Notes from Chris

Episode 3257

Today’s episode is part of a feature we call ‘Your First $1,000.’ As you might surmise from the title, this is all about how someone made their first $1,000.

How did they get to that point? Not their first $100,000—that’s cool, but it would probably be a long story.

But what about their first $1,000—how did they make that happen, what did it feel like, and what did they learn?

Let’s hear today’s story. I’ll be back at the end to wrap us up. 

SEE ALSO:

• Military Spouse Starts Subscription Box Mission:When an HR Director’s husband is away on military deployment, she uses the alone time to march toward a subscription box.
• Think Inside the Subscription Box:Looking for more community, a North Carolina web agency owner starts a subscription box for female entrepreneurs. It’s supposed to be a referral tool for her agency, but it ends up becoming a full-time business of its own.
• Nature-Loving Neighbors Create Kids Subscription Box: When two couples can’t figure out how to get their kids outdoors and away from electronics in the winter, a personal challenge blossoms into an unbeLEAFable side hustle.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3256

It’s Weekend Workshop, and it’s new!

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3255

Side-hustle math can be deceptive: average revenue says “go!” while monthly swings says “wait!” Bills arrive on a fixed schedule, but craft sales follow seasons. The goal isn’t just replacing salary—it’s replacing predictability. Let’s set three concrete exit signals and then cover tactics that even out cash flow once the safety net of a paycheck disappears..

“My weekend gig—hand-turned hardwood pens—now averages $4,500 a month, which actually tops my corporate salary. Sounds like I should quit, right? The catch: one month I clear $6 K, the next I barely hit $1 K when wedding-gift season slows. Health insurance and mortgage deadlines don’t flex with my revenue roller-coaster. At what point—savings cushion, consistent average, signed wholesale contract—does it make sense to hand in my notice, and how do people smooth out that income dip so the leap doesn’t become a free-fall?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3254

Hourly pricing feels safe when you’re new, but months later it can box you into “cheap helper” status. Elise delivers lightning-fast inbox management, automates client CRMs, and even dabbles in Zapier—yet she’s billing the same $30 an hour she copied on day one.

Under-pricing isn’t just lost income; it can signal “entry-level” to future leads. Let’s show Elise how to calculate her true market value, choose a premium-worthy fee, and raise rates without triggering client panic.

“When I launched my virtual-assistant business last year, I copied the going rate from a competitor: $30 an hour. I’ve stuck to it ever since, even as clients rave about my speed and add more tasks. Deep down, I suspect my work is worth more, but I’m terrified of raising rates without data. How do I figure out pricing based on my value instead of someone else’s sticker? What factors—like turnaround time or specialized software skills—justify a premium, and how do I communicate that increase without scaring off the clients who got me this far?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3253

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, where we take an in-depth look at someone who’s story has evolved considerably since we first featured them.

Last week, we heard how how one copy-savvy side hustler turned a collection of recruiter emails into a paid “swipe file,” and then built a monthly subscription around it.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear how one patient side hustler stockpiled retired LEGO sets, held them like collectibles, and eventually parlayed the profits into a full-on store.

Listen to today’s episode to hear more…

SEE ALSO:

• Raver Turns LED-Powered Gloves Into Bright Future: When a raver-turned-salesperson falls in love with an underground art form, he turns it into a successful side business.
• Bright Idea Leads Chicago Woman to Million-Dollar Hustle: A Chicago-based plastic recycling sales rep overcomes her fears and doubts to transform her love for DIY lamp shades and $10 in supplies into a multi-million dollar business.
• 3D Printing Brings Cosplay Into 21st Century: With a 3D printer and sense of imagination, a California natural gas industry worker takes superhero DIY cosplay to a whole new level.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3252

In today’s story…

..a side hustle that’s a real business with more than $30k in monthly sales during the holiday season.

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3251

Side hustles often start as joy projects; success can morph joy into drudgery. Adrienne’s calligraphy boards became a hit with brides, then a calendar jam of last-minute name lists and smudged ink panics. She’s exhausted—but is that fixed by a week in Sedona or a reinvention of her creative business? Today we’ll run a three-question diagnostic, share pivot experiments that keep revenue alive, and outline how to pause without ghosting existing clients.

“My side hustle—hand-lettered wedding signage—took off during the pandemic and now supplies half my income. Lately, though, I dread every order, even after taking weekends off. I’m torn: do I just need a real vacation, or is the dread telling me this niche isn’t right anymore? I’ve heard burnout can mask a deeper need to pivot your offer or target market, not just rest. How do I tell the difference between normal exhaustion and a sign that it’s time to change direction completely??”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3250

Today’s episode is part of a feature we call ‘Your First $1,000.’ As you might surmise from the title, this is all about how someone made their first $1,000.

How did they get to that point? Not their first $100,000—that’s cool, but it would probably be a long story.

But what about their first $1,000—how did they make that happen, what did it feel like, and what did they learn?

Let’s hear today’s story. I’ll be back at the end to wrap us up. 

SEE ALSO:

• Military Spouse Starts Subscription Box Mission:When an HR Director’s husband is away on military deployment, she uses the alone time to march toward a subscription box.
• Think Inside the Subscription Box:Looking for more community, a North Carolina web agency owner starts a subscription box for female entrepreneurs. It’s supposed to be a referral tool for her agency, but it ends up becoming a full-time business of its own.
• Nature-Loving Neighbors Create Kids Subscription Box: When two couples can’t figure out how to get their kids outdoors and away from electronics in the winter, a personal challenge blossoms into an unbeLEAFable side hustle.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3249

It’s Weekend Workshop, and it’s new!

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3248

Picture a small online tool that brings in about twenty-seven hundred dollars every month: that’s 180 people paying fifteen bucks. A few users cancel each billing cycle—let’s say roughly a dozen. Our listener wants to know which move grows money faster: tightening the bucket so water stops leaking, or pouring more water in with paid ads.

“My bootstrapped software service has 180 paying users at $15 a month. I have about two thousand dollars to reinvest over the next quarter. Some advisors say retention is king—raise lifetime value with better onboarding and support. Others insist I need more users and should lower acquisition cost through marketing. With limited cash and time, which focus tends to deliver a faster and clearer ROI for a tiny company? How do I pick the right metric to chase at this stage without spreading myself thin?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,