This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hey, hey, what's up? Welcome to Side Hustle School. My name is Chris Guillebeau. Over here we have just finished week number 38 of season two. This is the weekly recap.
I'm calling it Nothing Is Sacred, so look out for yourself. More on that in just a moment. And today also includes another update from someone featured on the show a while back. But first, let's just jump right into this. You know, I sometimes talk about how you shouldn't build your business in a way that's dependent on any one platform or network.
We've had a number of different stories that have illustrated that principle. Well, a couple weeks ago, we here at Team Side Hustle School got an experience of living that out or experiencing it in our own little way when our podcast network that we've partnered with since the beginning of the show made an announcement that they were no longer going to produce podcasts. And that felt a little strange since that was their primary business. Like they're still in operation, they're not shutting down, but they're no longer gonna produce podcasts. So as I said, it's strange.
It's kind of like going to the grocery store and the grocery store is like, "Hey, we're still here, but we're not selling food anymore." And you're like, "Okay, well, what are you doing?" And they're like, "Oh, we're gonna sell eBooks." And you're like, "Okay, that's great, but actually I know I need some food. That's why I came to the grocery store." So first of all, first thing about this is, you know, we're not going anywhere. Side Hustle School is here to stay. We are fully committed to publishing through the end of 2018, if not beyond. And at some point I might have an announcement about that, but we're not going anywhere.
For us, it's just a matter of changing how we distribute the show, figuring out some logistics, some behind the scenes stuff. So don't worry about that. And second, I'm fully aware that most listeners don't really care about the inside baseball, the behind the scenes. They care about what they get out of it, right? So you out there, you probably don't care about podcast networks and you probably shouldn't.
It's kind of like a few years back when I was learning about the publishing business and I had all these questions for my literary agent about the different publishers and imprints and all that kind of stuff. And he said to me, "You know what, Chris? Like we can talk about the pros and cons of working with different publishing houses and so on, but just never forget that most readers really don't care. Most readers are loyal to books and to authors. They have no idea, in fact, like who the actual publisher of the book is.
And if you can think about that, unless you are in the publishing industry yourself, unless you are an author or an editor or publicist or whatever, if you think about your five favorite books or just the last five books that you read, do you know who the publisher was? Most people would say no, okay? So I don't really focus on inside baseball for that reason. But the whole experience does offer some other lessons, which I've shared a bit on social media for those who care. You can look up the details there.
I just thought I would touch on it here because first of all, to say like, don't worry about us, we're gonna keep rolling along. And since we have a lot of people out there with podcasts or blogs or vlogs or books or who want to have one or more of those things, here are what I think are the most important lessons from it, okay? So first of all, nothing is sacred or permanent. Doesn't matter what online network, doesn't matter what company, what platform, don't put all your trust/attention/retirement plans in any of those networks, platforms or companies. Or even, let's say, any medium, okay?
So I love podcasting. This has really transformed my life in lots of ways. I'm connected with so many amazing listeners, including some people that I've been connected with for years and lots of new people as well. So I love the medium of podcasting, but everything changes. So like I said the other day in a regular episode, when change occurs, you have a choice.
Your choice is to fight it and pretend it doesn't exist or to flow with it and say, okay, what do I need to do to adapt and to change myself in response to the change? So nothing is sacred or permanent. And then next, everyone should learn to think entrepreneurially, even if you have a job you love, which is what I keep stressing over and over, you need to invest in yourself so that your skills are transferable in different ways. And last but not least, if you have a podcast or again, another channel, whatever your medium or channel is, your greatest asset by far, just don't miss this. It's so important.
Your greatest asset by far is your relationship with people who care about what you have to say. Ultimately, that is what the only lasting value is. And when this news came out, it was a big industry shakeup. Again, nobody on the outside cares, but everybody in the industry is talking about it all the time. And literally within the first hour of the announcement, which came out in the afternoon, I started getting emails from various people at companies and agencies I'd never heard of before, offering to host the show or facilitate introductions, or otherwise make sure we could keep doing all the things we need to do to keep running.
Our production, our partnerships with advertisers and so on. And I just wanna be clear, the point is, the point in saying that, it's not to say like, oh look, I'm awesome, I'm especially valuable. That's not the point at all. The value is you. You, the listener, you are the value of this show.
That's why the people are writing me. That's why they're like, oh, we wanna take this on. Because of the community, because of the 2000 plus five star reviews on Apple Podcasts and the millions of downloads that the show is getting each month. That's what allows me to say, I'm not worried about change because I'm focused on what really matters. And what really matters in this case is service and education and building those relationships.
I really believe if you ever encounter a similar situation yourself, that is going to be your lifeline. It's not somebody else coming along to rescue you. It's the work that you have done to build a community or to make a difference in people's lives. That is the asset that is the real value. And that is pretty much all I have to say about that.
Thank you for listening to that. I hope it is helpful to somebody. And in terms of the show, if there's any change that you need to know about, of course I'll let you know. But my plan is that it will be mostly seamless. We're just gonna keep focusing on our episodes, the content, all the stuff that matters and whatever logistical changes we need to make.
We'll just handle that. [Music]
Okay, speaking of people and relationships and value and all the awesome stuff that's happening out there, I want to bring you a blast from the past, just like we've been doing each week. A little two minute update from somebody who's been on the show before and talking a bit about where they have come since they were first featured, as well as a lesson or some advice for you. So I really like this one. It is from Brent.
I'll turn it over to him. - Hey, what's up? My name is Brent Vartstra from New York City. And my side hustle project, which is really my full-time job now is my website, learnjazzstandards.com, which is a blog, a podcast, videos, and a series of eBooks and courses all geared towards helping musicians learn how to play jazz music. And I was featured in episode 69.
And a few updates since then. Well, I've created a lot more products, served my audience even more. And as a result, last year we became a six figure business, which is something I never really thought would ever happen from the beginning. So feeling very fortunate for that and well on track to exceed those expectations from last year, this year. And something interesting that happened recently is I relaunched my original course.
It had been a couple of years. I learned what was working for the students and what I needed to do to make them even more successful, as well as how to rework some of the marketing for more success. And I was a little nervous because my existing customers that were really dedicated, the customers always buy everything. They already bought the course. So I was a little nervous about how it performed.
But it turns out I put in all the hard work and this became my most profitable month ever in the history of the business relaunching that course. So it just kind of goes to show you, if you serve your existing customers and your future customers, well, it will come back to you. Which kind of leads into my advice for everybody who's listening. It's kind of classic business advice, but it's rung true for me time and time again. Just identify your target audience, figure out who they are, and then just figure out what their pain points are, how you can help them and serve them better.
Then come up with a solution to that problem and don't just build the product after that. Make sure you validate it. Ask them if that's truly what's going to help them. And then if the answer is yes, create that solution and then just don't be afraid to sell it. Because if you're selling from a place of service and wanting to help and it's coming from an honest place, then it's not gonna feel salesy.
People are gonna be more than happy to put money in your pocket for helping them solve their problems. And so now I'm just working on creating more products. That's what's been working for me. I've been always improving my marketing chops. I've just been educating myself and the more I educate myself on that stuff, I try things, some things work, some things don't.
Me and my wife are looking at some other side hustle opportunities right now, trying to take some of the money that we have and invest it back into other things that we might wanna try. So keeping that side hustle spirit going. But I just wanna thank Chris and everybody at Side Hustle School just for allowing me to be a part of this. - Brent, awesome. Congratulations on hitting six figures.
Super cool. When we first featured him back on episode 69, it was titled New York City musician earns $40,000 from blog. So six figures is a big increase. Well done. I also talked in that episode about the course he'd created.
And it sounds like he's really doubled down on that, really chosen to focus his efforts there. And it's always a big deal, as you mentioned, when you go from selling to your true fans, people that you know are gonna support you to a less warm audience. That shows that not only have you built relationships well, but you've also built a valuable product that's truly helping people. So well done. I really like this quote he had about how if you serve your existing customers and future customers well, it will come back to you.
And that relates very much to what I said at the top of the show today. If you're building a business or side hustle based on relationships, that's where you need to be investing your time so that you truly are building that asset. Another principle of the Side Hustle School method. Another quote I liked was if you're selling from a place of service, it's not gonna feel salesy, it will feel honest. So again, well done.
And everyone you can follow along with Brent at learnjazzstandards.com. More of these to come. And if you have a question or comment, something you wanna share with us, just call the Hustle Hotline and leave your less than 30 second response. 844-9-Hustle or 844-948-7853. You can also send us an email at podcast@sidehustleschool.com.
[Music]
So looking back on the week, let's focus on two episodes in particular. It was a pretty good week. I had lots of fun stuff from a salesman's hot sauce to a rehearsal app for actors earning half a million dollars, all kinds of great stuff. But I wanna focus on episodes 625 and 629. Now as a reminder, whenever I reference an episode, you can always get to that at sidehustleschool.com/ the number of the episode.
So sidehustleschool.com/625 for example. And that first one was called Marathon Runner Earns Full-Time Income Trying on Shoes. And the second is Taiwan On for this Australian high school teacher. And these stories are interesting because they're quite different. I think people are always asking me about failures and I tried all the stories to highlight the challenges and obstacles.
I think one day I need to just do like failure week on side hustle school. Like here's a bunch of stories that did not work out at all. In this case, neither of the stories are failures. In 629, the bow tie guy, he creates a profitable project and then just decides he doesn't wanna do it anymore. He gets bored.
So in his case, he's able to sell the business for $5,000, which of course is great. But I'd say it was great even if he didn't sell it because even if he just walked away, he would still have had a valuable experience in learning to make and sell those bow ties. And it went on to help him in his teaching. It went on to help him and found a new side hustle and so on. On the previous episode 625, that was the runner who builds a shoe review website over many painstaking years.
It wasn't overnight success at all. Like he celebrated like three weeks after launch when he made $9. But eventually he crossed that finish line. Eventually he ends up making six figures in annual income, just like Brent in the update. So a note to our new listeners.
Like, listen, this is a journey, okay? Not everything is gonna happen quickly or necessarily in the way you think it will. I'm not trying to sell a get rich quick plan. I'm not trying to sell like, you know, you do this today and tomorrow you're gonna make, you know, X dollars. But if you focus on doing the right things, over time you can't help but improve.
If you make mistakes like you will, but you learn from those mistakes, you're gonna reach a point where your project takes off and you have to make some big decisions. You have to say, okay, like, do I wanna keep doing this and grow it? Do I wanna try something else? What's next for me? And that's a fun place to be in.
That's a place where you're in control. That's a place where you have agency and you're like, okay, I could do all kinds of different stuff. What is most important to me? What are my values and how am I gonna live out those values and the choices I make about which projects I pursue? So speaking of improvements, we here at Side Hustle School are making improvements too.
I'll have more to share with you soon. But just so you know, I'm mindful. I love hearing from you guys. I love hearing what you're up to, what your challenges are, as well as how we can serve you better. So thank you for being part of that.
Now coming up on the show, got a great story coming up about a survival podcast. This is actually a daily podcast that's been going for longer than Side Hustle School. Thought this was a really cool project. I had never actually heard of this before. I started delving into it and was like, wow, there's a lot you can learn from this.
Also something about tea, also something about maps, also something about underwear. So all that stuff is coming up in just the next week. And of course, much more will come after that. And of course, much more will follow. Hey, before I close things out, listen, if you are out there, which you are since you're listening, as I said in the beginning, you're the reason I make this show.
Like we are committed. You are what makes Side Hustle School a reality and a community. So thank you, first of all, for that. And I also want to say a big thank you to everybody else who's part of this operation. We've got our senior producer, AC Valdez.
We've got our content manager, Whitney Karinic, assistant producer, Sarah Barrett, community liaison, Jed Chang, and the official show cat, Libby Gillibough. Somebody asked me on social media, what does Libby think about the podcast network change? And I was like, man, Libby doesn't really think about much besides herself. She's a cat. She thinks about scratching the furniture.
She thinks about running around the house. And she thinks about when are you going to feed me? Those are her main concerns. A quick reminder that this is a free listener supported show. If you're enjoying it, I'd be grateful if you would just give us a quick little rating and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
That is always awesome and appreciated. You can also tell your friends or even better show them how to subscribe. If you know somebody out there who needs another source of income, send them to us, we'll take care of them. As I said, we're not going anywhere. We're going to keep putting out episodes every single day.
And those episodes go online each morning at 6 0 1 a.m. Eastern time. I hope you'll join me next week. I hope you'll remember to take action and I hope you will invest in yourself because that's what matters. Invest in yourself, invest in something that you believe in.
I'm going to sign off for the day now. You are a rockstar. My name is Chris Guillebeau. And once again, this is "Side Hustle School." See you next week. [Music]
