Le Deal: How a Young American in Business, in Love, and in over His Head, Kick-Started a Mul... Book

Le Deal by J Byrne Murphy is a real-life story of passion, perseverance, belief, loyalty with a lot of heart. Unlike so many memoirs, it’s not an equally balanced arc through Byrne Murphy's life. It’s not an ego gratifying display of his awesomeness, heavily weighted in the success of the company and all the amazing things that went on around that. Instead, it’s a deep focus on the beginning years of his struggle as an entrepreneur after he landed in Paris with his wife and a baby and a dream in 1992.

Byrne Murphy covers all of it in detail. The ups and the downs, many downs. The moments where he felt like he could lose it all, which seemed to happen at least once a year. His personal struggles as a leader and a manager. His momentary conflicts about whether or not the struggle was worth it. The breakthroughs – mostly understood in hindsight – when he realized they had gotten to another level.

Le Deal provides insight into the mindset required to be a founding CEO of a start up. It's a scary place to be knowing your every action will impact the future of the company and all the people who work for you! This book is a gold mine. Labor relations, change management, marketing, Govt. relations, & cost reduction – I get to know all about it in this book. More than that it teaches you about persistence, about having a greed for ambition, about confronting petty egos, not falling in the paralysis of analysis and doing something, and about having guts to do what might be unpopular now but right in the long term.

Le Deal by J Byrne Murphy is distinct in the way it is written, as it masterfully balances the nature of honesty and humility. The story, told in first person by Phil himself, begins by focusing on his early life. In fact, Byrne Murphy shares the most candid and universal experience there is--being lost and finding oneself. Throughout the book, you see the growth of Byrne Murphy along with his company. From the uncertainty of his actions to his decisive leadership, he is molded by the obstacles he faces--all of which are detailed.

The book is beautifully written, and Byrne Murphy's voice shines through as both smart and honest. He spends most of the book returning to the real-life business and relationship challenges of founding a company and managing people. Writing aside, the story itself is fascinating—let me be more precise—Phil is fascinating.

This is one of the best book written by a businessperson. It's smart, exciting, and is full of amazing life lessons. A must-read for anyone that identifies themselves as a competitor, whether that be in business or life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves biographies. More so for budding or even seasoned entrepreneurs.