Book Writing as a Side Hustle with Ash Cash
Book Writing as a Side Hustle with Ash Cash
Getting financially healthy at its core is essentially two steps: making more and spending less. It sounds basic, but the fact that over 70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck tells you that it’s not so basic. Yes, there are systemic changes that need to happen for a number of Americans, but from my experience of getting people financially healthy over the last 10 years, I believe the majority of those 70% can stop living paycheck to paycheck if they lower expenses and/or make more money.
In an effort to help our clients at the Gym find ways to make more money, we’re always talking about side hustles as a part of that equation, and a side hustle I love for just about anyone is writing and selling books.
Joining me today is my good friend, Ash Cash, who’s not only a bestselling author, but founder of Mind Right Money and host of Inside the Vault podcast, to share why he feels everyone can have bookselling as a side hustle and how you can take the steps to start ASAP. I always love reconnecting with Ash, not only for his positivity and motivational approach to life, but his practical and applicable advice on this side hustle.
What are we drinking?
Ash - Alkaline Water
Shannon - Black Cherry Schweppes
Podcast Notes
Ash is a life-long financial educator and entrepreneur. He started his career when he was eight years old, packing bags at the grocery store. By 17, he had a job at a video store. Two years later, one of the assistant managers at the video store said they were hiring tellers at Chase Bank.
At 19 years old, Ash started working at Chase and moved to personal banker, private banker, branch manager, CEO of a credit union, and around 2008 he decided he didn’t like where banking was going and he decided to teach. He volunteered and went to intercity schools and jails teaching financial literacy, and he decided he wanted to make a living doing that.
Ash became an author in 2009 and he has written eight books, four of which have become best sellers. He has sold over 80,000 books as a self-published author. He now makes money passively through his books.
He has a daily financial show, called the Ash Cash Show, he is active on social media, and he has an inspirational blog called Ashpiration on mindrightmoney.com. He serves the people. He believes if you get your mind right, everything else will fall in place.
Ash wanted to write in a way to give a voice to those who don’t have a voice. His formula is to put the medicine in the candy. Everybody wins.
Ash’s first book is his version of the book Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, and it’s called Mind Right, Money Right. Ash has a radio show called Mind Right Radio, where he takes the beat of popular songs and combines it with popular speeches.
Anybody who has breath in their body should write a book.
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change — Wayne Dyer
Everybody’s life has purpose, and our job in life is to find that purpose and live it unapologetically. Books are a great way to earn passive income, and sometimes full-time income.
What are you good at and what do you like to do? Merge those things and that’s what you should write about. Ash is inspiration and motivation and he makes money inspiring and motivating. He would do this if he didn’t get paid.
There is someone who can benefit from your knowledge. We undervalue what we bring to the table. Think about who you are, what you are good at, what you love to do, and that is your starting point.
It doesn’t have to be non-fiction. If you have a creative mind, you could write fiction. Fiction does very well right now, because a lot of people want to escape. Your audience is waiting for you. Don’t hold back the gift, because it isn’t yours. It is made for you to give away. Get out of your own way.
It is easier now, more than ever, to sell books, because of social media and direct access to readers. In 2009, Ash needed to be on the radio and television to get in front of them. Content is key.
Once your book is out, don’t focus only on the initial push but keep having those conversations. There are so many ways to find your audience and you can use ads and influencers to promote your book. You can find people who are interested in your book topic easily.
As you write your book, know your target audience. That way, all you need to do is put yourself in front of them.
Ash has a 90-day course, Mind Right, Write Right to help you make your book successful. It’s not just about the writing process but about getting in the right mindset, the importance of your title and cover, technical aspects, and promotional aspects.
The barrier to entry of book writing is low. You can upload your book to Amazon or Apple for free. Ash published an e-book and spent $100 on social media influencers and made $2,000.
Ash’s ninth book is on the way and he is still making money each month from the previous books he wrote. A book is an asset that can be in your life forever. It is part of your legacy. How are you leaving the world better than you found it?
Shannon would like to carve out time to write more. Ash hasn’t written a book in three years — he dictates it. He outlines it first as if he was teaching a class with a PowerPoint. Then he uses the app Otter to record himself teaching. After that, he sends it to an editor, which could be from a freelance website and they can add or remove.
If you are a business owner, you should have a book, because it is a marketing tool. Books have a low barrier to entry and sell the reader on you. You can mass produce books and people who didn’t know you before will trust you and want more. Not only are you making money on your book, you can then market your products to them.
Book writing offers unlimited income. You don’t need a computer, you can use an app on your phone. With books, you aren’t trading your time for money. If you spend 10 hours on a book, after it is done, you exchange value for money.
Takeaway: My biggest takeaway is that if you’re looking for ways to earn extra money, why not consider book writing? We all have stories to share and advice to give, why not make money from it, especially when we can do it from the comfort of our own home.
Random Three Questions
What is the tenth book you want to write?
What is something you binged during the pandemic?
What is your big manifestation for 2021 and beyond?
Connect with Ash
Instagram: @iamashcash
Website: mindrightmoney.com
Online Course: Mind Right, Write Right
Podcast: Inside the Vault with Ash Cash; The Ash Cash Show
If you have any topics you would like me to cover on this podcast, or if you’d like to get in the financially naked hot seat, I encourage you to email me to Shannon@fingyms.com, or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group, and let me know what you want to hear.
2020 was a challenging year, and if money was one of those challenges for you, please don’t let 2021 be more of the same. Despite a global pandemic, we witnessed Financial Gym clients achieve amazing goals all year long. We’ve worked with over 6,000 clients at this point and we’ve literally seen it all and would love to help you achieve your financial dreams in 2021. So head over to, or send friends to, financialgym.com to get set up today.