What It's About
Dried crickets become an unlikely ingredient in a protein shake formula and make big bucks!
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
Alex began exploring Adwords and Facebook ads for marketing. Unfortunately, Adwords ended up being a financial flop. It was too complicated and fickle for Alex to learn in a short amount of time. Facebook saw some reward, but it wasn’t anything major. He turned then to advertising on influential podcasts, where he saw great order spikes when episodes aired.
What works for one person isn't always going to work for you, so keep that in mind when you're developing your marketing techniques and business strategies and try not to get too discouraged. Side hustles are not one size fits all!
Fun Fact
Alex was always a skinny kid growing up, but once he focused and armed himself with a bit of knowledge, he was able to grow from 165 lbs to 195 lbs in under 6 months while ending up with a lower body fat percentage.
This developed into a passion for body building and ended up being the foundation that Crik Nutrition was built on!
Notes from Chris
Episode 248
Alex Drysdale was serious about getting fit and staying healthy. Tired of being the skinny kid in high school, he adopted a strict regimen of diet and exercise, eventually diving into body building and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. His full-time job as a railway specialist, however, was not on that passions list. It didn’t help him stay healthy or fit, nor did it allow him to exercise his creative muscles. He spent 9 long years doing this, but when his friend in Spain offered to mentor him on starting an e-commerce business, he knew it was time to leave. In a bold leap of faith, he packed some belongings into a backpack, bought a one-way ticket to Spain, and set off. He learned the e-commerce ropes in Barcelona, all the while keeping an eye out for the idea that he would turn into a business. He knew that he wanted to focus on something that would be environmentally sustainable, but other than that, he was pretty open. It was around that time that a respected friend published an article on protein bars containing a unique ingredient...crickets. Curious, Alex jumped into the article. He claims he was sold in less than two paragraphs. The cricket protein used in the bars was far more nutritious and sustainable than any protein he had ever encountered. As a bodybuilder, he was pretty sure nobody was making cricket protein powder, and a thorough Google search confirmed this. His path seemed clear: this was the idea he was going to turn into a business. After developing his product and finding a co-packer who would create his product for him, he launched an Indiegogo campaign, and Crik Nutrition was born! There has been a lot of trial and error along the way for Alex, but this year he's on his way to breaking six-figures.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Crik Nutrition: Hop on over to Alex's website and check out his selection of high protein cricket powder!
- Indiegogo | Crik Nutrition: The crowdfunding campaign that started it all
- SquareSpace: The website building platform that Alex used to create the Crik Nutrition website
- Shopify: Alex used Shopify to set up the storefront for Crik Nutrition, and they're offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!
- The Live Cricket Drop-Shipping Hustle: Yep, it’s true: a Pennsylvania man makes $700+ a month drop-shipping live crickets to reptile owners across the country
- U.S. Co-Paker Directory: Are you reaching a point where you're outgrowing your own kitchen? Here's a directory containing co-packing companies in each state!
- Working With Co-Packers: Part 1 & Part 2: This two-part series goes into what you should look for when selecting a co-packer and best practices for working with a co-packer once you've found one
- Hungry, Hungry Hustlers Earn $25,000/Month Selling Paleo Bars: Frustrated by the lack of real food bars devoid of added sugar and weird ingredients they couldn’t pronounce, two hungry fitness enthusiasts create their own tasty paleo bars and hustle their way to multiple six-figures
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Resources
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Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.
Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today!
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