This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Paper Prophets from Pop-Up Passion. Hey friends, what's up? Chris Guillebeau here. Welcome back to Side Hustle School. Welcome back as well to Throwback Thursday.
Once a week, we take an in-depth look at somebody whose story has evolved since we first featured them at some point in the archives of more than 2,800 total episodes. And thank you so much for being out there and being part of this. It is a wonderful community of amazing people all over the world trying to do something for themselves, trying to start a little business or sometimes a medium-sized business using a skill they already have without going into debt, without spending much money and hopefully actually making some money from it, often making very good money from it. So in this segment in particular, we're gonna hear from the owner of a Pop-Up stationary business who has evolved from occasional events to a thriving part-time enterprise. She's actually doing very well.
You'll hear all the details from her, how she got her idea, what happened along the way and how she's changed or evolved a bit since our last feature with her, which I think was well over 500 episodes ago. Let's hear more of the story from Olivia. I'll be back at the end with a few words of wrap-up. [Music]
When I started my Pop-Up stationary business two years ago, I wouldn't have guessed I'd be preparing for my 75th event this week. I'm a graphic designer by day and Houston's Paper Queen by night and weekend.
My side hustle, Paper Trail Pop-Ups, has grown from a small dream to a part-time business all without quitting my day job. It began with a simple idea, create beautiful, locally inspired stationary that captures the spirit of Texas. My first Pop-Up event, held in a friend's coffee shop, brought in $500 in sales and invaluable customer feedback. That first event taught me so much about what people wanted, Houston-centric designs, but also functional items like planners and notebooks. It shaped my entire product line.
I hit the ground running with a busy schedule, day job Monday to Friday, designing products in the evenings and running Pop-Ups every weekend. My calendar quickly filled up with art markets, local festivals, holiday bazaars, and corporate events. This nomadic approach allowed me to test different locations and demographics all across Houston. I tracked sales data, customer notes, and foot traffic for each event. The Pop-Ups were effectively my only market research, helping me choose which events to participate in based on where my products sell best.
You asked about setbacks. While I have a story, a disastrous outdoor event where an unexpected downpour ruined half my inventory nearly derailed my whole project, I lost about $3,000 worth of product that day, teaching me a hard lesson in the importance of weatherproofing. Despite that and some smaller setbacks, my side hustle gained momentum. I expanded my product line to include collaborations and custom corporate gifts. This move significantly boosted my revenue, with corporate sales now accounting for 30% of my income.
The turning point came when I landed a spot at the Houston's Galleria Holiday Market. The two-week event was intense, requiring me to take vacation days from my main job, but it was worth it. I made over $15,000 in sales and gained exposure to a whole new customer base. Today, the business is more than just a weekend gig. I participate in about 30 events a year.
What started as a side hustle bringing in $20,000 a year has grown to an annual revenue of $60,000, all while keeping my day job. Balancing both isn't always easy, but the pop-up model gives me flexibility. I can scale up or down depending on my schedule and energy levels. Looking ahead, I'm exploring pop-up events in other Texas cities and mentoring other inspiring entrepreneurs. I firmly believe that pop-ups aren't just a stepping stone to a permanent store.
They are a viable business model in their own right, allowing you to be nimble, test new markets, and keep your brand fresh. [Music]
Big thanks to Olivia for sharing her updates with us. Listeners, let me know what you think, who you'd like to see featured from our wealth of archives. As mentioned, more than 2,800 total episodes. And if you listen on Spotify or Apple Music or anywhere else, that's totally fine.
You can always listen to new episodes there, but most of those services don't actually include all of the archives just 'cause we have so many. But if you go to sidehustleschool.com, you can in fact access every single episode completely free of charge. I want to provide as much as possible and you can get other resources there as well. If you have a question, if you have an update for us about your hustle, you can do that there. Today's notes, sidehustleschool.com/2875.
2,875. Much more is coming up. My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the "Onward Project."
