Archives: Podcast

Q&A: Going back-to-office puts a crimp in side hustle life

What It’s About

Today’s listener wonders how going back to the office will affect his side hustle.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1745

I’m really glad you tuned in today, because this is a fun question. Today’s listener has been operating his side hustle in secret while working remotely … and he’s definitely not the only one. I have heard from a lot of people who have realized that their employers don’t necessarily expect 40 hours of productive work each week.

It’s a fascinating phenomenon that we could spend a lot of time on, but this listener in particular has a problem: they have to go back to the office! So what happens now with this secret side project?

“Hi Chris this is Dennis from Columbus and I’ve been listening to the show for a couple of years. When the pandemic hit, my workplace went remote. At first, it took everyone a few weeks to get used to a new style of working, but after the dust settled I realized I had a lot of time. I still get as much done as I did before, I just attend fewer meetings. With all the extra time, I started tutoring online and began to build out some resources that could be purchased. No one seemed to notice at my day job—or maybe they were all starting side projects too! Anyway, I’m really excited about the tutoring, but now I have a problem: we’re all going back to the office. I don’t have a ton of time in the evenings and weekends, so my new business exists only because I wasn’t needed as much at my day job. Is anyone else dealing with this unusual problem? Thanks.”

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

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

Instructor Offers Online Wellness Classes for Seniors

What It’s About

A college instructor uses an all-in-one platform to offer online classes to other seniors.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Glenda share some encouragement for those also thinking about freelance teaching, “Think about what they love to do or interests that they have. Explore those interests and see if there is a way to make money from it. With the internet and social media, there are so many ways you can create your own side hustle and run it from home.”

Fun Fact

Glenda has been side hustling since her late twenties. She used to make jewelry from semi-precious stones and sell it at NYC street and craft festivals. She’s also tie-dyed fabric and sold it at cultural festivals in Brooklyn.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1744
Glenda Springer was teaching liberal arts and education courses as an adjunct instructor for two universities. She’d been teaching online for eight years after getting her Master’s degree, but her day job included lots of grading and when her students complained, she’d have to re-grade their assignments.

In February 2020, Glenda received an email about becoming a guide for a platform called GetSetUp.io. The role would involve teaching part-time classes online to seniors. GetSetUp is a place for older adults to learn and connect in small online classes, something that was about to become very popular in 2020 as the pandemic swept across the world. GetSetUp has guides and students in several countries.

When Glenda got the email, she liked the idea of teaching something online that didn’t require endless grading. Also, since she was herself sixty years old, she matched the age group she’d be teaching. So, after doing a video interview where she taught a skill remotely, she became a guide with GetSetUp and started teaching technology classes through the platform.

Could Glenda earn more teaching on her own? Possibly, but this platform made it easy for her to … get set up. Classes are offered through Zoom, and GetSetUp has a scheduling tool where she can update her availability. This means she can set her availability around her adjunct work with universities.

Startup costs were zero. Technically, you do need some equipment, but it’s pretty common: a laptop or a desktop computer, a webcam, a microphone, and some lighting. Basically, if you’ve done any video calls over the past year, you already have everything you need.

Glenda started out teaching Squarespace, then she added classes in making YouTube videos and another on using the iPad. She’s now teaching around ten hours a week and earns up to $1,500 per month.

Next, she’s developing more classes to teach online including breathwork and how to use intuition. She’s also in an online Zumba Teacher Training program. Finally, she’s considering offering more classes using the private feature in YouTube so that they would be invite-only. With her community building and technology skills combined with her new student following, she’s built a solid foundation without any marketing of her own.

 

 

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

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

Quote of the Day
"Think about what they love to do or interests that they have. Explore those interests and see if there is a way to make money from it. With the internet and social media, there are so many ways you can create your own side hustle and run it from home."
—Glenda Springer #SideHustleSchool

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 to profit from the wild used car market?

What It’s About

Today’s listener hopes to add fuel to the hot used car market.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1743

The used car market continues to amaze! I was going to announce that I’m shutting down the podcast to open a car lot in my backyard. But then I realized a few problems:

1. No backyard

2. No car

3. Don’t really know anything about cars

4. Don’t like to talk on the phone

So I finally realized I should stick to podcasting. Still, I do try to pay attention, and like you I’ve seen the stories about new cars holding their value long after they leave the lot (which never used to happen) and used cars selling for major premiums all because of a nationwide shortage. Today’s caller wants to know: how can he profit from this market?

“Hi Chris this is Trent and I’ve been following the show for a while. Thanks for all the help. The economy is wild these days! If you’ve tried to buy a used car recently, or if you know anyone who has, you probably know that prices are higher than ever. I think it’s because of rental cars being sold off, or something to do with supply chains … whatever it is, used cars are the new iPhones. I’ve heard that in some cases, dealers are buying back cars for more than they sold them for last year. A long time ago, I bought and sold a couple of cars a year, not really a big business but just something to make extra money. Now I’m thinking I wish I had stocked up on vehicles before the pandemic instead of buying toilet paper! But since it seems that this market will continue for a while, what’s a good way to profit from it?”

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: Supplier Problem Harms Client Relationship

What It’s About

Everything was going great … until it wasn’t.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1742

Welcome to a new month! In today’s segment, we’re going to hear from the co-founder of Dancakes, the world’s first pancake art company. We profiled Dancakes for Episode 500 (!) and they’re back today with a strong disaster story.

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 we’re starting Failure Friday, a collection of short stories all about mistakes, missteps, disasters, and of course, failure.

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.

I applaud their courage! I’ll share some of my failure stories along the way as well.

Today’s short story features Joseph O’Bell from Austin, Texas. We told the successful story of his cork sunglasses business on Episode #1053. Specifically, Vineyard Sun is a lifestyle sunglasses line for people who love wine and vineyards.

Like several of our ecommerce sellers have learned, when you depend on an overseas supply chain, you are also somewhat dependent on someone else’s calendar.

Let’s hear from Joseph about something that went quite wrong and caused lasting harm to an important client relationship.

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • I’m really grateful to Joseph for helping us with this segment. Check out their website at VineyardSun.com (the first name in pancake art) or see some incredible videos of their work on Instagram at @vineyard_sun.

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: Weightlifting Equipment Sets Pandemic PR

What It’s About

These little weights help you achieve big muscle gains.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1741

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 Rachel Park, the creator of the ParkPuff, a “go anywhere” seat belt pillow for cancer and surgery patients.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from Mike Reed. We first featured him back on Episode #997: Store Manager Makes Micro Gainz For Macro Profits.

What’s happened since?

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

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Thanks to Mike for sharing his updates—and congrats again on going full-time! Check out MicroGainz.com: gain muscle one pound at a time.

 

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: Should I hire influencers to market my skincare products?

What It’s About

Today’s caller wants to know if pay-to-influence is a good idea.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1740

Today’s caller is launching her own skincare line. Naturally, she wants to get the word out—how can she reach her ideal customers? She has an idea that she’ll tell you more about, but the short version is that it involves paying influencers to post. Is this a good idea, and what does she need to know in advance?

“Hello Chris this is Leslie from Seattle and I’ve have been listening to the show for a couple of years. I’m launching a skincare line, or at least one skincare product to start with. I’ve spent a lot of time on research and finding the right manufacturer that doesn’t use ingredients tested on animals. But I don’t have a lot of followers—in fact I don’t really have followers at all. I saw there are agencies you can pay who will hire influencers on your behalf. Do you think this is worth it? I do have some money I’m willing to spend, because I want to give this idea every chance of success. But I also don’t want to waste it, so if there’s a better way to spend it, I’d rather do that.”

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

Viking Geek Turns Podcasting Pro

What It’s About

A young historian draws on his own experience to conquer the podcast world.

Words of Wisdom

Noah has an important piece of advice about pricing, “I had to modify my profile and brand myself as the person who grows podcasts to 50k downloads/month and sells lucrative sponsorships and eliminate any perception that I was ‘the podcast tech expert willing to work for $15/hour.’”

Fun Fact

Niche podcasts can benefit heavily from what’s being discussed in pop culture at the moment—just ask Noah how he benefited from the History Channel’s hit series Vikings.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1739
When Noah Tetzner started his podcast at the age of 17, he wasn’t expecting it to become the start of a career. This was 2018, and back then he was just someone who was interested in history—and it just so happened that vikings were all the rage. The History Channel was running its hit series Vikings, and author Neil Gaiman [gay-men] published a book on Norse mythology. Noah wanted to be part of the conversation, but how?

Following his interest, he decided that podcasting was the path. At that point, he didn’t have much knowledge on vikings, and so he began by hosting interviews with recognised experts in the field. Launching his podcast, History of Vikings, he reached out to world class academics about topics seldom discussed outside of the classroom—topics such as the role of women during the viking age, and how vikings and Muslims of that period interacted.

This turned out to have a wider audience than Noah could have anticipated. By having experts on his show, the History of Vikings podcast started to gain credibility, especially since Noah also secured distribution partnerships with other content creators where he would promote their platform and vice-versa. Reaching 50,000 downloads/month within five months, Noah soon discovered he was being approached with offers of sponsorship, media coverage, and even a book deal!

Towards the end of the year, Noah decided to take his newly-acquired knowledge of podcasting and offer it as a service. Dipping his toes into the world of consulting, he approached companies in the homeschool industry. Why them? Well, he was a homeschool graduate himself, and he knew that homeschooling companies often lacked marketing prowess.

Amid all the others offering services for $10 to $20 an hour, Noah doubled down and referred to himself as “the person who grows podcasts to 50,000 downloads/month and sells lucrative sponsorships.” This wasn’t easy because it was the opposite of what everyone was doing, but in just two months he achieved Top Rated Status on the platform. It meant that he was in the top 3% of all freelancers with earnings of over $2,000/week.

But, interestingly, as Noah’s reputation started to grow, he found that he no longer needed to rely on a platform like Upwork. Word of mouth had brought him several client referrals, and he had no time to handle requests coming from the platform. With an established reputation, he could now strike out on his own.

It took a while for Noah to establish some clear boundaries. He set reminders to read and exercise, and he made sure to spend time with his family every day. Looking back, he says that he should have set a schedule before he even started since it becomes so much harder once you’re constantly working.

These days, he’s working on a new podcast—not with vikings—but one dedicated to helping business owners generate revenue through the power of podcasting.

 

 

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
"I had to modify my profile and brand myself as the person who grows podcasts to 50k downloads/month and sells lucrative sponsorships and eliminate any perception that I was ‘the podcast tech expert willing to work for $15/hour.’"
—Noah Tetzner #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

Q&A: How to approach someone about a partnership opportunity?

What It’s About

Today’s listener seeks advice on how to swipe left with a potential business partner.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1738

Today’s listener has an interesting challenge: he wants to reach out to a company he bought a product from and offer to partner with them. But he’s worried about the right process for doing so. If you spot an opportunity, how can you reach out in the right way?

Good news here: it’s not that hard. Or at least it’s not hard to avoid making some simple mistakes by putting a small amount of effort into it.

Also, I love that his “day job” is selling on eBay and his side hustle is in fulfillment—he’ll tell you more.

“Hi, this is Andrew Hyam from Denton, Texas, and I’ve been listening to the show since early in the first year, my day job is selling on eBay and Amazon and my Side hustle is offering 3FL fulfillment services for smaller ecommerce and local businesses as value cube industries. So I have a few fulfillment customers currently and I’m always looking for more. I recently discovered a company selling a product that aligns with some of my passions about ecology, saving the earth and all that. I went to purchase it and try it out. The product works great and I plan to order more when I run out. But here’s the thing. It ships from Canada and I’m in the US. I paid ten US dollars for the product and I learned from a Canadian reseller, Friends, that the company probably paid 10 Canadian dollars just to ship it to me. This means they basically made no money on the transaction. So of course I want to help this company sell more and get their shipments out quicker and cheaper. The problem is I’m not a natural sales person. I contacted the company through their Facebook page and they have a customer service rep who says she passed my information on I’ve done research on the company and its key employees and found their pages on LinkedIn. Two of them only allow followers, but one employee is wide open. So here’s my question. What’s my line here? I don’t want to piss off a potential client, but I really want their business and we would be perfect for them for so many reasons. How can I approach this company in a way that I can actually get the business without coming off rude, unprofessional or like some sort of stalker?”

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

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

Crafter Fashions Upcycled Chairs Into Six-Figure Shop

What It’s About

Sit down for the story about reupholstered chairs that bring in over 6-figures.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Wendy shares some excellent pricing advice. “Come up with a good pricing system. When we price our things really low people question what’s wrong with it and decide it must not be that valuable. But when you go ahead and you price it high … you believe that this is worth that amount because of the time and energy that you have to put into it.”

Fun Fact

Fifteen years ago, Wendy taught a Detective 101 online course for elementary school kids. She sent them a box of clues to use for each weeks’ assignments.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1737
In 2012, Wendy Conklin was working as an educational consultant when she took a couple of upholstery classes. She’d already tried doing it using instructions from a book but wanted hands-on guidance from a pro.

In the first class, she learned how to fix up vintage and antique chairs and reupholster them with new fabric. Toward the end of the second class, she decided to open an Etsy shop to see if the chairs she’d worked on would sell.

Starting up didn’t cost a lot of money. Wendy sourced her chairs from Craigslist and was conscious of choosing affordable yet beautiful fabric. Within two weeks of opening ChairWhimsy, she got her first order.

During year one, she made about $500 a month in her Etsy shop. Not a bad start, but how about now? Well, I hope you’re sitting down… on a chair. Her average monthly profits now are between $10,000-15,000 depending on the season.

Interestingly, some Etsy sellers with high sales volume choose to shut down their Etsy shop and focus on selling through their own website to avoid Etsy fees and own their sales channel. Not Wendy. She has her own website for ChairWhimsy, but sees the value in keeping both going. A lot of customers find her on Etsy and end up buying from her website or vice-versa.

The best part of the process has been the journey of proving to herself that she can figure things out, whether it’s shipping, pricing, or something else. And as a side note, she was fifty years old when she started her side hustle, so she says you’re never too old to learn something new.

ChairWhimsy’s creations have been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Woman’s World, and BuzzFeed. In addition to selling chairs, Wendy has begun offering online courses. These include upholstery for beginners, how to find swoonworthy fabrics, and what she calls the Business of Chairs.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Check out Wendy’s beautiful creations at her website, ChairWhimsy.

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Yours in the revolution,

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Quote of the Day
"Come up with a good pricing system. When we price our things really low people question what’s wrong with it and decide it must not be that valuable. But when you go ahead and you price it high … you believe that this is worth that amount because of the time and energy that you have to put into it."
—Wendy Conklin #SideHustleSchool

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Q&A: “I’d like to create a cohort-based course like B-School”

What It’s About

Today’s caller seeks advice on how to create a cohort-based online course.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1736

Online courses have come a long way. One of the more popular practices is a cohort-based course, in which the course only opens a couple of times a year, and everyone who takes the course goes through it at the same time—thus the term cohort-based.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of structuring a course this way, both for the students and the course creator? That’s what today’s caller wants to know.

“Hi Chris this is Riley and I’ve been following your projects for a couple of years. What are the advantages (and disadvantages, if any) of offering an online course only during a certain time of year? I notice that some online sellers have their educational courses and other products available for purchase at anytime, whereas some others like Marie Forleo only release theirs once or twice a year? Wouldn’t someone like Marie make more money if students could register whenever was convenient for them? Looking forward to hearing what you have to say. Thanks.”

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

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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