YouTube sensation, Wife and Mother, Patricia Bright, released her debut book, Heart & Hustle in February of this year. I was so convinced by a video she made mentioning it, that I preordered it, more or less, straight after watching! Being a slow and somewhat inconsistent book reader, I finally got round to finishing it in the lovely sunny weather today. And what an insightful read it has been!
Born in Britain to Nigerian parents, Patricia is now a multi-entrepreneur, primarily known from YouTube, but also an Instagram Influencer, as well as the founder of Y-hair. The backstory of how she reached this level of success, is incredibly vast, inspiring and a key factor to why I purchased her book.
Heart & Hustle by Patricia Bright 
Wife and Mother 
Influencer
Perfect Timing
You may or may not know, but I am currently freelancing as a Writer, Digital Marketing Assistant and English Tutor. Over the past month, I’ve gained two extra clients, for my writing services, which has been great in building both my brand and experience.
But as with anything, the more projects you have, the more things you have to manage and keep on top of it all. Being self-employed, in particular means, it is all on you, especially in the beginning stage where you are just starting out, which is where I currently stand. Because of this, Heart & Hustle could not have come at a better time for me.
Patricia covers topics such as, work ethic, recommended resources, authenticity, and being in the creative industry. It was particularly enlightening to find out more about her line of work as she has built a career off of social media, a relatively new work field.
Even more interesting is her backstory of how the work ethic her parents harnessed has shaped her mindset. She tells of how she takes challenges and life hurdles as motivation to push forward.
Layout
Within each chapter of the book, there are life lesson sections that helpfully summarise the information you are reading as you flick through the pages. This makes it easier for you to revisit key points. There are also constructive questions segmented and dedicated space for you to write down answers to them. It’s a mix of useful advice, with an encouraging relaxed tone, forming an easy-flow and digestible read.
Key Takeaways
Without giving too much away, here are some tips I’ve taken away from this book:
Business cards – Patricia mentions that old school tactics still work! From handing business cards to people in person to posting them through letterboxes, it’s a way to get your name out there.
Planning – Being self-employed involves allot of admin, from creating invoices to tracking interactions between clients. This is separate from actually working on your projects. Patricia, having an accounting background, mentions she is Excel spreadsheet obsessed, but considerately suggests other resources to help with planning such as Asana. Planning helps you keep on track of tasks.
Money Management – Understand numbers! Maths is certainly not my strong point, but when running a business, it’s important to familiarise yourself with payments both going in and outside of your account to make sure you don’t lose track of any essential payments. Patricia notes this and recommends apps such as Xero to assist you in this, as well as an accountant, to help with taxes.
Priorities – Don’t stretch yourself too thin. Ensure that you focus on things most important to where you want your business to go. That way you are setting yourself up to be effective.
Throughout Heart & Hustle, there is an obvious sense that Patricia endearingly wants her readers to succeed in their business ventures. She references several books and people that have helped her in her own journey and encourages readers to find mentors, whether in real life or through other resources.
Overall, I’d strongly recommend this book if you are considering going self-employed or already set up your own business. Equally, however, if you have no interest in being self-employed, this publication possesses a range of tips on work and balancing life outside of that too.
I rate this book: 5 stars
