It Worked For Me

My Life Seizing Opportunity and Building Success

Non-Fiction - Memoir
329 Pages
Reviewed on 05/23/2025
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Jeff Burgess’s It Worked for Me: My Life Seizing Opportunity and Building Success chronicles his extraordinary journey from a rebellious, underachieving youth in Skokie to a highly successful and influential sales executive in the tech distribution industry. The narrative opens with a vivid recounting of a pivotal moment—his father’s candid and tough love conversation—that ignited a transformation in his attitude and life. Burgess details his early struggles, relentless pursuit of opportunities, and his knack for seizing every chance to learn, adapt, and excel. Over the decades, he has built a career characterized by bold moves, strategic relationships, and a relentless focus on customer service, ultimately establishing himself as a top-tier sales leader in the competitive tech world. In this book, he distils the lessons and wisdom garnered over the years.

Jeff Burgess’s memoir delivered far more than I expected. The author doesn’t just recount his journey to success but shows you how he achieved it, underlining every step and explaining the philosophy behind it clearly and engagingly. This book taught me some important lessons, including the power of confidence, proactive customer engagement, and the importance of building trust through transparency and value-added service. He emphasizes strategies like “know thy customer” and “know thy competition,” teaching you how to be prepared, excel at creative problem-solving, and master the art of deflection to turn challenges into opportunities. Burgess’s insights reveal that success hinges on relentless hustle, emotional strength, and the ability to adapt quickly to market shifts—lessons he internalized through mentorship from mavericks like Jud Beamsley and reinforced by bold, sometimes unconventional, tactics. It Worked for Me is packed with business lessons, insights for success, and an inspiring story.

K.C. Finn

It Worked For Me: My Life Seizing Opportunity and Building Success by Jeff Burgess is a rousing and candid memoir tracing the journey of a man who went from drifting college dropout to multimillion-dollar CEO. All of this is sparked by a tough-love conversation with his father, from which Burgess channels his work ethic, grit, and entrepreneurial vision to climb the ranks of the early tech world. Told with unfiltered humor and infectious energy, his story charts decades of risk-taking, business acumen, and relentless determination. Far from a sanitized success story, Burgess reveals the messy reality behind the wins and the mindset that allowed him to build a global enterprise against the odds. His story is a call to action for anyone feeling stuck, reminding readers that no matter where you start, it’s never too late to chart a new course.

Author Jeff Burgess has the kind of get-up-and-go that people need in a world that makes us feel powerless. No matter what your entrepreneurial dreams are, you’ll find something inspiring in this read to keep you focused on your personal journey. I certainly appreciated Burgess’s confident but realistic style. His voice is sharp, authentic, and motivating throughout, which is perfect for readers hungry for real-world inspiration. The examples taken from Burgess’s triumphs and setbacks paint a realistic picture of how much grit you need to keep going. A gripping blend of business savvy and personal vulnerability keeps the pages turning as you wait with bated breath to see how the next move works out. This story is also inspiring because of how down-to-earth and relatable the author is, proving that it's determination, not degrees, that is the true key to breakthrough success. Overall, I highly recommend It Worked For Me as much more than a memoir. It is a blueprint for bold, purpose-driven living that has much to teach anyone who picks it up.

Joe Wisinski

In It Worked For Me, author Jeff Burgess writes about how he turned around his underachieving lifestyle and became a successful businessman. The book is essentially his autobiography, but it also teaches what it takes to become successful in business, even for those who are handicapped, as in the author’s case, by a lack of education, a late start in business, or an initial lack of drive to become successful in life. Burgess is the founder of Burgess Computer Decisions, Inc., and much of his book describes how he successfully built the company into a $100 million company. The book ends with Burgess’ “Commandments for Business Success.” The author says that all book sales proceeds will go to the Wounded Warrior Project.

It Worked For Me author Jeff Burgess has written a book that’s valuable on several fronts. Readers will get inspired by Burgess’ work ethic, commitment to his customers, and authenticity. They’ll also discover how to run a business, get advice on how to sell, and learn the importance of creative problem-solving. The book is part autobiography and part instruction in career building, and that intermixing of his personal experiences with business practices is what makes the book powerful. Readers will learn what works and what doesn’t in both business and their personal lives. It Worked For Me would be good as required reading for a university-level course in business management. I recommend it not only to those who want to learn more about business and become successful in life, but to anyone who wants a well-written, fascinating autobiography.

Ruffina Oserio

Jeff Burgess’s memoir, It Worked for Me, chronicles his extraordinary journey from a rebellious, underachieving youth to a highly successful technology sales executive. The author begins with a vivid recounting of his youthful misadventures, including a prank that inadvertently set him on a path of personal growth. His early struggles with self-confidence, his close bond with his father, and his initial jobs in warehouse management create the foundation for his rise. Through learning, strategic relationships, and a fiercely proactive attitude, he builds a thriving career across multiple tech companies, ultimately becoming a top-tier sales leader with a reputation for integrity, innovation, and bold moves. His story is one of seizing opportunities, overcoming self-doubt, and constantly adapting to change, all driven by a commitment to service and a never-give-up mindset.

While It Worked for Me tells the author’s story, what captivated me are the lessons delivered. The author discusses key topics like leadership, grit, and the importance of relationships in business. Jeff Burgess explains how trust, transparency, and a genuine understanding of customer needs can transform sales from transactional to relational. Burgess also highlights the significance of boldness and moral integrity, often illustrating how strategic risks and “maverick” thinking can disrupt markets and open new opportunities. My takeaway from this book is what the author calls the "Ten Commandments for Business Success," which include the need to know the customer and the competition. He underlines the principle that the art of selling is 99% confidence and 1% bullshit and emphasizes the ability to listen intentionally as a key element in sales. This book taught me that the customer's perception should be the reality of a successful salesman, and many other lessons. The confident tone, the practical tips, and the wisdom of a seasoned businessman are what you get in this eye-opening, no-nonsense book about success.

Diana Lopez

Jeff Burgess had no clear direction at the beginning of his working life. Fortunately, his father encouraged him not to waste his talent. At that point, he began the path that led him to build a large multi-million dollar company. He first worked in the warehouse area of a company where he learned about computer components. His proactive attitude made him a valuable company member because he knew how to communicate with colleagues and customers. He moved into sales and advanced his career, changing companies when necessary. Along the way, he faced disappointments and challenges until circumstances led him to found his own company. Although he lacked knowledge of the administrative aspects, he persevered. In It Worked For Me, he shares the lessons he learned in a success story forged with integrity and family togetherness.

Jeff Burgess has an entertaining and natural narrative style. I love his passion when he writes. With a few words, he describes the products he worked with and his various jobs, showing his enthusiasm for sales. Even with his accomplishments, he doesn't take all the credit. He was inspired by his father, supported by his wife, and learned from those who mentored him in business. His story begins in 1979, which I found fascinating because it shows how technology and our way of life have changed over time. But what stands out most in the anecdotes is his values and ability to learn from situations and himself. It Worked For Me is a story about finding your place, enjoying your work, and facing challenges with honesty and commitment.