THE STORY
HE WASN’T KNOCKED DOWN.
HE WAS KNOCKED OUT.
In July 2020, Dean Vagnozzi watched the life he had spent decades building unravel in a matter of days.
His business was gone. His assets were frozen. His reputation was shattered by front-page allegations.
For the first time in his life, Dean didn't know what moving forward looked like.
But staying down wasn't an option.
THE FIGHT
BEFORE THE BOOK.
BEFORE THE LESSONS.
THERE WAS THE FIGHT.
In this five-minute video, Dean Vagnozzi shares the story behind Be a Lion—the SEC lawsuit that turned his life upside down, the battle that followed, and the experience that forever changed the way he thinks about business, family, resilience, and financial security.
It’s the story that gives context to everything that follows.
HIS WHY
TOO MANY PEOPLE
WERE COUNTING ON HIM.
His wife. His children. His family.
They became his reason to keep fighting when he wasn't sure he had any fight left.
Dean didn't get back up in one heroic moment.
He got up slowly. Sometimes reluctantly. But he kept getting up.
THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A LION.
THE BOOK
BE A LION
This isn't a story about getting knocked down. It's a story about getting back up.
Be a Lion is Dean Vagnozzi's deeply personal story of success, loss, family, perseverance and the fight to rebuild when nearly everything was taken away.
But ultimately, it's not just Dean's story.
It's for anyone who's ever had to find the strength to start again.
TESTIMONIALS
George Bochetto, Attorney at Law
“He had the full weight of the United States Government come down upon him—and refused to disappear.”
Felicia Vagnozzi, Dean’s daughter
“His grit is the reason we did not sink. His determination is the reason we are still standing.”
Dana Scheponick
“A lion doesn’t collapse when times are tough. A lion doesn’t let fear decide his identity. A lion stands, even when wounded.”