161 6:12

Fashionista Blogs Her Way to Career Success

A thirty-four-year-old fashionista in New York City finds a way to turn the economic crisis into an opportunity promoting affordable fashion while bringing in a profit to keep her flush in designer looks.

6:12

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What It's About

An avid bargain shopper teaches others how to get the most bang for their buck.

Business Model
Blog
Skills Required
Writing & Fashion
Complexity
Medium
Profit Potential
Medium

Words of Wisdom

Though Alison has stiff competition, as it seems everyone has a blog these days, she says she’s been able to stand the test of time by bringing a unique voice, having great content and photography, and posting consistently. She’s also put lots of time and effort into it spending anywhere from five to ten hours each week, writing and scheduling posts, and creating accompanying graphics.

Fun Fact

Alison Zaccone, creator, and author of NYC Recessionista, a bargain shopping and fashion blog, has found ways to make her side hustle work for her day job. She’s been able to leverage her blog expertise, relationships, and networks to find donations and potential fashion partnerships for her nonprofit employer, which assists underserved women to reenter the workplace.

Notes from Chris

Episode 161
Alison Zaccone was a 34-year-old living in one of the priciest locations in the US—New York City. A fashionista at heart, Alison wanted to keep up with the latest trends, but also had to keep up with her daunting bills. Luckily for her, she had a natural knack for bargain shopping, deal hunting and getting the most out of clothes by mixing and matching.

Around the same time, the term “recessionista” started becoming part of the lexicon, slang for a woman who can remain fashionable despite financial difficulties. This seemed to perfectly describe Alison. Her then-boyfriend, who was constantly subjected to being the recipient of Alison’s clothing and fashion revelations, suggested she reach a bigger audience than just him, by pouring her passion into a blog.

And so she did. She launched NYC Recessionista—a bargain shopping and fashion blog—to share her savvy with the world. Alison’s goal was to show people that just because they have limited means doesn’t mean they can’t have unlimited style.

For a while, the blog was just a hobby, but she slowly realized she was getting more and more readers. So after attending a blogging conference where she learned about different ways to maximize her site, she monetized the blog and created dedicated social media pages for it. From there, things quickly picked up.

Now, NYC Recessionista has between 30,000 and 50,000 visitors each month. Since beginning it, Alison has made roughly $13,000 in side hustle income, with her month-by-month profit remaining steady.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
  • NYC Recessionista: Learn more about Alison and her budget-friendly, fashion savvy side hustle on her blog
  • Bottomless Closet NYC: The nonprofit Alison works at that assists underserved women reentering the workplace
  • rewardStyle: One of the affiliate marketing companies that Alison partnered with
SEE ALSO: Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter
Quote of the Day
"I think the NYC Recessionista blog definitely speaks to how you can turn a hobby into a side hustle. Everyone has hobbies, but they might not realize they can turn it into a money-making hobby."
—Alison Zaccone #SideHustleSchool

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