh More, and Achieve More'er
- By: Paul Osincup
- Narrated by: Paul Osincup
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Humor Habit, veteran speaker, corporate trainer, and comedian Paul Osincup delivers a hilarious and effective new take on how to make yourself and your team more productive and resilient by focusing on the funny side of work and life. In the book, you'll learn why humor isn't an in-born quality you're either born with or without. Instead, it's a habit you can develop over time.
-
-
Packed with great information, practical advice and lots of laughs!
- By Amazon Customer on 05-24-24
By: Paul Osincup
-
Aussie Grit
- My Formula One Journey
- By: Mark Webber
- Narrated by: Nicholas Osmond
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mark Webber was at the centre of one of the most captivating chapters in the history of Formula One. In 2010, while racing for Red Bull, he and his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, went head to head for the World Championship. There could be only one winner. Since retiring from Formula One, Mark has concentrated on endurance racing, including the legendary Le Mans 24-hour race.
-
-
this story change my perspective of Mark Webber.
- By Neb on 09-01-16
By: Mark Webber
-
Pronto
- By: Elmore Leonard
- Narrated by: Alexander Adams
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The feds want Miami bookmaker Harry Arno to squeal on his wiseguy boss. So they're putting word out on the street that Arno's skimming profits from "Jimmy Cap" Capotorto - which he is, but everybody does it. He was planning to retire to Italy someday anyway, so Harry figures now's a good time to get lost. U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens knows Harry's tricky - the bookie ditched him once in an airport while in the marshal's custody - but not careful.
-
-
Great character, even better dialogue!
- By Ron on 11-15-11
By: Elmore Leonard
-
More Than a Hobby
- How a $600 Startup Became America's Home and Craft Superstore (The Inside Story of Hobby Lobby)
- By: David Green, Dean Merrill
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The retail industry has undergone enormous changes during the last thirty years. But there is one retailer that not only has remained consistent in the fluctuating—even tenuous—market, but also has grown in the process. More Than a Hobby takes you inside the story of David Green, the man who built the phenomenal success of Hobby Lobby. Green went beyond surviving in a competitive retail market to thriving, ultimately expanding his $600 start-up company into a $1.3 billion per-year enterprise.
-
-
Eternal goodness
- By Amazon Customer on 01-08-24
By: David Green, and others
Unbelievable story
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Friend
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great audiobook period.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Wow, so glad I read this
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I worked for Bob during the Godaddy days. I’ve heard many corporate leaders rally the troops for want of a better phrase Bob is the only one that I’ve actually seen have an effect on others and me particularly. When the company owner gives up his office so others could work and he sits on a substandard bit of furniture next to a laser printer that sends a message. It was great hearing the early story. I didn’t appreciate how technical Bob was and the past lead from him growing parsons technology to the point of his sold and then creating Godaddy a couple years later which led to one of the better jobs I’ve ever had.
Just on the basis of a successful businessman, Bob, knocks it out the park. He probably bought the park and then stuck a golf course and motorcycle dealership on top of it.
It’s laugh out loud funny probably contains more references to genitalia and grenades than most any other business book. I’ve read and it’s not the worst for it. Narrated by the author who did a better job than my reconstruction of his voice in my head since I already bought the book. No this is a very interesting life from humble beginnings to being in a position to make real changes for those that are suffering and usually focused on what many would consider to be unpopular or sexy causes. It’s also incredibly human with regards to his struggle with PTSD and his advocacy for effective treatment for those in a similar position.
This book is not here for a long time, but it is a good time.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What an Example!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Amazing life story of Successor and resilience!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great Book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Semper Fortis
Bravo Zulu
God Bless all Veterans
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Excellent
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.