Notes from Chris

Episode 2236

Today’s question is a simple one: “What products are good to sell as a subscription?” Recently we’ve looked at why there are some many subscriptions. Another caller had an idea for a subscription to cancel all your unused subscriptions.

Also, Side Hustle School is going to a subscription model. Forgot to tell you. Instead of a flat rate of $0, it will soon cost $0 a month. It’s like the Netflix model, except without the actual money. Isn’t that nice?

Alright, on with the episode!

“I’m on the hunt for my side hustle idea. Aside from digital subscriptions, what are some good products to sell in subscription form? I like the idea of predictable income instead of having to depend on a new product launch every few months.

I’ve been thinking about it more ever since I signed up for a weekly fruits and vegetable subscription from my local co-op. But I don’t want to sell food, so what else might be possible? “

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 2235

Today’s episode is part of a new feature we’re doing in 2022 called ‘Your First $1,000.’ As you might surmise from the title, this is all about how someone made their first $1,000.

How did they get to that point? Not their first $100,000—that’s cool, but it would probably be a long story.

One thing I’ve learned is that once you begin to earn real money, the steps required to go to the next level—whether it’s $1,000 to $2,000, or even to $5,000 or $10,000 are often easier than that first real paycheck.

With that in mind, today’s feature comes from Tom, a serial side hustler who builds an ADU in his backyard, allowing him to earn $1,500/month in passive rentals. He then uses the profits to buy another property.

How did it all get started? Let’s hear it from Tom.

SEE ALSO:

• Military Spouse Starts Subscription Box Mission:When an HR Director’s husband is away on military deployment, she uses the alone time to march toward a subscription box.
• Think Inside the Subscription Box:Looking for more community, a North Carolina web agency owner starts a subscription box for female entrepreneurs. It’s supposed to be a referral tool for her agency, but it ends up becoming a full-time business of its own.
• Nature-Loving Neighbors Create Kids Subscription Box: When two couples can’t figure out how to get their kids outdoors and away from electronics in the winter, a personal challenge blossoms into an unbeLEAFable side hustle.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 2234

Help, my website is broken… Or at least that’s the situation our caller is facing. I get it because stuff is always breaking. You might think, once you get it fixed, shouldn’t it stay fixed? But because of technology’s advancement, other updates that break something else, and of course the phase of the room, it’s a constant battle. All you want to do is run your side hustle, take in orders, maybe grow your business, not just fix things that are broken. What should we say to our caller?

“I’m frustrated. After spending a lot of time to build a website, the images randomly stopped working one day. I didn’t notice until a day later and then another day to get it fixed, so that was basically the better part of week of my site looking terrible.

Anyway, that was a couple weeks ago, but then something else stopped working: my email list! Anyone who signed up wasn’t getting the proper confirmation message, so I’ve effectively lost whoever that was during the time it was down. Fixing it required more emails and even a call to customer support at the hosting company.

I don’t mean to complain, but I guess I’m just asking: does this stuff ever get any better?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 2233

Today we go live to Pakistan, where a small community of listeners are enjoying the podcast. Or maybe it’s just one? I’m not sure, but at least one person there is listening and he has a question. He wants to operate a remote personal training side hustle. He’s qualified for this and thinks it could be helpful—but he’s also wise enough to foresee a couple of challenges. Let’s talk it out!

“Yo Chris! I’m enjoying the podcast from all the way in Pakistan. And I’m hoping you can give me some timely advice. I work as a personal trainer over here, and I’d love to help clients far away. Why can’t fitness coaching be remote? We saw during the pandemic that all kinds of services can be virtual.

It seems I have a few obstacles to overcome: first, the distance. Second, the perception that everything from here should be cheap. I want to offer attractive pricing (that’s one of the benefits, after all) but it still won’t be rock-bottom.

So what can I do? Please help me get my first 3 overseas clients!”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 2232

In 100 Side Hustles, I told the story of a woman who paid her way through college by breeding rabbits. I like to find unusual stories—most people who breed rabbits aren’t going to be able to cover college expenses.

Today’s story is one that doesn’t go so well. It’s a hop, skip, and a jump away from a huge success …. because it’s actually a story of something that goes very wrong.

I believe we can learn as much from failure as we can from success, if not more. It’s with this principle in mind that I offer you a weekly segment called Failure Friday: a collection of short stories all about mistakes, missteps, disasters, and of course, failure.

Just like our Throwback Thursday segment, you’ll hear directly from side hustlers who have struggled to get something off the ground. They’ll tell you a short story of something that went very wrong.

The stories will vary, but often it starts with an idea, what they thought would happen and what really happened—and of course, what they learned.

Today’s short story features Carmine from Las Vegas. This bunny farm never gets hopping.

SEE ALSO:

• Marketer Creates Six-Figure Subscription Box Success: He looked for a simple solution for a client, and didn’t find one—so he spent the next year building it.
• Comic Book Curator Creates Custom Crate Subscription: A Sacramento-based comic and collectibles owner sparks an interest in reading with a monthly comic book subscription box service.
• A Packed Closet Leads to Secondhand Subscription Boxes: A professional organizer finds a way to stitch her passion for thrift shopping into profits.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 2231

Welcome to Throwback Thursday / “Where are they now?” where we take an in-depth look at someone who’s story has evolved considerably since we first featured them.

Last week, we heard from a career advisor who sells resume (CV) templates and coaching. The business now brings in at least $4,000/month.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from a pottery maker who sells her dishes and bowls using Fulfillment by Amazon. That service is usually for mass-manufactured items, so her product is a bit different.

What’s happened since we last heard from Leah? Let’s hear directly from her. I’ll be back at the end to wrap us up.

Listen to today’s episode to hear more…

SEE ALSO:

• Raver Turns LED-Powered Gloves Into Bright Future: When a raver-turned-salesperson falls in love with an underground artform, he turns it into a successful side business.
• Bright Idea Leads Chicago Woman to Million-Dollar Hustle: A Chicago-based plastic recycling sales rep overcomes her fears and doubts to transform her love for DIY lamp shades and $10 in supplies into a multi-million dollar business.
• 3D Printing Brings Cosplay Into 21st Century: With a 3D printer and sense of imagination, a California natural gas industry worker takes superhero DIY cosplay to a whole new level.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 2230

How old is too old for side hustling? There’s definitely no age limit. In fact, there’s neither an age minimum or maximum. One of the things I enjoy about being on tour is hearing from people of all ages about their stories.

In this episode, a caller wonders about opportunities for retirees. Are some side hustles inherently better for someone in that situation? Let’s talk it out!

“My partner and I are getting close to retirement age, and we’ll be moving to North Carolina from upstate New York. The cost of living is lower, and we’re looking forward to more moderate temperatures during the winter as well.

I have a pension and we’ll be able to draw on social security in the next few years. It’s a good amount of money, but we’d feel more comfortable with a bit more. Plus, I like working! I’m ready to leave my current career, but I don’t want to sit in a rocking chair all day. So … put me to work! What side hustle opportunities are best for retirees?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 2229

For the past three years, the podcast has been produced by AI. All content, artwork, show notes, and so on—and in fact, I am a robot. Our producer Chuck tries to make me sound more human … or at least he did, until a robot took over his job as well.

Just kidding—or am I? The way the world is going, soon there will be no real way to know. A listener is wondering about AI, specifically ChatGPT, an incredible tool that’s been all over the news lately, and how it applies to side hustling. Can you outsource your tasks to these tools? Can you put them to work? Can you make something using AI and sell it?

“AI is in the news everywhere these days, especially ChatGPT, and I see that people are using it for copywriting and sending sales pitches. What are some ways to use AI in a side hustle? Also, do you think AI will change everything, the way some people say, or is it like Web3 or anything else where the hype outweighs the reality?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 2228

Today’s episode is part of a new feature we’re doing in 2022 called ‘Your First $1,000.’ As you might surmise from the title, this is all about how someone made their first $1,000.

How did they get to that point? Not their first $100,000—that’s cool, but it would probably be a long story.

With that in mind, today’s feature comes from Rachel, the Budget Bliss Wedding Planner. But what about their first $1,000—how did they make that happen, what did it feel like, and what did they learn?

Let’s hear it from Rachel. I’ll be back at the end to wrap us up.

SEE ALSO:

• Military Spouse Starts Subscription Box Mission:When an HR Director’s husband is away on military deployment, she uses the alone time to march toward a subscription box.
• Think Inside the Subscription Box:Looking for more community, a North Carolina web agency owner starts a subscription box for female entrepreneurs. It’s supposed to be a referral tool for her agency, but it ends up becoming a full-time business of its own.
• Nature-Loving Neighbors Create Kids Subscription Box: When two couples can’t figure out how to get their kids outdoors and away from electronics in the winter, a personal challenge blossoms into an unbeLEAFable side hustle.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 2227

Let’s have some real talk today: a side hustling caller is having a problem with her side hustle. Is it that no one is buying? Nope. Is she having difficulties with customer service? Nope. It seems like business is going along okay, except for something that isn’t directly related to the side hustle: it’s her partner who is uncomfortable. I’d say this is the first time I’ve heard of this dynamic, but sadly it’s not.

Let’s talk about what might be done, and how some other people in this situation have handled it.

“I have a problem that I suspect is more common than most people think. In short, I’m sorry to report that my partner is not very supportive of my side hustle. I’ll spare you all the details, but basically they resent the time it takes, even when it’s not really time that intrudes on something we were supposed to do together. He keeps asking questions about when I’m going to “finish,” as if it’s a one-off project that’s just going to wind down.

I know you aren’t a relationship coach, but do you have any advice for me?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,