This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hello, what's up friends, listeners, Side Hustle School community. So glad you're here. I'm Chris Guillebeau with the weekly recap. We have just finished week number two of season two. Almost at the end of the year, only 50 weeks to go.
Approximately 351 days, that final countdown. I hope you've been enjoying the stories of the past two weeks. We have invested a lot into season two. It's my hope that you appreciate the stories, but not just appreciate them. You're also learning from them by giving you ideas, or if nothing else, they're giving you support and encouragement.
So that you know that this is possible. You know there are other people out there around the world doing this in different ways. And if you've found your idea and you're working on it, then that's great, feel supported. You're still looking for your idea. Well, you probably know it's a process.
Oftentimes people's first idea isn't their final idea. Now this week I wanna talk a bit about Side Hustle Society. We're in the final two days of that initial launch. We've been welcoming lots of listeners from the community. And if it sounds like a good fit to you, I'll tell you more about it in just a second, then I would love to have you there as well.
I want to begin this week with some comments about episode 375. Earlier this week, this was Harry Campbell, the rideshare guy. He was an aerospace engineer and started off driving for Uber just kind of on the side for fun. Ended up creating a real business, which is not only a six figure business, it also employs two people, has 10 freelancers. They've been going strong publishing articles several days a week for three years now.
And what I wanna focus on, something that struck me is when he was an aerospace engineer and he started driving for Uber, he said that his friends and even his coworkers kind of made fun of him. Like they just didn't get it. They were like, why would you do something like this? Because you know, you already make a good living. Like, do you really need the money?
And for Harry, of course, it wasn't just about the money. He was attracted to the entrepreneurial nature of it and to understanding more about an industry. So he just liked the possibility of it at first. And then he found a way to kind of gain the system with all these incentives that Uber and Lyft were offering drivers a couple of years ago. And in his biggest success, at least related to that, Lyft had this promotion once where they would pay him $1,000 for every driver he referred.
And that driver only had to complete one ride and they would get a thousand bucks too. So basically Lyft is massively overpaying for this. But he took advantage of it and referred 34 people in three days, making $34,000. Then of course, later he went on to build this whole brand, which as I said, is now a very successful business. He did quit his job.
And that never would have happened if he had not begun experimenting and been willing to try something, even if his friends didn't get it. So I was thinking about this common quote, which you may have heard, and it's first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. And this quote is frequently misattributed to Gandhi. Gandhi never actually said anything like that, but I think it's a good quote overall. And this story, it's not like Harry's friends were fighting him per se, but I think the way that you prove people wrong, when somebody doesn't believe in your dream, the way that you prove them wrong isn't by arguing with them, it's by demonstrating and just showing them.
And like I said, in that episode, after Harry made $34,000 in three days, what do you think his friends and coworkers thought then? Do you think they still thought it was a pretty stupid idea? I bet at least some of them were kicking themselves and saying like, why didn't I figure this out? And then secondly, we all have some naysayers in our lives. And whenever possible, I think it's good to not have naysayers in our lives, but I also realize that sometimes people have family members and people who are otherwise good friends, but just don't have the greatest attitude about these things.
And so you can't necessarily get rid of those people. I understand that. However, I also believe if your friends don't care about your dreams, if they don't get it, if they think it's stupid or silly, well, then you need to find some new friends. You really do. Like I said, you may not be able to end that relationship.
You may not want to end that relationship. What I'm saying is you also need people in your life who believe in you. And one of the reasons I started this show is I noticed that there's this large group of people out there who are greatly underserved by traditional resources about entrepreneurship. Because those resources are constantly driving in this message about how you should quit your job, and you should take a big risk, and you should make the leap. And if you don't want to do that, then something is wrong with you, which of course is ridiculous, because not everyone wants to quit their job.
So that's why I have the single-minded focus with the show. It's all about empowerment. It's all about helping people create options for their life that they can do what's important to them. So where can you find those new friends? Well, a couple of options.
We are right now in the inaugural launch of Side Hustle Society. In just two days, we're going to close it down for at least a month. I want to make sure we really focus on our inaugural group of members, and then we will reopen it at some point, but it will be at a higher price. So if this is something you might be interested in, maybe come and take a look. This is our online community where you can connect with other side hustlers, also get some feedback, bounce your ideas off of the other members, as well as some experts, some guides that we have in the community.
There's also a lot of detailed training, a number of audio modules, a number of video modules, worksheets, handouts, basically everything that you need to have a process-driven approach to starting your side hustle this year. This is something that our listeners have been asking for for literally more than a year now, and I'm so happy that it's finally ready. I didn't want to release anything until I felt it was absolutely ready, and now it is. So if you want to check that out, I'd see if it's for you, just come to sidehustleschool.com/society, S-O-C-I-E-T-Y. And there's no pressure whatsoever.
Like if it doesn't work for you, if it doesn't resonate, well, that's fine. Like just keep listening to the free show. Like I'm so happy and so honored to be able to bring this to you. But if you are excited about the idea of creating more freedom for yourself and setting up some routine and structure, perhaps some accountability to make sure that happens, well, come on by and click the Register Now button. Or if you're listening to this later and it's closed, you should still be able to leave us your email address so that when it reopens, you'll be the first to know.
There are also other online communities you can join, our Facebook groups, you can go to local meetups, maybe check out meetup.com. Whenever I'm on tour, I do dozens of free events or very low cost events. The whole focus is on community and connecting people. So keep an eye on my tour schedule as well. I'd love to see you in person somewhere if we haven't met before.
But the point is wherever you find these friends or supporters, I do believe there'll be an important resource in your life, especially if you have people who don't believe or don't get it. [Music]
All right, as we move along, I want to read you a couple of listener emails I got this week. We'll also hear from a listener who called the Hustle Hotline with a question. But just a reminder, if you have a question or comment, that Hustle Hotline is 8449 Hustle, or 8449487853. You can just give it a call and leave a quick little message.
Tell us your name, tell us what you're working on and give us a quick question. Or if you prefer, you can also use your phone to make a voice memo and email that to podcast@sidehustleschool.com. Or of course you could just email a message to sidehustleschool.com. Lots of options there and Wendy wrote in with a question. She says, what are your thoughts on trying to launch two different side hustles at the same time?
Should I launch one first and then the other? They're both related to music, but they are not complimentary products. Would love your advice, Ricky Hustler, Wendy. So what I said to Wendy is, you know, it's partly a question of time and focus because a lot of our listeners really don't have time to try two things at once. A lot of our listeners are pretty busy with day jobs, with family responsibilities, with other stuff in their lives, so they really are gonna be much better off by just picking one project and working on that for a time.
This doesn't mean you're committing the rest of your life to this project, it just means, you know, for a time. This is your project. However, I also said that some other listeners actually do try two or three things at once. So if that excites you and you feel like you can handle it, then go for it, feel free. Wendy wrote back and said, thanks, that's helpful.
I should probably focus on getting one off the ground before starting the second since time and focus are rare commodities right now. And I said, well, great, there's your answer. If time and focus are rare commodities, then just do one project. Then I heard from Daniel in New York City, who writes in with a little success story. He says, I'm a longtime listener of the show.
I used to find it difficult to listen, as I would feel envious of the stories and be hard on myself for not doing more. Recently, however, I started selling mystery boxes on eBay. It began as a joke, but ended up making $300 in the two weeks leading up to Christmas. I wouldn't have even thought to try it without the show, and now I have a whole new perspective as I listen to episodes. So thanks and keep up the good work.
Well, first of all, Daniel, congratulations. Good work on making 300 bucks for something you've never thought of before. That's great. And also, I just want to address that first part because you're probably not the only person who feels that way. There's somebody else out there who's like, man, I really like this show, but sometimes it's difficult because I feel envious of these other people and I'm hard on myself for not doing more.
Well, listen, first of all, we're all on a journey. Like as long as you're alive and listening and as long as I'm alive and speaking to you, like we haven't fully made it yet. But I also thought it was interesting what shifted Daniel's worldview and what shifted it for him was taking action and experimenting and trying this new thing and actually seeing some success from it. And he said, now when I listen, I have a whole new perspective. So maybe I would encourage you, if you're in that situation and you're feeling envious or maybe just feeling down on yourself, perhaps the answer is to try something, even something small, even if it's on a starter platform, like Fiverr or something like that, wherever you can get some initial experience, why not try it and see if that shifts your perspective too.
All right, let's hear from our call-in listener. I believe his name is Hunter and he has a question that I have asked myself several times. - Hey Chris, my name is Hunter Haley and my question is in reference to someone who's already an entrepreneur and has a business going when you have another idea or how do you divide your time between your current business that you're running and your new idea that you have for a side hustle when you already are self-employed. - Hey Hunter, what's up? Thanks for the question.
Yeah, this is kind of the age old dilemma among those of us who start multiple projects and including those of us who are self-employed and also starting side hustles. As you probably know, I think a side hustle is good for anyone. Like even if you're already working for yourself, it's great to do something different. It's great to have another source of income or just a different focus or opportunity. But yes, we do often run into that situation you described where it's kind of like, well, how do I spend my time?
I don't know that there's a single answer to it. I think some people kind of structure their days or weeks accordingly. Depending on the flow of their projects, it might make sense to say, okay, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., I'm working on my main job or my main business. Then I'm gonna dedicate an hour or two in the afternoon or whatever it is to working on the side hustle.
Other people just treat it the same way somebody who has a job would treat it in the sense that they go to work during the day and then a bit of time in the evening or some time on the weekends that are working on that project. And maybe some others of us just try to create more of an integrated lifestyle. That's what I do. A lot of my work is interlinked, but I definitely have different projects and focuses. So for me, I'm just concerned with the big picture.
And am I in alignment? Am I doing things I enjoy? Am I making progress toward the goals I believe in, et cetera? So that structure might sound a little loose, I realize. And you might be the kind of person that needs things more clearly delineated.
I know that some people are. But for me, it has been best over time to just kind of figure out how I operate most effectively. Not just most effectively or efficiently, but I guess most joyously, if that makes sense. Like what am I doing that's not just making an impact, but it's also something that I find meaningful personally. So I don't know if that gives you a ton of advice because there are different ways to do it, as I said, but you're certainly not alone with that challenge.
And I also think it's a good challenge to have. So good luck, and thanks for listening. Awesome. We work pretty hard to bring you a set of amazing stories each week, every single day, as you know. Here are a couple of things that are coming up next week.
We've got an incredible story of an auto employee, guy who works for an auto dealership, earned $100,000 selling stickers on Instagram. Yes, that is correct. $100,000, actually more than that now, selling stickers on Instagram. That story's coming up tomorrow. I think you're really gonna like it.
I know I was amazed when I read through the notes and actually went back and verified with him. Like, are you sure we're talking about this amount of money, is this correct? And indeed it was. We're also gonna hear about a graphic designer who profits from print on demand, then quits their job to hike New Zealand, as well as a series of Afrocentric head wraps, which earn $800 a month for a target employee. Those are, of course, just a few highlights.
If you don't relate to one particular story, well, just stick around for the next day, because maybe that'll be something that gets you thinking or nudges you along a bit further. Thank you so much for listening to the show. Before I sign off, I want to say thank you to a few of the people that make this possible. We actually have a whole team working on Side Hustle School, a growing team, got some new people joining this year. But for now, just to give credit to our core team, Side Hustle School is recorded on location at World Domination Headquarters in Portland, Oregon.
It is then produced in Brooklyn, New York, Washington, DC, or Mexico City, depending on who's doing the production. Our production team is led by AC Valdez. It also features Sarah Barrett, sometimes a couple of other folks. Show notes and scheduling and host wrangling are by Whitney Karinek, my assistant in Portland. Obviously can't forget Libby Gilliboe, the official show cat, working the night shift back in Oregon as well, and really curious this week about bamboo gorilla fibers.
I told her I'd see if I can get a sample from those guys. Deep thoughts of the week. Why did the Uber cross the road? To get $3. Okay, only rideshare drivers are gonna get that joke, but I know we have a lot of rideshare drivers out there, so that one's for you.
Side Hustle School is part of the Onward Project that's led by my friend, my hero, Gretchen Rubin. Be sure you check out her show Happier. You can also learn about the Onward Project at conveniently, theonwardproject.com. And last but not least, I always want to close these recaps by thanking you, the listener. You're the reason I make this show.
It's a free, listener-supported show. I want it to make a difference in your life. I want it to be something, like I said earlier, that you don't just appreciate, but something that is meaningful to you, something that can help you make a meaningful difference in your life. That is my single-minded goal. That's why I make the show seven days a week, no exceptions.
If you're enjoying it, please pass it on. Please tell your friends about it. That's how we grow. It's not from any marketing campaign. It's not from spending money on advertising.
It's from real people talking about it. So tell them to subscribe to Side Hustle School and take their phone and show them how to do it. You can also give us a quick little rating or review in iTunes that rocks our world too. And in conclusion, I'll just mention, inspiration is good, but action is better. I'm so excited to hear about you taking action in 2018.
I hope to see you tomorrow and every day next week with more stories and actionable ideas. Listening to Side Hustle School every day is a 10-minute investment in yourself. Episodes go online at 6.01 a.m. Eastern time. Hope to talk with you again soon.
I'm Chris Guillebeau for Side Hustle School.
