Archives: Podcast

Illustrated Greeting Cards Provide Personal Touch

What It’s About

An MBA student draws up the perfect way to send personalized greetings cards.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Alex has some great words of encouragement to share from his side hustle journey:

“I have failed so many times with Tellinga but have gotten back up and tried to improve for the next time. I see and hear too many people talking themselves out of great ideas because they develop paralysis by analysis. Quit talking about it and start being about it!”

Fun Fact

Alex had wanted to name his company “Snail Tales,” a play on the term “snail mail,” but the domain would have cost tens of thousands of dollars to buy. So, he crowdsourced the name by creating a poll and asking people to choose their favorite from nine names he brainstormed.

Notes from Chris

Episode 978

We’ve all stood in front of the racks containing dozens of greeting cards looking for just the right one. But that unicorn card seldom appears because greeting cards are so often generic and trite. Meanwhile, most snail mail these days consists of junk promotions and bills. When we do hear from our family and friends on a special occasion, it’s often in the form of a digital message via social media, text, or email.

A pharmaceutical sales rep by day and an MBA student by night, Alex Kurkowski of Houston saw this from both sides.

He disliked mass-produced greeting cards … and he fondly remembered getting letters in the mail from his grandmother. Later, he had a pen pal and enjoyed the anticipation of checking the mailbox for a letter each week. Then, as an adult, he started sending cards and letters to family and friends complete with silly doodles and stick figures as a way to stay in touch. The recipients said they loved opening the mailbox to find something special and personal.

And it’s that experience that led him to his side hustle, Tellinga.

Tellinga creates personalized, hand-drawn greeting cards. The sender chooses a story length—either one day, one or two weeks, or one month—and uploads a photo of the hero of the story with a description of the story they wish the cards to tell. The story can be funny, dramatic, romantic, or anything you choose. It can even be a fictional story. You can make the recipient into a superhero or the leading lady or gentleman in a romance!

Tellinga’s team of illustrators and artists will then tell your story through personalized illustrations. A few days later, the recipient will start receiving the one-of-a-kind greeting card-sized illustrations in their physical, not digital, mailbox every other day until the package ends and their story is complete. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to open that envelope?

Having completed his degree, he has plans to integrate a sharing economy model into Tellinga in an effort to streamline the onboarding of aspiring artists and writers. The writers will create love letters, poems, or fun narratives which will be paired with the illustrations to more fully tell the stories that people want to share.

For stories that are too good to end, Tellinga hopes to soon offer a subscription plan.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Tellinga: Check out this fun and personalized take on greeting cards at Tellinga’s site.

 

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
"Quit planning and start failing."
—Alex Kurkowski #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

3D Printing Brings Cosplay Into 21st Century

What It’s About

An engineer takes customized cosplay to the next level with a 3D printer.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

A self-described nerd, Nikko has a good sense of what others in the community will like. But no one can get it right all of the time. For example, he felt certain that a figurine of a popular female cosplayer and a Batman design would sell like crazy … but in fact, they proved unpopular sellers. It goes to show that it’s important to test. Sometimes your most confident assumptions could be incorrect.

Fun Fact

Nikko swears that the applications for 3D printing are endless. As a matter of fact, he’s even used his printer to create custom shelving and a velociraptor shower head for his kids!

Notes from Chris

Episode 977

For his day job, Nikko Mendoza controls natural gas lines to make sure they’re safe. And like a lot of parents who work long hours, he’s always looking for a way to make the time he had to spend with his kids really count. Two years ago, this desire converged with another goal of his: to earn a substantial income apart from his day job.

His two young children loved dressing up in costumes, superheroes being a particular favorite. Iron Man was one of their favorites, so he wanted to build an Iron Man suit.

And he did. His first full suit was crafted from foam floor mats. It looked okay for an initial attempt, but he wanted to improve. When he found an Instagram post showing an Iron Man suit with incredible detail, Nikko was intrigued. He reached out to the creator who told him the suit was 3D printed. This led to better costumes for his kids … and what he called Nikko Industries in December 2017.

It started by reselling designs for others to purchase and use to print out their own costumes and props. He made a website using Wix and ran a Facebook group where he promoted his designs. Costs were a little over $1,000, including $800 for the 3D printer itself. He used a pre-order method for his designs so there was no out of pocket expense.

On his website, Nikko Industries, he sells digital files that buyers can print themselves. But realizing that not many people own 3D printers, Nikko also decided to print out the designs and sell them through an Etsy store. The designs cost Nikko between $13-$20 to print, and they sell for $75-$100.

When Nikko opened the store, he set his goals low, hoping to bring in around $200 in the first month. But he underestimated his customer’s desire for a costume that would blow typical cosplay outfits out of the water. He brought in $2,000 that first month. He actually had to halt the growth of the store as it was summer and he wanted to spend more time with his kids while they were on break.

In his first year, he had revenue of $50,000 but reinvested earnings back into the business. This year, he is on track for a revenue of $100,000, doubled sales in a year without spending a dime on advertising. After paying expenses and continuing to reinvest, he’s now taking home a profit of $3,000 or more each month.

This additional income is allowing Nikko to pay off debt incurred by a previously failed side hustle, a fitness bootcamp which saw him lose more than $100,000. (Lesson: don’t do that!) He’s also using the money to take his kids on vacations and save for a new home.

You can’t manufacture money using a 3D printer … but this is the next best thing.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Nikko Industries: Learn more about what Nikko is printing up over on his website! And if you’d like to support his cosplaying efforts, head on over to his Patreon page
  • NikkoIndustries: Check out Nikko’s lineup over on his Etsy page!
  • 3D Printed Profits: Interested in learning more but think you may need a little extra help? Nikko has launched a course to help you start a 3D printing biz of your own!
  • 3D Printed Armor and Weapon Props: If you’re interested in the world of 3D printed cosplay, head on over to Nikko’s Facebook group

 

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
"Find your niche—they aren’t lying when they say that there are riches are in niches! From there, produce quality products and content, and be engaged in whatever market you’re in."
—Nikko Mendoza #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

Mochi-Making Empire Produces Profits and Delight

What It’s About

An English teacher cooks up delectable Airbnb Experiences!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Part of what I love about this episode is that we’ve not really focused on Airbnb Experiences before. Lots of people have great ideas for activities, tours, or classes—but don’t have a way to connect with enough customers. This is one of the biggest benefits of partnering with Airbnb or Verlocal!

Interested in starting an Airbnb Experience of your own? Head here to sign up!

Fun Fact

According to the Japan Kagami Mochi Association, mochi is thought to contain the pure spirit of rice and thus be possessed with “Toshigami,” a deity that is said to visit during the New Year’s period, bringing a good harvest and the blessing of ancestors.

Notes from Chris

Episode 976
Growing up, Kaori was surrounded by Japanese cooking. Her mother is Japanese, and her grandmother owned a ramen shop in Japan. Kaori dove deep into these roots and became skilled at making ramen from scratch.

While in college studying to be an English teacher, Kaori started teaching her mad ramen skills at a local cooking school. Soon, she expanded to offer other forms of Asian cuisine. SHE LOVED IT! Even though she wasn’t formally trained, she had a knack for communicating culinary concepts, and her classes were popular. What she learned for her education degree ended up being helpful for her time in cooking classes—so she eventually left her high school teaching career to focus on them.

Here’s where the mochi comes in. Kaori moved to the Bay Area and formally started her business, which she called Kaori’s Kitchen.

She knew her credibility came from her heritage as a “hapa” or half Japanese woman. Her mom had been making mochi for local festivals for many years and taught Kaori. Mochi is from Japan and is made to celebrate the new year. It’s so iconic to Japanese New Year that mochi is likened to the Christmas tree or Star of David in terms of symbolism.

With the success of her ramen classes in mind, Kaori developed a Mochi Making Class. Mochi ice cream was gaining popularity among ice cream lovers, but there wasn’t anyone in the Bay Area teaching it. In her class, Kaori, sometimes along with her mom, teaches how to make mochi five different ways. The class begins with mochi in a traditional soup. Participants then learn to make sweet mochi three ways with many topping options. To finish, everyone gets to fry and glaze a mochi donut.

But of course, she needed a way to get people to her classes. She first found a platform called Verlocal. Verlocal is a booking platform for experiences, such as cooking, hiking, and painting. Kaori focused on team building classes. Word soon got out that her mochi classes were amazing. She started to receive direct booking emails from companies in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Kaori’s Kitchen was taking off!

Within two months, the Saturday mochi classes she offered there were full … and have been ever since. In the beginning, Kaori charged a lowly $35 per person. Experience, reputation, and over 200 positive reviews allowed Kaori to increase her price to $75 per person. Currently, her classes are booked through Airbnb Experiences, Verlocal, and her own website, KaorisKitchen.com.

The business is bringing in a bit more than $90,000 a year in revenue. $24,000 comes in from Airbnb Experiences, making it a key partner. Kaori estimates each class has an average 75% profit margin because her costs are low. She runs most of them out of her home kitchen or she travels to the business hosting a team-building event. Plus, the ingredients are reasonable as the main ingredient in mochi is rice.

She’s now writing a book about starting an experience-based side hustle. She believes everyone is passionate about something, so why not make money doing what you love? A lot of millenials (and others) put a higher value on experiences than things, so the market is ready for experienced-based businesses. Kaori intends to self publish her book this November on Amazon. In addition, a publisher asked her to write a mochi cookbook. That’s in the works and should come out in 2020.

By focusing on her core expertise, and connecting with the right platforms that reach active travelers, she’s building security while sharing her knowledge.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Kaori’s Kitchen: See what’s cooking over on Kaori’s website!
  • Weebly: The platform that Kaori used to create her website for Kaori’s Kitchen
  • Airbnb & Verlocal: The two platfroms that Kaori used to list her mochi and ramen making classes

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
"Many people crave ‘the side hustle life’. They want to make money doing what they love and not have to work all of the time. They want flexibility and joy in what they do, and I believe that Airbnb Experiences and the experience industry allows you to do that."
—Kaori Becker #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

Three Friends Step Up And Pull In Restroom Revenue

What It’s About

A simple solution that’s a step above the rest.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

When we spoke with Michael, he brought up the necessity of knowing when to continue and when it’s time to throw in the towel. A lot of really great inventions never see the light of day because they lack the tenacity to see it through! So, while it’s good to know when to quit, really give it your all for as long as you can.

Fun Fact

Handles on restroom doors can be a haven for bacteria like E-coli and viral infections like the flu. The humorous part is that most of us wash our hands right before we leave the bathroom, only to touch the filthy door handle undoing the hygenic step on the way out.

Notes from Chris

Episode 975

Mike Sewell was working for a cell phone company along with two friends, Ron Ely and Kelly Coddington. A part of Mike’s role at the company was to maintain the building they worked in. This meant he spent lots of time walking the halls and interacting with the staff. There were over 160 people working there so it was quite the job to keep the place going.

Mike noticed an interesting trait among the staff. Many of them used paper towels to open the door when leaving the restroom. It makes sense … after all, restrooms are dirty. Although most people wash their hands before exiting, not everybody does! In fact, research shows many restroom door handles are covered with bacteria.

The avoidance of dirty door handles was understandable but the solution the staff came up with, using a paper towel, wasn’t ideal. Mike knew there had to be a better way. So he, along with Ron and Kelly, made it a personal mission to find one. And so, during a long, hot summer, they got together to work on it.

They knew using hands wasn’t an option, so their attention quickly turned to ways in which the doors could be opened using your feet, which presumably would be covered by shoes. They went through a few versions that involved hooking the foot to the door or dragging it over something from the side. In the end, though, the solution lay in a counterintuitive idea.

Mike took a piece of C-channel steel and bolted it to the bottom of a door. By making the edge serrated, it allowed them to step down and pull the door open. It was a Eureka moment! They named their invention, the StepNpull® … that’s what it’s called; I’m not pulling your leg.

The three friends manufactured the product in their own garage. In that first year, they made several hundred units this way—not that they were counting their steps or anything. But it wasn’t sustainable—it was time consuming, costly, and hard to produce consistently.

However, it wasn’t until two years later, when things became overwhelming, that they took real steps to avoid the problem. At that time, the team was approached by a local manufacturer about taking on their production. They agreed, and that relationship enabled them to think big picture.

As things improved the product itself quickly became their best marketing channel. Word of mouth brought in more customers. It also resulted in them being stocked in stores like Lowe’s, Menard’s, McMaster Carr and online through Amazon.

As the number of outlets grew, so did the money StepNpull® was earning. As of today, what started as an idea to improve their own office has stepped up to become a real money maker. Each month, they generate $20,000 in sales with a profit of $7,000.

While not enough for them to quit their full-time jobs yet—they’re still working at the office where they conceived StepNpull®—it has allowed them to hire a part-time employee who takes care of their social media accounts as well as paid advertising on Google and Amazon.

Going full-time is definitely in their future plans. In fact, Mike, Ron, and Kelly see the StepNpull® as a path toward early retirement; they hope to have the business running without them or to sell it for the right price.

They’re proof that you can build a helpful, profitable side hustle as long as you keep a consistent effort every step of the way.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

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

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

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

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"I’m certain there are many great ideas and inventions, some better than StepNpull®, that never make it because the inventor stops short. I’m not saying never give up—it’s good to know when to throw in the towel—but you also have to be tenacious."
—Michael Sewell #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: #HappierLaborDay

Notes from Chris

Episode 974

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

We’ve just finished week 35 of Season III! This week, we featured a U.S. Marine who goes “under cover” to create a sunglasses holder and a British guy who earns millions of dollars selling t-shirts on eBay originally starting from his childhood bedroom.

In today’s recap, I have an audio update from someone whose side hustle became their full-time job, and now it’s back to being a side hustle … but she’s still earning six-figures from it! I think most of us will agree that’s an ideal scenario.

We’ll also revisit Gretchen Rubin’s concept of what it means to have a #HappierLaborDay.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to learn more!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW:

Today, we have an update from Julia Kelly who was featured on the show in Ep. 15.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to hear from Julia!

You can also check out her websites, Rigits and JK Expressions!

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. 968 – When a U.S. Marine scratches his sunglasses after placing them in his pocket, he solves the problem with a 3D printed solution
  • Ep. 969 – An introverted Chicago art student discovers a love of natural dyes and creates a thriving business
  • Ep. 970 – After using puns to make the distance seem shorter between her and her Navy Pilot husband, a marketing manager and military spouse turns it into a business
  • Ep. 971 – An eBay experiment started from a childhood bedroom becomes a multi-million, make-your-own-fashion eCommerce empire
  • Ep. 972 – This “College Confectionista” pays for college by baking and selling cheesecakes—as many as 324 in a single week
  • Ep. 973 – When a raver-turned-salesperson falls in love with an underground artform, he turns it into a successful side business

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:

  • When three co-workers notice their colleagues using paper towels to open restroom doors, they invent a simple solution that’s a step above the rest
  • Drawing on her Japanese heritage, a Bay Area teacher offers mochi classes using Airbnb Experiences
  • 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
"It’s always a good time to reflect on your life and make changes—but something that can be done at any time is often done at no time. What are you laboring for?"
—#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

Raver Turns LED-Powered Gloves Into Bright Future

What It’s About

Raver capitalizes on an underground scene.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Subcultures have their own terminology, practices, and means of recognition. And they attract people who want to belong to something. This is true for fans of indie music, anyone who enjoys a certain activity, sports fans—especially if you’re a fan of a less popular team, or perhaps a team in a different area than the one you live in.

A while back we had a story (Ep. 667) about a guy who was a Seattle Seahawks fan and moved to a part of the country where few other people were. He created an app that allowed displaced fans to find a bar or other venue that would show their games. So in other words, he found a way to capitalize on an opportunity no one else was paying attention to.

Fun Fact

It is generally agreed that gloving first emerged in the mid-2000’s at raves parties as a form of drug enhancement. Many of these party-goers would be high on ecstasy, and they found that gazing at bright lights intensified the pleasure that they felt on the drug. The first lightshows were done using glowsticks or handheld lights to dance in rhythm to the music for onlookers.

Eventually, someone had the idea of taking gloves and putting a small LED light in each finger. Suddenly, this opened up an entirely new world of possibilities for moves, as having the freedom of using every finger individually created limitless potential for movements.

Notes from Chris

Episode 973

Twenty-seven-year-old sales executive Andrew Zhao fell in love at a rave. But it wasn’t with a person, it was with an artform called gloving. Gloving involved performers, called “glovers,” wearing gloves with LED microlights and using them to share their own light show.

The artform first emerged in the underground rave scene in the mid-2000’s when performers would use glow sticks to create art. Then someone had the idea of taking gloves and putting a small LED light in each finger, which opened up an entirely new world of possibilities for moves.

Andrew was entranced. He immediately spent much of his free time studying and practicing the artform. Online message boards were popular at the time, and he would spend hours on forums dedicated to the rave culture. However, rivalry and bullying on the message boards would soon push Andrew into his first side hustle. You see, the “glow stickers” outnumbered “glovers” at both the raves and also on the message boards, and the larger group was hostile to the smaller one.

Fed up with the negative vibes, Andrew started Throw Life, a new forum dedicated to “glovers.” The website grew quickly, attracting thousands from around the world who created an online community that was active 24 hours a day. But like many love stories, Andrew’s relationship with gloving would not be without its difficulties. The quick success of his new forum and the responsibility of managing it became too much for the then 19-year old and he decided to shut it down.

While this project didn’t work out, Andrew was excelling professionally. Now working in enterprise sales for a large, multinational telecom company, he was soon earning $80,000/year selling fiber optics.

But his love of gloving was never far from his mind. Andrew continued to spend most weekends at large raves. He also still believed that the niche artform would one day be a billion-dollar industry like street art or skateboarding. Andrew didn’t know what he could do, or how he could do it, but he wanted to be part of the industry’s future.

That’s when he decided to relaunch as an e-commerce brand. This time, Andrew started small … really small. His first product was the tiny batteries that power the colorful gloves.

He went on Alibaba and found a supplier. Soon he had thousands of batteries on the way to his door. While waiting for the delivery, he set up a simple Shopify store. The new venture, now called Throwlights, cost less than $1,000 to get off the ground.

He consistently worked to expand his product line, which is sold exclusively on his website, and he soon began offering gloves, bulbs, t-shirts and other accessories that became popular in the gloving community.

Since then, Andrew has raised $150,000 for his venture, and he recently left his sales job to focus on it full time. But of course, it all started with a side hustle that enabled him to turn his dreams into reality.

He says that the best part of the experience has been the phenomenal relationships he’s made with people along the way, plus the opportunity to be around an artform that he loves. Through all of the ups and downs, he credits his success to his mindset. Before what he learned through experience, Andrew didn’t have the skills or the habits he needed. He became much more conscientious about building a strong community to surround himself with and he became more intentional about what information he consumed.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Throwlights: Learn more about this rave-worthy side hustle over on Andrew’s website!
  • Shopify: Andrew used Shopify to set up his site for Throwlights, and they’re offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!
  • Alibaba: The marketplace Andrew used to find a manufacturer for Throwlights
  • Game on! Seahawks Fan Kicks Off Six-Figure Sports App: When faced with the possibility of not being able to enjoy his favorite football games, this sports fan creates an app to solve the problem. Four years in, it earns him a full-time income in exchange for 30 minutes of work each week

 

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
"Start somewhere. It’s a cliche, but the journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step. That’s true—don’t be afraid! Along the way, you WILL mess up and that’s okay. You might also wildly succeed, so just go for it."
—Andrew Zhao #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

College Student Bakes 1,500 Cheesecakes to Pay Tuition

What It’s About

A college student bakes her way to her dream school—one cheesecake at a time!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Anamaria has some great advice for anyone who doesn’t think they can achieve something similar:

“You can’t be afraid to take a risk. If you’re too afraid or are waiting for the right minute, it’s never going to be the right time. You never know what might come of your actions now.”

Fun Fact

In 2006, the Austrian Postal Service added cheesecake flavor to the adhesive on the back of a stamp. As you licked the stamp, you actually tasted the flavor!

Notes from Chris

Episode 972

Anamaria Morales has been a side hustler since she was six-years-old. When her grandparents sent her birthday money, she would buy card stock, make greeting cards, and then sell them door-to-door. When she was seven, she would go to her town’s weekly summer-in-the-plaza festivals and offer custom pedicures with rhinestones and painted flowers. Then, at the old age of twelve, she started her Soggy Doggy dog-washing business and sold dog-friendly popsicles she coined “pupsicles.”

Her latest hustle has been the most successful of all. It’s called College Confectionista, and just as we were working on this story, she appeared on GMA.

This hustle is all about cheesecake! Handcrafted cheesecake, that is. So far she’s sold about 1,500 of these handcrafted cheesecakes.

It all started four years ago, when she made a cheesecake at home with no business plan in mind….

The next day, her mom took some of it to work to share—and a co-worker liked it so much, it gave Anamaria an idea. She said, if that co-worker … or anyone else … wanted that cheesecake bad enough, she could be persuaded to bake and sell it to them.

This happened during her senior year of high school when college expenses were weighing heavily on her mind. To avoid accumulating debt, she held off attending a four-year university right away. Instead, she enrolled in a local community college.

Her goal was to transfer to a four-year institution only when she had enough money to pay for it.

With that in mind, she wrote a Facebook post that said, “I am going to be making my New York-style cheesecake for $40 per cheesecake. All of the proceeds go towards college. Message me if you are interested.” By the first month, she had an order every single day. Clearly, she’d hit upon a “recipe” for success.

Anamaria soon started working in a friend’s commercial kitchen so she could be compliant with local regulations. She also starting offering four flavors per week: three seasonal or holiday flavors plus her Sonoma County Style, which is a variation of a basic New York-style recipe with her personal tweaks.

Examples of holiday offerings include red velvet and eggnog at Christmas, Bailey’s Irish Cream for St. Patrick’s Day, and salted caramel pecan for Thanksgiving. Summer seasonal selections include peaches and cream and blackberry cobbler. (Are you getting hungry?)

After countless cheesecakes, the 21-year-old bakerpreneur is preparing to head off to her dream school, the University of California at Berkeley. She has enough money socked away to cover her educational expenses, without having to rely on student loans. It’s a cream come true.

But her fans don’t need to worry—she won’t “dessert” them when they need her the most. Her customers can still order cheesecakes when she goes back home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, although she may raise the price. The holidays are her biggest selling season by far. Last Christmas, she sold a record 324 cheesecakes in one week.

No matter how you slice it, Anamarie’s cheesecake side hustle is a big success.

 

 

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
"You can’t be afraid to take a risk. If you’re too afraid or are waiting for the right minute, it’s never going to be the right time. You never know what might come of your actions now."
—Anamaria Morales #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

Aerospace Apprentice Soars to Seven-Figure Sales Heights

What It’s About

A UK man goes from eBay to his own seven-figure e-commerce shop.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Ed encourages anyone looking to start a side hustle to look into e-commerce. He says that it has never been easier to break into than it is now with such an abundance of free guidance online from various sources.

And once you start, he says that you should test your ideas. Push harder on the ones that work, and drop the ones that don’t!

Fun Fact

Having perfected a process that easily scales, Ed likes to help other brands who are starting out and need to keep their production costs down, by offering his advice and warehouse services at a lower rate than many of the larger services.

As he put it, it’s important for him to give back to the industry that helped him realize his own dream of working for himself before he was 30.

Notes from Chris

Episode 971

Many people dream of working in the aerospace industry—if you aren’t in the clouds, traveling to your next destination, the next best thing might just be creating the machines that get us there. But for Ed Snelson, who landed an apprenticeship at Airbus UK with a year left at university, flying dreams were simply not enough.

Ed had also participated in a UK program called The Young Enterprise scheme, which aims to teach young people the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and career advancement through real-life practice.

After learning what could be possible, Ed knew that he would work for himself one day.

From his childhood bedroom at his parents’ house, after he spent 8-10 hours during the day at his apprenticeship, he would come home and spend 1-2 hours a night learning everything he could about selling online. He soon decided that the easiest way to enter the e-commerce space would be to start selling products on eBay.

But what was he going to sell?

He noticed that many sellers on eBay were listing items they found around the house, at flea markets, or shopping vintage thrift stores. Since Ed was already working a demanding full-time job, he didn’t have the time to source items from so many places. Instead, he focused on a market that was mostly for hobbyists and small businesses.

He began selling printed t-shirts, which he designed, with a unique twist. The shirts included funny one-liners and engaging sayings that could be personalized for the purchaser, by adding their name or a distinguishing feature. This made his inventory immediately more interesting than the bulk purchased graphic tees.

At first, he sold them individually off his personal eBay account, and he even surprised himself when he made sales on Day One.

Within a few months, he knew he was on to something. As demand grew, so did his confidence to invest a few hundred dollars into branding an official eBay store. This gave him a more professional look, in a sea of other sellers doing something similar, which boosted sales even further and allowed him to reinvest more.

He also realized that he was missing out on a large part of the potential profit by paying screen printers so much since each personalized item had to be custom produced.

Once he was able to put all his attention on his eBay store, his monthly revenues increased from a few thousand dollars a month to up to $10,000 per month. He was able to offer more designs, produce larger orders with a faster turnaround, and reply to queries more quickly. It was all the same work he had been doing before, he just had more time to do more of it.

In 2017, he won an eBay Business of the Year award after growing at a rate of 20-45% per month. By mid-2019, he had cleared £1.4 million pounds, with a forecast to sell £2.1 million pounds in 2020. That’s $2.5 million dollars!

As he’s continued to grow in sales, the business basics have remained the same. Providing high-quality personalized apparel and gifts to customers who want something a bit more special than generalized bulk items.

Having perfected a process that scales, he also likes to help other brands who are starting out and need to keep their production costs down. He does this by offering advice and warehouse services at a lower rate than many of the larger services do. It is important for him to give back to the industry that helped him realize his own dream of working for himself.

This former aerospace apprentice has come a long way from selling t-shirts in his childhood bedroom.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Signature Printing UK: Learn more about this highly successful retail side hustle over on Ed’s website!
  • Young Enterprise & Young Money: The U.K. program called The Young Enterprise scheme, which aims to teach young people the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and career advancement through real-life practice

 

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
"It was difficult working almost non-stop, but what encouraged me was knowing that I was pushing towards a place where I could quit my day job and turn my side hustle into a full-time role. The motivation for me was always to be my own boss, and have the freedom to make my own choices … I hated clocking in and out!"
—Ed Snelson #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

Military Spouse Finds Joy in Punny Greeting Cards

What It’s About

Long-distance romance leads a Texas transplant to the pun-damentals of side hustling.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Editors are almost always on the hunt for new content, and you can use that to your advantage. By pitching your story to different publications, “you can receive free press!” This technique has lead Angelica to be published in BRIDES and Business Insider!

Fun Fact

Puns, which are also called “paranomasias”, have been traced as far back as Ancient Egypt. They were often used in myths and the interpretation of dreams. Who said Side Hustle School wasn’t educational?!

Notes from Chris

Episode 970
Angelica and Nick Hanley met, like many millennials do, on a dating app. As a lover of puns, Angelica likes to say that her husband swiped her off her feet. The two instantly hit it off, and they started texting and FaceTiming on the daily.

But there was only one problem: although their connection to each other was powerful, their WiFi connection needed to be even stronger. You see, Angelica lived in Maryland, and Nick was stationed in Japan as a Navy pilot.

As the months went by, the couple was still going strong. Angelica even flew out to Japan to have their first official date.

But though they were head over heels for one another, the distance was, understandably, still very hard. That’s when Angelica started sending Nick puns in their texts back and forth to each other. It made the distance seem shorter and kept them happy and laughing, rather than focusing on how far apart they were.

They kept up their “punning around” for two years. Whenever they got to spend time together in person, Angelica continued the punny antics by taking pictures of Nick and adding pun-derful captions to them. She posted them online, and her family and friends soon began to encourage the double entendres.

A few years after they met, Nick moved back to the United States to continue his service in Corpus Christi, Texas. Finally in the same country, Angelica decided to move down south and away from her bustling, East Coast life.

Although she was happy to be with Nick, life wasn’t suddenly perfect. For the first time, Angelica had to get used to being away from her family and her big-city life. Without the abundance of hobbies and social circles that she was used to, she began to feel isolated and alone.

And the need to dig herself out of this hole is where our story picks up. Angelica was searching for a way to bring joy into her life—and because of Nick’s job, she wanted to make sure that whatever it was, she could take with her regardless of distance.

Then she thought back to the way that she created joy the last time distance was weighing her down: with puns, of course! She remembered how much her friends and family enjoyed her wordplay. Suddenly, Angelica realized that she may actually be able to sell her ideas in the form of punny greeting cards.

In the summer of 2017, she got to work on her first few designs and decided to post them on an Etsy shop called ACouplePuns. The cards featured sketches of Lady Gaga saying, “Baby you were born this day,” and two dinosaurs kissing decked out in wedding garb above “You make a dino-mite couple.”

Between buying inventory and the Etsy membership, her startup costs were only about $50. But what she was saving in money, Angelica invested in time. She committed to working on her new project consistently. It was a great source of creativity and joy in her life, and she wanted to make sure that she did things right.

Since then, Angelica has scored a few wholesale deals and is on the hunt for more. The key to her success is to keep updating listings and to consistently refresh the shop. Not only that, but she now releases her cards in batches of twenty, rather than one at a time. She makes the color schemes consistent so they look more appealing on the shelves and on her website.

Some of her most popular cards to date are “I’m so excited I almost wet my plants” with a photo of plants, a “pumped for you” breast pump card for new moms, and a “Thanks a watt” card with a lightbulb on the front.

Two years later, this self-proclaimed entrePUN-neur is making anywhere from $300-$500 a week from her hustle. To this day, she is still based on Etsy and uses their Pattern platform. Although her original goal was to sell 50 cards, Angelica has now sold over 2,500 punderful cards and counting.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • A Couple Puns: Pun around with Angelica’s full lineup over on her website!

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
"Consistency is key! Ask for help when you need it, be aware of what you don’t know, and accept that things don’t have to be perfect to get started."
—Angelica Hanley #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

Art Student Turns Creative Process Into Thriving Business

What It’s About

A dye in the wool side hustle that brings new color to an art student’s life.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Mental health affects your whole life whether you want it to or not.

You can’t say, “I struggle with an anxiety disorder, but not during my work day.” Or “I have panic attacks, but I just run to the bathroom and hide for a while, and then it’s okay.” And if you don’t deal with the root problem, you’ll always be fixing situational issues that don’t end up bringing you real resolution. So, no matter whatever else is going on, make sure that you’re taking care of you!

Fun Fact

One of the dyes Lydia uses extracts pigment from red onion skins she collects from local farmers to create a pinky-red hue. But you see, Lydia is a bit of a color magician! If she adds a small amount of iron to it, that pinky-red hue transforms to an olive green. Abra-ca-dye-bra, right?! Okay, okay, even we know that was bad…

Notes from Chris

Episode 969
While attending The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Lydia Crespo took a class on natural dyes thinking it would add a skill to her portfolio. Little did she know, it would become her specialty. The first time Lydia experienced the dye process, her hands understood just how to use them. It felt like an extension of herself. Her interest increased even more when she learned the chemistry behind the art.

Lydia kept playing with dye formulas in her spare time and made many silk scarves in the process. Her school had a studio sale, so Lydia decided to try selling her scarves so she could make a little money to put back into her art. The scarves SOLD OUT! Lydia realized she might have something here and started a brand called Argaman&Defiance.

Why that name?

Well, it may have been destiny that Lydia works with dyes. Her name literally means “maker of purple cloth”.

When she was learning about making dyes, she tended to produce purple, but purple is considered to be a difficult dye to formulate. This led her to the Hebrew word “argaman”, which refers to the color range of crimson to purple. Defiance is the name of the town where she visited her grandparents and developed her love of nature.

Upon graduation, Lydia received a grant of $1,500 to help her continue in her artistic growth. She used the funds for her startup costs. She purchased a domain name, set up a website, continued her dye and textile education.

In order to grow Argaman&Defiance, Lydia applied to be in many pop-up markets. At first, she was rejected … but she kept applying. She was eventually accepted to the Dose Market in Chicago, where her scarves sold out again!

She then began selling wholesale to boutiques across the country. She traveled to sell at markets in cities where she thought people would buy her products and stayed an extra day to make contact with local boutiques. These efforts led to her first profitable year. Now Argaman&Defiance is in 60 boutiques around the US and Canada!

Being an introvert, Lydia originally thought working on her own was her ideal situation. But she started noticing after attending Chicago meet-ups with other artisan entrepreneurs she felt energized for the coming days. As she puts it, “There is so much failure, decision making, and isolation in entrepreneurship. It was nice to see other women and hear their stories of success and failure. It helped me understand that I am not alone and what I do is worthwhile.”

Two years ago, Lydia moved with her husband to St Louis, where Argaman&Defiance is housed in a local art centre. There she’s able to connect with the other artisans every day. She still gets plenty of alone time, but also finds that her mental health is much better working alongside friends.

One of the newer products Lydia is known for is a cozy sweatshirt with a modern tie dye effect. Lydia cuts, sews and dyes each piece by hand. In the winter of 2019, her cozy sweatshirts sold so well she couldn’t keep them in stock.

Last year Argaman&Defiance grossed $79,000 with a profit of $35,000. Lydia plans to continue making cozy apparel and sharing her art through local workshops. Because it’s now her full-time job, she started a new side hustle writing essays about the creative process.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Argaman&Defiance: Check out Lydia’s full, multi-hued lineup over on her website!
  • Shopify: Lydia used Shopify to set up her site for Argaman&Defiance, and they’re offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!

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
"Ask for help if you need it. There is NO shame in it. I don’t care if it’s emotional help, financial, or just someone to put a price tag on your items before an event. This is not a sprint—make sure you are not running yourself into the ground."
—Lydia Crespo #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