The Skinny
At Skinny Book Co, we believe your story deserves to be told without the unnecessary pages that put readers to sleep by guiding you through a process of book ghostwriting for entrepreneurs that is actually enjoyable.
Most business books are 80% fluff and 20% value. Instead, we cut out the fluff to make a book that is 100% value.
Our ghostwriting, publishing, and marketing Skinny Books™ forces you to refine your processes and messaging to improve your business and give readers focused & valuable content.
Our Story
Skinny Book Co was born from frustration and breakthrough. Dan Heuertz, a serial entrepreneur, spent years trying to write a book about his experiences. Finally, he even hired a ghostwriter, but nothing clicked. The manuscripts sat unfinished, gathering digital dust.
Then his son Ben stepped in with a revolutionary approach of book ghostwriting. Instead of following the traditional publishing playbook that demands 200+ page volumes, Ben helped Dan distill his story into what became "Noisy Head" – a powerful framework for regaining clarity and confidence after business setbacks and the chaos of the COVID pandemic.
The result? A book that actually gets read. A book that creates real impact.
That father-son breakthrough became our mission. For the past year, Dan and Ben have been helping other entrepreneurs and business leaders cut through the noise and capture their authentic voices and stories.
Our Team
Catherine Jelinek
Catherine works with authors from the very beginning of their book journey, helping uncover the deeper heart of the story they are here to tell and shaping it into a clear, compelling narrative. She leads Story-Mapping, conducts long-form interviews that become the voice print of the book, and supports authors through review, positioning, and launch.
Her work lives at the intersection of humanity and entrepreneurship. She co-founded The Junto Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, has worked as a people and growth consultant within startups, and brings a deep love of listening, story, and meaning-making into every project.
She is also a mother of two, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blue belt in progress, and makes a dangerously good dairy-free, nut-free pesto.
Bailey Baack
Bailey works with authors in the middle and later phases of their book journey, transforming raw interviews, outlines, and drafts into clear and cohesive manuscripts that sound unmistakably like the author. She leads the writing and editing process, translating voice to page and shaping complex ideas into books that are structured and resonant.
Her work focuses on clarity, integrity, and craft. Bailey guides manuscripts through drafting, revision, and refinement, helping authors strengthen flow, deepen meaning, and preserve the heart of their message while elevating its impact. She is especially skilled at working with idea-dense material, long-form interviews, and authors who know what they want to say but need help finding the cleanest, truest way to say it.
Ben Heuertz
Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs sparked an appreciation for untold stories and the lessons behind them. What began as a personal project to help his dad share his experience revealed a need to support entrepreneurs in capturing and sharing their stories.
At The Skinny, Ben’s focus is on the publishing and distribution phase, working mostly behind the scenes to support authors and streamline the process. An early start in entrepreneurship gave him a long-term commitment to building, supporting, and helping entrepreneurs create real impact.
Core Values
Reverence
- For the people
- For the stories
- Through listening
Entrepreneurial
- For entrepreneurs
- Embody the spirit
- Own it
Authentic
- People
- Interactions
- Voices
Love
- We are a family
- Deep trust
- Relied on
Hear about all of our books by great entrepreneurs, coaches, and businesses