Leaving The Casino: Stop betting on tactics and start building a business that works was lived and written by Jessica Lackey. Entrepreneurship can sometimes feel like a gamble—high stakes, loud advice, and promises that rarely deliver. In Leaving the Casino, Jessica Lackey invites small, service-based business owners to step away from the noise and build something grounded, intentional, and sustainable. With her experience as a Harvard MBA, McKinsey leader, and certified coach, Jessica knows firsthand what it takes to grow a business without sacrificing values or sanity. Partnering with SPARK Publications, she brought her vision to life through thoughtful design, illustrations, and an engaging layout that transforms her 80,000-word manuscript into a true field guide for lasting impact.
What SPARKed your interest in writing this book?
When I first started building my business, I read every book I could find. One really popular author said that once you hit $100,000 in revenue, you should be making your first full-time hire. And I thought, wait a second… based on what I know about profit, taxes, and owner pay, who has the money for that? It hit me that I’d been sold a lot of advice that just didn’t fit my kind of business. There wasn’t a book written for small, service-based companies like mine — so I decided to write it.
Tell us about a part of the writing/publishing process that was harder than you expected.
Writing the book was hard, but honestly, turning it into an actual book was even harder. I could write a long Google Doc, but I had no idea how to transform that into something professional and finished. SPARK Publications helped me bridge that gap — from messy manuscript to a real, polished book. There’s no way I could have done that on my own.
Tell us some of the services that SPARK Publications shared with you and how did they bring out the best version of your book?
SPARK Publications really stood out in the design and creative vision. I didn’t want a plain black-and-white business book — I wanted illustrations, charts, reflection questions, an index, and a layout that kept readers engaged. My book is 80,000 words, and without their design expertise, I don’t think the vision would have come through. They pulled together the text, the visuals, and the flow so it all worked as one.
Jessica’s thoughts on working with SPARK Publications:
“SPARK Publications was exactly the partner I needed to make this book real. They were professional, responsive, and willing to work with me until we got the details just right. I felt like my creative vision was always respected, and I could trust their expertise to guide the process. From start to finish, I was in good hands, and I’d recommend them without hesitation.”
How will this experience and your book impact your career/business/life moving forward?
My hope is that this book becomes the field guide entrepreneurs hand each other when they’re starting out — or when they’ve gotten lost in what I call the “entrepreneurial casino.” Bigger companies and brick-and-mortars already have resources written for them. But what about the small, expertise-based service businesses? I want this book to serve that space, to go beyond just inspiration and give people a foundation they can actually use.
What is one tip or piece of advice that you would give a business owner or thought leader who wants to write a book?
Don’t try to do it all alone. I had a book coach, beta readers, an illustrator, and the SPARK Publications team — and I needed every one of them. If you’re running a small business, you simply can’t (and shouldn’t) take on writing and producing a book by yourself.
Share some other where readers can find you.
Podcast: Aggressively Human https://aggressivelyhuman.substack.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessicalackey
What are some of your affiliations?
I am part of the Charlotte City Club and play Mahjong as part of different communities around Charlotte.
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