This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
Welcome. Welcome listeners. Thanks for tuning in. New week today. New week begins today, I should say. And this episode is part of a feature we call your first $1,000. In fact,
every Monday, we roll out one of these features. It's all about how somebody made their first thousand dollars, often by spending much less than a thousand dollars, sometimes by spending zero dollars, in fact. So how do they get to that point? How do they make that first thousand dollars, which very often then evolves into something much more than a thousand dollars. But we are focused on that origin point of the idea to the income, you know, that's a good progression, right?
So one thing I have learned, one thing that we have seen on the podcast, episode after episode, year after year, year seven now, once you begin to earn real money, the steps required to go to the next level are often easier than that first real paycheck. So I want to help you get to that first real paycheck if you haven't made it there yet. And if you haven't saw this link for years, well, that's great. Hopefully you can get some more ideas here. So with that in mind, today's feature comes from Jake Sutherland. He has built an interesting side hustle helping electric vehicle
buyers get their cars sooner. So many topics, you know, when I first started side hustle school, electric vehicles were very new. But now of course, you know, everybody knows about EVs. And it seems that everyone wants one, at least a lot of people do. So this has created a very interesting market for Jake. So let's hear about how that works from him. I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up.
Hi there, my name is Jake, and I help new car buyers cut through the red tape and get behind the wheel of their dream electric vehicle faster than they might think possible. My side hustle story begins two years ago when a buddy of mine was desperate to own a brand new Volkswagen ID4. Like many eager buyers, he found himself at the end of a six month waiting list. He was frustrated. Why couldn't he get his car now? As a gearhead with a knack for research,
I offered to help not knowing it would mark the start of my unique business venture. I dove into the world of EVs, decoding the complicated labyrinth of manufacturing timelines, delivery protocols and dealership nuances. After meticulous research and persistent communication with various dealerships, I was able to get in his ID4 within a month. As a token of gratitude, my friend Venmo'd me $500 and a light bulb went off in my head. Seeing the potential, I started to market my services. I found a community of eager and frustrated EV buyers
online waiting months for their dream cars. I offered to expediate their purchases for a fee, and I started receiving requests almost instantly. My first major triumph was a client who wanted to top of the range Tesla Model X with custom add-ons. I charged him $1,500 understanding that his request was more complex. After several weeks of relentless communication with Tesla representatives who didn't always write back, and navigating the production and delivery process, I was able to cut his wait time by four months. That's when I hit my first $1,000 milestone.
Those first earnings were thrilling, proof that my unique service had a demand. This journey has taught me invaluable lessons. One, the importance of understanding the market landscape. I familiarized myself with various EV brands, their manufacturing timelines, and the common obstacles customers face. Two, developing a knack for building relationships.
My frequent interactions with dealers and the Tesla Illuminati, knowing when to push and when to back off, were key in getting things moving. Since then, I've assisted two dozen clients in getting their EVs faster than they could have managed alone, and my side hustles become a significant part of my income. My advice to anyone trying to start a similar business, understand the industry inside and out. Don't underestimate the power of persistence. And remember, your service is providing peace of mind. Price it accordingly.
Thanks so much, Jake. I appreciate you sharing the story. Whenever there is a market, whenever there's demand for something, when there's a gap between supply and demand, this is exactly what we see here. There's often different ways to profit from it. And so you can see that through all sorts of reselling projects, all sorts of coaching and consulting projects and offers, lots of different businesses, affiliate commissions, sometimes for educating people and helping them to navigate whether it is that supply and demand gap or something else, helping people to take advantage of something or capture some resource, you know, whatever it is. So lots of different examples. And we just like to highlight many of those examples
over and over that gives you ideas. And it gives you some encouragement for your own side hustle, right? That's what it's all about. So if you have a question or an update for us about your side hustle, sidehustleschool.com/questions. This has been episode 2,410. Of course, I'll be back
tomorrow. New episodes coming out every single day, every single morning. In fact, you can listen wherever you prefer. And thanks so much for being out there. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is
side hustle school. From the Onward Project.
