Notes from Chris

Episode 3171

Collecting money from customers used to be simple: you’d accept cash or a single PayPal payment and call it a day. Now we’ve got Stripe for subscriptions, Gumroad payouts, Etsy deposits hitting on Wednesdays, Venmo tips on Fridays, and maybe a rogue Zelle payment from an old client. Reconciling these streams can devour an entire Sunday—and if you don’t keep up, tax season becomes an archaeological dig.

Today’s caller’s dilemma captures a pain point that many modern creators face: revenue is up, but visibility is down. Money lands in half a dozen silos, each with its own fee structure and payout schedule. Today we’ll stitch those silos together into one clear, auditable cash-flow pipeline.

“My side hustle brings in money from half a dozen places—PayPal for digital downloads, Stripe for course payments, Venmo for one-off consulting, and Etsy deposits for physical products. It’s turning into a bookkeeping nightmare. What’s the smartest way to keep track of cash flow when the money lands in so many different platforms? I need a streamlined system before tax season turns into a disaster.”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3170

The old playbook for social media was clear: build followers, reach those followers, sell to those followers. Then came the For You Page, Reels, and endless algorithm tweaks.

Today, even huge accounts complain that only a fraction of their audience sees any given post. So are follower counts now vanity metrics? Or do they still give you leverage in this new world?

“Lately I’ve started to wonder if followers even matter anymore. Every time I post on Instagram or TikTok, it feels like the algorithm decides whether anyone sees it—regardless of how many subscribers I have. If that’s the case, why should I bother growing a follower base at all? Has social media shifted so much that every post is basically thrown into a giant lottery for attention? I’m trying to build a real audience for my side hustle, but I’m not sure if chasing subscribers is still worth the effort.”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3169

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, where we take an in-depth look at someone who’s story has evolved considerably since we first featured them.

Last week, we heard how one side hustler launched an app that didn’t take off, but ended up turning that hard-won experience into a consulting service for other early-stage founders.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear how a freelance marketer started selling ad placements and sponsorships for medical conferences—on commission only—and turned it into a surprisingly consistent side hustle.

Listen to today’s episode to hear more…

 

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SEE ALSO:

• Raver Turns LED-Powered Gloves Into Bright Future: When a raver-turned-salesperson falls in love with an underground art form, 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 3168

In today’s story…

… you’ll learn about an IT professional who wants to start a side business and put his engineering degree to good use. When he stumbled across two 1950s radios, he finds an idea that is right on his wavelength. He goes on to create a business buying, repairing, and reselling them, working only 5-10 hours a week and earning an extra $50,000/year.

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3167

Growth is a double-edged chef’s knife: more orders, more revenue—and a flood of “Where’s my package?” pings at 11 p.m. Lucas’s e-commerce shop is a dream come true, except it’s devouring his weekends. The problem isn’t just volume; it’s the expectation of instant replies in the Amazon era.

The good news: you can deliver great service without being on call 24/7. Today we’ll build a lightweight customer-service stack that scales with one person and zero burnout.

“So my one-person e-commerce shop is doing well—but my inbox is out of control. I’m spending nights and weekends answering customer emails, handling returns, and chasing shipping issues. I don’t have the budget for a full-time support rep yet, but I also can’t keep sacrificing all my free time. How can a solopreneur manage customer service efficiently, set boundaries, and maybe automate some of it without hurting the business? I’d love to know any thoughts or tips you can share.”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3166

Today’s episode is part of a feature we call ‘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.

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 today’s story. I’ll be back at the end to wrap us up. 

 

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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 3165

It’s Weekend Workshop, and it’s new!

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3164

Sometimes, the best business ideas come from looking at what you already have.

Today’s listener, Jenna from Minneapolis, has an enviable collection of high-end kitchen gear—designer knives, premium cookware, and top-tier gadgets. But instead of letting them gather dust, she’s wondering: could she rent these out to home chefs, food stylists, or influencers who want a taste of luxury without the price tag?

Let’s break down whether luxury cookware rentals are a promising niche—or a logistical headache waiting to happen.

“I’m a total kitchen gear nerd—I own some fancy cookware, designer knives, and high-end gadgets that I absolutely love, but honestly, they sit unused a lot of the time. Recently I wondered: is there a market for renting this kind of stuff out? Could home chefs, food stylists, influencers, or even small events need short-term access to fancy tools they don’t want to buy themselves? I’d love to know if this is a feasible side hustle—or if the logistics and risks make it too complicated.”

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 3163

Arbitrage is a classic entrepreneurial play: buy low, sell high.

But what if you tried it internationally, using price differences between countries? Mateo from Sydney has been eyeing Apple products, noticing that MacBooks, iPhones, and iPads sometimes cost significantly more depending on the market. Could you really build a profitable side hustle buying new tech devices where they’re cheaper and reselling them where they’re expensive?

Let’s unpack the fantasy—and the friction.

“I’ve been reading about price differences in Apple products between countries, and it got me wondering: could you actually build a business doing MacBook arbitrage? Like, buying new Apple laptops or devices in one country where they’re cheaper and reselling them in another where they’re marked up? On paper it sounds clever, but I’m guessing there are legal, logistical, or tax hurdles that make it harder than it looks. What do you think—could international arbitrage work for premium electronics, or is it just a fantasy?”

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 3162

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, where we take an in-depth look at someone who’s story has evolved considerably since we first featured them.

Last week, we heard how a side hustler who once flipped storage unit finds gradually specialized in rare historical items, and now supplies props and artifacts to small museums and exhibits.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear how one side hustler launched an app that didn’t take off, but ended up turning that hard-won experience into a consulting service for other early-stage founders.

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 art form, 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,