Archives: Podcast

College Student Pays Off Loans With “Fitnancial” Blog

What It’s About

A student climbs out of debt by sharing her personal story of transformation.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Alexis says that she waited so long to start a side hustle because she was afraid of what could go wrong. She encourages others who hope to have a side hustle to consider what could go right. “Think about the positives, the opportunities, and how anything is possible, as cliche as that sounds.”

Fun Fact

Alexis used the extra cash that she made from her blog to take her mom on her dream vacation, an Alaskan cruise. One of their favorite memories from the trip was from the very last night. Along with a few other passengers, they were watching the sunset from the back of the boat when a whale came up over the water.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1008

The year was 2011. The first Thor movie had just come out, Adele’s Rolling in the Deep was at the top of the charts, and Alexis Shroeder had just graduated from high school.

As is the case for many students, those four years were rough. But Alexis had to deal with issues far worse than failed tests and friend drama. She lost her father to cancer, struggled with family issues, and was in an abusive relationship.

As time went on, Alexis developed depression. She turned to alcohol and cigarettes to cope, but ended up feeling even worse than she did before. As a consequence, she ended up gaining a lot of weight.

She hit a tipping point when her family’s house was being foreclosed. Alexis needed something in her life to change for the better. So, she decided to work with a personal trainer. With regular exercise and a change in her diet, she felt much better than she ever had. She had the strength, energy, and dedication to be active. She started to kickbox, hike, rollerblade and go for walks.

Her friends were amazed at the 180-degree change they saw with her health. They soon began encouraging her to start a blog about her journey.

Alexis thought about it for a while, then eventually decided to launch Fitnancials.com in 2013. She didn’t just want to talk about health, she also wanted to talk about managing money. The combination was important.

Over the next few years, Alexis casually posted on Fitnancials a couple of times a month. She only spent an hour or two a month working on it, but she enjoyed the process. It felt like a personal journal, just one that other people could read and draw encouragement from.

Soon, however, something else would change. The blog started to pick up a decent amount of traffic. Companies began to ask if they could advertise on the sidebars of her website—or if she would be willing to do sponsored posts.

As a college student looking to pay the bills, Alexis jumped at the opportunity to make some extra cash from her hobby. At first she earned a few hundred dollars a month from Fitnancials, which went a long way for someone with a low income.

After gaining some traction, she started talking to other bloggers. She made new friends, both offline and virtually. Through this process, Alexis realized that people really could make a living from blogging. Real life examples were all around her!

So in 2017, four years after she first started Fitnancials, Alexis committed to treating her blog like a business. She wanted it to grow, and she knew that only spending a couple of hours on it a month would not get her to the level she hoped for.

It turns out, Alexis’s ideas to improve her blog were right on the money. She began to make $1,000 a month, then $3,000. She even climbed up to making $5,000 a month.

In her first year of committing to her blog, she made $35,000. This was while she was still attending college.

Then, in her second year, between her junior and senior years of college, Alexis made $80,000. This is more money than she ever expected to make in a year in her life. Since then, she’s graduated with a degree in psychology and has been able to pay off all of her student loan debt, buy a car, and start maxing out her retirement accounts.

Her biggest and most important life transformation was for herself, overcoming those major challenges she experienced in adolescence. But her second transformation is helping others make their own positive changes … in both fitness and financials.

 

 

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $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 my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Think about the positives, the opportunities, and how anything is possible, as cliche as that sounds."
—Alexis Schroeder #SideHustleSchool

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

Maine Couple Bootstraps Boutique Fitness Studio

What It’s About

Embracing the value of self-reliance, this couple refuses to give up on their fitness studio dream.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Stacey and Jesse has some important advice for getting into competitive service industries, “Get in the door. Whatever the trade, or service you want to sell, get a job in the business. Learn as much as you can. Not just fun parts. Learn the really hard parts, the complicated parts, the “clean the toilets” parts.”

Fun Fact

Stacey and Jesse lived in a zoo for five years! The Maine Wildlife Park provided a small apartment with Jesse’s job. Every day, they’d walk through the zoo with their kids to visit the animals.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1007

Stacey and Jesse Coleman met in college, where they were both dedicated athletes: Stacey as a soccer player and Jesse as a wrestler. The list of sports and extreme adventures each of them has done reads like a call sheet for a movie starring The Rock. And while helping people improve their health would eventually become their business, they had to navigate an obstacle course to get there.

After college, they jumped right into work and family life. Jesse took a job as a Fish Culturist for Maine’s Fish & Wildlife Department and Stacey was hired as the director of Parks and Recreation for a nearby town. They had two kids and an idyllic life.

Those early jobs came with an interesting perk. The Maine Wildlife Park provided a small apartment with Jesse’s job, so for five years they literally lived in a zoo. It was a good time for the young family, but Stacey and Jesse also knew they wanted to build a business together.

Being secure and happy meant a lot, but there came a point when they decided they weren’t living up to their full potential. They wanted to help other people find the same level of joy in life that they had. That became the foundation of their mission, and eventually their business.

Stacey left her job with the town and worked part-time as a personal trainer, while also raising the kids. Jesse continued his wildlife work, which provided the main income for the family, but he couldn’t wait to follow his true calling.

When they started their boutique fitness business, it was mostly Stacey, their minivan, and a personal training service that went to clients’ homes. Jesse helped out when and where he could. They began with hand-me-down dumbbells and medicine balls that they already owned. Their first “big” investment was a Bosu balance device, which set them back $130 and seemed like a crazy amount of money.

Speaking of money, at one point, they tried to get a bank loan to buy better gear. That’s what people do when they’re starting a business, right? But when they sat down at the bank with kids in tow, the conversation didn’t go well. Their response was to say “Screw it, we’ll do this on our own.”

They decided that it was their personalities and individual attention that would bring in customers, not fancy equipment. As long as they were paying their bills, they kept going.

But then one day, Stacey was sitting in traffic, hating that she had to drive so much for work. In a perfect bit of serendipity, she looked over and saw a For Lease sign. They called the number on the sign, and ended up converting an old office space into their first brick and mortar gym, again spending their own money to make it work.

After four years, they gave up the smaller side hustles and went all-in. The following year, they expanded, taking over a second space in their building.

Today, the business supports the family in full, providing a solid household income, which to Stacey and Jesse means they’ve met their important goals. They’re now getting ready to launch a new online health and wellness business. The goal is to take the Coleman Method global, while maintaining their gym and continuing to focus on the life they’ve built for themselves.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • My-FIT-24 Learn more about Stacey, Jesse, and their gym from their website.
  • Danielle LaPorte “With Love” Podcast A one woman show about self-realization, Rock and Roll Spirituality // Live more deeply … but lighten up. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

 

SEE ALSO:

    • The 10-Minute Workout Gym: A Nashville insurance executive who hates exercising opens a gym modeled on working out for only 10 minutes at a time.

      • <li

Chronic Illness Inspires Mobile-Friendly Yoga Biz:

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

Quote of the Day
"Our first major financial commitment to the business was two years into it, where we worked out an arrangement with the landlord of the space we were expanding into.  Since the banks were literally laughing at us still at this point, our renovation expenses were worked into a customized lease arrangement."
—Stacey and Jesse Coleman #SideHustleSchool

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

Layoff Leads Journalist to Build Kindle eBook Empire

What It’s About

After being laid off, a journalist travels the world self-publishing eBooks.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Kyla has some thoughts regarding whether or not to scale your business, “I spent most of last year trying to scale up and build a massive business around publishing, with a stable of writers and editors to outsource to. I learned from that experience that I don’t like managing people — I’d rather just write it myself! So despite what you hear in the entrepreneurial community, sometimes it’s OK not to scale. I love being a solopreneur, and that’s OK, too.”

Fun Fact

When working on her first book, Kyla found the mere thought of writing a book almost too intimidating to take on. It was only through cutting up the process into bite-size chunks, and refining each one, that she became successful.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1006

We don’t all get into side hustles for the same reason. Some of us want to leave our day jobs, others just want extra income. For Kyla Gardner, it was all about having the freedom and flexibility to go where she wanted, when she wanted.

Kyla earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Northern Illinois University, and then snagged a job as a reporter at an online news startup in Chicago. She covered breaking news, local crime, and human-interest features. She was skilled at the work and loved it, but something was missing.

So she made a big change, signing on to a customer service role that involved three months of training in Vietnam, before working as a remote employee. She got the freedom she wanted from that job, and worked there until she was let go.

Good thing she’d already been side hustling for nine months.

It all started with a coworker. When Kyla found out he was making $1,500 a month publishing Kindle ebooks, her interest was piqued.

He lent her a $100 Kindle course he had learned from, and she took the plunge. She admits that most of what the course covered could probably be found on the internet for free, but having it all organized in one package made things easier.

She learned all about finding a profitable niche and optimizing your Amazon listing for keyword rankings. Then she began to experiment, writing short how-to guides in the form of ebooks that she listed for sale on the platform.

It took six months—and her first two ebooks—before she made a total of $60 in royalty payments. Small as the amount was, that was the moment Kyla realized that Kindle Publishing could actually be a viable income.

One of the keys Kyla discovered to publishing on Kindle is the importance of topical research. The market is huge. To make sure her books stand out, she looks for an underserved niche, and then pays attention to the negative reviews for books already written in that field.

This business is extremely low-risk. You might not be profitable from the beginning, but as long as you’ve done the right research, it’s hard to lose money writing for Kindle. Kyla’s first book costs were $100 on custom illustrations, and $10 for a cover design.

What are the results? Kyla now has even more the freedom to travel and live where she likes, while writing about topics that fascinate her. She’s published more than 50 short ebooks since her side hustle became her full-time job in 2017. When she first made the transition, nine months after she started, she was making $350 a month. Now, she makes between $3,500-$7,000 a month in profit.

She’s currently transitioning from the world of how-to and self-help to writing fiction under her own name. She’s already published “Greyhound at the Gravesite”, a cozy murder mystery, and is now working on “Guru,” a suspense novel about digital nomads trying to survive a nightmare in Thailand. If all goes well, they’ll be bestsellers on Kindle.

 

 

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $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 my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"I loved my journalism job, but I didn’t want to wake up in 40 years and realize I had been doing the same thing in the same city my whole life. There was a whole world out there to see!"
—Kyla Gardner #SideHustleSchool

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

High School Teacher Starts Baseball Pitching Academy

What It’s About

Root for this teacher who starts not one, not two, but three Baseball hustles.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Follow your passion, learn what people need, and find out how to merge both of those.

Fun Fact

In the summer of 2010 and 2011, Mike was the pitching coach for the Stark County Terriers of the Great Lakes Collegiate Baseball League. During that time, he coached five pitchers who have gone on to play professional baseball.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1005

In 2006, Mike Grady was coaching college baseball while working as a loan officer. A parent asked if he would be willing to teach his 8-year-old son to pitch. When he accepted the offer, he saw how the right coaching could improve a young pitcher’s skills … and how it could put extra money in his pocket.

He decided to see if he could coach anyone else … and he took an old-school approach to finding clients. He made up a simple flyer that he posted at the gym, on announcement boards at baseball fields, and anywhere the parents of baseball playing kids might be.

Even in this always-connected world, when it comes to parents making decisions about their kids, they still rely on other parents to make recommendations. That’s how Grady’s Pitching School came to be. It offers private instruction, team sessions, and off-season training programs. But this was only the start of Mike’s baseball dynasty.

Then came phase two. A few years ago, the parent of two of the pitching school’s students approached Mike about opening a training facility of his own as a partnership. By that time, Mike was working with nearly 100 students, some of whom drove two hours to their lessons. A dedicated training facility in a central location seemed like an obvious next step.

That facility, Velocity Sports, is a separate business from Grady’s Pitching School. It’s allowed Mike to hire additional instructors to help run the programs. People can also buy memberships to the facility which allows them to use the equipment to train on their own. Oh, and that’s not all—it can be rented out for birthday parties. Why not?

And wait … there are still more innings left in this story.

For his third baseball-related side hustle, Mike now sells a set of a soft-shell balls pitchers use for training. He used to buy them for his students and realized how big the markup was. So naturally, he found a seller on Alibaba that could make a similar product which allowed him to have input into the design.

Mike clearly has a lot on his home plate. In addition to his three side hustles, he now works as a full-time teacher. He also has a wife and two young children. To make time for work and family, he’s learned to automate as many processes as possible. There is an online scheduling system for his pitching clients to book their lessons and he is even able to automate grading at school. If he had to grade by hand, he simply wouldn’t have time.

He’s come a long way from the days of leaving his phone number on those flyers. Now instead of calling him to ask questions, parents can go to his website and get all of the information they need. Mike is in an enviable position. The businesses continue to grow and he loves teaching high school … so he’s going to keep pitching doubleheaders for as long as he can.

 

 

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

Quote of the Day
"These projects have changed my life. I love baseball, and I love teaching. By doing this I get to do both and I get to be around others who share that same passion."
—Mike Grady #SideHustleSchool

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

The Hero’s Journal Helps You Make Progress Toward Your Goals

What It’s About

Two friends go on an epic quest to create one journal to rule them all.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Thinking about Kickstarting your next idea/product. Nick has some wise words to share, “Learn EVERYTHING you can about Kickstarter/crowdfunding before you launch. There is a ton of free resources online and good advice from the community. Build that email list, and make it happen.”

Fun Fact

In mythology, the hero’s journey, is the common template of a broad category of tales and lore that involves a hero who goes on an adventure, and in a decisive crisis wins a victory, and then comes home changed or transformed.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1004
A lot of people use goal-setting journals to help them stay on task, and Nick Vitellaro is no different. But he’d always been disappointed that the typical journal was boring and uninspiring. They all looked the same, and always included the same motivational quotes. As a self-described closet nerd, Nick thought that he could spice things up. He was a huge fan of Lord of the Rings, and imagined that he could design a productivity tool that paid homage to the story.

Roping in Kyle, his best friend from college, they decided to produce a “nerdy” version of goal-setting journals. What had once been considered to be the domain of nerds was now popular culture—just look at Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones. The two had always loved great stories, and realized that this could be the opportunity to create a goal-guided template for someone to live their own great story.

This was a concept developed by American Literature Professor Joseph Campbell, who termed this “the Hero’s Journey.” Having been used by screenwriters from superhero movies to childhood classics such as the Lion King, this was a model that definitely connected with people—the only question was whether it could be applied to journals as well.

Thus the idea of the Hero’s Journal was born. Coming up with designs, Nick and Kyle had great fun in bringing their imaginations to life. Nick even consulted his high school English teacher on the idea—the same person who had taught him about the Hero’s Journey. Then, they commissioned the help of a designer they found on Upwork to make sure the artwork lived up to their high standards.

But that was only the first step. With no business experience or any real projection of how this idea would perform, Nick and Kyle decided that they would launch the product on Kickstarter to see if there would be any interest. With the help of an ally—a mutual friend who had experience with digital advertising—their strategy was to build a list of email addresses that they could get to support their launch.

The designer for the artwork, the videographer for the Kickstarter video, advertising and manufacturing costs added up to over $6,500, which was something that the two friends were prepared to spend even if the idea didn’t take off. Obstacles included their first round of journals arriving three months late, and they even had a temporary scare that the shipping company had lost their package. But with their product priced at $40, the two friends have since pulled in $20,000 from this project, and now they’re ready for round two, having reordered 2,000 journals.

In many ways, you could say that Nick and Kyle have embarked on their own Hero’s Journey building their side hustle. They answered the call to adventure, crossed the threshold, overcame trials and tribulations, entered the dragon’s lair, captured the treasure, and returned home to a changed world … ready for the next quest.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Hero’s Journal: Order your very own Hero’s Journal to document your own adventure.
  • Kickstarter: Learn more about the crowdfunding platform that Nick and Kyle used to create the Hero’s Journal campaign.

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
"We made something we’ve been wanting to use. This is our finish line, everything after this is a bonus."
—Nick Vitellaro #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

“Fun Guy” Becomes Spore-Adic Mushroom Farmer

What It’s About

A carpenter and his partner find a way to level-up their hustle using mushrooms.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you’re thinking about getting in on the “fun”-gi business, David and Shannon suggest, “begin with learning how to grow mushrooms for yourself. Learn as much on the front-end as possible, and focus on a simple process and focus on one area.”

Fun Fact

The first Flow Hood they shipped to a customer arrived damaged. Since the item was so large, it wasn’t cost-effective for the customer to ship it back. The insurance claim was denied, which was very disappointing. They knew they had to make it right for the customer and in the end, the best solution was for David to fly to Ohio with his tools and fix it. Using frequent flyer miles, David flew to the customer’s house and fixed the equipment in person. It ended up being a relatively easy repair and the customer was thrilled. David got to make a new friend while building goodwill.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1003

Daavid Eberhardt is a man of many trades. A master carpenter by day and a forager of fungi by weekend, David enjoys learning about the process of creating, building, and discovering how things work. Through all of his studies, wild mushrooms have remained his favorite subject.

A few years ago, he and his partner Shannon moved to Asheville, North Carolina. They were drawn to the nature of the area and soon learned that there is a large community of foragers and even a local Mushroom Club. David excitedly began learning more about the local mushrooms and even started growing them in bags all over the house. Soon, he and Shannon had more than they knew what to do with … and his stock was taking up “mush”-room in their house.

He began making various extracts to share with family and friends. Friends loved that they could use the extracts for medical benefit without having to eat a whole pile of mushrooms. The friends encouraged David and Shannon to sell them, so they took their advice and began bottling and labeling extracts. They didn’t have a plan to do much besides offer these organic treats organically—but soon they began receiving repeat orders and decided there was something bigger growing under the surface.

It was also around that time that the term “functional mushroom” began showing up in mainstream media. People were catching on to the health benefits. Whole Foods released an article about medicinal mushrooms being a top food trend in 2018. That article mentioned that the only limitation was supply.

It was all Shannon needed to hear. She immediately showed it to David and encouraged him to expand his mushroom farm. Together they were able to forage a side hustle, naming it Phenomenal Fungi. David handles all things mushroom while Shannon handles the website and sales.

They began by selling edible mushrooms to restaurants and the extracts at local farmers markets. The extracts became a big hit among locals. They contained health benefits to boost the immune systems and act as a natural antibiotic. Some of the extracts are even being used with cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and people who experience dementia. David has also been playing around with a mushroom that can be used as a natural pest control.

Sales have been a bit spore-adic since launching Phenomenal Fungi in September 2018. In January they decided to create an Etsy store to reach a wider audience, where David began selling equipment like flow hoods (a piece of equipment that allows mycologists (people who study fungi) to work with cultures in sterile airflow).

Their advice for anyone wanting to forage a similar side hustle is to start simple and focus on one sales channel. When they launched Phenomenal Fungi they created a Shopify store and Etsy shop. While this works for them today, it was a lot to keep up with two different sites in the beginning—it was more than a little truffle. If they could go back, they would have started with one site, refined it, and expanded when that one was running smoothly.

In the future, David plans to share his knowledge through online courses for others wanting to learn about growing mushrooms. They’re also looking to expand their production to include more species of mushrooms and a larger variety of extracts.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Phenomenal Fungi: Whether you’re looking to grown your own or try their mushroom extracts, check out Shannon and David’s website.
  • Etsy Store – Phenomenal Fungi: You can find and learn more about the flow hood that they sale at their Etsy store.
  • UShip: Have a big product you need help shipping? This is the company that David and Shannon use for their larger orders.

 

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
"Learn as much on the front-end as possible, and focus on a simple process and focus on one area."
—David Eberhardt and Shannon Barrett #SideHustleSchool

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

WEEKLY RECAP: Episode 1,000 And Beyond!

Notes from Chris

Episode 1002

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

We’ve just finished week 39 of Season III!

This week featured the wildlife biologist who shoots and scores with gloves for outdoor hockey players, a student who gets a perfect score on the SAT and then builds a $20 million business on the side while going to med school. What can I say, we had to level-up this week… because we crossed over the rubicon to Episode 1,000!!

Just some brief comments on this before we keep rolling. I feel really great about this and I don’t mean “Wow, I feel great that I recorded 1,000 episodes” – it really is a team effort – but I feel great because of the community.

  • – Thanks to all 900+ stories that these 1,000 episodes draw on.
  • – Thanks to everyone who has left a review or told their friends about the show.
  • – Thanks to everyone in Side Hustle Society.
  • – And thanks to all of our listeners.

The best is yet to come. We will be continuing through the end of 2019 and I can’t yet tell you exactly what will happen after that, but I will say that we won’t be stopping. There are too many people who need ideas and daily

motivation!

Among other things, in the next two months I’ll be making updates to the SHS site about…

  • – Events
  • – Society
  • – Resources

Listen to the Weekly Recap to learn more!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW:

Today, we have an update from Stacie Bowers from Little Rock, Arkansas who was featured on the show in Ep. 124 — Smash the Patriarchy with Hand-Stamped Feminist.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to hear from Stacie!

Learn more about Stacie’s business at her website, BangUpBetty.com and visit the Stiff Station Gift Shop in Little Rock.

EPISODES FROM THIS WEEK:

Here’s what we heard this week on Side Hustle School! Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel.

  • Ep. 996 — After painstakingly learning to earn a perfect score on the SAT, this teenager shares his wisdom with other students. It goes on to become an eight-figure side hustle while he’s still in college!
  • Ep. 997 — When a grocery store manager hits a weightlifting plateau, he creates and sells micro weight plates through hard work and heavy lifting.
  • Ep. 998 — A New Zealand advertising executive and artist unlocks the magic formula of Instagram, creating an app that now serves hundreds of thousands of users.
  • Ep. 999 — While this enterprising Alaskan was working on his outdoor blanket hustle, he came across a different opportunity he couldn’t pass up: being the ONLY brand that specializes in pond hockey.
  • Ep. 1000 — When a St. Louis diner cook learns he has a knack for getting customers to smile, he teams up with a friend to make appearances at events. Since then, they’ve traveled the world and built a multiple six-figure business. This is one episode that won’t fall flat!
  • Ep. 1001 — When a couple turns its back on the big city in favor of a nomadic lifestyle, they stumble across an intriguing business idea.

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

We want to hear from you!

The best part of Side Hustle School is our community, and around 20% of our episodes come from listeners. Are you working on something and want to share it with us and our audience? If so, we want to hear from you!

Head on over to our online submission page, and we’ll be in touch if your story is chosen.

And if you’re still working on something but have some questions, we want to hear from you too! Most Weekly Recap episodes include Listener Q&A.

Call the Side Hustle Hotline at 844-9-HUSTLE (844-948-7853), record your question and send it to podcast@sidehustleschool.com, or just send us an email!

Here’s what’s coming up next…

Each week I’ll feature more stories from people who are starting side hustles without quitting their job. Here’s a sneak peek of what’s coming next week:

  • A North Carolina carpenter forages a new income source with mushroom extracts. There’s gold in them ‘shrooms!
  • Cracking the code of Kindle self-publishing, this former journalist earns up to $7,000 month publishing niche eBooks.
  • And much more!

Do you have a side hustle story you’d like to share? Fill out the Side Hustle School submission form and your story may be featured on the show!

Also, if you’re interested in joining the Side Hustle Society, visit our Society page to get notified when it goes live!

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
"Side Hustle School has now produced 1,000 episodes—thanks to you! Keep listening; the best is yet to come…”"
—#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

RV Nomads Help Fellow Travelers Get Online

What It’s About

On the road for over 13 years, this nomadic couple teaches others how to start their own adventure.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Really assess what your unique ‘thing’ is. What do you enjoy doing that could be turned into an income earning pursuit? In our case, we had stumbled into a niche – all we needed to do was decide to make it a priority. We tapped into an existing and proven demand out of something we were already doing for free.

Fun Fact

It’s estimated that 1 million Americans now live in RVs and call the highways and byways of the USA home. This number should only grow higher as more people turn their back on conventional society for a more simple life. There will be plenty of opportunities for those wanting to enter this market in the coming years.

This nomadic couple are proof that you never know where the road will take you. If you follow it, you might just end up somewhere great that you never expected.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1001

When Chris Dunphy and Cherie Ve Ard packed up an RV in 2006, they traded their homebound lifestyle for the open road. They both worked remotely, and without ties to a traditional office they figured it could be a fun way to live … at least for a while. It turned out that they were embarking on what would become at least a thirteen year adventure.

They took to the lifestyle right away. Without the constraints of a daily commute or office politics, they found themselves with extra time and headspace … so they decided to start a travel blog. They called it Technomadia and they wrote about their road trippin’ ways across the country while working full time. Much of the content centered around RV specific items like solar power, batteries and accessing the internet while on the go.

Over time, Chris and Cherie built up some solid traffic and with it, an audience. That audience loved to ask questions, especially about that last topic, mobile internet. How to access it? Which plans were best? What did they do when something went wrong? The questions often came in so rapidly that responding to them all was a part-time, unpaid job!

This went on for several years until, in 2013 they received some terrible news. Cherie’s father—and business partner—had passed away. It was a trying time for the couple. Cherie found the best recovery was to keep herself busy, so she took on a side project.

She went through their existing blog posts, as well as all the questions they’d received from their visitors, and compiled them into a guide entitled The Mobile Internet Handbook.

Taken on as a pet project, neither Chris nor Cherie expected much from it. They listed it for sale on their site and continued life as RV nomads on the open road. A few sales rolled in … but then their RV stopped rolling shortly thereafter courtesy of an engine break down.

Interestingly, during that time their book began to take on a life of its own and sales revved up. Simultaneously, the questions they received from readers only increased. Many of the questions were the same—which sometimes felt like driving around in circles.

In response, they opened a Facebook group targeting RV nomads who were interested in mobile internet and working from anywhere. The idea being, with a community behind things, it might take the pressure off them to answer questions. The community as a whole could help each other out. But, this plan turned out to be a dead end. The questions kept coming, even faster than before.

Expressing this dismay with members of the group led one of them to make a suggestion. Their idea was for Cherie and Chris to consider a premium membership. Members could pay in exchange for more content and advice. At least then they’d be getting paid for all their efforts.

It seemed like a ridiculous idea, but they decided to give it a try. By now, the handbook needed updating so they put up a crowdsourcing campaign to fund a rewrite. One of the reward tiers included this premium membership. To their surprise, one hundred people signed up and prepaid for The Mobile Internet Resource Center.

At first, they had a modest goal to make a hundred dollars per day. Three thousand per month would be plenty of cash for them to stay afloat, especially with their frugal lifestyle… but they drove past that goal in two months flat! They kept adding content, and memberships kept increasing.

That resource now pays the couple an equivalent salary to working in a major tech hub like San Francisco or New York—but instead of living in those high cost cities, they’re able to earn it while travelling the country in their RV.

 

 

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $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 my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Really assess what your unique ‘thing’ is. What do you enjoy doing that could be turned into an income earning pursuit?"
—Chris Dunphy and Cherie Ve Ard #SideHustleSchool

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

Short Order Cook Turns Pancake Art Into Six-Figure Business

What It’s About

A line cook uses his fun talent and stacks up a six-figure business.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Don’t discredit your talents, especially the ones that bring people joy. It could be the next big side hustle idea.

Fun Fact

Pancakes are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, which is known as “Pancake Day” in Canada, the United Kingdom Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, and “Pancake Tuesday” in Ireland and Scotland. (Shrove Tuesday is better known in the United States, France, and other countries as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.) Historically, pancakes were made on Shrove Tuesday so that the last of the fat or lard was used up before Lent. No meat products should be eaten during Lent. Re: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancake

Notes from Chris

Episode 1000

How does a diner cook on the graveyard shift end up bringing in $450,000 a year as the co-owner of a brand that makes pancake art? It’s a pan-tastic story, and a great example of what happens when weird and wonderful talent comes together.

In the beginning, there was just Dan, a man with a pan–but no plan.

Dan is Daniel Drake, a short-order cook in St. Louis, Missouri who discovered one day that a smiley-face pancake could bring in a $15 tip on an otherwise slow day at the diner. From that first funny flapjack came the revelation that would change everything: pancakes don’t have to be round … and they can take on any kind of design and shape you can pour into a griddle. A few layering tricks later, and Dan was “the man” of the diner, using colored batter to draw and create incredibly detailed characters and logos out of pancakes.

It started when a customer asked if he could create his pancake art at a party. At this point, Dan had never taken his edible art on the road, but he agreed to the gig. Then he turned to his buddy Hank and said – “I just promised to do pancake art at a party. Can you help me figure this out?”

Dan and Hank then did a bunch of house and birthday parties in St. Louis, learning along the way. It was literally a messy process. Hank also had a side hustle as a video producer and created music videos for bands. So it was natural for him to use his skills to make videos of the pancake art creations, which they began to post online.

Images of Dan making a pancake in the shape of a Super Mario Bros Mushroom went viral and hit the front page of Reddit. That’s when the Today Show came calling and Dancakes the company was off and running. By the time they de-planed from their appearance on the show, their phones were filled with requests for events.

Birthday parties, weddings, and trade show appearances were all part of making the Dancakes concept sell like, well, hotcakes. They’ve been asked to create pancake portraits of professional team logos.

Over the past four years, Dancakes has made an estimated 1,500 appearances around the world. Hank says he had to learn how to negotiate with companies like Disney to make sure that Dancakes got full credit for images and the right price for what they produced. He says now, “if you have concerns, voice them. The worst they can say is no.”

As the business grew, the two held back on cashing in on the perks of fame, opting instead to invest back into the business for necessities like a studio for professional kitchen shots and better video equipment.

Eventually, Dancakes was ready to hire additional pancake artists and they hired four others. The team has made pancake art a go-to medium for the MLB and NFL Networks, and partnerships with Hulu and Netflix. They have traveled the world taking their pancake art to countries including Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and Brazil. And in 2019, Dancakes brought in $450,000.

The company anticipates 2020 will be another banner year as a pancake art home kit hits the market, complete with a special pan and batter bottles. They have a licensing deal with a company that will produce and distribute the kit while they maintain creative control. Dan and Hank have flipped over a new way of life.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Dancakes Learn more about Dan, Hank, and their amazing works of edible art at their website
  • Watch how the Dancakes artists make their amazing works of art at their Dancakes Instagram account and Dancakes YouTubepage.

 

SEE ALSO:

Hip Hop Glitter Pendants Sell $60,000 on Instagram:

    A web developer and a faceless artist in Florida team up with celebrities on Instagram to promote hip hop glitter pendants. Thug life has never looked so shiny!
  • It’s No Joke: Prank Musical Greeting Card Earns $36,000/Month: What starts as a silly idea to make a musical greeting card with no off-switch turns into a multiple six-figure, nonstop success for two brothers.

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

Quote of the Day
"Be in the moment. Everything is temporary and the joy right now is the only joy there is. So soak it up."
—Hank Gustafson & Dan Drake #SideHustleSchool

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

Wildlife Biologist Shoots, Scores With Pond Hockey Gloves

What It’s About

A biologist makes an unbelievable discovery: no one was serving the needs of pond hockey players … and those players needed gloves!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Christopher suggests the following advice for those trying to grow their business, “figure out what is busy work and figure out what will actually further your business. What tasks can you do that are an investment for the future of your business?.”

Fun Fact

Hockey gloves are actually designed to keep your hands cool so that they don’t get sweaty while you’re playing. Pond hockey players, however, are in the freezing cold—they definitely need warm gloves!

Notes from Chris

Episode 999

Christopher DeVore loves his work as a wildlife biologist—but he’s also always had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit. For a project in college, he planned and executed a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $20,000—eight thousand more than he needed—to launch an outdoor blanket called Father Nature Outdoors.

Not long after, however, Chris learned how hard it can be to maintain the hype of a new business. Father Nature Outdoors was still getting sales, but revenue was dropping quickly. He didn’t have time to dedicate to marketing, and the brand wasn’t really differentiated enough to generate interest on its own—it was just one among many outdoor blanket companies.

As he thought about winding it down, he came across a vendor who made all kinds of outdoor gear—not just blankets. And this made him wonder about an idea he’d had as a kid.

Growing up in Alaska, outdoor pond hockey was a frequent winter pastime—and this was a hobby not made for the weak. Hockey gloves are made for indoor hockey, where the goal is to keep players’ hands cool so they don’t sweat. But when you’re outdoors and you’re in the negative temperatures, you don’t need to stay cool—you need to stay warm! Even years later, Chris remembered how much his hands would sting from the cold while playing outdoors.

He did a quick Google search and found something that surprised him: nobody had really solved this issue. All the hockey gloves for sale were meant for indoor hockey, which meant pond hockey players everywhere were still dealing with freezing cold hands.

The go-for-it excitement caught hold of him, so he reached out to that vendor who sold outdoor gear, worked on a simple way to make hockey gloves warmer, and ordered a sample with fur lining the inside. The sample cost $100, but when Chris got it in the mail, he knew it had been worth it. The glove was fantastic.

By the following March, when pond hockey season came to a close, Third Assist was already profitable, having sold over 50% of the gloves. Chris knew he was onto something.

Now he’s at a crossroads. He can continue the trend of slow, mindful growth—which generates as much as $3,000 per month in extra income during high season—or he can try to supercharge growth by getting a small business loan and scaling faster with more products, more ads, and more partnerships. There’s even the possibility of being a sponsor for EA Sports’s pond hockey game—but that’s definitely not cheap.

He’s going to take the next season to decide which direction to take. Either way, he loves that he’s been able to reconnect to one of his favorite communities in a meaningful way—and that his is the only brand out there serving the community with useful products.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Third Assist: Looking to warm your hands for the next pond hockey match? Head over to Christoper’s website.
  • Weebly: The platform that Richard used to create his website for Third Assist!

 

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $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 my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"What can I do today that in a year I will say ‘thank God I did that’? I’m always talking to customers and writing emails — but I realize it’s the bigger picture things that’ll help me in the future. What tasks have the biggest long-term impact and reward? Do those first."
—Christopher DeVore #SideHustleSchool

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