Reviews
Reviews
What Readers Are Saying
I saw my own hustle on every page.” “I picked this up thinking it would be another ‘grind harder’ entrepreneur story. It’s the opposite. Mustafa puts language to something I’ve felt for years but couldn’t name: the way chasing success can become its own addiction. The stories about the trucks, the bank calls, and his body finally saying ‘no’ hit uncomfortably close to home — in a good way. I finished the book and immediately started writing down my own ‘signs.’”
Jordan M.
small business owner
“Honest without being bitter.” “What surprised me most is how fair he is. He doesn’t sugarcoat the pain, but he also doesn’t spend 200 pages blaming banks, partners, or family. He owns his mistakes, tells the truth about systems, and somehow still leaves room for grace. As an immigrant who’s tried to ‘make it’ in a new country, I felt seen, not preached at.”
Claudia R.
first-generation professional
“The ‘signs’ stayed with me for days.” “The short ‘signs’ between chapters are what I keep coming back to: the fuel light story, the glass-house rules on the fridge, the moment his son called him out after the grocery store. They’re simple enough to remember but deep enough to sit with. This is a book I’ll be quoting in conversations for a long time.”
Rev. Alex D.
pastor and community organizer
“A rare combination of street-level and reflective.” “I read a lot of memoirs. This one feels different because it’s not trying to impress you. Mustafa can describe carrying water as a kid and negotiating with insurance companies with the same calm, precise voice. There’s philosophy in here, mental health insight, theology, and jokes about his own bald head — and it all works together. It’s like talking to the uncle who’s finally ready to tell you the real story.”
Nadia K.
avid nonfiction reader
“I bought it for my son, then underlined it for myself.” “I originally picked this up thinking it might help my twenty-something son, who’s trying to start a business. Halfway through, I realized the book was reading me, not the other way around. The sections on fatherhood, divorce, and trying to repair what you broke as a younger man were humbling. I’ve already recommended it to three other dads.”
Eric P.
father of three
""No fairy-tale ending, and that’s the point.” “What I appreciated most is that there’s no ‘and then everything was perfect’ chapter. He’s still walking, still figuring it out, and he lets you see that. The hope here is grounded, not fluffy. If you’re tired of success stories that skip the part where people fall apart, read this.”
Shavonne L.
social worker