My New Book
My New Book
My book, A Work Life Worth Living, is a real and practical guide to self-discovery and growth — because I’ve been there. It invites you to create purpose beyond expectations and rediscover meaning in your own work life.
— Jeff
My book, A Work Life Worth Living, is a real and practical guide to self-discovery and growth — because I’ve been there. It invites you to create purpose beyond expectations and rediscover meaning in your own work life.
— Jeff
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I’m an entrepreneur and author exploring how fulfillment, growth, and self-discovery can shape a more meaningful life and career.
Decades of corporate leadership have uniquely shaped my commitment to helping others create greater meaning in their work lives. Over a 33-year career at Vertex, Inc. serving as both CEO and Chair, I played a central role in transforming the company into a global leader, guiding its growth while cultivating a deeply people-centered, values-driven culture. Building on these experiences, I went on to found MeaningSphere™ and Mosaic™, ventures rooted in deep exploration of human motivation and purposeful work. My experience spans business, education, and philanthropy, with contributions in research, authorship, and mentorship, and with ongoing dedication to helping individuals connect with what truly matters.
What people are saying about: A Work Life Worth Living
“Jeff Westphal doesn’t preach from the mountaintop. He writes from the wreckage—failed products, a 3-out-of-7 trust score, rehab at fifty, and more. His honesty about what he got wrong is precisely what makes his insights about meaning, mentorship, and listening land so hard.”
“A Work Life Worth Living is a road map for working and living, a must read for anyone under forty!”
“Jeff Westphal could have written the book his resume would suggest: a $4 billion success story with lessons attached. Instead, he wrote something far more rare and far more valuable: the truth, generously told, with enough hard-won scar tissue to earn your trust. This book doesn’t just tell you that meaningful work is possible. It shows you, with uncommon candor, what it costs—and what it’s worth. In an age of artificial intelligence, that’s a genuinely human achievement.”
“Jeff Westphal reframes work not as something we endure but as an expression of who we truly are. Whatever road you are on, Jeff helps you to transform ‘work’ from a four-letter word to the actualization of your deepest aspirations.”
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“As more people seek meaning, fulfillment, and personal impact in their work lives beyond simply making money, this practical guide offers them valuable steps on how to achieve greater goals.”
—Sir Ronald Cohen, cofounder, Apax Partners; cofounder and president, GSG Impact; author of Impact
“A Work Life Worth Living is a powerful testimony of personal growth and a valuable choose-your-own-adventure treasure map for everyone who dares to create a work life that fills their soul—not just their bank account.”
—Dr. Stacy Feiner, psychologist; entrepreneur; coauthor of The Sixth Level
“Jeff Westphal has written a raw, honest, compelling, and inspiring book. A Work Life Worth Living is brutally authentic, elegantly clear, and quietly profound—a personal reckoning that becomes a generous guide for anyone who suspects there must be more to a career than achievement, momentum, or survival. Wise, humane, and deeply relatable for anyone trying to build a work life that actually means something.”
—Matt Tyrnauer, director; producer; writer; editor-at-large, Vanity Fair
“An evergreen book exploring humanity’s most enduring question: ‘What gives life meaning?’ And in an age where work occupies so much of our existence, we must also ask ‘What gives work meaning?’ As generative AI increasingly takes over analytical intelligence, Jeff reminds us of Aristotle’s deeper insight that wisdom—the art of a fully lived life—is the true human achievement. A book for everyone who chooses to live deliberately.”
—Isaac Getz, best-selling coauthor of Freedom, Inc. and The Caring Company
“For anyone seeking to understand the deeper dimensions of leadership, personal growth, and the human side of business, Jeff’s story is an invaluable resource. This book is not merely a chronicle of business success; it is a reflection on what it means to live a meaningful life, both in the workplace and beyond.”
—Don Huizenga, former CEO, Kurdziel Industries; former president, American Foundry Society; board member, EQI, an Atlas Holdings company
“Jeff’s book shows the world of work as a place where profound personal growth can happen. It captures this personal development in the story of one man’s exploration of what a person can do with their life and how they can learn from their experiences. It points to how helpful it is to have wise mentors, the courage to seek them out, and the willingness to engage deeply with their questions.”
—Lani Morris, cofounder, Map of Meaning International; coauthor of The Map of Meaningful Work
“This was an absolute joy to read. As a parent of two young adults, I want this book for them. Jeff speaks to their generation honestly, earnestly, and understandingly, meeting them where they are and inviting them in through stories and epiphanies. It’s that intimate, old-school-style mentoring this generation has largely missed. The book uses the voice of the contemporary Tuesdays with Morrie—only instead of end of life, it’s the start of a more meaningful work life.”
—Ed Wallace, author of Business Relationships That Last and The Relationship Engine
“It’s easy to dismiss things like mindset and meaning as a little touchy-feely, but these are virtues that matter in the business world. I learned this by watching the way Jeff led Vertex for more than twenty years. A significant part of our lives is spent at work, so why not make that time meaningful? When you find purpose in what you do for a living, your life improves in ways that can’t be measured and your momentum becomes unstoppable.“
—Erik Ruda, CEO, Rize Technologies
“Jeff Westphal demystifies one of the greatest challenges of the modern era: how to find meaning in our professional lives without sacrificing success. Jeff doesn’t just theorize from the CEO suite; he shares a vulnerable, hard-won road map for anyone who suspects there is ‘something more’ to work than a paycheck.”
—David G. Henkin, tech executive; award-winning coauthor of Fixing Work
“Working for fifteen years in an environment shaped by Jeff’s leadership taught me that meaning at work comes from trust, encouragement, and the freedom to take ownership of both my work and growth. That culture shaped how I approached my career, showing me that purpose and performance are not opposites. A Work Life Worth Living is a gift to the next generation of seekers looking to grow, lead, and bring others with them.”
—Dr. John H. Wilson, professor, Close School of Entrepreneurship, Drexel University