“The Secret Is You” by Chris Cicchinelli

The Secret is YOU: How I Empowered 250,000 Women to Find Their Passion and Changes Their Lives documents successful motivational speaker and businessman Chris Cicchinelli’s ethos in book form. It is an invaluable addition to the existing body of literature about vocational self-realization – it aims at nothing less than giving you a roadmap for exploiting your gifts to the fullest. He structures his guidance in a straight-forward way, the writing conversational, his mood non-confrontational. It is unsurprising, perhaps, that much of Cicchinelli’s writing reflects his extensive experience as a speaker. It takes on much of the same encouraging tone attendees experience during a Cicchinelli lecture and likely produces the same effects. It is inspiring stuff from beginning to end.

ABOUT CHRIS CICCHINELLI: https://chriscicchinelli.com/the-secret-is-you/

His encourage tone captured my attention early. He experienced meaningful material success early and, in the eyes of many, could be forgiven for coming across as high-handed or conceited. He never does. Cicchinelli, instead, impresses himself upon me as someone genuinely interested in seeing others around him become successful. This genuine altruistic impulse is part of The Secret is YOU’s underlying bedrock. It never descends to the level of outright cheerleading, but never feels false. It, likewise, gives the book’s ideas an added shot of enthusiasm that helps carry them over the top.

He convinced me early on that his blueprint for personal satisfaction and success is viable. Cicchinelli doesn’t accomplish this through rhetoric alone, but instead nailed down his credibility with a blend of stories he’s lived through and a wealth of solid reasoning. He “talks” to readers on their level as well. The humility alluded to earlier in this review is one of the chief factors in any confidence built with his audience.

THE LIVING WITH CHANGE FOUNDATION: http://livingwithchange.org/

The Secret Is YOU never tests the reader’s endurance. It isn’t a long book at all, it can easily be consumed in a single sitting, and it is a work you can dive into at any point. I think it is helpful to read it from beginning to end on your first pass, but not necessary. There’s no question in my mind many readers can open this book to relevant chapters and feel satisfied with the book’s value.

It isn’t a book weighed down by wonky information. Cicchinelli’s sole concession to graphics in the text is the presence of consultant spotlights and he tacks on a takeaways section with each of the book’s twelve chapters. The takeaways are superfluous, the clarity of his writing makes summaries pointless, but their inclusion does nothing to drag the book down. It does feel like an extra bit of padding, however, for an already slim work.

PURCHASE LINK: https://www.amazon.com/secret-YOU-Empowered-Passion-Change/dp/1642937134

Despite its brevity, however, The Secret is YOU: How I Empowered 250,000 Women to Find Their Passion and Changes Their Lives packs quite a lot into a small package. It is easy to follow Chris Cicchinelli’s line of thought throughout the book and his personality shines through at multiple points. It’s difficult to believe he doesn’t have more to say on this subject so it wouldn’t surprise me if we hear more from this author in the future. If we do not, however, he’s made his mark with this book. 

Nicole Killian