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Jeff Burgess

Thank you for considering "Islands of Joy" and/ or learning about me. If you have read the book, you are aware of my story. For those who read it, I will add a few personal facts in this bio that are not in the book. I was born in 1964 in San Francisco, CA and moved to Washington state with my family in 1973. My dad worked at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard as a rigger. My mom did almost all of the child care for myself and my 3 siblings as well as working at various jobs. I am a class of 1982 graduate of South Kitsap High School, located in Port Orchard, WA. I consider Port Orchard to be my home town. Fans of Debbie Macomber, a celebrated local author, may know Port Orchard as the inspiration for her Cedar Cove novels. I have fond memories of the town and it is a beautiful place. After high school, I matriculated at the University of Washington, graduating in 1986. Also in 1986 I married my college sweetheart, Monica. I then entered the working world and was working as a loan officer when I had my mental break. More than thirty years after my break, "Islands of Joy" was self published. I needed the encouragement of my family to finally find something within myself to take action and publish. I wrote it mostly for my family as a way to express my deepest thanks to all who helped me and just to say "I love you." I currently live in South Carolina in a house my mom and I own. Of course Nigel The Dog (his middle name is The) is with me as always. So is Henry, my mom's dog. Together, with Wednesday our cat, they are "The Dudes". My most important role and identity is that of Dad. Despite my mental health struggles and with the help of Monica, we raised two wonderful daughters! I love building scale models and I collect North West Coast Native Art. A painting from my daughter is on the cover. I'm a cinephile and my favorite movies are "V for Vendetta" and "Joker". Denis Villeneuve and Ridley Scott are my favorite directors. I also enjoy reading and "Dune" is my favorite book. Although I no longer watch TV, not even sports, and especially the news anymore, "Frasier", "Firefly" and "Lucifer" are amongst the best TV series I've ever seen. I will occasionally stream a series that has been completed, like "Lucifer". I enjoyed "Schitt's Creek" recently. My favorite number is 6 and the only computer game I play is Civilization 4 because it is NOT on-line. I make my own chili and barbecue several times a week. I'm the most finicky eater ever--just ask my frustrated mom! I tell lots of very bad dad Jokes. I love being an Uncle and this authors biography is the closest I will ever get to social media. I believe in person communication is the best way to build connections and love. Although I don't consider myself to be a writer, I may write another book. It will be fiction and with easier research!

Non-Fiction

Giveaways by Jeff Burgess

Books by Jeff Burgess

It Worked For Me: My Life Seizing Opportunity and Building Success

It Worked For Me: My Life Seizing Opportunity and Building Success

What if one conversation could change your entire life?In 1979, Jeff Burgess was a 22-year-old college dropout drifting through life in a haze of beer, weed, and dead-end jobs. He was the "town clown" with an undeniable work ethic but no clear direction. Then, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, his father called him home for a talk that would shake him to his core: "You have a gift, and I cannot allow you to waste it anymore. It’s time to get your shit together."From that moment, everything changed. Armed with a relentless drive, a knack for problem-solving, and a newfound determination to make something of himself, Jeff set out to prove his father right. Within two years, he skyrocketed from warehouse worker to Vice President of Sales at a booming tech company. By the time he retired, he had built a global business supplying surveillance video recording appliances to both the most iconic and the secure sites in the world.It Worked for Me is the inspiring, no-nonsense story of how an underachiever transformed into an industry leader—one who thrived not by playing it safe, but by embracing risk, trusting his gut, and always finding a way forward.If you've ever felt stuck, uncertain, or like success was just out of reach, this book will show you how to seize your own turning point. Are you ready to take charge of your future? Pick up a copy today!ALL proceeds for It Worked for Me will go directly to the Wounded Warrior Project. About Jeff Burgess From outhouse to penthouse.... He’s that guy who started in the embryonic stages of the computer industry way back in 1979 as a non-college graduate warehouse manager, selling his way to the top as the CEO of his own $100M company.He never cared for the arrogance of the term "rainmaker," since he always thought "mercenary" sounded cooler, especially while selling hundreds of millions of dollars of high-end computer technology to the largest companies and government entities in the world!His story is about all those bumps and bruises along the way, and the lessons learned honing his uncanny ability to turn opportunities into successes. Read more