This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
The graphic artist taps into the planner craze. Welcome to Side Hustle School. Welcome as well to Throwback Thursday. My name is Chris Guillebeau and in this weekly segment, we take an in-depth look at someone whose story has evolved since we first featured them. We've been doing this for a few years.
It's one of our most popular features of the week. I love hearing how people have adapted, evolved, changed, sometimes encountered difficulties, sometimes had a lot of growth, sometimes ending up doing something totally different with their business. This whole Cytosil world is just so fun and experimental. My message for seven years now, seven years of daily podcasts, has been there's something you can do. There is a project for you as well.
You too can create extra income without quitting your job, perhaps even to the point of being able to quit your job if you so choose. Now today in this feature, we're going to hear from a Cytosil who's passion for organization and design morphed into a thriving side business. What else? We're going to explore how she turned her bullet journaling hobby into a steady income stream. And in her case, she has maintained her day job.
There is more than one path. Keep that in mind. What's happened since we first featured her. Let's hear directly from this Cytosil. I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up.
Three years ago, I was doodling layouts in my bullet journal during lunch breaks. Now I run Planner Paradise, a side hustle that brings in 3000 a month selling digital planners and templates. I still journal, of course, but now I get paid for it, at least sort of. It started when my coworker noticed my elaborately designed bullet journal and asked if I could make a digital version. As a graphic designer in my spare day job time, I was intrigued by the challenge.
I spent a weekend creating a PDF planner with hyperlinks and custom graphics. My friend loved it and we both thought I might be able to do more with it. A couple weeks later, I set up an Etsy shop with just five designs, a yearly planner, a habit tracker, a meal planner, a budget template, and a goal setting worksheet. I priced them between $5 and $15. Unsure if anyone beyond my immediate circle would be interested.
To my surprise, orders started trickling in. Not a flood, but a few each week for each item. Customers left positive reviews, often with requests for customizations or new designs. I found myself spending evenings and weekends expanding my product line and learning more about digital planning trends. Growth was steady, but not explosive.
I leveraged my design skills to create eye-catching social media posts, particularly on Instagram and Pinterest. I also started a YouTube channel with short tutorials on how to use digital planners effectively. About a year in, I hit a snag. Sales plateaued, and I realized I needed to differentiate myself in an increasingly crowded market. I decided to niche down, focusing on planners for creative entrepreneurs.
This shift resonated with my target audience, and sales picked up again. Balancing my day job, side hustle, and personal life is an ongoing juggling act. There have been times when I considered quitting my job to focus on planner paradise full time. Not the stability of my regular paycheck and benefits has kept me in both worlds. Dealing with copycats was another unexpected issue.
I've had to send a few cease and desist letters to people selling direct copies of my designs. It was stressful, but it also pushed me to continually innovate and stay ahead of trends. Today, my shop hosts over 50 different products, from basic daily planners to specialized templates for project management and content creation. I've also expanded into selling commercial use licenses, allowing other creators to use my templates as basis for their own products. The business now brings in an average of 3,000 per month.
It fluctuates seasonally, with big spikes around new years and back to school season. I've automated much of the sales process, but I still spend about 10 hours a week creating new designs, engaging with customers, and managing the business. Looking ahead, I'm exploring the possibility of creating a subscription-based planner club, offering members new designs each month. I'm also considering collaborations with other designers to expand my product line further. For now, I'm content keeping planner paradise as a side hustle.
It allows me to enjoy the best of both worlds, the security of my day job, and the thrill of running my own business. Plus, I've never been more organized in my life. All right, thanks so much for the update. Always great to hear how people have moved forward in different ways. And listeners, I'm so grateful for you as well as we come to the end of a big year.
This is episode 2,910, 2910. It's just been so fun to share stories, updates, and questions with you, so thank you for being part of it. I'll probably say more in the few days to come. Meanwhile, if you have a question or an update about your hustle, you know where to go. sidehustleschool.com/questions.
Take care of yourself during a busy holiday season, and of course, new episode out tomorrow. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School. From the Onward Project. From the Onward Project.
