Notes from Chris

Episode 2186

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.

I recently read a fascinating article in the New Yorker about the world of door-to-door sales, which is still a thing. Personally I don’t even answer my phone if I don’t know who’s calling, so I can’t imagine a universe in which a stranger would knock on my door to sell me something and I’d end up buying—but this universe does in fact exist, and for the right products it is surprisingly lucrative.

To do it well, of course, you have to be very good at sales and you also have to put up with a lot of rejection from people like me who are just opposed to the whole idea.

Anyway, I’m glad I read that article before I received today’s First $1,000 submission from Robert, a real-life door-to-door salesman. Otherwise I would have thought, door-to-door, really?

But now I know it’s true, and also that Robert can end up doing much better if he continues.

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

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 2185

Our listener today is a financial advisor who specializes in helping clients tackle their debts and get their finances in order. It sounds like important work, and of course there’s a large market of people who need help with this.

Just one problem: Julie doesn’t like charging for this work.

What can be done?

“In my side business, I help people tackle their debt and get creditors to stop hassling them. This isn’t usually that hard, but when someone’s overwhelmed they don’t know what to do.

I’m able to make a real difference in someone’s financial situation, so it’s obvious this is valuable. At the same time, I struggle in asking them to pay. It just feels icky even though I’ve spent a good amount of time on the work.

Is there some way to resolve this conflict? I’ve thought about asking them to pay later, like after they’ve fully gotten out of debt, but that might be a while. What do you think? “

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 2184

What if we could skip the whole startup phase of your side hustle and go straight to burgeoning retailer? None of that whole ideation thing, none of that trial and error—just operating a successful business?

This is not an ad for a company that will go out of business in the next year. It’s the setup for today’s question from a recent listener. He wants to buy an existing small business, and he’s found a platform that includes a lot of listings. How does this work? What should you know if you want to do something like this? Why is the sky blue? The answers to at least two of those three questions are in this episode!

“I’ve been listening for a while and really pondering my next steps.

I found a platform called BizBuySell.com that has listings of lots of different businesses for sale. It looks like it includes everything from franchises, which I know you don’t like, to small mom-and-pop stores all over the country. And of course, there are lots of online businesses.

What do you think about this—instead of starting my own, if I have enough capital, might this be a smart way to invest? Thanks for your advice, and have a great day. “

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 2183

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 a special caller from the North Pole. We’ve heard from him before. Last year he was experiencing a supply chain crisis—this year, he tells a story of his early days.

I think it’s best for you to hear from him directly.

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 2182

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.

Recently, we’ve featured a Florida enthusiast who becomes America’s leading ambassador of kickbikes, a European mode of transport and adventure, as well as a CEO of a lead-generation company in Utah.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from Gabe, a personal trainer who’s built up an impressive roster of clients.

What’s happened since we last heard from him? Well, he continues to grow the business! Let’s hear more from him. 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 2181

Happy almost New Year’s … well, I guess we have a week or so, but New Year’s is relevant for our caller, as well as anyone else in the health and wellness field. That’s a big season for that industry, much more so than the end-of-year holidays we’re in the midst of now.

I always think it’s funny when I walk into my gym on January 1st or 2nd and it’s super crowded with all of those New Year’s resolutions. It’s not nearly as crowded after a few weeks, but people mean well…p! Anyway, what can be done in terms of preparing for a New Year’s promotion?

“You talked about holiday sales a month ago, but you didn’t say anything specific to New Year’s. In terms of marketing and promotion, what’s different during this time? Do some things sell better?

I ask because my business is in the health and wellness field, and January is a busy time for us. December, not so much. So for those of us who miss out on big holiday promos at the end of the year, how can we capitalize on a big January and February? Thanks in advance, and happy new year! “

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 2180

I get to hear about all kinds of interesting customer experiences. Of course, many customers are awesome and amazing … commerce is what the makes the world go around, etc. etc.

But one thing I also believe is that the customer is not always right. Sometimes the customer is wrong! Sometimes it’s not worth chasing business. Sometimes you should fire customers when they’re a burden that prevents you from serving other people.

So this brings me to today’s caller. I’ll just let you hear her question without further commentary from me that precedes it. Then we’ll talk about it!

“Hey there, this is Rebecca, longtime listener and fan.

This is a weird one and I already know what you’ll say about it – at least I think so – but I thought I’d ask anyway, just because it’s been bothering me. The short version is that a customer came to an event I did, and they didn’t pay beforehand. That’s not a huge deal on its own, because sometimes people pay on the spot. The problem is that after the event, she tried to barter with me instead of paying.

Seriously! She offered her services in energy healing in exchange for the ticket price, to which I thought … I dunno, maybe I’d prefer you pay with your credit card like everyone else?

I politely declined her offer and she paid up, but I could tell she wasn’t happy about it. To me it just seems presumptuous to do what she did, but tell me if I’m wrong and if I should have been happy to barter after the sale. I can handle it, don’t worry! “

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 2178

Today’s caller is from Japan, which recently re-opened for visitors—one of the last countries in the world to do that, but better late than never. They have an idea to start an English-speaking anime club in Japan. You know anime—and whether you’re a fan or not, there’s no doubt that it has a huge international audience.

It’s kind of like K-pop, in that it’s popular even with the language barrier. I know some people who are super into K-pop despite not knowing any Korean. Anime at least has lots of translations, but if you want to get in deep with the subculture, you need some help.

Conveniently, that’s what our caller wants to do…

“I’ve been enjoying the show for several months now, and I listen every day.

I heard an episode you did about someone who imports anime and other pop culture items from Japan to the U.S. My idea is a bit similar: I want to start an anime club here in Japan, but primarily for English-speakers. Many anime resources are still only in the Japanese language, so I’m hoping to bridge the gap. What advice do you have?

Thank you so much for your answer! I hope you can come to Japan again soon, especially now that the country is open to visitors again.”

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 2179

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 Holly the Hula Hoop Hustler.

She’s now earning well over $1,000/month selling hula hoops on Amazon. But what about her first $1,000—how did she make that happen, and what did she learn?

Let’s hear it from Holly. 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 2177

In today’s episode, a caller from Nevada is using pay-per-click advertising to bring traffic to her ecommerce site. This is a common and often successful model. The two largest PPC platforms are Facebook and Google—it’s how they make almost all of their money!

But you can also run PPC ads on Reddit, YouTube, streaming platforms like Hulu, and even Pinterest—which is what our caller is wondering about.

“Hi, this is Hunter from Reno, Nevada. I read your books and have been side hustling off and on for most of my life.

Recently I’ve tried using Pay-Per-Click advertising to drive traffic to an ecommerce site. I use Fulfillment by Amazon to handle most orders, and it seems like the business could really take off.

But back to the ads, though. I started running them on Facebook, but recently I’ve discovered that I can do the same thing on Pinterest for much less money—like 30 to 40 per cent less, which of course is huge.

If it’s so much cheaper, why don’t more people do it? Have I just stumbled on a big secret? I look forward to hearing your response.”

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,