This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
Back at it. What's up, everybody? Welcome to Side Hustle School. This is your host, Chris Guillebeau. Today, we're going to hear from an outdoor survivalist coach for women.
This is our weekly segment known as First Thousand Dollars. How, in fact, does somebody make their first thousand dollars? How do they go from idea to income? And in this case, we're going to explore the adventurous world of this survivalist coach. She'll explain how she built a business empowering women with essential skills and confidence.
What can we learn from this? How can we apply this to our own ideas? The whole point of Side Hustle School is to demonstrate case studies, business ideas, side hustle concepts, all to get you thinking about what you can do for yourself. I want you to be able to have a new income generating project before the end of the year. And everything we do on the podcast is designed to help you make that happen. So let's hear today from Ava. Ava is in Ketchum, Idaho. Ava has got
this story of being an outdoor survivalist coach. Over to her. I'll be back at the end with a quick wrap up. Hello there. I'm Ava. And for the past few years, I've been guiding women through the
exhilarating journey of outdoor survival training. My venture into becoming an outdoor survivalist coach for women began with my passion for the wilderness and a desire to help women gain confidence in outdoor settings. This personal experience in outdoor activities and survival training was helpful. I noticed a gap in the market. There were very few survival training programs tailored specifically for women. Recognizing this, I developed a curriculum
that included basic survival skills, such as foraging for food, building shelters, and navigating the wilderness. But with a focus on creating a supportive and empowering environment for women. Pricing was a critical aspect to figure out. I started by offering weekend workshops at $200 a person, which included hands-on training and all necessary materials. This price point was accessible for those new to survival training, yet it reflected the value of the personalized experience. Marketing my services? That was
exciting and challenging. I used social media platforms, particularly ads on Instagram and Facebook, to reach my target audience. I shared posts and stories, featuring snippets from my training sessions, survival tips, and testimonials from past participants. I also created a blog, where I shared more in-depth articles on outdoor survival, but I'm not sure that helped as much, so I stopped posting after a while. The turning point came when I organized a free introductory workshop at a local community center. This event not only allowed me to demonstrate my teaching
style, but also provided a platform for women to experience the essence of my program. The positive feedback from this event was instrumental in securing my first batch of paying clients. One of my most memorable moments was during an early workshop, when one participant, initially hesitant, successfully started a fire using the friction method. The sense of achievement and empowerment she felt was palpable, and incredibly rewarding. It was moments like these that reinforced the impact of my work. For anyone looking to start a similar venture,
my advice is to focus on what makes your offering unique. In my case, it was creating a safe and empowering space for women to learn survival skills. Additionally, never underestimate the power of community building. Creating a supportive network can be your biggest asset. Today, my business isn't about teaching survival skills. It's about empowering women to confidently
explore and respect the wilderness. And that first $1,000 was just the beginning of an empowering journey that continues to grow, one adventure at a time. Thanks to Ava for telling us about that first $1,000. And listeners, hope you found it encouraging. Thanks to you as well. I appreciate you tuning in each day. I hope you do something each day
to take action on your ideas. If you have a question or an update for us about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com/questions. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, pretty much every platform. You can also listen directly on the website. And there is a detailed notes page for every episode as well. All right, that's it for today, but much more is coming up.
My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School.
