Archives: Podcast

Q&A: How does “yield farming” work?

What It’s About

Today’s listener seeks farming advice … sort of.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1640

There are new opportunities in the new economy. So many, in fact, that I’m starting to call it the new, new economy—especially in response to all of the stuff happening with NFTs and decentralized finance and markets in just about everything.

With that in mind, have you heard of yield farming? That’s what we’re talking about in this episode. A listener is wondering how it works and how to profit from it. I’ve done some research … I went deep into the fields and drove a tractor … and I think it’s really interesting!

“I’ve heard that some cryptocurrencies are offering 60-80% annual interest, not including whatever growth they experience. The people who earn this interest are called yield farmers … and I never thought I’d want to be a farmer, but it sounds intriguing. Is there a good place to learn about how it works? I missed out on Bitcoin mining back in the day, and now I’m keeping an eye out for opportunities. I need something that’s easy and doesn’t take a lot of money, which is why I listen to Side Hustle School.”

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

Graduate Uses Equestrian Art to Canter Out of Debt

What It’s About

Whoa Nelly! Hear how a graduate student tramples her debts with her horse artwork.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

When it comes to making money from art, Bettina says that there is more opportunity than people think. “Art businesses have a place and a key portion of that is to educate yourself and learn how to be an entrepreneur. Being an artist can be incredibly lucrative. People need someone who can translate their emotions and experiences into art, doing this well and embracing the business skills associated will take you there.”

Fun Fact

The shortest horse ever recorded is named Thumbelina, a miniature sorrel brown mare from St. Louis, Missouri, who stood at a meager 1 foot and 5 inches short. On the flip side, the tallest horse ever recorded was named Big Jake, who stood at nearly 7 feet tall.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1639
In 2018, Bettina Norton was fresh out of grad school, and had no idea what to do. She had just gotten her MA in Psychology, but there was a problem: she didn’t want to work in that field.

You see, while studying for her degree, Bettina realized that she needed to find a different path. It happens!

Bettina quickly decided that the ‘big thing’ she wanted to put her time into was paying off her debts. She had $55,000 in student loans, and another $10,000 in credit card debts. From what she could tell, the fastest way to do this was to get a full-time job and scale her art business.

Wait, an art business?

That’s right. Bettina had been creating and selling art since she was in her early 20s. The main subject of her art was horses, a passion of hers since she was a child. She created equestrian-themed fine art, prints and lifestyle items.

Bettina knew she could make more money from her art, even if others doubted her. Despite the neigh-sayers (get it?), she knew her business had potential. Not only that, but she knew that figuring out how to maximize her profits could be an important key to paying off her debt. She soon decided to stop horsing around (okay, I’ll stop now too … for the moment) and got a full-time job for a university while working on her plan to ramp up the art sales.

First, she began to build her email list. To do this, Bettina spent a week going back through her inbox and copying and pasting the email of every single person who had ever bought from her before. This got her up to 130 people. From there, she asked every person she was chatting with on Instagram if they wanted to be on the list, and added another hundred people from there.

Bettina also followed the launch process outlined in The $100 Startup, and had her first launch in May 2019. In just a week, she made $15,000 from a collection she called the Simplicity Series. Take note: this was the most money Bettina had ever made in a year before.

By February of 2020, Bettina had paid off all $65,000 of her student loans and credit card bills. However, beyond her side hustle she also credits Dave Ramsey’s steps to get out of debt, as well as being able to live rent-free at her grandmother’s old house, as keys to getting to this point so quickly.

Still, she tripled her profits in just the span of the year. Bettina isn’t ready to slow down any time soon … in fact, she’s firmly back in the saddle.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Quit horsing around and go check out Bettina’s beautiful artwork at her website, BettinaNorton.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

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
"Art businesses have a place and a key portion of that is to educate yourself and learn how to be an entrepreneur. Being an artist can be incredibly lucrative. People need someone who can translate their emotions and experiences into art, doing this well and embracing the business skills associated will take you there."
—Bettina Norton #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 sell a podcast as a paid subscription?

What It’s About

Today’s listener hopes to use the new premium option from Apple Podcasts.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1638

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and presumably some other networks are all jumping on the premium podcast train. If you want to start one—a podcast as a paid subscription–how do you do it?

By the way, this is not an announcement of Side Hustle School moving to this format! I am very happy that the show is free for all. But there’s nothing wrong with offering premium content, so for those who like the idea of doing that, what’s the deal?

As with everything in podcasting, it’s a rapidly changing world. But let’s see where we are now!

“I saw that Apple announced an option for podcasters to offer a premium subscription. Are you going to do that with Side Hustle School? And if I wanted to try offering it, what do I need to know? For example, I saw that Apple will take a 30% commission, which sounds like a lot for something that they have always provided for free before. Is there any way around 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

Failure Friday: “It took me way too long to bounce back…”

What It’s About

It became a highly successful blog, but an early product launch was a flop.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1637

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.

Today’s short story features Nick True, a former mechanical engineer who lived and operated his business along with his wife Hanna from an Airstream trailer.

We told the successful story of their blog and community on Episode #889. But before Mapped Out Money took off, he tried something different. Let’s hear from him about one of those struggles…

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: When the Pandemic Hit, This Product Went Up 70x

What It’s About

This product helps people open bathroom doors without touching them. Perfect for pandemics!

Notes from Chris

Episode 1636

Welcome to Throwback Thursday / “Where are they now?” where we take an in-depth look at someone who’s story has evolved considerably since we first featured them.

Recently, we’ve featured a tea blend that uses adult language, the designer who makes clothing for dachshunds and their humans, neurogum, and a UK blogger who lives in a van. Last week, we heard from a maker in Chicago, Illinois who sells faith-based jewelry, especially rosary beads.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from the co-founder of a company that makes Step n’ Pull, a device that allows public restroom users to open the door with their foot. Their business increased 70x at the start of the global pandemic.

What’s happened since?

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

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • StepNpull®: Step on over to Mike’s website to learn more about this problem solving solution!

 

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 want to sell a spreadsheet to track fitness goals…”

What It’s About

Today’s caller has an old-school idea to help people achieve their fitness goals. Does this idea hold weight?

Notes from Chris

Episode 1635

I love hearing your ideas! A reminder that you can always share them with me and our community through this ongoing dialogue.

Just come to SideHustleSchool.com/questions and you can send us a note. Then, most likely someone from our team will follow-up to show you how to make a recording.

Today’s idea is a combination of old-school and new school: a spreadsheet to track your fitness goals. I’ll let our caller say more…

“These days, there are hundreds of apps and other tools to help people with their fitness goals. I’d like to go old-school. For years, I’ve used a simple Excel spreadsheet to track my weight-lifting and triathlon journey. Well, I say it’s ‘simple,’ but over time I added more and more data as well as some cool formulas that provide recommendations based on past performance. If I’d had access to something like this before I started making my own, I would have gladly paid for it. So now I think it’s time for me to pass it on. I’d give it away for free, but my sense is that people will value it more if they pay for it. So that’s my plan—sell it for $10, or maybe $20 if I can add some more features around it. How can I post about this guide in a non-annoying way that actually gets the right people interested?”

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

Peace Corps Alum Tutors U.S. Military Recruits

What It’s About

A returned Peace Corps volunteer helps military recruits with their exams.

Words of Wisdom

Mickey says that when it comes to tutoring, “Persistence is key, and you ALWAYS get more than you give. If you give as much as you can, you’ll likely get more than you need.”

Fun Fact

The National Guard is known as the “civilian soldiers.” They are meant to have full-time jobs, and help when needed. More than 50,000 National Guard Members helped during the clean-up of Hurricane Katrina, and thousands of them have aided with the COVID-19 response.

[SOURCE]

Notes from Chris

Episode 1634
Mickey Gamonal [gamma-knoll] got a degree in secondary education specifically so he could join the Peace Corps right after graduating from college.

He loved his two years of serving in Morocco so much that when it was done, he joined Teach For America. It’s a nonprofit organization focused on ensuring every child in the United States receives a quality education.

Unfortunately, this second service commitment didn’t last long. The teacher burnout hit hard, and Mickey needed a change.

But first, a friend asked for help studying for a test called the ASVAB. This is an important test: it evaluates soldier’s skills, and determines what jobs they’re eligible for.

He began to talk to army recruiters in Las Vegas, his hometown. They were impressed with his work ethic, and the conversations led to him tutoring some of their newly enlisted soldiers skills in English and math.

Mickey knew he could help. The test focused on 7th grade English and math knowledge, and as a veteran middle school teacher, this was exactly up his alley.

This started in the summer of 2020, and by November, he quit his full-time job as a security officer. Mickey knew November was a good month to quit, since he got three paychecks that month instead of two. He couldn’t stop thinking about his business, now called Gamonal Tutors, and he wanted to go all-in.

It helped that he’d recently started breaking even, meaning that he was making the same $1800/month from tutoring that he used to make from security. More importantly, the ability to grow his income over time is totally worth it to Mickey. As a security officer, there wasn’t much room for salary growth, but by running his own business, the possibilities were much more expansive.

Mickey hopes to make Captain before his National Guard six year contract is over. Meanwhile, he’s delving into online learning, eventually hoping to hire more tutors to learn the ropes.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Learn more about Mickey and his tutoring service at his website, GamonalTutors.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

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
"Persistence is key, and you ALWAYS get more than you give. If you give as much as you can, you’ll likely get more than you need."
—Mickey Gamonal #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 start a membership community around self-growth?”

What It’s About

Today’s listener seeks advice on how to monetize a membership community.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1633

Today’s listener wants to start a membership community centered around self-growth. So far, so good—but what’s the best way to introduce it?

I’d like to look at this question using a tool from one of our other stories called a “Statement of Future Intent.”

You can use this for any idea you have, or even for thinking about your overall life. Let’s do it together in the answer to this question from Chase.

“I’d like to start a membership community focused on self-growth. My plan is to charge $10/month for basic access, and $25/month for premium access. What’s the best way to introduce this community—and do I essentially need three levels, where one is free for potential members to check out before signing up? That seems to be the common model, but it would be a lot more work so I’m wondering if it’s really necessary. Any tips or guidance would be appreciated!”

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

Food Scientist Cooks Up Juicy Profits

What It’s About

A doctoral student get’s paid to write about cake and eat it too.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Bryan urges other freelance writers: “Be willing to charge more. Your time is precious and if you have additional expertise, that’s valuable too … It’s easy to see writing as a commodity, but ultimately you’re offering an expression of your thoughts and words to your client.” Just some food for thought.

Fun Fact

Bryan has eaten chicken feet, coagulated pork blood, and durian, the smelliest fruit in the world. Still, he draws the line at “piftie,” a savory gelatin dish from Romania that’s similar to French aspic. His wife’s family is Romanian, so they convinced him to try it.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1632
Back in 2011, Bryan Quoc Le got accepted to PhD programs in chemistry. But he wasn’t sure if the time was right. His father had passed away the year before, so he needed time to reflect and clear his head. He set out to walk across the country and figure out his next steps.

He ended up walking 2,000 miles from his alma mater, UC Irvine, to New Orleans, Louisiana in about six months. The walk was a sort of social experiment to see how far he could go based on the generosity of others. People would just drive by, leave him money, food, or water, and drive away. Through that experience, he found he liked talking to people from all walks of life, sharing stories with anyone he met, and writing about his journey online.

A few years later, Bryan got married and his wife turned him into a foodie. He also got really interested in how food and science intersect. So, in 2015, he started a PhD program in food science. That’s the study of the science and technology involved in creating food at scale. After an internship, though, he realized that he didn’t want to be an R&D scientist for a company. He also didn’t want to do academic research.

Bryan asked himself: what was the sweet spot between what he was good at, what he liked to do, and what the world needs? It turned out that a new path had been marinating this whole time. He had a friend who worked as a freelance journalist and he liked the idea that writing is portable—it was something he could take anywhere. Plus, he loved to tell stories.

Between 2018 and 2019, Bryan earned about $2,000. He wasn’t exactly rolling in dough, but he’d tasted the fruits of his labors and knew he could grow his earnings even more. After a year of writing, he created a portfolio website using JournoPortfolio to help him keep track of his writing samples. He kept writing for free for the association to position himself as an authority in that industry and eventually moved up to managing their blog, Science Meets Food.

Bryan is now earning $4,500/month consistently and projects that he’ll hit $6,000/month in June if all goes according to plan. In the next year or two, he hopes to earn $10,000/month on a consistent basis by adding subdisciplines with high demand, like food safety consulting and technical documentation for food manufacturers

He also plans to add additional revenue streams such as writing a second book and starting a podcast. One of the limitations of freelance writing is that it’s hard to really scale up earnings, because you’d have to raise your rates or complete more projects and there are only so many hours in a day, so adding those revenue streams is smart.

He’s also in talks with a food startup company to become its spokesperson and chief storyteller.

 

 

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

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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
"Be willing to charge more. Your time is precious and if you have additional expertise, that’s valuable too … It’s easy to see writing as a commodity, but ultimately you’re offering an expression of your thoughts and words to your client."
—Bryan Quoc Le #SideHustleSchool

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Chris Guillebeau

Q&A: Is it crazy to run an online bookstore?

What It’s About

Today’s caller wants to take her online bookstore to the next level. Let’s help her out!

Notes from Chris

Episode 1631

Today’s listener has a Black-owned independent children’s bookstore. Online sales weren’t a priority until the pandemic, but now she’s wondering how she should adapt.

I love talking about books! I know that there are other forms of media (like podcasts!) and a thousand new streaming services, but I remain fond of books and booksellers …. also, people have been predicting the demise of traditional book publishing long before I started writing books a dozen years ago.

Still, the past couple of years has produced even more challenges than before for the average independent bookseller.

What do we think about her situation?

“Hi Chris, this is Kathy from South Bend, Indiana. Although I’ve only been listening to you for four months, I’m impressed with your knowledge and insight and could really use your help. My question is, is it crazy to try to run an online bookstore as a side hustle? I run a black-owned independent children’s bookstore. Online sales were never a big channeler priority for me until the pandemic.

My sales surged when Amazon de-prioritized books and again when the country decided to buy black and closed. The physical space were mandated and I never reopened. Now, however, my online sales have started to dwindle as the country resets itself. I’m offering local pickup but not free shipping and of stocks and bookcases out on consignment. I’m just wondering if I’m focusing on the wrong things….”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

  • Avid Reader Sells Used Books On Instagram: An IT analyst makes page-turning profits after building a dedicated audience of book enthusiasts. You can make money without a large following!
  • Mother Of Five Sells Pretty Old Books: When a stay at home mom hopes to avoid returning to full-time work outside the home, she starts selling vintage books packaged by color—and her dream becomes more than a pigment of her imagination.
  • Tour Guide Sells Astronomy Books to Tourists: How a British software engineer moved to the Canary Islands, started working as a tour guide, and wrote her own guidebook to accompany her tours.

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

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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