AFTER building her own successful company from the ground up, the Real Chai founder Anthea Cahill has set about penning a book to help other budding entrepreneurs navigate the business world.
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Titled 'How to Quit Your Job', the e-book encourages others to take the plunge, follow their passion and start their own business.
With a looming and non-negotiable deadline, Anthea is hoping to release the book before the birth of her first child later in the year.
"This book is for people who are exactly like me, who have a great idea but just need that little push. They're sitting on this idea, they want to do it but they're not quite sure or ready," she said.
"It's telling them the ins and outs of what I did but also I guess, a bit of handholding. I wish I had that when I started. Someone telling me it's quite normal to feel nervous but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it."
Anthea decided to write the book after many others looked to her for advice on starting their own business. She said one of her biggest regrets is not starting her business earlier so she's happy championing others to bite the bullet and just do it.
Anthea's own business journey has been a little unconventional. She first tasted chai at a small tea house while backpacking in the Czech Republic. She said it was "love at first sip".
She spent years unhappily toiling away in the public service and mulling over her dream to launch an authentic loose-leaf chai tea.
"It took a long time, not to get things going - that happened quite quickly but more to get out of my comfort zone and take the plunge," she said.
"I used to make tea for everyone at work. We would have 'chai time' at 3pm every day.
"One day, it just hit me that I wanted to make that my job. I thought 'who's going to pay me to make them cups of tea?' But it turns out, lots of people!"
From a tiny stall at the Gorman House Markets, Anthea has now diversified to expand her range. It includes the original real chai, chocolate chai, caffeine-free chai and the Barista Blend aka 'lazy chai' which requires a shorter brewing time.
Her product is assembled at her Queanbeyan-based factory and the range is stocked in selected stores and cafes. Anthea said her goal is to continue her battle in "fighting crimes against chai".
"I'm really on a mission with the cafes to raise that bar and provide really exception chai. So that in more and more cafés around the country you can have the same mind blowing experience that I had when I was overseas," she said.
"That first chai changed my life so I really want people to have that experience.
"It's my mission."
For more information on Real Chai visit www.realchai.com.au and more information on the 'I Quit My Job' e-book visit www.iquitmyjob.com.au.