When I started my side hustle, I didn’t have a mentor, a big social media following, or any startup capital. I just had a drive to help people find great careers, and advice from some of my favorite books.
In 2022, I quit my six-figure recruiting job at Amazon to grow my YouTube channel and launch my business, PayBump. I make videos about remote work and unique income streams, and create kits to help people make their resumes and cover letters shine.
Today, my business brings in $143,000 a month in passive income, mostly from digital product sales and YouTube ad revenue. And I only work two hours a day.
Here are five books that helped me get started:
1. ‘The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage’
This is a practical playbook for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to build a business from the ground up. It draws on the “Shark Tank” investor’s experiences, as well as insights from other self-made millionaires.
I learned how to bootstrap my online business, connect with likeminded people, develop partnerships, and use free marketing strategies to drive sales and make a profit.
2. ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not’
Kiyosaki writes about the habits of two men, and how one ultimately obtained wealth, while the other struggled, in large part because of the differences in their money mindsets.
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“Rich Dad, Poor Dad” showed me the value of the “on-the-job” skills I already possessed, and how I could use them as the blueprint for my business. It gave me the confidence to harness my experience in fintech, project management, and recruiting to get PayBump off the ground.
3. ‘The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses’
Inspired by Ries’ years as an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, “The Lean Startup” taught me how to identify what my customers really want, and test out new ideas at a low cost.
One concept he writes about is the “minimum viable product,” essentially the most basic and least expensive version of what you want to offer.
This inspired me to release an early version of my digital membership to a small group of people. I collected data about their experience, and thanks to all their feedback, I was able to boost my customer retention rates by 50%.
4. ‘The YouTube Formula: How Anyone Can Unlock the Algorithm to Drive Views, Build an Audience, and Grow Revenue’
Eves is a TV producer, content creator, and the founder of the VidSummit conference. His book was a great crash course for me when I started my channel.
I learned how to structure my videos, create eye-catching thumbnails, use analytics to improve the performance of my content, and make connections with brands.
All of that helped me turn audience members into repeat customers and create a thriving online community.
5. ‘Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires’
“Ask and It Is Given” is all about how to use the law of attraction to help you visualize and achieve your dreams. The premise is that whatever you think about and feel strongly about, whether it is positive or negative, that will be drawn into your life.
Inspired by their advice, all of the goals I made vision boards for — my marriage and son, good health, hitting financial milestones — have become a reality.
Ultimately, this book helped me be more intentional about where I put my time and energy, and figure out what was important to me.
Jasmine “Jazzy Mac” McCall is a career expert & CEO and co-founder of Paybump, a career development platform that helps everyday people land remote, corporate roles. Follow her on YouTube and LinkedIn.
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