This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hey friends, listeners, community. Welcome to Side Hustle School. My name's Chris Guillebeau. Got an exciting episode for you here today. A pretty cool story at least.
It's part of a feature we call your first $1,000. This is a segment we've been running every Monday, first day of the week at least for the past, I don't know, year and a half or so almost. And as you might guess, it's all about how somebody makes their first $1,000. Now I love this topic in particular today because this is the story of an Indian woman who helps Indian men improve their dating profiles. This is Priya in Bangalore.
Her side hustle is just as stated basically. So she's gonna tell you a little bit about how it came to be. She keeps pretty busy. There's a lot of clients out there who need some help with their dating profiles, in particular in India it seems. I guess there's just a lot of people in general there.
So she has found a good market for herself. Without further ado, let's hear it from Priya and I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. [Music]
Hi, my name is Priya and I run a business helping men with their dating profiles. Yes, you read that right. I am an Indian woman who helps mostly Indian men with online dating.
It all started a few years ago when a friend of mine complained about the lack of success he was having on dating apps. Being the nosy person I am, I asked to see his profile and was shocked at how poorly it was put together. The pictures were blurry, the bio was uninteresting and he had a grand total of two matches during five weeks of activity. I knew I could do better. So I offered to help him out.
We revamped his profile, added some better pictures and made his bio much more interesting. Lo and behold, he started getting more matches and even went on a few dates. I mentioned I was nosy. So I started asking other male friends if I could take a peek at their profiles. Before long, I had friends and friends of friends asking me for help.
That's when I realized that I could turn this into a business. I admit I was a little hesitant at first. I wasn't sure if men would be willing to pay for help with their dating profiles or if they would take me seriously as a women giving dating advice. But I decided to give it a shot and I'm so glad I did it. One of the biggest lessons I learned was the importance of communication.
It's not just about fixing up their profiles. It's about understanding what they are looking for and what they want to convey to potential matches. Some men are shy and don't know how to present themselves while others are too confident and come across as arrogant. It's my job to strike a balance and create a profile that accurately represents them while also being appealing to others. You need self-confidence and humility, you know?
But the best part of my job is when I get feedback from clients about their success stories. Whether it's a message saying they went on a great date or a notification that they got a new match, it's incredibly rewarding to know that I had a part in helping them find happiness. If someone else wanted to start this kind of business, here's what they should know. Firstly, you need to have a good understanding of how online dating works. You should be familiar with the different dating apps, what works and what doesn't and how to create a profile that stands out.
Secondly, you need to be able to communicate effectively with your clients. This means being a good listener, understanding their needs and being able to give constructive feedback. Lastly, you need to be patient and have a thick skin. Not everyone will be happy with your services and some people might even be rude or dismissive. But if you are passionate about what you do and truly want to help people find love, then it's all worth it in the end.
In conclusion, helping men with their dating profiles might seem like an unlikely passion for an Indian woman, but it's something I enjoy. It's a fun, lighthearted business that brings joy to both me and my clients. And who knows, maybe I'll even expand my services to include women's profiles in the future. Thanks, Chris and team for all you do. I hope you are able to feature my story.
[Music]
Awesome, thanks so much Priya. I really appreciate the story about your first $1,000 in a project that I don't think we have heard from before. We've had a couple of features of people doing dating profile consults, but I love the specificity of the market. And listeners, I hope you found it encouraging. Remember, there's an idea out there for you as well.
There's something that you can do to take advantage of your unique skills, something that other people also value so that you can get paid. If you have a question or an update for us about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com/questions. In the meantime, keep experimenting, keep trying stuff. New episode every day, it's all completely free. My name is Chris Guillebeau.
This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the "Onward Project."
