Notes from Chris

Episode 2195

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 an online plant seller who’s sold thousands of succulents.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from a freelance commercial animator who works on TV shows and other projects worldwide.

What’s happened since? Let’s hear directly from them. 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 2195

Working with a partner, today’s caller has built her side hustle to a thriving brand. They’re earning about $50,000/year on $180,000 in sales. But even though that’s great, they have a problem: the business isn’t growing.

This is a common problem. I’ve seen it in my own businesses over the years as well. You’re good at building to a certain level, but then you get stuck.

So … what to do?

“My partner and I have built our side hustle brand to where last year we earned $180,000 in revenue and about $50,000 in profit. That’s great, but there’s two of us, and the year before we earned very similar numbers.

We’d love to get to something like $200k in profit, which would be $100k for each of us, and most likely it would require annual sales of half a million or maybe $600,000.

So my question is: how do we get there? It feels like we’ve plateaued. Something needs to change, but we aren’t sure what it is. I’d love to know your advice!”

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 2194

Today’s listener wants to start a retail business, but they aren’t sure whether it should be a clothing line or a home decor store. They also have other business ideas as well—they’re flush with inspiration, but not sure how to turn it into action. How can we help them? And what about you, how do you choose what to focus on?

“Hey Chris! It’s Carolyn from Fayetteville. I’m trying to start my own business, but I’m feeling overwhelmed with all the different ideas I have. Can you share some guidance on how to choose which ideas to focus on and which ones to set aside? For example, I am considering starting a clothing line or a home decor store. How do I decide which one to go with? Should I prioritize the idea that has the biggest potential market, or the one that I’m most passionate about? I’d love to hear your perspective on this. Thank you!”

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 2193

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 Rico in Miami. He’s earning a few thousand dollars a month with a very simple business model: fixing broken phone screens!

But what about his first $1,000—how did he make that happen, what did it feel like, and what did he learn?

Let’s hear it from Rico. 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 2192

Hey everyone a crazy thing has happened … a New Year has arrived.

I know it’s been happening around this time for quite a while—maybe at least a few decades—but I’m always surprised when it rolls around. I’m recording this during the last few days of 2022.

If the world hasn’t ended, most likely you’re hearing this in 2023. We made it!

Most years, we get a new group of listeners joining in January, and perhaps some people who are re-joining. So in this short inaugural episode, I’d like to spend just a few minutes today reorienting us.

The mission of Side Hustle School is to help you create a new source of income without quitting your job. To be specific, this isn’t about the gig economy or just working two jobs, but actually creating significant revenue (aka money) through an asset you create.

We have featured hundreds of real people (not “entrepreneurs”) who have done this. And in the show, we look at the practical nuts and bolts of how you can do this for yourself. This includes everything from generating the right idea down to the full implementation and marketing of the idea.

Our values are being frugal and resourceful, but also being willing to invest in yourself—because you want to achieve a positive return!

In case you’re curious about me, I’m an author and entrepreneur. I’ve always worked for myself. I was an aid worker for several years, and then I started a blog called The Art of Non-Conformity, which also documented my journey to every country in the world. I feel really fortunate to connect with a global community of awesome people doing interesting things.

This is all free! Nothing’s for sale, there is literally no way to give me money on the Side Hustle School site. More than 2,000 episodes are freely available. How is this possible? Well… because we do have sponsors, and I appreciate them.

Every episode has just two sponsor messages, one at the beginning and one partway through. We try to choose partners who are both on-brand and that are making truly valuable offers to you. I hope you’ll find some of them helpful, but there’s never any pressure.

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 2191

Everyone, let’s pack all of our stuff up in an RV and hit the road. Just need a tripod for all those #vanlife photos we’re going to be taking!

But don’t let me ruin the RV party; today’s caller will save the day. She’s planning to take her family on the road in a few months’ time. Like any good side hustler, she’s wondering what she can do to turn this idea into income.

Can she get paid for something she was already doing?

“Hi, this is Lauren from Omaha, Nebraska. My family is planning to rent an RV and drive across the country next summer. It’s been our dream for at least two years, and now we’re making it happen.

I already work remotely, but naturally I’m trying to think of some additional ways to get paid during the trip. Do you know any companies interested in sponsoring something like this? We were thinking of volunteering along the way and sharing the journey, so hopefully there’d be some benefit for the right sponsor. I know that VanLife is a thing—is there such a thing as RV Life?”

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 2190

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.

Today’s short story features Daniel, an artist from the U.K. He learned about digital art and NFTs, and then spent three months making his own collection. This collection would then be sold in 5,000 pieces as part of a “mint,” which is how NFT projects are launched.

Anyway, that’s the setup—and as you might guess, it did not go incredibly well. Let’s hear the story from Daniel.

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 2189

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 personal trainer who goes from clientless to fully booked. He’s raised his rates and has learned a lesson about burnout along the way.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from Elissa the happy houseplant seller. She sells, well, houseplants, and business is going well.

Let’s hear more details 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 2188

Let’s say you have something to sell that is digitally delivered. This could be a lot of different things these days—a song or an album, digital art, a magazine, a subscription service, an event ticket, access to something else—you get the idea. In this scenario, which by sheer incredible coincidence connects to the question you’ll hear next from one of our listeners—what’s the best way to sell it? The best platform, mechanism, do you need a whole web site … etc. etc.

“Hey, this is Kallie. I’ve been listening for years ever since my sister recommended it to me. So here’s my latest project: I’m making a fitness plan that comes with an e-book and audio download. I don’t want it to be on Amazon—at least not at first. I want to control my own pricing, distribution, and keep up with my customers through email.

So how should I do that … what’s the best way to sell a simple digital download? Should I set up a Shopify store or is there an easier way that still looks good?”

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 2187

Looking ahead to next year, today’s listener wants to offer non-toxic men’s lifestyle advice. He wants to be the person he needed when he was younger. You’ll hear more about this from his question, which is largely about how to position this work or message it for the right people.

I always love to hear from our community. You all are doing some interesting things! Let’s see if I can be somewhat helpful to Brody.

“I didn’t have a dad growing up, and I want to be the person I needed when I was younger. That’s a phrase I borrowed from my therapist. Specifically, I want to offer men’s lifestyle advice about how to be a better person and cope with the challenges of the modern world.

I know it’s a big market! But I’m also running into a problem defining it more clearly. There are a lot of guys out there doing something like this, but it seems like they’ve organized into some camps that I don’t necessarily want to be part of. What I mean is that some of these figures are essentially political, and I want to avoid that.

Still, I see why some of the big communities attract such a following. So that’s my question: what can I do to position myself well and not water down my message while also being welcoming to everyone and avoiding toxic masculinity?

Whew! I know that’s a lot to accomplish … but this is important, so I’d love to know what you have to say about it. Thanks for all the inspiration through the books and podcast.”

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,