ON MY OWN

Recollections of an Unlikely CEO

Why the Trust Business?

When severe mental illness strikes a young family in 1961, each member must sort things out as best they can: typically on their own. These are days of mystery, confusion, and secrets, where “normal” is an elusive prize. As the middle child of three small boys, the author invites us into his world as he attempts to make sense of their shared isolation. It’s a story of adversity and resilience, love and pain, and the unrelenting compulsion to overcome through achievement. Yet there are few villains or victims in these pages.


If you wonder why someone would start a business to help overcome trust issues, or perhaps you just want a meaningful and fun read, get your copy of On My Own here.

Purchase On My Own Here!

Reviews for On My Own, Recollections of an Unlikely CEO

  • “If you were born in the ’60s, this book will take you back in time. References of paper routes and “kick the can” take you on the true life growing up and finding one’s self journey of the author. The chaotic world of mental disease will ring true to those who grew up in dysfunctional families while believing everyone else had a “normal” life. Not to mention the whole Catholic upbringing in Middle America. I found myself laughing, crying and rooting for author to conquer his demons. Well done!!”

    -Reader Review, March 2015

    Button

  • Bruce Hendrick relates with refreshing humor and transparency what it was like to grow up in an environment of well-meaning people who faced life’s challenges without the coping tools or understanding they desperately wanted. As the chapters unfold, we participate in Bruce’s journey as he gets himself into and out of trouble on a regular basis. We smile as we witness the foolhardiness of a decent but often misguided boy and watch as a budding trailblazer comes of age, one who is repeatedly the last to recognize his own leadership potential. Readers are often carried back to their early years as they recall similar predicaments and victories, taking comfort in their own measures of spirit and…well, dumb luck. The bittersweet boyhood adventures of this future CEO are sure to leave you moved, inspired, and thirsting for more. “I want you to know how much I enjoyed On My Own. Bruce is a very good writer, and tells his story extremely well–with clarity, humor, and a good sense of drama. Can’t say I’ve ever read a CEO autobiography quite like it.”

    Bo Burlingham

    Editor-at-Large, Inc. Magazine

    Director of Administration/City Manager City of Wooster, Ohio

  • “Mental health books can give diagnoses and describe symptoms, but Bruce has described the beauty, wonder and complexity of real life. His gift for painting a picture describes so well what I am sure many people have felt and experienced and were unable to put into words. Bruce is a captivating storyteller and has created compelling pictures of the people and settings that have shaped him. In my humble opinion – it is a great book.”

    Janice Hershberger

    Mental Health Professional

    Button

  • “Never in my life have I had the chance to get to know someone better by reading their life story. Perhaps that is why I felt compelled to read this book in just two sittings. I found pleasure in the stories and life experiences. Each chapter brought back memories of my own, only I wish I had the detail in my own memories. Bruce has a great writing style that kept me engaged.”

    Chris Peer

    Business Owner

    Button

  • “I wasn’t quite sure initially what to think of this book when I bought it, but the brief description that I had previously read intrigued me enough to give it a try. I enjoyed several things: the nostalgia of Akron, Ohio in the 60’s and 70’s, the description of a family dealing with mental health, and the process of growing up and finding one’s self. It’s a very personal read, much more so than I expected, but that only serves to create a real life human story with all its ups and downs.”

    Joseph Messner

    Mental Health Professional

    Button

  • “I really enjoyed this book. It has resurrected some childhood memories for me that I thought were forever lost. It also caused me to reflect on the events of my childhood and early adulthood that, while seeming insignificant in many ways, have profoundly affected who I am today. My favorite chapter was Jonny. That story had me in stitches all the way through!”

    Rich Carey

    Manufacturing Improvement Professional

    Button

  • “Bruce Hendrick, in his book On My Own, takes the reader on an amazing journey. It begins with his childhood, a time when his mother’s mental illness caused great hardships for his family. His father’s quiet guidance helped direct his future. Bruce, in a wonderfully whimsical manner, describes his many adventures as he was growing up. From his first girlfriend, Darla, to Boy Scout initiations, to almost getting killed right after getting his driver’s license, to nearly being arrested by the FBI. This is a great story of resilience, determination, survival, and purpose.”

    Boaz Rauchwerger

    Vistage Speaker of the Year

    Button

  • “I thoroughly enjoyed the book On My Own, especially the transparency and something I’ll call real-ness from cover to cover. It is being recommended to all my friends.”

    Ron J. West

    Corporate Transformation

    Button

  • “What a great read! It was sad, funny and inspiring all at once. Speaks of the challenges of growing up in a dysfunctional family and the impact of mental illness. Mostly it is a story of our amazing ability to not only survive difficulties but to overcome them, be successful in a career and then give back to the world.”

    Helen F. Walkerly

    Social Work Professional

    Button

  • “The main thing I take away from On My Own is humanity, in all forms. It came across as extremely honest about everything. It made me think back to my first girlfriend, first job, etc. Bruce’s use of humor, whether in a self-deprecating way or to temper some difficult scenes, was very effective. I grew to like the characters in the book and wondered a lot about how things turned out for other persons, such as his brothers or his first girlfriend. I think it’s always a sign of a good book that you think about the people after you have completed the book. Bruce leave the readers wanting more!”

    Robert C. Gorman

    Attorney

    Button