Archives: Podcast

Q&A: How do I go from bath toy idea to manufactured product?

What It’s About

Today’s caller needs help transforming an idea into a real-life bath toy.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1498

A listener in the U.K. is inspired to design and manufacture a bath toy! How can she create a sud-sational product?

As is so often the case, we’re going to break down this idea into a series of smaller steps. The goal is to from bath tub to bank deposit. Let that sink in…

“Hello, my name’s Millie and I live in the U.K. I’m a primary school teacher and I’ve been listening to your show for about a year and I find it really inspiring. I’ve got a question about going from idea to action. So….. my idea for side hustle is making some fun but educational bath toys. I’ve got ideas for several different games in my head. I’ve already done drawings of how these would be.

But what I’m wondering about is really going from that to creating them, getting them manufactured and wondering whether I should just go on to Alibaba.com and start speaking to potential manufacturers and work with them to develop the toys, or whether I need to somehow find some sort of prototype designer to help me make a good model before I get in touch with manufacturers. I’m wondering, perhaps it depends on the complexity of each set. Some of them will just be printed foam with others will be custom capacity toys. So they might be a bit harder to explain to a manufacturer abroad. I’m not sure. So if you could give me any guidance at this stage, I’d really appreciate it. “

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Interested in following this toy story? Checkout Millie’s website and sign-up for her newsletter, BubbleandSpark.co.uk.

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: How much money do ‘mommy Instagrammers’ make?

What It’s About

Today’s caller wants to know what the deal is with moms and Instagram.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1497

Today’s caller opens the door to a controversial topic: mommy Instagrammers.

They’re the new mom bloggers—a self-identified group that inspires a lot of feelings from all sides. Our caller wants to know how the most popular accounts get paid. Let’s find out!

“Hey Chris, this is Carol and I just recently found your show from the Happier podcast. I’ve been seeing lots of stories about ‘Mom Instagrammers.’ I guess they’re the new mommy bloggers? Anyway, it’s a strange world and I started going down the rabbit hole to follow some of them. I found a lot of people with tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers. Do they mostly get paid for hawking products? And how much do they get paid? I’m not sure I want to do this myself, and the politics behind it seem even stranger than all the posts about home furnishings—I’m mostly curious if this is even a viable idea. Looking forward to hearing from you. “

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

TBT: “Dog Threads” Designer Chases Coordinated Outfits

What It’s About

A howling good update from a company that specializes in matching outfits for dogs and their best friends.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1496

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 the founder of a service that helps people who work alone do so productively, as well as Texas’s leading provider of marimba rentals.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from a woman who designs and sells matching clothes for dogs and their owners. She started this with her boyfriend at the time. He’s now her husband and they work in the business together.

It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, but they are clearly barking up the right tree.

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

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Dog Threads: Checkout Gina and Scotts incredible lineup of dog clothing at their website.
  • @shopdogthreads: Follow Dog Thread’s pawsome Instagram account with almost 100k followers.

 

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: How to host Pay-to-Play Fortnite parties?

What It’s About

Today’s caller wants to host video game parties in his parents’ basement. Where’s my invitation??

Notes from Chris

Episode 1495

Let’s get together and play Fortnite … or Minecraft … or Overwatch … or your choice of online game. Long ago my friends used to come over to play Halo. They’d bring their TVs and we’d hook up four consoles with sixteen players.

These days, of course, millions of people do this online at any given moment of the day. But those in-person experiences are very different! I still have fond memories of them.

Our young listener is taking up the mantle and wants to host pay-to-play Fortnite parties in his basement. Let’s see if we can help him level-up!

“Hi Chris this is Ahdi from LA. My parents told me I should I listen to Side Hustle School as I’ve been interested in making some money while being a student. I wanted to see what you thought of my idea. I’d like to invite people over and charge for Fortnite parties. I have good broadband and can sell them snacks and energy drinks that I get from Costco. I’m also working on setting up a socially distanced area in my basement, though hopefully more people will have the vaccine soon and that won’t be a problem. How much do you think I should charge for these parties? Also, do you play Fortnite? 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

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

Polyglot Conjugates Verbs for Hundreds of Clients

What It’s About

A project manager monetizes her language-learning superpower.

Words of Wisdom

Eva has some important words for anyone considering a side hustle, “Venture out, learn what makes you uncomfortable and repeat. What I learned about myself in 15 years I could never have learned just from reading books or hearing others tell their stories.”

Fun Fact

Eva’s mother has always been her number one supporter and dubbed her with the nickname “terremoto,” meaning “earthquake,” because of her intense hustler mentality.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1494
When Eva Rosales graduated from Columbia University in 2009 with a master’s degree in international affairs, she entered the job market during a recession. Graduating from an Ivy League school was a big accomplishment for Eva, who is originally from Peru, and says she wanted to make her dad proud.

At the time, she’d already lived in eight countries, spread across four continents, and spoke five languages. It got her thinking—maybe she could start a business with these skills … somehow.

When Eva got home from a trip, she created a Google Doc and brainstormed services she could offer, then researched how to fine-tune them. For example, she learned that it’s extremely beneficial to get accredited in order to be an interpreter in medicine. It’s not enough to speak the language well—the certification (at least in this case) matters.

After figuring out what certifications she would need, Eva set up a LinkedIn premium account so that her profile would have more visibility.

And, of course, she had to come up with a name for her business. On the same napkin she had used to write down her favorite topics, Eva had also jotted down words that described her: hyper, polyglot, nomad, polylingual, and fluent, to name a few. She looked at the napkin one morning and two words stood out: hyper and fluent. Eva decided to combine the two to create HyperFluent.

Soon after, she narrowed down the services she would offer, including personalized one-on-one language courses, cooking sessions in different languages, translating and interpreting, and more.

Since she started Hyperfluent in 2011, Eva has had about 650 clients. She currently profits up to $50,000 annually from the side hustle—and yes, this is still a side hustle! Her full-time job is as a project manager for the International Centers for Precision Oncology.

Eva says that some of her favorite memories have been through her business: since starting she’s learned four more languages, worked and cooked with refugees in Berlin, and visited more than 65 countries.

 

 

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

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

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

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

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Q&A: How can I sell my service to improve notetaking?

What It’s About

Today’s caller wants to know if they can monetize his notetaking expertise.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1493

I heard someone say recently that if they could go back in time and give one piece of advice to their younger self, it would be to learn to take better notes.

Isn’t that interesting?

Being able to retain what you’ve learned and recall it later whenever you need is a hugely valuable skill, and notetaking is a key part of it.

Today’s caller hopes to monetize his ability to help people learn. What might be the best opportunity?

“I’ve spent a lot of time studying the most effective way to take notes—which a lot of people really have no idea about. This is incredibly helpful for students, test-takers, or really anyone who wants to better retain what they learn. What I’m missing is the business model. How can I profit from what I think of as a highly valuable skill? “

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

Engineer Sells His Sole To Aspiring Barefooters

What It’s About

Bare with us for this sole-ful story.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

John has some encouraging words about starting, “doing this has really taught me that you just need to do something, to try it out and give it a run. Whatever it is, just do something, start something, action is everything. The days are going to go by anyway, so why not start!”

Fun Fact

The emergence of the modern running shoe didn’t occur until the latter half of the twentieth century. Before that, barefoot or minimalist running was commonplace among amateur and professional athletes.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1492
John Bergervoet works as an engineer for a medical device company. A few years ago, he was given a standup desk at his office. At first this seemed like a huge win! He’d heard the benefits of standing over sitting all day, and hoped it would help him reach new heights. Unfortunately, the positive stories didn’t match his own experience.

What the ergonomic experts and Silicon Valley types don’t talk about is that there’s a serious adjustment period for your feet when going from sitting, to standing for several hours per day. The transition can be sole destroying.

John had read that “barefooting” your way to comfort was a long game. It takes some getting used to but the payoff, in the end, would be an ability to stand for hours in complete comfort. John, forever the engineer, looked for ways to speed this up.

Specifically, he looked into the inner sole of his new shoes. As expected, due to the barefoot nature of the shoe, it was incredibly thin… and also removable. John thought he could create a new inner sole that could make the transition to barefooted-ness a little more bare-able.

He conducted some research on insoles and the companies that manufactured them. Armed with that knowledge, he began making some calls. It turned out that many businesses operating in the space provided free samples. John took advantage of this and soon had a handful of different materials he could use to experiment.

He signed up for a sixty day free trial with Shopify and bought a heat press from Craigslist for $150. By mid 2017, he was up and running with the business name, NorthSole.

The method of influencer marketing, combined with direct outreach through Facebook, has seen NorthSole grow to a thousand dollar per month side hustle. Which puts John in an exciting position. He knows that to grow things he’ll have to invest more in inventory and try other, more scalable marketing strategies like paid advertising.

If his success so far is anything to go by, this next phase of NorthSole is sure to be a shoe-in. Maybe it will even become his sole purpose.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Find your sole mate and save your soles at John’s website, Northsole.co.

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
"Whatever it is, just do something, start something, action is everything. The days are going to go by anyway, so why not start!"
—John Bergervoet #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: My boss is asking a lot of questions…

What It’s About

Today’s caller is concerned that their employer at their main hustle is asking too many questions about their side hustle.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1491

Is your boss a little nosy?

I can ask questions like that because I don’t have a boss. Or in some ways I have a lot of bosses … I answer to my readers and listeners. If they don’t like what I write or produce, ultimately they’ll fire me. Fortunately, I have some job security since it’s not just one person.

Today’s listener has an interesting dilemma. A listener’s boss is way too nosy! He’s asking a lot of personal questions about our caller’s side hustle. Maybe the boss is a little jealous? Hopefully their boss isn’t listening to this episode…

“Some people have a problem with hiding their side hustle from their boss—my problem is the opposite. My boss wants to know everything, including how many customers I have and how much money I’m making. I don’t mind talking about those things with my friends, but it feels weird to talk about it with my work. Part of me thinks that he is jealous, and part of me thinks they’re just curious and there’s nothing I need to worry about. What do you think? “

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

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

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

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

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

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

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

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Q&A: Should I get a prototype made … and how do I do it?

What It’s About

A caller is thinking about making a prototype of their ideal product. Should they use a third-party service?

Notes from Chris

Episode 1490

A caller is wondering about making a prototype for his big 2021 idea. How should he proceed?

We have another question like this coming up in a week or two, so I’m going to approach each one a bit differently. I want to make sure you can always learn something from these dialogues.

Conveniently, our caller makes it easy for me because he’s asking something specific. Next week, we’ll go through a step-by-step process for making a series of bath toys.

This time, we’re focussing on the idea of making a prototype for any product before moving forward with a full-on manufacturing stage.

“Hi, this is Dylan from Orlando, Florida, and I’ve been listening to this show for almost two years now, like a lot of people, I want to make twenty, twenty one the big year that I get going on my side hustle and I really feel like I’m ready to go. But I have a question regarding prototyping products that you’ve actually mentioned in previous episodes. You brought up a company called Prouduct as being a company to look into for getting prototypes made. I’ve also come across a company called Brainchild Engineering. So my question is, what factors should be taken into account and evaluated when deciding what company to contact about having a prototype made? I’m unsure of the relative pricing and offers and just any red flags to look out for, especially with the goal of getting a well-made prototype. Always appreciate your help, Chris, and team, Happy New Year. “

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

TBT: Staying Productive During the Work-at-Home Era

What It’s About

An update from the founder of an accountability app for people working remotely.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1489

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.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from the founder of a service called Focusmate. I think of these guys as having a business built for the Zoom era, even though they started at least a year or two before then.

Focusmate is all about helping people who work alone work productively. Over the past year I’ve heard from a lot of listeners in new remote work situations who’ve been struggling or succeeding with this—sometimes one day and the other the next.

It’s good to remember that you’re not necessarily productive during every moment of your job if you’re at a workplace … so you’re not a failure if you become distracted sometimes at home as well.

Still, being able to work effectively and productively is a huge need that’s important to many people.

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

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Focusmate: Take control of your work time—learn more about Focusmate over on Taylor’s website!

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau