Jd Ploetz

Hi, I’m John Ploetz, but feel free to call me JD—everyone else does! I’ve been going by JD since first grade when my teacher, faced with five Johns and Johnnys in the class, wanted to call me Johnny P, My mom wasn’t having any of that “Johnny P” nonsense, so JD it was, and JD it has been ever since. It’s a name that’s followed me through all sorts of adventures, including a successful radio career where I went by JD Alexander—Alexander being my mom’s maiden name. See, I’ve always been about keeping things in the family.

At 58, I’ve packed a lot of life into these years. I’ve done everything from radio broadcasting to building houses, and I even worked as a landfill gas engineer (yep, that’s a thing). One of my more interesting gigs was with Club Med, where I spent three years traveling the world as both an engineer and a DJ. Music has always been a passion of mine—whether as a career or just something that’s been part of my life in one way or another. If im not working Lisa and I are either working on the house or out in the side by side exploring AZ.

I’m also in recovery. After struggling with alcohol since I was 13, I finally got sober about a decade ago. It wasn’t easy, but once I managed to get my act together, things started looking up. Recovery is a big part of my story, and it’s shaped who I am today.

On the personal front, I’ve got four grown kids and three fur babies. There’s Miss Zoe, my 15-year-old pug; Miss Kitty, my 7-year-old white poodle mix; and the love of my life, Miss Ruby, my 2-year-old pug. She’s probably all over this site because, well, why wouldn’t she be? I’m also divorced after 18 years of marriage. My ex-wife and I don’t exactly send each other Christmas cards, but we tolerate each other when necessary.

Now, let’s talk about this whole book-writing thing. I’ve always had ideas for writing books, but it never really happened because—let’s face it—I sucked at typing. And with ADHD thrown in the mix, staying organized and on task? Not my strong suits. But once I figured out I could dictate my thoughts and let AI help clean them up—no, not write the book, just clean up the punctuation and make my thoughts readable—it was a game-changer. That’s how Nothing Changes When Nothing Changes

came to life. Well, that and a lot of hard work and reflection.

Fun fact: Nothing Changes When Nothing Changes is actually my second book. My first one, Get to Work, was the result of a crazy 7-day challenge where I had to write, produce, and upload a book to Amazon. It’s a short read, but it’s all about taking the skills and resources you already have and turning them into something profitable. I’ve done that throughout my life, so it felt natural to write about it.

But Nothing Changes When Nothing Changes is much more personal. It’s based on a phrase my older sister, Sharon, used to tell me. I’m the youngest of four, and Sharon was the only one who still held out hope for me when I was off doing all the reckless things younger me thought were a good idea. She was my biggest supporter until she passed away from breast cancer over two decades ago. That phrase stuck with me over the years, and when I started managing technicians and working through my own stagnant periods, I realized how true it was. I dug into the concept, did a lot of self-reflection, and voilą—this book was born.

But I’m not stopping there. I’ve got a few more projects in the works. I’m writing a book on ADHD, how I’ve managed (and sometimes not managed) living with it, and how others can find their way through it too. I’m also toying with the idea of writing a book on having a “beginner’s mind”—how to approach life with the curiosity and openness of a beginner, no matter how much you think you know. And then there’s the wild card: my life stories. I’ve been told more times than I can count that I need to write these down because apparently, not everyone ends up DJing at Rod Stewart’s house, playing poker with Burt Reynolds on a movie set, or getting abducted by a child molester and living to tell the tale. Who knew?

So, that’s me in a nutshell. I hope you enjoy Nothing Changes When Nothing Changes. I think it has the potential to help a lot of people. It’s all about taking a good, hard look at your life and making the changes that matter. Because, let’s be real—nothing changes if nothing changes. So go out there and change something.