Archives: Podcast

TBT: “Styles for Kidz” Goes Global with Video Classes

What It’s About

A stylish update from a Chicago business leader who supports interracial families.

Notes from Chris

Episode 2021

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, among others we’ve featured the owner of a California meal prep company. His business continues to put food on the table! We’ve also had a voiceover artist who went full-time.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from Tamekia Swint in Chicago. She’s the founder of Styles for Kidz, a Chicago organization that helps transracial and white parents of Black kids learn to do haircare.

What’s happened since?

Listen to today’s episode to hear Tamekia’s updates…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Thanks to Tamekia for sharing their updates with us. Check out her website at Styles4Kidz.org or follow her on most social networks @Styles4KidzNFP.

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Q&A: “Does it really cost $100,000 to make an app??”

What It’s About

Today’s caller wants to know the true cost to create an app. Is it always that expensive?

Notes from Chris

Episode 2020

Today’s question can be summed up in one sentence: how much should it cost to make an app? This is assuming, of course, that you’re paying someone to make it instead of making it yourself.

Of course there’s quite a range, but let’s try to be helpful to our caller who was quoted what seems like a sky-high price of $100,000 to create a working version of their idea.

“I had an idea for an app, and went to look at hiring a developer in my area. I talked to a company that said they could do it … but the price was insane! They told me at minimum it would be $30,000, and in some cases it’s not unusual for it to end up at $100,000 or even more.

All that for an app! It doesn’t sound right to me but they explained that there’s a ton of work that goes into design, development and cross-platform compatibility.

If this is my only option, I might need a new idea. What do you think?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Adobe Expert Digitizes Millions of Family Photos

What It’s About

A service that helps families organize their precious memories amidst the chaos.

Words of Wisdom

Adam shares an important reminder, “I struggled for years to find purpose and meaning in my day job. It was a great day job and I loved the company, but it didn’t feel like a good fit anymore and my side hustle gave me something challenging and interesting to pursue.”

Fun Fact

Originally, Adam wanted to name his company, “Overwhelmed,” because that’s how most people feel about organizing their photos. However, the domain price for Overwhelmed.com was $183,000. That seemed a bit too expensive, so Adam went with “Chaos to Memories.”

Notes from Chris

Episode 2019
IIt took a few years to develop, but Adam Pratt got his side hustle into focus.

He’s the creator of Chaos to Memories, a way to not only scan your family photos onto the computer but also make those photos searchable. Thanks to his process, people find it easy to look for specific photos and share them with friends and family.

It all started when Adam took 15,000 family photos to get scanned. Upon getting them back, he quickly spotted two problems. First, the photos he got back didn’t have the greatest quality. But second, he had a difficult time finding specific photos.

Finding one photo from 15,000 is a nearly impossible task. He figured he wasn’t the only one who had this challenge–after all, lots of people scan old family photos and then feel overwhelmed.

What if he sold the already-organized, searchable photo system to other people? First, though, he wanted to see if anyone would value the service.

He volunteered his time, and he offered to organize photos for some good friends. He worked for thirty hours, all for free. His friends loved the result. Now, that was the Kodak moment. Adam knew then he had a golden, photo opportunity.

He got his first, paying client. The pay was decent. The client loved the end result. But to make the business viable for him, Adam realized he had to increase his hourly rate. He doubled his rate, and the business snowballed from there.

Flash forward to today. Adam’s business makes well into six figures annually, and he’s hired four part-time employees.

Next up, he’s launching new, online courses, and is expanding his staff, and is even publishing a book.

Adam pictures a bright future for Chaos to Memories.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Learn more about Adam and his memory organization services at his website, ChaosToMemories.com.
  • Adam is launching a new book, Declutter Your Photo Life and is giving Side Hustle School listeners 40% off. Use the code: SIDEHUSTLE40 at checkout.

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Venture out, learn what makes you uncomfortable and repeat. What I learned about myself in 15 years I could never have learned just from reading books or hearing others tell their stories."
—Eva Rosales #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

First $1,000: “I quickly raised my price to $50 an hour…”

What It’s About

A former Peace Corps Volunteer starts a tutoring service for future armed forces leaders.

Notes from Chris

Episode 2018

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 Mickey Gamanol, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) who starts a tutoring business on the side in Las Vegas.

He learned a lot of lessons along the way. But what about his first $1,000—how did he make that happen, what did it feel like, and what did he learn?

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Thanks to Mickey for telling us about his first $1,000. I appreciate his commitment to service and making a difference. We’re about that here too—we just also want to help you make money!I hope you found it encouraging. Check out his website at GamonalTutors.com. He specializes in the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test.

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Q&A: “What is ‘growth hacking’?”

What It’s About

Today’s caller wants to know the story behind these trending buzz words.

Notes from Chris

Episode 2017

Today’s listener wants to know about growth hacking. Is it just a fancy marketing term or is something anyone can apply?

I’ll give you a definition and also a few tips on how to grow your side hustle—and by that I mean make more money!

“I’ve heard of “growth hacking” recently and was wondering if you can define it for side hustlers. Is it something that applies only for startups and larger businesses? If not, how do we do it without a lot of money—and how is it different from general marketing and promotion?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
Get Started Here!

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.


Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Q&A: “How do you profit from DeFi in a bear market?”

What It’s About

Today’s listener seeks advice as the crypto markets turn grizzly.

Notes from Chris

Episode 2016

Is decentralized finance the future … or the past? Over the past two years the world of DeFi has taken off, soaring to incredible heights where investors could earn 1,000% returns or more—but now a crazy thing has happened. What goes up, must come down.

So now we’re in a bear market known as cyber winter. For those invested in cryptocurrency and DeFi in particular, what can be done?

“You’ve had a few episodes about decentralized finance, known as DeFi. As you probably know, the space has been hit hard in the past few months. Some tokens are down more than 95%, and even Bitcoin and Ethereum have fallen a lot.

Are you still just as positive about this industry? And if so, what are the best ways to profit during a downturn or bear market?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Failure Friday: “Amazon permanently banned my seller account…”

What It’s About

An ambitious reseller gets himself blocked from the world’s biggest retailer.

Notes from Chris

Episode 2015

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 Kelan from TheSavvyCouple.com. In his early days, he sold on eBay and Amazon.com. It was all going well, until a supplier problem led to him getting banned—permanently!

Fun fact: I was listening to Kelan’s story and it reminded me of my experience many years ago. It’s my personal Throwback Thursday….

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Thanks to Kelan for sharing this transparent and truthful story. Check out their blog and related side hustle articles at, TheSavvyCouple.com or hear his origin story of how he made his first $1,000 with that site on episode #1878. He’s since built it out to a very successful full-time business.

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

TBT: Cayenne Pepper Throat Lozenges Spice Up Flu Season

What It’s About

A spicy update from the creator of a unique brand of throat lozenges.

Notes from Chris

Episode 2014

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 the owner of two businesses in New York City: a clothing line and a fashion boutique that features 25+ BIPOC-owned brands.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from Brett Johnson, the creator of Fire Drops, an organic throat lozenge with cayenne pepper.

What’s happened since? First, he created a couple of other products: Honey Hots and Elder Embers. These have a bit less cayenne for those who are intimidated by Fire Drops.

What’s happened since?

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Thanks to Brett for sharing his updates with us. Check out FireDrops.com also available on Amazon and in a number of local retailers.Let me know what you think and who you’d like to see featured from our archives of more than 1,000 stories.

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Q&A: “I’m making an alarm clock that costs money if you oversleep…”

What It’s About

Today’s caller has a new clock design. Are there any alarms he should be aware of?

Notes from Chris

Episode 2013

How do you wake up each morning—do you set an alarm or wake up naturally? Does someone else wake you up? Do you sleep through the whole day??

Maybe there are some other options, but either way, our caller today has something new to get you out of bed: an alarm clock that takes your money if you don’t get up in time! Think of it as negative motivation to oversleep.

There’s just one problem: our caller hasn’t made it yet. What’s the next step for this potentially expensive morning invention?

“I want to make an alarm clock that drains your bank account when you don’t get up. Thanks to modern technology, this is totally possible!

Funny enough, I had this idea when I couldn’t sleep one night. The clock will have variable settings, so it can cost 10 cents or up to $5 a minute for every minute you oversleep. The money you’re charged for sleeping in can go to a charity you designate.

How can I make this idea a reality? It seems perfect for Shark Tank or at least Kickstarter—but I’m not sure what to do next.”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Office Assistant Profits from Anime Imports

What It’s About

A unique international partnership brings Japanese anime products to US fans.

Words of Wisdom

Ulyses suggests to avoid Shopify Pay or PayPal if you plan on selling licensed products. They might lock down your account, even if what you’re doing is perfectly legal.

Eventually, PikaDude had to switch to Stripe, but the team was able to use the same device that Paypal originally sent without any of the problems or restrictions that Paypal had.

Fun Fact

The most unique and valuable item Ulyses ever sold was a beautiful, high-end Sailor Moon X Samantha Vega handbag for about $450. https://pikadude.com/products/sailor-moon-x-samantha-vega-handbag/

Notes from Chris

Episode 2012
Despite the naysayers, Ulyses Arechiga always knew that one day, his career would be related to anime in some way.

During college, he had dreams of opening his very own anime store one day. Upon graduation, however, Ulyses found himself stuck in office jobs.

A couple of years in, he needed a change. He quit his latest office job and moved to Japan. For three years, he taught English to students.

Eventually, Ulyses moved back to the United States, and found himself missing all of the awesome anime goodies in Japan. America was sorely lacking a supply of cool anime items and merch. One might say, he felt the need to catch ‘em all. (And by all, we mean as much cool anime gear as possible.)

This got him thinking about one of the friends he made back in Japan, Ann. She had a side hustle selling products from Japan in the United States. The two decided to team up to sell more products. She shipped her excess supplies to Ulyses and he got to work.

His strategy was to look for upcoming anime conventions and searched for the one with the cheapest price to set up a booth. This happened to be at the Pacific Media Expo, and to have a booth there it cost $350. He took the risk and booked it.

At this time, they considered creating a website. Ulyses’ brother, Saulo, had one called PikaDude.com. Years earlier, he’d set it up to sell more of their collectibles, but it never went anywhere.

While the event attendance ended up being smaller than expected due to another conference being in town the same weekend, the PikaDude team still had some promising sales numbers! They were able to pay for their booth and supplies, and had some profits on top.

Ever since, Ulyses and Ann have been refining their business. In 2019, PikaDude had a booth at 20 different conventions. Then, in 2020 it hit a snag due to the pandemic, but they still managed to attend 9 events. In 2021, it bounced back up to around 13, and the team hopes to surpass that number in 2022.

Since Ann is still located in Japan, she has great perspective on what products they should invest in. As Ulyses notes, “Japan tends to be the trendsetter when it comes to the anime industry, so I rely on my business partner to pay attention to what is newly released and becoming popular based on merchandise that’s selling well at the source.”

Once Ann identifies the series, characters, and styles that she believes are best, together they figure out which ones will work with their budget and purchase them. Rather than buying items in bulk, their philosophy is to focus more on acquiring a smaller amount of in-demand items and exclusive Japanese releases.

PikaDude brings in about $5,000 in profit every month. In the future, Ulyses hopes to double the events that they attend. In addition, he wants this to become his full time job and create his own “collectors emporium.”

He describes it as a place where vendors can come together and share their content. After growing up with the dream of building a business out of anime, Ulyses has made it a reality.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Learn more about Ulyses and checkout his product lineup at, Pikadude.com/.

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

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Quote of the Day
"Avoid Shopify Pay or PayPal if you plan on selling licensed products. They might lock down your account, even if what you’re doing is perfectly legal."
—Ulyses Arechiga #SideHustleSchool

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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau