Cathy Heller has written a must-read book if you’re looking to turn your passion project into a full-time endeavor. Don’t Keep Your Day Job starts as what you would expect: Filled with motivational stories.

Having struggled as an indie author for the last nine years, I appreciated reading the success stories of others. I expected Heller to focus on the “Ra Ra” aspect of being an entrepreneur—work hard, keep your nose to the grindstone and keep up at it.

However, Heller shares real-life stories from listeners who reached for the stars and accomplished them. Again, helpful in learning about the success stories of other people.

But where the book shines are the sections that contain letter templates on how to reach out to CEOs, people in your network, and others.

That’s not only extremely helpful but practical. I’ve marked up my copy with notes that are useful recommendations on how to grow my side hustle. But Heller doesn’t just stop there; she also shares the failures of others and the amount of time it took people to find their success.

Yes, the stories she shares are motivational, but it’s also clear that Heller’s book is not another one of the “get rich quick” schemes that have been floating out there for years. Instead, Don’t Keep Your Day Job is a breath of fresh air. Heller focuses on the positive and then backs up her motivational stories with practical tips.

If you’ve listened to Heller’s Don’t Keep Your Day Job podcast, you’ll find the book to be a great companion to that. I intend to re-read the book and go through the sections that have the letter templates for better networking.

Definitely add the book to your reading list as you’ll not regret it. There’s a lot to learn here.

(I received a copy of this book from the author and I'm reviewing it voluntarily. And note that there are affiliate hyperlinks used on this page and that I receive a small percentage of sales if you choose to purchase. I only recommend items that I have found helpful and useful, and am passing them on to you to help. Thank you!)