Two Friends Use Welding Skills To Keep Beer Flowing

This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.

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All right, so what if you practice a trade? Like carpentry or plumbing or electrical work? Could be any number of things. And you have a job, which is probably pretty busy and intense, but like a lot of us, like most people who listen to this show, I would suggest you want to earn extra money on the side. You want to find a way to get ahead without just working more hours at your job.

Well, much of the time someone in that situation will say, "Well, I'll just take the same skill and I'll do some off hours work for it on the side for whoever needs it." Because after all, it's a valuable skill. I know I can find work, et cetera. Now that's not bad by any means, a lot of people do it. But one strategy that can be smarter is to acknowledge that your time is already quite limited. And naturally you want to maximize profitability.

So to do that, it's going to help you to specialize and not be a jack of all trades. In fact, for your limited time side hustle, you should probably be even more specialized than you are in your day job. Welcome to Side Hustle School. My name is Chris Guillebeau. The two friends and coworkers featured in this story advise you to not chase every shiny object or accept every job or client just because it's an option.

And in their case, they chose to specialize their side hustle in the world of breweries. In the story, I'll tell you how they came to this decision. It involves a combination of skills, interest, and paying attention to market demand. Because of their careful analysis, they've been able to earn an extra $16,000 without overworking themselves. They're just getting started.

They've also received additional intangible benefits, including referrals in the tight-knit brewing community of Montana, and of course, free beer. That's correct. These two friends use their welding skills to keep the beer flowing. That story is coming right up after this shout out to our sponsor. Stay tuned.

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For Matt Young and Kenan Janis, their side hustle epiphany came while having a beer. As professional welders, inspectors, and coworkers, both men found themselves reflecting on a recent job and realizing that they could have done it better. That's when they thought about taking their welding skills and starting something of their own on the side. What they needed, however, was a niche because there were a lot of welders. So while sipping their beer, they looked around the room.

It dawned on them that breweries could use their skills. Why breweries? Well, Matt and Kenan live in Montana, which has a very popular craft beer scene with an estimated 90 breweries. Many of them use stainless steel equipment, which if not properly treated can lead to rust and then compromise the quality of their product. So the two friends put together a business plan that would utilize their welding skills by sipping into a niche that wasn't crowded.

In fact, no one was paying much attention to it at all. And just like that, Whitefish Heliark was created. As certified welding inspectors, they had the professional knowledge to know if a weld is considered code compliant. They established a focus-driven approach in creating a process that is done according to regulations. Given their expertise, they assumed other area weld shops didn't know how to perform this function.

In September, 2018, they began by reaching out to various breweries within the Flathead Valley. The population is in an area where people can put your name out there quickly for either good or bad. Luckily, they'd already welded a good reputation. So they were able to land some initial clients with ease. So how does the process work?

Since Matt and Kenan are both still employed full-time, they utilize part of their weekends to work at various breweries in the area. Without trying to over-weld you on the technical details, they assess the equipment to see what types of piping repairs or modifications are needed. What sets them apart from other welders is their certification with the American Welding Society. This is one of the most sought-after certifications in the technology sector. So not only are their brewing partners getting a team of qualified welders, they're also getting a thorough inspection as part of the process.

Startup costs were around $6,000, and since 2018, they brought in an extra $16,000 from this wealthy popular side hustle. They charge for their services using a typical system common to any repair business. The cost includes materials and handling, as well as the labor of actually doing the job. They typically charge a per hour rate that varies depending on difficulty or project complexity. The best part of the experience has been the opportunity to work with many different local brewers.

Each brewery is unique, and for the most part, not in competition with the others. They've been excited to receive referrals from one brewery to the next, and of course, they often get tipped through refreshing pints of beer. The biggest struggle they've encountered has been somewhat unavoidable. Whitefish Heliark is optimized as an on-site repair service. Not all brewery equipment is broken or in need of a piping modification, so their service is only provided when it's actually needed.

This was intentional because they didn't want to hit the ground running and find themselves over-promising and under-delivering. They understood what they could handle as part of their timelines, especially while working jobs, and as such, they feel that they have successfully set themselves up as the go-to weld service in the area for this type of work. Their method and approach can be a model for others. Start small, don't chase every shiny object, don't accept every job or client just because someone asks. Accept the ones that are within your strengths and capabilities.

Accept what you know you can do well. In the future, they're hoping to build their own facility so they can conduct multiple projects at one time and expand outside the brewery space. In fact, that expansion has already begun. They're now working on their biggest project with their biggest client so far, Glacier National Park, building 30 pieces of unique stainless-steel kitchen services for a historical chalet that burned to the ground in 2017. This project makes their cytosol feel more meaningful and purposeful, even without the free beer.

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Congratulations to Matt and Keenan. A few lessons we can take from their story. Don't chase shiny objects. I've been guilty of that myself in the past, trying to get much more intentional. I've been doing a better job this year at least.

Also, don't be a freelancer for everyone or a jack of all trades. Be specific, you'll stand out more. You can probably charge a higher price. Therefore, you're in more demand, et cetera. It's just a positive virtuous circle.

Don't be a freelancer for everyone or a jack of all trades. And use one success to build towards your next. Once something is working, ask yourself, how can this lead to my next step, my next product, my next service, my next offer, whatever it is, how can I use one success to build toward my next, even if I have made a mistake, even if I've done something wrong? Well, that's a learning experience. I'm gonna be able to apply it and do a better job the next time around.

That's my hope for everyone who listens to this podcast. And I'm so glad that you're part of that group. Inspiration is good, but inspiration with action is better. Today's show notes are at sidehustleschool.com/994. 994, much more is coming up, including a weekly recap tomorrow and then onwards toward episode 1,000 next week.

Don't miss it. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]

From the Onward Project.