You’re starting again after a setback, and you want a way to think about it that isn’t just a pep talk.
The Digital Library · Book Three
You already run a company.
Nobody told you, so nobody trained you.
You, Inc.
Discover the C.E.O. Within!
You are the founder, the chief executive, and the only shareholder of a company that's been operating your whole life — and almost nobody has ever once reviewed how it's being run.
The free preview is from The Parable of the Pipeline, the book most readers start with.
The book about the person behind the business10Principles
5Parts of a balanced life
4.12 / 5Goodreads rating*
1996First published
Does this sound familiar?
You may recognize this.
It isn’t always another business plan you need. Sometimes it’s a different way to look at yourself.
You’ve read plenty of business books and almost none about running yourself.
You lead people and want them reading about character, not just tactics.
You know exactly what’s wrong with your week, and no idea where to actually start fixing it.
If any of these sounds like you, this is the book Burke wrote for that exact feeling.
The central idea
You're the CEO of You, Inc.
Imagine being handed a performance review of your own life — not your job, your life — written by someone who refuses to be impressed by your excuses or discouraged by your setbacks.
That's what this book does. You are the founder, the CEO, and the only shareholder of You, Inc., and the book's entire premise is that you've been running this company without ever once sitting down to ask whether it's being run well.
The answer, across ten short principles, is rarely dramatic. It's Attitude Is Everything. It's Develop Productive Habits. It's the quiet, unglamorous discipline of Manage Your Emotions and Change, or Be Changed.
Burke's seven-word motto: “When you know better, you do better.”
One company. One life.
Meet your most important company.
You're already running it. How well are you leading it?
FounderYou
CEOYou
ShareholderYou
What you will learn
Ten principles for running your life.
Short, straightforward ideas for taking responsibility, building habits, and making better decisions.
Take Responsibility
Dare to Dream
The Power of Belief
Courage to Take Action
Attitude Is Everything
Develop Productive Habits
Manage Your Emotions
Prepare for Success
Balance Your Life
Change, or Be Changed
Also inside the book
The Five F's.
Faith, Family, Friends, Fitness, Finances — a way of checking whether your life is actually balanced, or just busy.
FFaith
FFamily
FFriends
FFitness
FFinances
Building the person before the business.
What readers say
More than a motivational book.
Readers describe it as more than a motivational book — several say it helped them actually believe in themselves rather than just feel briefly inspired. One reader called it their third Burke Hedges book, and said it hadn't let them down yet.
Worth knowing: the review count here is small — 13 written reviews — so treat this as an honest early read, not a verdict. *Source: Goodreads, October 2026.
Find Burke's books on Goodreads ↗Who the book is for
Is it right for you?
Not every book is right for every reader. Here's where this one helps most.
A good fit if you…
- are rebuilding after a setback, in this profession or well outside it
- want to look at your own life the way a CEO looks at a struggling division — honestly, without panic
- lead people and want them reading about who they’re becoming, not just what to do
- have read a stack of business books and none about running yourself
Probably not if you…
- want a business plan or a financial strategy
- want tactics rather than character — this book is about the person doing the work, not the work itself
Make it practical
How to use the book.
Try putting just one idea to work before moving to the next.
01
Read slowly
Read one principle at a time, not the whole book in one sitting
02
Choose one
Pick the one principle that’s hardest for you right now, and sit with just that one for a week
03
Write it down
Write down one thing you’d do differently because of it
04
Share with your team
Give your team the same copy — a team license covers everyone, and one principle per call is an easy place to start
For team leaders
Explore Team Licenses
Put the ideas to work together.
Give everyone a clear starting point and a simple way to discuss each principle.
Is it up to date?
You, Inc. was first published in 1996. Burke is updating it for 2026, and says the ten principles haven't needed a single change.
Choose your format
Get You, Inc.
Choose the digital format you prefer.
Digital reading
eBook
$9.95
Read the digital edition on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Listen on the go
Audio
$14.95
An audio format for listening on your schedule.
Read and listen
eBook + Audio
$19.95
Get both formats together.
The story. The system. The person.
Want all three core books?
The Parable of the Pipeline explains the why. Copycat Marketing 101 explains the how. You, Inc. is the who — the person who follows through. Explore the complete Digital Library and the three-eBook bundle.
See the Digital Library — $19.95
Try it free
Read the introduction and first chapter free.
Start with the introduction and first chapter of The Parable of the Pipeline. No card required. These are from The Parable, not You, Inc.
Start with the story.Decide for yourself.
Print editions
Prefer a printed copy?
Print and hardcover editions are not open for general ordering yet. Join the waitlist to hear when they're ready.
Ask About PrintFor team leaders
Give everyone the same starting point.
Give your people the same three core books through one private link. A shared foundation for new readers and team leaders.
Explore Team LicensesThe person behind the business
You already run a company.
Start leading it.
Ten principles, five areas of life, and a simple question: how well are you running yourself?
Explore You, Inc. Formats