This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Oh, hey there. Chris Guillebeau here coming to you at the end of July, episode 2,403. You might be listening later, but that's when the episode's going out. Wow, what a year it has been. I'm getting ready for my book tour for the release of Gonzo Capitalism, my first book in three years and the accompanying tour.
Really excited to share that with you. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to connect with many listeners along the way. But of course, today I've got a new episode for you. New week, new episode, new month coming out tomorrow, just lots of stuff in the mix. Today we're gonna hear from a freelance animator who makes snappy commercial videos.
This is in fact his specialty. He's also a financial analyst in his free time. Well, I guess that's his main job as being a financial analyst, but his secret side hustle is making these snappy short videos. And we'll do that as part of our segment known as your first thousand dollars. How did someone get to that point?
How did they make their first thousand dollars? What are the steps that they took? How did they get their idea? How did they make that idea happen? How did they in fact turn that idea into income?
So that secret side hustler today, his name is Tom. He's from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Let's hear about his first thousand dollars. Let's hear his story. Quick little story and tips, perhaps some insight, perhaps an idea for somebody else out there.
I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. [Music]
Hi, thanks for the invitation to share my story. I'm Tom, a freelance animator specializing in snappy commercial videos. By day, I'm tucked away in an office cubicle, crunching numbers as a financial analyst. But come evening, I transform into the animation wizard of the commercial world.
Well, perhaps it's not so dramatic as that, but the point is that I work in finance by day and work on animations by night. My journey into the realm of commercial animation started on another dull afternoon at work. As I was mindlessly scrolling through an online course platform to find something to study in between assignments. I stumbled upon a course on animation and it was love at first sight or first module in this case. After weeks of tinkering with the art of motion and storytelling, I discovered I had a knack for it.
It felt different than the work I did with spreadsheets and balance sheets. A month later, I took a leap of faith and set up a profile on Fiverr, labeling myself as a commercial animator. I was nervous, but getting clients was easier than I expected. A local bakery was launching a new range of vegan cakes and wanted an animation of a cake that comes to life and journeys across a landscape of ingredients. It was a brief that made me hungry and excited in equal measure.
I burned the midnight oil for several evenings, fine tuning a frolicking cake, ensuring it moved in a fun, engaging way. The result? Let's just say the bakery was so thrilled they not only paid me, but said they were calling it animated Tom among the staff. Sounds delicious and I was honored. I got a good review and made a few more listings on Fiverr and soon I was working with diverse businesses ranging from a tech startup to a roller skating rink, each requiring unique animations that reflected their brand personality.
One particularly memorable gig was for a startup that had developed an AI powered dog collar. They wanted an animation of a dog using their product to order pizza. Crazy, but boy was it fun to animate. I kept my prices reasonable at first, given I was a newcomer, but as my portfolio grew, along with the time and effort required for each animation, I gradually increased my rates. I've heard Chris talk about how important this is, so I tried to follow the advice and value my time and creativity.
My experience has taught me that while having a niche is great, the ability to adapt your style to each client's unique requirements is the secret sauce of the freelance world. Animation, much like any creative field, requires you to be versatile and innovative. It's not just about moving images, but also about telling stories and capturing the brand's essence in a way that resonates with the audience. So if you're an aspiring animator, remember every client and project is a new opportunity to explore and push the boundaries of your creativity. There's a lot of potential business out there.
And as I learned, once you gain the right skills, it's not hard to break in. [Music]
All right, Tom, thanks so much. Really appreciate you sharing your story. Congrats on your first $1,000 and more. And listeners, I hope you find it encouraging.
I like to share lots of different stories and case studies in hopes that it gets you thinking, in hopes that it gets you a new idea, or just kind of encourages you to move forward with the idea you already have, whatever it is, anything that gets you closer to taking action on your side hustle, even if it's just 10 minutes a day, hopefully that is valuable, right? Hopefully you are building the future you want to see for yourself. I'll be here cheering you on a new episode every day. Today's notes, sidehustleschool.com/2403. Of course, I'll be back again tomorrow and I hope you'll join me.
This is Chris Guillebeau, your host of "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the Onward Project.
