This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hey there, what's up? Thanks for tuning in today. My name is Chris Guillebeau, your host of Side Hustle School, bringing you a new episode and also a new segment of Throwback Thursday. This is our weekly feature where we take an in-depth look at someone whose story has evolved since we first had them on the podcast or since we first told their story, whatever the case may be. And recently we have featured the owner of a custom stamp business in Austin, Texas, as well as a New York City pet sitter who was able to save $200,000 in something like two and a half years.
Pet sitting, good business to do in New York. Now today in our latest feature, we're gonna hear from Sean Fitzwater. We first featured his sign and mural painting business back in episode 1359. And as you're gonna hear from him, that whole business started as a total accident, but is now a six figure operation. So he's doing very well.
It's an all new career, essentially. Let's hear more about this as well as a general update from Sean. And I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. [Music]
My name is Sean Fitzwater. I live in Birmingham, Alabama.
The name of my business is Fitz Signs and Murals. And I was featured on episode 1359. I got started. It was actually sort of an accident, really, if I'm being honest. I had quit my day job a couple of years earlier in 2016 to pursue a different side hustle, I'd hope would be enough to sustain and keep me busy full-time.
But unfortunately, that didn't pan out. But not wanting to accept defeat or return to my old day job, I picked up work with a rideshare company to tide me over while trying to decide what to do next. When I was younger, I used to doodle in a sketchbook from time to time and just always had a knack for drawing but never really thought of it as anything or actually using my natural ability for any benefit, really. I had started seeing these murals popping up around my city and simply thought, "Hey, I could try that." So a new side hustle I did was born. This was mid 2018, by the way.
At first, I just wanted to offer a service, painting cartoons and things for kids rooms, nurseries, et cetera, things like that. But I had no work showcase, so I decided to paint one of my own kids walls to start out. I did that and I posted it to social media, which caught the attention of a local, soon to be business owner that wanted some painted logos for his new restaurant. From there on, it was basically rinse and repeat. I also began visiting businesses in person, asking if there was a need for any painted signage or murals or art.
I was very scrappy and aggressive in my search for work at first, but then around the start of 2019, began picking up a job a week pretty regularly. Since being featured on 1359, which at that time I was still in full hustle mode, pushing for more work and getting my name out there, now to a point where I don't have to do that as much anymore and the work has began coming to me more here lately. I've actually had to start turning some work down, which I imagine would never be an issue. In 2018, in the first six months of business, I made just around 2,000 bucks. I hadn't quite settled into it yet and had no idea how to charge or really what I was doing yet.
2019, I got more serious about the pursuit and brought in around 25K. Then in 2020, I doubled that. And then in 2021, cleared six figures. Things have changed quite a bit in the last two years alone. During the pandemic, I gained a lot of business just by staying scrappy myself and going door to door and picking up work that way.
Everybody was struggling then. And so I think everybody was sort of in that mode of scrambling and seeing what was next or what was gonna happen. So I just kind of stuck with the game plan and it panned out and has worked out through that time. The biggest challenge I'd say I'm currently facing is really telling people no. I try to be too much of a people pleaser sometimes, which in return, I put too much pressure on myself sometimes.
But that's definitely improving day by day, I'd say. Some advice I would give anyone wanting to follow in the same footsteps or path I've taken. As cliche as it sounds, just start like today. If there's something that interests you and you feel like you can give it a try and possibly make a living out of it, then get started. When I first try anything, really, I get really excited at the thought of it.
And even if day one is just getting online and researching everything about it from every angle and every aspect, that's still a start. You started just by doing that. Also, words I live by never hurts to ask. Have the courage to at least ask and then ask yourself, what is the worst that could happen? [Music]
Well, I hope somebody heard that part about how Sean's biggest challenge is in telling people no.
We actually have a lot of people out there, I know, who struggle with this. They end up doing more for other people than they do for themselves. And it's good to do things for other people, of course, but not necessarily at the expense of yourself. Ultimately, you're gonna be a much better service to other people if you take care of yourself first. So I'm glad Sean is working on that.
It's a work in progress for all of us, of course. I also like this part about having the courage to ask yourself, what's the worst that could happen? Something I try to live my life by. So thanks, Sean, for sharing your updates with us. Listeners, check out his website, fitssigns.com.
That's F-I-T-Z, or Zed, if you prefer, fitssigns.com, or fitssigns murals on Instagram. I spent some time looking at all his work. He does some really cool geometric stuff, as well as commercial and residential design of lots of different styles. So really fun stuff, again, in the Birmingham, Alabama area, and perhaps beyond at this point, who knows? Let me know what you think and who you'd like to see featured from our archives of more than a thousand stories.
If you've got a question or an update for us about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com/questions. Let me know how you're doing. I appreciate you tuning in today. I hope you do one thing to get closer toward a goal you believe in. And I hope you'll subscribe, follow, and come back tomorrow.
My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the "Onward Project."
