Single, Taken or Building My Empire

by Jonathan Yabut

Finding happiness in your career is similar to the quest of finding the right partner in life. Sometimes, it pays not just to look for the one that you love, but one that also loves you back.

Asia’s Millennial Guru weighs the merits of career versus love. Loving yourself when you fail. Loving the boss you just want to push off the cliff. And rekindling the love you once had for your job.

In his third book, Jonathan also talks about the ambiguous and tricky choices we take while navigating the murky waters of corporate success: should we focus on our careers or should we live more for love and life? Or can we have both? Are we working to live or are we living to work? This book is your ultimate wingman on how to balance success at work and happiness in life.

121 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2018

Reviews

[Regine Bondoc-Rucio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in 2019, I attended Jonathan Yabut’s seminar on Speak Confidently at Work and Level Up Your Business Writing. My friend Ate Madz introduced me to it, and I sauntered off with not just a ton of insights, but also a free copy of the book, “Single, Taken, or Building My Empire.

The book is easy to read and really relatable. JY’s advice hits where it counts: invest in yourself, travel with purpose, and celebrate your wins. The line that piqued my interest is, “A dreadful end is better than endless dread.” To intentionally decide not to poison myself with regrets anymore, the next step is not to forget, but to apply the lessons I’ve learned and that’s how I’ll grow.

The book also reminds me to balance career and life. Work is important, but so are happiness, health, and meaningful relationships. Moving forward, I’ll learn to manage my energy and time, and to always prioritize what truly matters.

Bottom line: whether we’re single, taken, or hustling to build an empire, this book is a perfect mix of inspiration, wit, and practical lessons. It encourages us to grow, reflect, and level up without losing ourselves in the process.

[Anne Paz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it how Jonathan presented his ideas in a brief and concise manner. It is straight to the point and no BS added. I commend him for adding footnotes to clear points that are prone to misinterpretation. It is a great read for busy people 😊😊😊

[Tatiana J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but sweet. This book gets to the point immediately. Although there are parts that could have been explained further. Would recommend this book as a quick read for days when you feel down about your job or looking for inspiration to work towards your career goals.

[Joy Brns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to read if you want to know more about balancing success at work and happiness in life. ☺️

[John Mckein · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is simple to read and can easily be absorbed and applied.

[Gelli Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how the author incorporated the concept of love towards work/employment/life. But I found this second book, Fast Forward to be more authentic. There are thoughts repeatedly mentioned on this book that I found on the previous one but I think it's okay to include it just as a point of reference and that didn't make it redundant. Overall, this book is empowering and I learn so much from it.

[Arjo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the author's previous book Fast Forward. But this is much too short, I guess, not much substance or takeaways. This reads like a compilation of short articles/stories, and not enough of them to be made a book.

[Freina Ogato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything on the book is very straightforward. Though there were times that i felt like the author is in a hurry explaining a lot of things in one page while reading it. Nevertheless, i was very engaged reading this book :)

[Adam A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has more depth and maturity from Jonathan. His decision to make him vulnerable through the pages creates a deep connection with the reader. As always, his command of words continues to be sharp, easy, relatable and fun.

[Anthea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is ok.

[Keren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book specially for those who are starting a career in a certain company.
It inspires, since it talks some of the common problems encounter and emotions felt at work.

[Rod Barit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read and can be useful for corporate employees looking to advance in their careers.

[Leo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked it up from a workmate to read during lunch. Not all easy reads are good reads. I found this really light on content. It's a 2.5 for sure.

I just find it awkward that a lot of the paragraphs end with "good luck on your career!" like we were meant to put it down and come back later - when we can easily finish it all in a single sitting.