The Gray Choice

Lessons on My Journey from Big-Time Banking to the Big House (and Back)

By: Shaun Hayes

Narrated by: Shaun Hayes

Learn hard-won lessons from a millionaire who risked and lost it all—and learned to move forward again.

At 29, banker Shaun Hayes was on his way to his goal of becoming a millionaire. Guided by hustle and ingenuity, he purchased his first bank and was CEO of one of the largest publicly held bank holding companies in Missouri. For years, he was lauded as one of the Midwest’s top entrepreneurs and riding high as a business leader and family man. He took the risks and made the sharp decisions others wouldn’t....

Until those decisions led him to his downfall...and prison.

Learn the true story of entrepreneur and multimillionaire Shaun Hayes’ rise to the highest levels of corporate banking, his subsequent fall that led to 37 months in federal prison, and the ultimate costs: his family, friends, freedom, and fortune. A cautionary tale of great success and failure, this thrilling business memoir is your guide to staying on course through life’s ethical gray areas.

You’ll discover:

• The story of turning a small Missouri bank into one of the largest publicly held banks in the Midwest and the dangers of the morally ambiguous roller coaster Shaun took to get there.
• How to define your ethical moral compass when it comes to building a business, wealth, or your reputation.
• The real-time consequences of pushing the ethical envelope in business decision-making when the risk isn’t worth the monetary reward.
• The critical value in building a team you trust to guide the effective thinking and choices companies make to succeed.
• How to redefine security and success apart from how much money you have in the bank.

The Gray Choice is an honest account of one man losing his ethical footing and the inevitable fallout that reshaped his life forever. Don’t miss this compelling look at the decisions that can make or break your life and the vital lessons to find your way back.

©2023 Shaun Hayes (P)2023 Shaun Hayes

Jennah

Times were different. The world was different. Thank you for writing this! Thank you Shaun!

😳

Eye opening experience into the world of bankers. Hayes does a great job at story telling and keeps your interest through it all. He has definitely been humbled. I enjoyed learning more of his story.

An honest look at the game, where sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. keep going

This is a must read if you're in business and have struggled at all. It will inspire, encourage, and silently mentor you. There's levels to this game and he's climbed the mountain with humility to tell the story... you're doing an unservice to yourself by not picking this one up.

Great Read!

Although I am not in the banking industry, this book is applicable to most people. Being in sales and an entrepreneur; Shaun’s story shows just how easy it is to get so sucked into winning, that you loose sight of the white line. And gray is a close neighbor to black. Hugging the line is next to crossing the line.
I think all of us deal with this, to some extent, in some category of our lives. Great content, great read.