Notes from Chris

Episode 1746

Back in 2012, Luke Lorick was falling asleep after a long week of working at a Fortune 30 insurance company. While he liked his job, he was starting to get bored. He began to imagine what it would be like to put his multiple business degrees to use and combine it with one of his passions. Above all else, he loved tailgating.

Let’s break this down for those who don’t know: tailgating is a type of celebration that typically occurs before a big event. Usually this event involves sports, like a football game, but some people have them before concerts or festivals. Most “tailgates” involve some combination of drinking beer, sitting in foldout chairs, and grilling food in the tailgate of a truck—hence the name.

Tailgating had been one of Luke’s favorite things to do for years, and as he was thinking about how it could be a bigger part of his life, the words “tailgating challenge” suddenly rang through his head. He began to wonder if he could start a business where he would review tailgating products and build a community of fellow fans. In a sleepy stupor, he created a Facebook page for his idea, and went back to bed.

When he woke up and remembered his idea, he was ready to answer the call of the ball. Quickly, he created accounts for Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube. He then made a website, spending about $250 for what he’d call Tailgating-Challenge.com.

Luke didn’t go a day without working on his side hustle, even if it was just those few minutes of work. As his presence began to grow and he started to gain more followers, he started hosting giveaways on his social media accounts. This technique was one of the best ways for him to build engagement and continue to increase his following.

Rather than doing one or two giveaways a month like most brands do, Tailgating Challenge has one every single week. Luke says that this keeps his audience engaged and coming back for more. He also strategically plans his giveaways to build engagement in the areas of his business that he wants.

For the first few years, Luke didn’t make any money at all. He focused on building up a following and increasing his credibility. Over the years, however, he began to turn more of his attention to monetization.

So let’s talk about that money. Luke brings in anywhere from $1,000-$3,000 a month from the site. He is still working at his day job and he isn’t planning on quitting anytime soon. He says that the side gig brings him a sense of empowerment, financial freedom, and positivity to his life.

Years after that restless night where he dreamed up the idea of Tailgating Challenge, Luke is still gaming high.

 

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  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Learn more about Luke and his business at his website, Tailgating-Challenge.com.
• Follow Luke on Instagram at @tailgatingchallenge for your chance to win one of his giveaways.

SEE ALSO:

• Customer Service Agent Becomes CBD Affiliate: A long time software company rep spends ten years learning the affiliate marketing ropes, eventually cracking the code with a site providing reviews of CBD products.
• Aussie Mom Earns $3,000/Month From Affiliate Links: After overcoming obstacles in her search for remote work opportunities, this stay-at-home mom creates her own resource website to help others. She gets paid when visitors click through to register for programs she promotes.
• Ohio IT Director Earns $31,000 Setting Up Wordpress Sites: How an Ohio IT director earned more than $31,000 empowering others by providing them with the tools and resources they needed to set up their own websites.

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

Yours in the revolution,

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