This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hey, what's up? Thanks for tuning in. This is Side Hustle School. I am your host, Chris Guillebeau. Gonna bring you a new story in our segment known as First $1,000.
First $1,000, as you might guess, it's all about how someone made their first $1,000. I've really been enjoying working on these stories this year. We've got a whole bunch of them in the pipeline. And the whole point is, you know, when you begin to earn some real money, the steps required to go to the next level, whether it's $1,000 to $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 or more, those steps are often easier than that first real paycheck. And the story you're gonna hear today will illustrate that very well, especially in the sense of just get going, right?
Just get going. So with that in mind, today's feature comes from Pete Robbins. Pete's a pretty cool guy. We first featured him back on episode 1550. Government lawyer lands whale of a side gig.
Pete is in fact that attorney, the government lawyer who makes a very good second income traveling to fishing events and writing about the world of professional fishing. This world has all kinds of adventures and nuance and personalities and such. So let's talk about his first $1,000. Let's let him talk about it. How did he make it happen?
And what did it feel like? What did he learn? His story involves what's known as the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing, which I didn't know that actually existed. I didn't know that was a thing. But now of course, I'm gonna try to get tickets next year.
So I'll report back on that. But for now, let's hear from Pete and I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. [Music]
Hi, I'm Pete Robbins and I've been getting paid to go fishing and then write about it since 2004. Here's the now ancient story of my first $1,000 from freelancing. It's not entirely accidental that I've developed this side hustle, but it started as a labor of love and nearly two decades later it remains that way.
It just happens to pay much better. I've continued with my full-time gig as an attorney, but my writing has completely expanded my universe, taken me all over the globe and developed and enhanced my skill sets. I wake up every day excited to explore new topics and get my word in print or pixels. I'd been writing for a friend site for free, mind you, for a few years when I requested a media credential for the 2004 Bass Master Classic on Lake Wiley in South Carolina. That's the so-called Super Bowl of fishing and I ended up in the boat with the second place finisher.
He may not have won, but he was using techniques that no one really knew about. Remember, the internet was much younger then, so message boards were full of speculation about his tactics. I was the only one who'd seen them up close. I kind of knew I was onto something. When I drove home to Virginia, I couldn't wait to write.
That in and of itself was an aha moment. The act of storytelling was not only something I could do, but also something that gave me bliss. I sat down at the computer with no assignment in hand, cranked out 2,500 words on what I'd seen and experienced. There was a magazine at the time called Bass West and they figured they might be interested. So I found the name of the editor on the masthead and I emailed him cold.
Just like with my media credential request, I didn't expect the positive answer. The reality was somewhere in between yes and no. He said he couldn't assign the article without seeing my previous work. That wasn't a problem because I'd already cranked out what would become the feature. He read through it and said he wanted it.
A remarkably simple back and forth. Then he asked if I'd accept 400 bucks for it. Yes. I had no idea at the time what the market would bear. Was $400 fair or not?
It didn't matter because when the check showed up, the light bulb went on. I could get paid to be involved with something that I love. There were lots of outlets out there that needed more and better writing. Maybe their existing writers had access and they had a history of contributing, but I really wanted to make this happen. I felt like I could overcome those obstacles.
At the time I was 34, I was a new homeowner, planning to buy my now wife an engagement ring in the next few months. I was cash strapped. Just $400 once a month would go a long way towards fixing that. Little did I know that within three years, I'd be making much, much more than that. It was all about the hustle, getting out there, networking in a way that I'd never been inspired to try in my legal career, and getting my words in front of decision makers.
Not all of the checks were for $400. At one point I was writing a weekly gig for 50 bucks a pop, but not only did those checks add up, they also helped me hone my chops and develop a network. $1,000 came surprisingly quickly. Now that's not even an exceptional week. So what are the lessons I've learned since that time about starting a size hustle?
First, find something that will take your existing skill set and build upon it. You don't want to start from scratch. You're good at something. You're passionate about something. Use that to your advantage.
Second, it literally never hurts to ask for opportunities. I didn't have any sort of media portfolio in 2004, but I asked for a media credential. No one questioned it. Act like you belong. Third, press the damn send button.
You can work on masterpieces until you're blue in the face, but don't ever let perfection be the enemy of the good. You have to get your work out there to be noticed. And finally, the money will come if you've done the first three steps correctly. I may still be uneasy requesting specific fees or amounts, but little checks add up remarkably quickly. By getting your name out there, you'll be surprised at how many new opportunities at all pay ranges just show up in your email box every day.
Well, I don't know about you, but I loved that story. Thanks so much, Pete, really appreciate that. I love the part about, would you accept $400? Sure, kind of reminds me of some stories of when I was getting started doing different things. I got booked for a speaking event for a major business magazine that was having their convention in Las Vegas.
And it was a very similar story in the sense that they asked me to come and speak. And then they were like, how much should it cost? And I'm like, I don't know, what would you like to pay? Which is not usually how you're supposed to respond in that situation, but I learned. And I also agree, it never hurts to ask for opportunities.
Ask for things like, what's the worst that can happen? Just act like you belong and then you do belong, right? But my favorite advice of all from Pete, I'm gonna just remember this myself, was press the damn send button, okay? Press the damn send button, send that email, send that pitch, publish that website, whatever it is you gotta do, just do it. Press the button, see what happens.
So I'm gonna leave you with that encouragement today. I think Pete said it better than me. Pete, once again, thanks for telling us about your first $1,000. Listeners, check out his website, halfpastfirstcast.com. Halfpastfirstcast.com.
He's also on most major social media, as well as all fishing media. I don't know exactly what that is, but I'm sure he's there. If you've got a question or an update for us about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com/questions. Today's show notes as well, links to Pete's website, anything else discussed, sidehustleschool.com/1864. We've got a new episode coming up every single day.
I hope you'll join me. It's all completely free. My name is Chris Guillebeau. You're listening to Side Hustle School. [Music]
- From the Onward Project.
