332
7 min 5 sec

Florida Woman Gets Paid to Remove Poisonous Frogs

In this ribetting feature, a high school science teacher earns an extra $3,000/month removing an invasive species of toads throughout Florida.
Animals Customer Service Low-Tech Niche Ideas Service

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What It's About

Poisonous frogs. In your neighborhood. Who you gonna call? Toad Busters!

Business Model
Service
Skills Required
Amphibian Knowledge & Power of Observation
Complexity
Low
Profit Potential
Medium

Words of Wisdom

There are a lot of opportunities out there to fill a need that others would not be overly eager to take on. If something makes others squeamish but doesn't have a similar effect on you, hop to it!

Fun Fact

Jeannine didn’t have much time to celebrate her first sale, so she settled for a stop at McDonald's on the way back from her first evening of work!

Notes from Chris

Episode 332

If something “ribbits” in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Toad Busters! Or, more specifically, Jeannine Tilford, the owner of today’s side hustle. After spotting a dangerous shift in her local environment, this high school science teacher decided to take matters into her own hands, and earn an extra $3,000 a month because of it.

A high school science teacher and herpetologist by trade, Jeannine had noticed a long, slow change in the native ecosystem of her local Florida area. The diversity of the local reptiles—animals she loved to collect and study—had begun to dwindle, and the rate of dogs dying from eating poisonous toads was on the rise. All thanks to one particular species, the Bufo toad.

The system of getting rid of these toads was effective but expensive and damaging to the flora and fauna that was subjected to the pesticides. There was no way to get rid of the toads without making the rest of the area sterile. Unless, well... someone went out each night to collect the toads and remove them one by one.

This what where Jeannine found her side-hustle calling. She felt that if she could be the one to go out and collect the toads, it would be the perfect part-time evening job to boost her low teacher’s salary, and a way to scratch her herpetological itch.

The job itself comes with a lot of perils. It’s an active job and requires climbing into areas where there are plenty of mosquitoes, spiders, venomous snakes, poltergeists, and alligators. There’s also a lot of explaining to do to the police about why you’re walking around someone’s property, at night, with just a flashlight and a big stick.

Last but not least: she has to remember “don’t cross the streams!” But, despite those perils, Toad Busters is averaging around $3,000 per month.


MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Toad Busters: Hop on over to Jeannine's website to learn more. They ain't afraid of no toads!
SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

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Quote of the Day
"I spent a long time just thinking about something I could do that not a lot of people were doing before I took the plunge and actually did it. After a certain point, thinking something over becomes more trouble than it's worth!"
—Jeannine Tilford #SideHustleSchool

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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau