This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Welcome, welcome to Side Hustle School. This is Chris Guillebeau. So excited to have you tuning in. And guess what? Today is the 21st of August, at least here in my world.
At least the day that the episode's going out. Also known as episode 2424, 2424. Also known as the day before my book launch. Gonzo capitalism, how to make money in an economy that hates you. This is my new book, my first book in three years.
So excited to begin a book tour tomorrow. I'll be in Phoenix, I'll be in San Francisco, I'll be in Los Angeles this week. But the crazy thing about books, even if you're not in those cities, you can get the book. In fact, you can order it right now from Amazon, from your local bookstore, from Barnes and Noble, from Audible, wherever you like to get books, et cetera, et cetera. Okay, I'll say more about it tomorrow, but I am in fact excited.
The show goes on though. Today is also the segment known as your first $1,000. Now today we're gonna talk about what we're gonna hear from, I should say, a medical resident working in Chicago who has a side hustle as the med school decision doctor, helping students and interns navigate crucial decisions. And what we do here is like, how do you get to that point? How did you in fact come up with this idea?
How did you monetize the idea? Because everybody has ideas. This is a core principle of side hustle school, that ideas, I don't wanna say they're valueless, but you know, 99% of the value is in what you actually do with the idea, how you implement it, how you make it happen. So how did someone go from idea to the first $1,000? That is in essence the core concern.
So with that in mind, today's feature comes from a medical resident working in Chicago. And because it's not enough to be a doctor at a busy hospital, she also has a side hustle as the med school decision doctor, helping those students and interns with all the stuff they gotta figure out as they move through their training. So let's hear the story. How did she make her first $1,000? What did it feel like?
What's next? Let's hear it all from Clarissa. [Music]
In the world of medical education, I, Dr. Clarice Reynolds, a senior attending at a hospital in Chicago, found a side hustle opportunity that hit close to home. My experience navigating the convoluted path of med school and residency sparked a desire to guide others through this journey.
I remember the countless nights I spent fretting over major decisions, such as choosing a specialty, ranking residency programs and deciding on fellowships. Each decision carried a weight that could shape my entire career. It was during a late night discussion with fellow doctors reminiscing about our early years that I had my eureka moment. The realization that many students and first year residents grapple with the same decisions we once did was a calling. I could use my experience and insights to make a difference.
And so my side hustle was born. I set out to offer decision-making consultations for those at the crossroads of their medical journey. Each consultation was tailor-made to address the individual's specific questions, from sifting through residency options to choosing between gastroenterology and pulmonology as a specialty. With the infrastructure in place, I decided to leverage the network I had built over the years. Starting with my own hospital, I began giving free talks on decision-making in medicine.
I supplemented these efforts with posts shared on medical student forums, shedding light on various aspects of the decision-making process. My first paying client, Jason, was a fourth year medical student teetering between psychiatry and family medicine. He had heard one of my talks and felt a connection. We had three in-depth consultation sessions. Our discussions, which ranged from analyzing his interests and skills to understanding the future implication of each specialty, helped Jason decide to pursue psychiatry.
Jason's decision marked a small but pivotal victory. He was my first $250, and within a few months, I had four more clients. These students, each grappling with their own decision demons, relied on my advice to make informed choices. When I received my cumulative $1,000 from these consulting sessions, it felt like a validation of my mission. With each consulting session, I gained a deeper understanding of the struggle faced by these young aspirants.
I honed my approach, refined my advice, and learned to ask the right questions. Most importantly, I found a renewed sense of purpose in helping mold the doctors of tomorrow. When I first embarked on this side hustle, I had to acknowledge that I was juggling two demanding roles, my full-time job at the hospital, and guiding med students and residents through their career-defining decisions. And let's be honest, we're all familiar with the relentless pace of medical life. To make each consultation as efficient as possible, I requested my clients complete a questionnaire before our meetings.
It helped me understand their situation before we even started, allowing us to jump right into the nitty-gritty during the session. Even though my life is still overly busy, I cherish the memory of my first $1,000, not for the financial gain, but for the confirmation that my guidance was meaningful and necessary. The journey wasn't without its challenges, but it was, and continues to be, a rewarding voyage. - Thank you so much, Dr. Reynolds.
Thanks for telling us about your first $1,000. Listeners, I hope you found it encouraging. Remember, there is an idea out there for everyone. There is an idea for you. In fact, there's multiple ideas for you.
So your biggest challenge long-term is gonna be deciding between ideas. But if you haven't taken the first step, I really encourage you to take that step, and perhaps the second one as well, toward your own side hustle, something that can not just make extra money, but also make your life better. You know, that's really what it's about. How can you have more purpose in your life, more intention, and even a busy doctor who, you know, is obviously doing something very purposeful and helping people has found another way to do it. So I think that's pretty cool.
It will inspire me to step up my game, 'cause I'm not a doctor, just in case you didn't know that. But I did write a book called "Gonzo Capitalism." It's out tomorrow. If you have a question or an update for us about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com/questions, chrisguillebeau.com/tour. You can see all the details for the book tour over the next four weeks. This has been episode 2,424.
And of course, I'll be back tomorrow. Once again, I'm Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the "Onward Project."
