Archives: Podcast

Q&A: Should we turn down Shark Tank?

What It’s About

Today’s listener has a big time opportunity. Should they take the bite?

Notes from Chris

Episode 1894

Two business partners have the chance to go on Shark Tank—but they’re also having second thoughts. Should they refuse Mark Cuban’s money??

In my answer I’ll tell you a little about the behind-the-scenes of shows like Shark Tank. Fun fact: most deals are never actually closed! It’s all about providing entertainment.

“My business partner and I have invented a tool that cools your mattress overnight so you sleep better. There are other options like this on the market, but most of them cost $1,000 or more. Our goal is to get the retail price down to $300 or less.

We don’t have a patent yet, but we’re in the process of applying. Meanwhile, we applied to Shark Tank on a whim … and got in! Or at least, we got a call from a producer who asked a lot of questions, and then she called back to check on potential taping dates.

It sounds like it’s happening! Just one problem: both my partner and I aren’t sure we’re ready. At this stage, our business doesn’t need outside investment, and it may never need that. For now the main thing we need is time, and maybe some advice on how to grow.

Are we crazy of thinking about turning down Shark Tank? My partner suggested we try deferring for a year, but I got the sense in talking with the producer that it’s now or never.”

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

Climber Uses Life Skills to Scale Up Life

What It’s About

He climbs sea stacks by the sea shore.

Words of Wisdom

Iain shares some important advice about keeping your expenses low, “if possible, borrow no, or as little, money as you can. Do not rent big premises, don’t buy equipment you don’t yet need. If it is at all possible, grow organically. Reinvest the money you are making back into your future growth.”

Fun Fact

Humans are not the only ones who enjoy sea stacks! It is very common for migratory birds to settle in for nesting and shelter, since they are often pretty isolated. Other kinds of aquatic life, such as seals, will also sometimes use them as refuge.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1893
Iain Miller has always felt a kinship with the sea.

Growing up, he lived in several different coastal towns in Scotland. Naturally, after he went to school, he joined the Merchant Navy as an engineering cadet where he spent the majority of his time on a ship.

Over nearly twenty years of service, Ian enjoyed the water, but his love of mountains, climbing and the great outdoors is what kept him sane.

Eventually, he moved to Ireland full-time and began to climb its many sea stacks and cliffs. For those who don’t know, sea stacks are large rock towers that stick out of the ocean. They are formed from the continuous pounding of the ocean over thousands of years, and are often fairly inaccessible to get to.

However, people like Iain, who’s now been climbing for over thirty years, can safely venture out to these breathtaking landmarks. When he moved to County Donegal, he started to explore some of the unclimbed areas around town. Iain noticed that other people wanted to explore the sea stacks but didn’t have the expertise that he did, so he began to take them along.

In 2008, he was involved in the very first ascent of the Croc na Mara sea stack. Iain was getting paid to climb and it was amazing. He began wondering what his life would be like if this was his job. With the many requests he was receiving for guided climbs, he already had confirmation that people valued his services enough to compensate him for it.

After that first expedition, he decided to take all of his earnings from it and start a business.

He calculated the minimum he needed to earn annually, monthly, and weekly. This gave him a starting point to base the rest of his business around. When he started, he knew that he eventually wanted to make this a full-time gig, so he tried to determine what his prices needed to be to make it a reality.

Then, he built a website and registered his new company, called Unique Ascent. It cost about $400 to build his website. He made sure that it was not just an advertisement, but a hub of information.

He now charges anywhere from $200 to $500 per day for private guiding. This figure is very dependent upon the nature of the climb. In addition, he usually only takes a single person or a couple of people out at a time. However, with groups he can make up to $1,100 a day.

Iain is now the world’s only full-time professional sea stack climber.

On average for a year, he earns about €50,000, which is about $56,000 USD, and doesn’t feel the need to increase profits. His motivation is to create enough free time to do more climbing.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Learn more about Iain and his climbing business at his website, UniqueAscent.ie.

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
"If possible, borrow no, or as little, money as you can. Do not rent big premises, don’t buy equipment you don’t yet need. If it is at all possible, grow organically. Reinvest the money you are making back into your future growth."
—Iain Miller #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 sold my day job skills to a client after-hours…”

What It’s About

This adventure runner took his first freelancing steps, then never looked back.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1892

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 Joel Runyon in Austin, Texas. We’ve featured him a number of times, including a case study and a Failure Friday episode. Joel is a longtime friend and founder of ImpossibleHQ.com. He’s started numerous businesses in the past decade, but he got his start by taking on a freelance contract using the same skills he’d learned for his day job.

Even though I’ve known Joel since at least 2010, I don’t think I’d ever really heard this story before. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Thanks to Joel for telling us about his first $1,000. He’s made many more since then. I hope you found it encouraging. Check out his websites at ImpossibleHQ.com or JoelRunyon.com or pretty much every social network under one of those names.

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: Can I market myself as a festival concierge?

What It’s About

Today’s listener wants to offer professional services for event organizers.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1891

Today’s caller is an avid concert and festival-goer. Now that big events are back in full swing (at least in some places), is there a way she can get paid to help VIPs have a great experience?

Let’s use this question to think about some experience you may have had and how you might turn that skill or knowledge into something monetizable.

“Now that festivals and concerts are back in swing (at least in some places), I think there’s a big market of people who want to attend more events but would also like some personal assistance. I’m thinking of high-end guests who can spend a couple of thousand dollars on a festival pass at Coachella or other big events. What can I do to market myself as a festival concierge? I think of it like being a travel agent. My understanding is that most travelers no longer use travel agents, but some travel agents are able to stay in business by focusing on those premium guests or people who require customized itineraries. So can I do that—but for festivals?”

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: Is it unprofessional to use Venmo for business payments?

What It’s About

Today’s caller wants to know if there is a right way to get paid.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1890

Today’s caller uses the popular mobile payment service Venmo for both personal and professional use—but as they’re expanding into a new business, they’re worried it’s not considered professional enough. Do they need a merchant account? A blockchain ledger? A gold treasury in which to receive payments?

Okay, maybe not those last two, but the point is: is it okay to only use a more informal payment network like Venmo for business transactions?

“I want to use Venmo as the exclusive payment option for my delivery business. It’s what my friends use, and most people I know are pretty familiar with it. It’s so easy, you just pull out your phone and pay someone. But part of me thinks that this is unprofessional and that I should offer other options as well. Am I wrong to think I can get away with only offering Venmo for payment?”

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: “Something miraculous happened: I started making money…”

What It’s About

A failed prototype becomes a gift of this clever birthday reminder program.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1889

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 Steven Braverman. He’s the founder of Birthday Buddy, a service that helps users automatically post birthday messages for friends on Facebook—even if those users were asleep!

We told Birthday Buddy’s story on Episode #1162. But as you’ll hear, an early free prototype stopped working, generating complaints—and also the inspiration for the paid version where Steven makes his money.

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Thanks to Steven for sharing this transparent and truthful story. Check out Birthday Buddy at /BdayBud.com.

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: Quirky Video Animator Finds Online Fame

What It’s About

A legendary update from a video creative now making moves with Snoop Dogg and Will Smith.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1888

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 North Carolina orthodontist who invents a better way to treat impacted teeth.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from Peter Quinn, originally from Northern Ireland and now living in Los Angeles. We first featured him on Ep. # 1039: Animator Re-Animates His Income Selling Graphic Kits.

Recently, he’s done an animated video with Snoop Dogg that was all over the internet. He’s also created a lot of passive income through the sales of those kits and tools.

Let’s hear more directly from Peter. I’ll be back at the end to wrap us up.

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

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Thanks to Peter for sharing his updates with us. Follow him on Instagram at @peterquinstagram I actually spent about 20 minutes watching his videos there, including the shoot with Snoop Dogg, how Peter imposed his image and branding on billboards throughout Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, and 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

Q&A: “I’ve got a guide with Black Hat tips for sale…”

What It’s About

Today’s listener has a questionable question.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1887

Today’s caller doesn’t think I’m going to feature his question … which of course piqued my curiosity. And then he dared me to feature it, and I can’t turn down a dare. Well, actually I can, so don’t get any crazy ideas—but actually I did like the actual question.

What is he selling? Netflix passwords! Okay, not quite, but he’s selling what he calls “black hat” tips and tricks. So as he’ll explain, it’s information like how to share Netflix logins and other things that aren’t quite illegal but also aren’t necessarily favored by big companies.

Is this a viable business? Hey, I’m happy to hear about anything! No guarantee I’ll be able to mention it or say good things about it, but I’m pretty open-minded. Let’s dive in and hear from Craig, also known as Harry. You’ll understand when you hear his message…

“I have a side hustle that’s a little sneaky. In fact, it’s so sneaky that I bet you won’t feature my question on the show! But I’ll try just in case. I like to help people with what might be considered “black hat” tips and secrets. Nothing illegal, but things like giving away shared logins for Netflix or Amazon Prime, or showing how to return items to stores after the return window has closed. There are many more, but I don’t want to say what everything is up front. I want to sell a guide to all of these tips. I’m going to call myself Black Hat Harry, even though my name isn’t Harry … it just seemed like a good idea to protect my privacy. But speaking of protection, I worry that eBay and other platforms will remove my guide and maybe even keep my money after sales have been made. Should I be worried? I’m not trying to go completely ‘dark web’—as I said, nothing I’m doing is illegal, it’s just a little borderline. I dare you to run this question and tell me what 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

“Overlanding” Blog Offers Long-Range Travel Tips

What It’s About

A blogger makes tracks sharing his love for adventurous road trips.

Words of Wisdom

Ferenc has some great advice about creating content. “The method that works is simply to create quality content that people are looking for.”

Fun Fact

Ferenc’s overlanding trip from London to Mongolia in 2014 involved him abandoning his vehicle in Tajikistan. This was so memorable that it spurred him to continue traveling and eventually launch his side hustle.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1886
Since he was a boy living in Bucharest, Romania, Ferenc Elekes has been fascinated with cars. As he grew up, he realized he wasn’t just interested in makes and models, but going on road trips as well.

These weren’t just trips that lasted a couple of days to the countryside. No, they were long distance trips to less frequently visited areas, often taken along remote trails. This was called overlanding, and the whole point was not any particular destination, but to enjoy the journey itself.

Later, as an adult living in London, where he worked in investment banking, Ferenc and two friends drove from the U.K. to Mongolia. Although they had many unforeseen bumps along the way, including having to abandon their vehicle in Tajikistan because of a breakdown, Ferenc thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

A couple years later, Ference—and his girlfriend Evelin, who was now along for the ride—took an even longer overlanding trip, this one for an entire year. They first drove across the Sahara, and then from Europe to Singapore. Because the trip would be so long, Ferenc decided that it would be a good time to start writing about it.

After all, overlanding isn’t a simple feat. It requires off-road capable vehicles to reach places that are typically inaccessible due to terrain. You often need to camp off grid and be self-sustaining. There is a lot of specific knowledge required in order for an overlanding trip to be successful, and the trips Ferenc were undertaking provided a good platform to put what he knew to the test—and then share it with the world. He set up his blog, overlandsite.com, at the end of 2017.

Returning to his day job after the long journey, Ferenc knew that he wanted to monetize his project so that it would fund his travels, and maybe eventually lead to a new life. His research had shown that the best bet for monetizing the site was through affiliate marketing, especially since overlanding is gear-intensive. If you want to get into it, you have to buy stuff!

Today, Overlandsite generates $2,000/month in revenue, most of which is pure profit. Looking back, Ference wishes that he had kept things simple by making sure his site was clean and lean instead of relying on clunky plugins that only slowed down the loading time. But of course he’s learned along the way.

For Ferenc, starting this side hustle came from taking the path less traveled—quite literally in this case.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

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
"The method that works is simply to create quality content that people are looking for."
—Ferenc Elekes #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.
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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

First $1,000: “It felt like proof that we were doing something right…”

What It’s About

A t-rex sized origin story for these dinosaur podcasters.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1885

Welcome! Happy Last Day of February.

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 Sabrina and Garrett Ricci (you’ll hear from both of them)—but together they oversee a modern-day prehistoric empire. What do I mean?

We first featured I Know Dino back on Episode #1725: “Big Dinosaur Podcast Generates Dino-mite Profits.” The business grew to become much more than its original fan-based, non-monetized idea.

So in fact, let’s hear about that—how did Sabrina and Garrett go from “let’s make a cool podcast” to “let’s get paid for making a cool podcast”?

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Thanks to Sabrina and Garrett for telling us about their first $1,000. I hope you found it encouraging. Check out their website at IKnowDino.com.

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

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Sponsors & Gratitude

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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