This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hey friends, what's up? Want to welcome you to Side Hustle School. This is the first day of the week as well. Also known as our feature, Your First $1,000. If you're brand new to the podcast, so glad you're here.
My name is Chris Guillebeau. I've been on book tour for the past week, talking to lots of folks about gonzo capitalism. So I think we have some new listeners and I'm glad you made it. And of course, for all of our friends who've been around a long time, you are awesome. You're what makes this community strong for 2,400 episodes and counting.
So for those new folks, your first $1,000, pretty self-explanatory, how someone got to that point, not their first $100,000, that's cool too, but it would be a long story. And we're focused on helping people get started, taking those first steps to earn that first $1,000. Could be their first 5,000 or $10,000, but then going on from there, hopefully to much more. We've had lots of different features in this category over the past year or two. And today's comes to us from Daniel in Eastern Washington, Eastern Washington State, I believe, not DC, but it could be DC.
I think it's Washington State, that's right. Okay, he is a virtual assistant who does one thing only. He manages the inboxes of busy startup founders. So he's a VA who has really focused on something specific. Normally a VA does lots of different tasks, including email, but he's like, I'm only gonna do email.
So let's hear from him how he came to that decision and how it's turned out for him, perhaps with a couple of tips for anybody out there hoping to do something similar or at least apply the same kind of thinking. Okay, 'cause that's really important. You might not wanna do Daniel's project or anybody else's project you hear about, but there is a way of thinking that you can learn that can serve you well for many years to come, many projects to come. All right, so handing it over to Daniel, I'll be back at the end with a quick wrap up. [Music]
All right, let me introduce myself.
My name is Daniel and I live in Washington state. Now you might be thinking, what's this about a guy who only does email? Well, let me take you on a journey through my side hustle story. When I initially started as a VA, I imagined myself being the jack of all trades, but I felt like I was spreading myself too thin. I wanted to excel in one area instead of just being okay at a bunch.
Being an organized and detail oriented person, I found myself drawn to managing emails. I loved the thrill of taming a chaotic inbox and it dawned on me, why not specialize in only this task? So I did, I marketed myself as an email VA, catering to busy entrepreneurs and startup execs who were drowning under a flood of emails. The goal was simple, keep their inboxes organized, follow up on pending emails and ensure that no important correspondence fell through the cracks. Getting my first client was an uphill battle.
I used LinkedIn extensively, reaching out to potential clients and showcasing my skills. I also joined various entrepreneur forums and offered my services initially for free to gain experience and testimonials. My break came when I connected with Miles, a startup CEO who was overwhelmed with his overflowing inbox. Love the idea of having someone dedicated to handling it. He signed up for my $500 a month plan.
Tom was ecstatic with the results. The relief on his face when he saw his organized inbox was priceless. He could finally focus on his actual work, knowing that his email was in safe hands. Word spread and I landed my second client, a tech entrepreneur who also opted for my $500 a month plan. Just like that, I had earned my first $1,000.
It was a proud moment, but it wasn't without its challenges. For instance, managing two different clients meant adjusting to their unique preferences and communication styles. It was also tricky to keep track of various email threads, especially with both clients being in high demand roles. But I learned a lot from these challenges. I implemented color coding and flagging systems to manage different types of emails and used email management tools to schedule and track responses.
Most importantly, I learned to communicate openly with my clients about their preferences to ensure that I was meeting their expectations. Today, my side hustle as an email VA is flourishing. I've taken on a few more clients, always ensuring I can provide them with the attention they deserve. And my focus remains the same, the free up time for busy professionals, one email at a time. As for the future, who knows?
Maybe I'll expand into other forms of written communication. For now though, I'm just happy being the email guy. [Music]
Big thanks to Daniel for telling us about his first $1,000 listeners. I hope you found it encouraging. Thanks to the email guy.
And if you have a question, whether you're a new listener or you've been around for years, just been kind of quiet, anything's totally fine. Well, first of all, sidehustleschool.com/questions. Second of all, I'm on the road for a month, going to at least 16 cities, maybe more. chrisguillebeau.com/tour. Come and say hi.
I'm on Instagram, 193 countries. I am not really on Twitter anymore, but I am on Facebook, a couple other places, just under my name, Chris Gillibo. And the last link for today, the show notes, sidehustleschool.com/2431. Hey, thanks for being out there. I'm excited to keep the podcast rolling.
As I'm also rolling along myself, fun times. So I hope you'll continue to join. My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
- From the Onward Project.
