What It's About
A substitute teacher takes on a wooden jewelry side hustle with unexpected positive results.
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
Like any teacher, he shared his entrepreneurial experiences with his class and noticed that, in a rare, magical occurrence, his students actually paid attention. In fact, they were captivated by his story. He saw before him a great opportunity to teach his students, regardless of whether his business idea worked out.
You never know what kind of positive results may come from the beginning of a side hustle! Sometimes it can actually help you in your day job.
Fun Fact
It was actually Steve’s wife that helped him get his first substitute teaching job. She had just taken a position placing subs and, with no decent substitute teachers to call, she asked him if he wanted to give it a shot.
Notes from Chris
Episode 203
Steve is a high-school teacher based in Greensboro, NC. He loves teaching, but a few years ago, he also decided to make and sell something. He created some wooden snowflake earrings and ornaments and while the initial reaction to them was very positive, they totally flopped when he tried to sell them online. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he was trying to sell Christmas ornaments in January. It wasn’t until he attended his first craft show that he was able to experience the exhilaration of selling to somebody other than friends and family. Like any teacher, he shared that experience with his class and noticed that, in a rare, magical occurrence, his students actually paid attention. In fact, they were captivated by his story. He saw before him a great opportunity to teach his students, regardless of whether his business idea worked out. His business plan would have three phases, each in their own year: while he still wanted to make money, the first year would be focused on learning, the second would focus on brand awareness, and the third would about refining his products and maximizing income. In his first year, Steve made a modest $5,000. The second year, his profits more than doubled to $13,000 and his goal for 2017, his third year with the business, is to reach $15,000-$20,000. Because Steve already had a woodworking shop to start out with, after an initial $100 investment, he has been able to invest all of his extra cash back into the business.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- 2Puggles: Check out Steve's unique line of wooden jewelry on his website
- Hand-Stamped Feminist Jewelry Earns $25,000 Side Income: She’s loud, she’s proud, and she’s wielding a hammer to smash the patriarchy with her hand-stamped feminist jewelry line
- Hip Hop Glitter Pendants Sell $60,000 on Instagram: A web developer and a faceless artist in Florida team up with celebrities on Instagram to promote hip hop glitter pendants. Thug life has never looked so shiny!
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Resources
CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE
Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.
Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today!
Learn More
GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS
Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time.
Quote of the Day
Sponsors & Gratitude
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To infinity and beyond,
