This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
These hand-lettered wedding invites are here to stay. Hey friends, hey listeners, what's up? Welcome to Side Hustle School. We're gonna do a Throwback Thursday episode today. It's also known as Where Are They Now?
When I first came up with this segment years ago, I liked both names and never really could decide. So it's mostly Throwback Thursday, but from time to time, I'm like, oh yeah, I was gonna call it Where Are They Now? But basically, same difference. We take an in-depth look at someone whose story has evolved since we first featured them. And throughout the years, we've had all kinds of different people, all kinds of different stories on the podcast.
So it's nice to get a little update. Sometimes there's some transition or evolution. Other times people are just kind of continuing to grow their business and that's great too, right? So let's see here. Oh, by the way, this is episode 2,399.
I just noticed that we are coming up on 2,400. In fact, we are basically at 2,400's door. Thank you so much for being out there. By the way, whether you are new to the podcast or you've been listening for years, just so awesome to be able to make this for you. And in this segment, we heard last week from a reseller who specializes in retro electronics.
That was the retro reseller selling vintage game consoles and typewriters. Today in our latest feature, we'll hear from a retail associate who used her calligraphy skill to start a side hustle offering hand-lettered wedding invitations. Her name is Celia. Let's hear what's happened since, since that origin. And I'll be back at the end with a little quick wrap-up.
[Music]
Three years ago, I was just another retail associate shuffling between aisles, living for the joy of neatly stacked shelves and perfect price tags. At home though, I was something entirely different. I was an artist. Armed with a set of calligraphy pens and blank papers, I created art with words. Little did I know that this art of hand-lettering would pave the way for an exciting side hustle.
The idea sparked when a colleague approached me to design her wedding invitations. Until then, my art was only seen in the pages of my sketchbook or adoring the walls of my apartment. This was a chance to display my craft and I jumped at the opportunity. I charged her a modest $200 for the entire project, being more excited for the opportunity than the earnings. Seeing her face light up at the finished product was a joy beyond words.
Her praises resulted in three more wedding invitation projects and thus my little business was born. In the beginning, I found it challenging to determine how much to charge. I was unsure how to value my time and creativity. But I realized that to sustain the business, I needed to earn a fair return. I began researching the market, seeing what competitors were charging and how much clients were willing to pay.
I decided on a tiered pricing structure, ranging from $3 to $10 per invitation, depending on the intricacy of the design and materials used. This structure offered clients flexibility and gave clients the flexibility to choose according to their budget. But with much trepidation, I also set a $400 minimum to establish a baseline. Customer acquisition was another mountain to climb. After exhausting the network of friends and colleagues, I needed to find more clients.
I started posting my work, including both the finished work as well as short videos of the process. I also sent DNs to wedding planners and event organizers, offering them referral discounts. This proved to be a great strategy as they were in regular contact with my target clientele. I tried to pitch 10 people a day and usually at least two to three would write back. Balancing a full-time job with a side hustle required careful planning and prioritization.
I blocked time slots for client consultations, design work, and social media. It helped me stay organized and keep my commitments both at my day job and my side hustle. The satisfaction of creating beautiful invites and the joy it brought to my clients was genuinely gratifying. But to be totally honest, some things were stressful. I learned the hard way, the importance of having clear terms and conditions, including revision policies and cancellation charges.
Today, I'm earning around $1,500 per month for my side hustle. It's given me the chance to follow my passion and meet some wonderful people. If there's one piece of advice I'd give anyone looking to serve a similar business, it would be this, understand the value of your craft and don't be afraid to charge for it. Show your work, connect with people, and remember, every design you create is a part of someone's special day. So make it count.
[Music]
Awesome, thank you so much, Celia. I appreciate you sharing those updates as well as the advice. Understand the value of your craft. Don't be afraid to charge for it. I love it, I love it.
A lot of our listeners need to understand that. All right, listeners, let me know what you think, who you'd like to see featured from our archives of well over 1,000 stories. And if you've got a question or an update for us about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com/questions. As mentioned, this was episode 2,399. Much more to come.
I'll be back tomorrow. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the "Onward Project."
