Archives: Podcast

The $30,000/Month Women’s Fitness Website

What It’s About

An office administrator experiences a huge return on her fitness blog.

Words of Wisdom

Tami offers an important insight to starting a successful affiliate blog, “I created A LOT of content. There was a time that I was writing and posting one article per day to my blog. It was a lot of work, but I think it helped me to build my site up and get traffic. I also tried to cover brand reviews from all angles, writing a lot of comparison style posts that were made to help the searcher make an informed decision.”

Fun Fact

Home gym equipment has been around for years, but 2020 saw the rise of the smart home gym equipment. This niche turned into a billion dollar industry seemingly overnight. What upcoming industries might you be able to capitalize on?

Notes from Chris

Episode 1718
Tami Smith spent seven years working as the office administrator for a physical therapy company. Around half that time was spent working from home, which was a great perk. But even the time saved from commuting wasn’t enough for her to achieve true work life satisfaction. This became clear after the birth of her second child in late 2018.

Tami soon realized that to keep her full time job, she’d have to put both her kids into daycare full-time. It was that, or figure out a way to make money at home while also being a full-time mom.

Around the same time, Tami started writing for a women’s fitness site. The client soon became Tami’s favorite, since she loved the topic and found the writing flowed effortlessly. That’s when an idea came along that gave her a run for her money.

Tami had been writing articles for the site, and earning a one-off fee. They’d take those articles, and continue to make affiliate commissions month after month. She realized she could build her own site, and produce her own content and probably earn a lot more. So without hesitation, on November 2019 she registered the domain FitHealthyMomma.com to do just that.

Tami didn’t take things too seriously in the beginning, posting a few articles over the next few months. However, in April 2020 she really started to sprint. The COVID-19 pandemic hit and a lot of her clients could no longer afford her. With writing skills and a lot of time on her hands, it was time to get to work.

And it worked, her first commission came through … for five dollars. Small, yet meaningful. Tami was ecstatic, and hooked on the concept of using her own blog for affiliate marketing.

She also started a YouTube channel and began cross posting all of her content there in video form. All this output took the site from humble beginnings and five dollar commissions, to over one hundred thousand visits per month and thirty thousand dollars in revenue today. Quite the transformation in one year’s time.

Not surprisingly, Tami wants to focus on growing Fit Healthy Momma even more. She’s since created a private Facebook Group and worked to build a community of like minded people who value her reviews and opinion. Down the line, she may introduce a course or program to help others achieve what she has: one word, one article and one affiliate commission at a time.

 

 

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 created A LOT of content. There was a time that I was writing and posting one article per day to my blog. It was a lot of work, but I think it helped me to build my site up and get traffic."
—Tami Smith #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: “I want to write the German immigrant’s guide to the U.S…”

What It’s About

Today’s caller wants to help others immigrants using his own experience.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1717

Welcome to a new week!

When it comes to the basic business model of “get paid to solve a urgent problem,” it’s hard to get more basic or urgent than immigration. If someone is trying to move from one country to another, it’s rarely a simple process, there are usually lots of things that can go wrong—but for the person trying to do it, they are usually very motivated.

This episode features a listener from Germany who immigrated to the U.S. several years ago. He found the legal process to be confusing (shocking, right?) and now wants to help guide other German-speakers through the experience.

“I immigrated to the U.S. from Germany several years ago. Along the way, I learned a lot about the process. There are some things you can do in advance that make it much easier later on. There is a lot of online information about immigration, but not all of it is accurate and most of it is in English. I’d like to publish a guide specifically for German-speakers. What do you think is the best format for this, and how could I market 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

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

Houseplant Biz Blossoms for Hong Kong Transplant

What It’s About

A government employee finds harmony selling houseplants through Facebook.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

“When dealing with customers, don’t take it personally and don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment. Always remember that each customer has their own challenges in their own daily lives, so they may come off as a bit rude or unhappy.”

Fun Fact

Clara sometimes set up a booth at Washington, D.C.’s Eastern Market and she counts well-known politicians and others among her customers there. One actress even drove all the way from New York City for Clara’s houseplant sets!

Notes from Chris

Episode 1716
Clara Leung works as an accountant for the U.S. Department of Justice. She’s lived in Washington, D.C. for twenty years—but she was born and raised in Hong Kong. There, she learned ancient Chinese Feng Shui from her mother. For those who don’t know, Feng Shui is an ancient practice to help energy flow in and out within the home to improve people’s lives. Having houseplants helps promote more positive energy around the house.

In February 2018, Clara bought a huge plant from Facebook Marketplace for $50 and the baby stem fell off. She put it in a modern planter she had in storage and posted it on Facebook Marketplace, purely for fun because she didn’t have the space for it herself. She heard from a buyer within five minutes and sold the plant for $25: effectively a 50% savings on her own purchase.

Clara’s second customer bought a houseplant for her dying mother after hearing about the benefits of Feng Shui. That customer contacted her after a year with thanks and the news that her mother was living longer than expected. Was it the plant? Maybe, maybe not, but the point was that it made the customer feel better … and that matters.

Those positive selling experiences planted the seed of a new side hustle idea. Clara decided to combine her mother’s teachings of Feng Shui with houseplants. The money earned from those first sales went to buy more planters, so she didn’t have to spend any of her own money on startup costs.

In the beginning, she marketed the business entirely through Facebook Marketplace. It’s a popular platform for local buying and selling. Plus, she doesn’t have to pay fees on adding a shopping cart to her website.

Most of Clara’s plants sell for between $25 and $50. In the past several months, her side hustle generated around $4,000 in gross monthly income.

Going forward, Clara is exploring different ways of creating an online platform to share her passion for Feng Shui houseplants and add another income stream. She’s also considering a mobile shop that she can set up at farmers markets. She’s done farmer’s markets with a tent and a table but she’d love to have a mobile trailer or even a Volkswagen bus bursting with plants for sale.

 

 

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
"When dealing with customers, don’t take it personally and don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment. Always remember that each customer has their own challenges in their own daily lives, so they may come off as a bit rude or unhappy."
—Clara Leung #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: Reselling for others: should I charge a flat fee or percentage?

What It’s About

Today’s caller seeks help pricing their reselling services.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1715

A listener and her teenager have been selling on Facebook Marketplace, and getting off to a good start. Now they have the chance to sell for others, and are wondering about some best practices.

Should she charge a percentage, a fixed fee, or some combination? What else might be good to know in this situation?

“Hi, Chris, this is Bertina Smelser from the Gettysburg area of Pennsylvania, my teenage son and I already have a side hustle if we said on Facebook marketplace, it’s actually done pretty well. He sells shoes and I mostly sell books and clothing. It’s also a bonus to get to spend time together. I really enjoy that. Interestingly, when people hear that I resell things online, I sometimes get asked about selling things for other people. That sounds intriguing to me. I actually did sell a large lot of baskets as a favor for an elderly couple that was downsizing. But while I was glad to do it, I felt a lot more pressure when I was selling for someone else and it was a lot less fun. However, I haven’t ruled this out. So my question is, if I were to sell on consignment, what percentage should I charge or should I set a flat selling fee? Thanks for your inspiration. I’ve been encouraged by your stories of reselling in your early days. I can’t wait to hear your answer.”

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: Dating Profile Ghostwriter Struggles to Launch App

What It’s About

An idea for a dating app struggles to find a perfect match.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1714

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.

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.

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

Last week we heard about the webinar gone wrong—a story from Tanya Smith in Ontario, Canada.

Today’s short story features Meredith from New York City. We told the successful story of her dating app ghostwriting business on Episode #1024.

Since then, she’s started an app called Darma Dating, which aims to provide transparency and truth in dating. This app is still in development, but part of the validation process was using online ads to recruit new users. Unfortunately, the marketing plan Meredith pursued didn’t work very well, at least at first.

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

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

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: Wine Tour Business Pivots During Pandemic

What It’s About

When the pandemic strikes, a wine tour operator shifts his business to selling actual wine.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1713

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 co-founder of Muertos Coffee from Sacramento, California. Muertos is all about better coffee that supports first responders, especially firefighters across the country.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from Heath Porter. We first featured him on episode #1088: Globetrotting Sommelier Leads Popular Wine Tours. After hosting tours all over Europe, he changed his business model during the pandemic to offer virtual tours and sell private label wine.

What’s happened since?

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

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • I’m grateful to Heath for helping us with this segment. Check out his website at HeathenWine.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

Q&A: Is there a way to trade plane tickets for profit?

What It’s About

Today’s listener is hoping his plane ticket trade idea takes off.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1712

You know how when you book a plane ticket, you have to provide your personal information? You might think, well, that’s for security, right? Well—maybe some of it is, but a lot of it is to make more money for airlines.

Until 1996, there was no ID check with boarding passes. The requirement came to be when President Clinton wanted something to announce after the crash of TWA flight 800.

This brings us to today’s listener question: is there a way to trade plane tickets for profit? Our caller has a creative idea, but also some sky-high problems to solve.

“When you fly in the U.S., the TSA checks your ID with your boarding pass so that no one else can fly with your ticket. But after the security check, you put your ID away and don’t need it to board. A couple of years ago I was in Australia and noticed that there’s no ID check at all to get through security there, at least on domestic flights. You scan your boarding pass and put your bags through the x-ray machine, but there’s no identity verification. So is it possible to have some kind of side hustle that puts people’s unused plane tickets to good use? The airlines must be making a lot of money on them, since they don’t allow you to change the name on a ticket after a reservation has been made.”

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

P.E. Teacher Livestreams Lessons to 50,000 Students

What It’s About

A P.E. Teacher works out how to get her lessons to a global audience.

Words of Wisdom

Larissa used the power of observation and leveraged her skills and experience to meet a need in the world. Here’s what she said about this, “Find something that is truly needed … For my business, I knew families would be feeling the need for connection, the need for positivity, the need for healthy habits and relationships during the pandemic.”

Fun Fact

After graduating college, Larissa was a professional beach volleyball player and actress!

Notes from Chris

Episode 1711
On a Friday afternoon in March 2020, high school fitness teacher Larissa Maloney sat in a faculty meeting discussing how the school might go virtual as COVID-19 swept across the country. Later that night, she received an email announcing that everyone would be doing just that: going fully virtual starting on Monday, so they would need to figure it out—and fast.

Fortunately, as a teacher and mom, Larissa is used to thinking on her feet. She sat at her kitchen table and wrote up a plan. On Mondays, the kids would run a mile, on Tuesday they’d do arms and abs. But she immediately crumpled up the plan because it sounded boring. She knew if it sounded boring to her, it would be boring to her students, so she came up with a new idea: streaming workout videos for her students on YouTube Monday through Friday at 9am!

When Larissa shared these workouts with other teachers in her community, she started getting requests for other kids to join as well. She also posted on a forum specifically for PE teachers. When Monday morning came and she pressed play, she started the warmup for fifteen kids. Not a bad start. When she finished the warm up, however, and looked at the screen again that number was climbing. Thousands of students logged on to workout with her that first Monday!

How did this happen? The magic algorithm of YouTube had discovered her.

Larissa conducted online workouts every weekday, livestreaming to YouTube. At the end of the week, even her own kids would join in for a fun, active dance party.

By the summer of 2020, Larissa was getting email testimonials from the kids and their families saying that these videos have been the glue to keeping their families together since the pandemic started. That inspired her to grow Active Kids 2.0 into a business. With kids around the world stuck at home due to the pandemic, there was clearly a need for this type of content.

Active Kids 2.0 offers a monthly membership for $40, an annual membership for $400 and a school membership for $500. There’s also a three-month online summer camp (three active videos a week) for $100. Larissa still offers some free classes on YouTube, and that’s helped her attract new customers. In fact, she hasn’t done any paid advertising at all, but her income continues to grow. How much money? She’s now projecting net income of $100,000 for 2021!

Even as schools reopen in the future, the need for physical activity will continue and Larissa has built a loyal following and a community of people who love her workouts. She plans to keep on creating new content that helps kids stay active.

 

 

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
"Find something that is truly needed… I knew families would be feeling the need for connection, the need for positivity, the need for healthy habits and relationships during the pandemic."
—Larissa Maloney #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: “I’d like to be a financial advisor for Gen Z…”

What It’s About

Today’s listener wants to help her generation with new financial rules.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1710

The rules of personal finance haven’t been updated for decades. Is that because they’re timeless, or is a change overdue?

We saw in another story long ago how some people are intimidated by the stereotype they hold of a particular advisor. This creates an opportunity for other people to step in. This Gen Z listener wants to become a financial advisor for her generation. How can she build her authority and platform?

“Hey Chris, this is Lisa and though I’m not a Certified Financial Planner, I am good at helping people with money and I’m thinking it could be a good side hustle. Everything seems focused on millennials these days, but Gen Z is coming up right behind. I want to address my coaching or advising specifically on this market. Their needs are different, and they definitely don’t speak the same language as millennials or boomers. What’s the best way to proceed? I appreciate any help you can give me Chris.”

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

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Chris Guillebeau

No Code, No Problem: Easy-to-Build Apps for Everyone

What It’s About

Look ma, no coding needed? A marketing executive builds apps for his clients.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Take note, Sardar maybe onto something, “Being able to build apps without knowing how to code is a dream come true. If this trend continues in the same way, perhaps it will be the right time to shift it from a side hustle to a new offering.”

Fun Fact

When he’s not no-coding apps, Sardar loves to run. He can complete a marathon in 2 hours and 55 minutes!

Notes from Chris

Episode 1709
Sardar Azimov found his side hustle while waiting in the long queue for a food truck. It was a hot summer’s day in Miami, and he wished there was a way he could order his food in advance and pick it up when it was ready. Or, at least, be able to go stand in the shade while it was being prepared.

As the CEO of a Marketing Agency called Skief Labs, Sardar was familiar with the power of native apps for a business. Customers love the experience of using their smartphone to order food, shop for clothes, access content, or just share updates with friends. (I mean, chances are you’ve already used one or two apps like that today, right?) But, Sardar had a problem: he wasn’t a coder, and had no desire to become one.

One of the byproducts of the COVID-19 pandemic for Sardar was that he had a little more time on his hands than usual. Client projects at his agency had slowed way down, which allowed him to devote time to learning new skills. So, he began exploring different ways to create apps that didn’t require an in-depth knowledge of coding languages. That’s when he stumbled upon the perfect solution.

Specifically, Sardar came across two tools called Glide and Adalo. They allow creators to build “No Code Apps” using their platforms. Basically, that means you can choose all of the features, designs, and interactive elements of your app without ever having to put in a line of code. It’s a little like using a drag-and-drop website builder like Wix or Squarespace, but for apps, and it means that anyone can get started creating professional-looking apps.

Sardar realized that if people were willing to invest in freelance developers to build apps from scratch, there may also be a market for his no-code approach. After all, it allows him to create apps more quickly for a much lower cost. So he created a listing on the marketplace Fiverr to offer his services.

Sardar set the prices for his work based on two factors: the complexity of the app, and the time it would take him to complete. He found that simple apps with just a few screens could be turned around in a couple of days. He charged a maximum of $1,200 for them. Larger apps could extend to a couple of weeks, with feedback and revisions, and prices for those start from $2,500. These prices were still affordable in the world of app development, but were at a rate where Sardar felt comfortable and well-compensated for the work he was doing.

Sardar’s listing quickly became a hit. There was a large market of people who had tried to create No Code apps for their businesses, but had hit snags along the way, and needed someone like him to help them complete their project.

There was also a market for businesses who wanted a bootstrapped minimum-viable product for their app idea, and Sardar could offer them a quick and easy way to test a product with their audience. So, as time went on, Sardar used his marketing skills to word his Fiverr listing to speak directly to these audiences.

As a result, Sardar now makes a good extra income from his no-code side hustle, without spending any money on startup costs or marketing. He’s happy with the number of leads coming in being relatively small, especially as his day job picks up as we come out of the pandemic.

Next, he wants to look at how he can use his No Code skills to add another element to his agency.

 

 

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

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Quote of the Day
" Being able to build apps without knowing how to code is a dream come true. If this trend continues in the same way, perhaps it will be the right time to shift it from a side hustle to a new offering."
—Sardar Asimov #SideHustleSchool

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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