This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Smartphone photography instructor snaps up profit. Hey friends, hey community, what's up? Welcome to side hustle school. Thanks for tuning in today, wherever you are in the world, whatever you're up to, you could be out and about, you might be exercising, you might just be escaping from something. Hey, whatever it is, I am so grateful to be able to make this podcast for you.
It is truly a community endeavor for more than 2000 days and counting. And of course, today's episode is part of a feature we call your first $1,000. I don't mean to like fast track through the introduction, but I just wanna make sure I respect your time and really focus on getting you something that's helpful and interesting and maybe inspirational in a way, although I always hope that the inspiration can become in effect motivation for you to be able to do something that's important to you. So as mentioned, your first $1,000, today we will hear from this smartphone photography instructor, his name is Max. He operated this business for about two years.
He has since moved on to something else, but looks back fondly on this side hustle as it gave him the confidence to work for himself. And often that's the really cool thing with these kinds of projects. It's not just the money, it's the empowerment, the confidence, just the assuredness, the belief that you can do this that comes about, which is why I'm always encouraging our listeners to get started as quickly as possible, just 'cause you never know what's gonna happen, right? So I'm getting ahead of things here. Let's hear the story from Max.
Over to Max, I'll be back with a quick wrap-up. [Music]
Hey there, my name's Max. I used to be a smartphone photography instructor based in Austin, Texas. For two years, I taught people how to take professional quality photos using their phones, offering workshops and one-on-one sessions. Although I have moved on to other ventures, this side hustle taught me the value of taking initiative and working for myself.
Here's the story of how I captured the perfect shot with this side hustle and earned my first $1,000. It all started when I realized that many of my friends and family had expensive cameras collecting dust while they took most of their photos with their smartphones. As someone who's been passionate about photography for years, I thought, why not help people take stunning images with a device they use the most? And so, my journey as a smartphone photography instructor began. I started by creating a curriculum for my workshops, focusing on essential photography concepts like composition, lighting, and editing, all tailored specifically for smartphone users.
Next, I set up a website to showcase my work, share photography tips, and promote my workshop and one-on-one sessions. To gain my first clients, I hosted a free workshop for my friends and family, asking them to post their feedback if they enjoyed it. The positive feedback was overwhelming, and soon I had a stream of interested clients signing up for my workshops and one-on-one sessions. My first $1,000 came from a mix of group workshops, which I held at local parks and community centers, and personalized one-on-one sessions. The key to my early success was finding the right balance between providing value in my workshops and offering customized guidance in my private sessions.
Running this side hustle for two years taught me the importance of taking initiative and working for myself. I learned to be proactive in marketing my services, networking with local businesses, and staying up to date with the latest trends in smartphone photography. This experience ultimately gave me the confidence to explore new opportunities and continue my entrepreneurial journey. While I no longer operate this side hustle, the lessons I learned along the way have been invaluable in shaping my career path. From understanding my target audience to utilizing social proof as a marketing tool, these experiences have been instrumental in my personal and professional growth.
As I continue to take on new challenges, I can look back on my time as a smartphone photography instructor with pride and gratitude for the skills and knowledge I gained during those two years. If you're listening to my story and just getting started, be encouraged. Seeing it through is worth it. [Music]
Max, thanks so much. Appreciate you telling us about your first $1,000.
I also respect how you did the hustle for a while and then it was time to move on. I think often people just kind of keep doing the same thing over and over and there's something that's so much better out there, but they won't find it unless they decide to just kind of close the door on this current thing. So thank you for being an example in a couple of different ways. Listeners, I hope you enjoyed it. If you have a question or an update for us about your hustle or a nomination of someone else we should feature, sidehustleschool.com/questions, feel free to pop on in.
Today's notes, sidehustleschool.com/2368. And with that, this has been episode 2,368. I'm gonna sign off, but much more is coming up. My name is Chris Guillebeau. You're listening to "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the "Onward Project."
