Archives: Podcast

Sports Writer Wins Big Gambling On His Own Book

What It’s About

Sports writer takes a gamble on self-publishing and wins big.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Matt says that to come up with a book idea of your own, ask all your friends and acquaintances to join your personal email list. Then, ask them questions similar to the following; What problems have I helped friends, family and coworkers with? What are your biggest accomplishments in life? What do you pay money to learn?

Fun Fact

There are now over one million books self-published in the US every year. With so many books hitting the virtual shelves of stores like Amazon it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. Which is why most sales go to only a small percentage of the books published.

Notes from Chris

Episode 955
Matt Rudnitsky was working as a writer and editor for a sports blog when he first became interested in gambling. He began placing a few bets as a way of making his favorite sporting events more exciting. He never took it too seriously and lived by the old mantra of “never gamble more than you are willing to lose.”

As a writer himself, Matt was shocked to notice there was very little useful content out there on gambling. Nothing that encouraged people to make informed decisions about how to bet. Most of the information was of low quality, and typically written to promote online gambling websites.

Matt was keen to learn more, and not from someone who had a chance to win big at his expense. That meant scouring Twitter and online message boards for winning advice. After months of research, he decided to put his money to the test.

He took one hundred dollars, gifted to him by his grandma for his birthday, and started to play! As he gained more knowledge and experience, he managed to turn one hundred dollars into ten thousand over the course of two years.

Then, he got cocky! He forgot what he learned and became reckless. Within two months, he had lost it all and was back to zero … let this be a reminder to gamble responsibly, which for many of us means not at all.

With his bankroll bruised and broken, Matt realized something else. He hadn’t been following any real system … in fact he’d actually gotten lucky. He’d been playing for table stakes without earning a seat at the table. It was a crushing blow, but, instead of giving up he decided to double down. But not on gambling, on something else entirely.

He thought about his experience over the last two years, the highs and the lows. When recounting the story to friends they all found it highly entertaining. So, he decided to write a book. It would be part memoir, part education, and all fun. In it, he’d chronicle how he’d won big and lost it all, and what he learned along the way so readers wouldn’t make the same mistakes. Sort of like a self-help book dedicated to gamblers.

For a couple of months he chipped away at the book and, in October 2014, Matt published his tell-all as a 114-page ebook on Amazon.

Two months later, Matt received a royalty check for $1,150.06 and was absolutely shocked. He celebrated back in Prague by drinking too much Pilsner at the bar. Worth it! With that success, his life was never the same. He felt like a real, bonafide writer.

Over the next year, his book earned $6,000 and, within three years he’d netted $14,000 in totally passive profits and sold thousands of copies. Totally by accident!

Which, since inception in 2017 have netted him over six figures in revenue with an average of $5,000 per month.

The only downside is that, like gambling itself, the results are mixed. Sometimes Matt will have big wins in the form of very profitable months, other times, huge losses in the form of no revenue at all.

He’s working to solve this problem by creating an online course outlining his whole process. His hope is that it will bring more consistency to his earnings.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

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

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

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

Quote of the Day
"Distill your book idea into a catchy ‘hook’ and test it on your audience. Find a few places your ideal audience hangs out online and post it there, too. Repeat until one of your ideas strikes an emotional chord."
—Matt Rudnitsky #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.
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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

Accidental Side Hustle Becomes Decorative Family Business

What It’s About

A creative outlet becomes a side hustle for the whole family.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Jessica says that it’s important to take your ego out of the equation when you’re building a side hustle like this. It’s okay to start out creating products that you like and would hang around your house, but after a certain point, your likes need to take the backseat to those of your customers. Listen to what they want, tweak your offerings to accommodate, and success will follow.

Fun Fact

When Woodstock Rustic first began shipping, they didn’t own a postal scale so Jessica would weigh herself, pick up the package to be shipped, and weight herself again in order to get the weight of the package. This stop-gap measure must have worked for a while because no one bought a scale for a long time.

Notes from Chris

Episode 954

Jessica Massey was working as a corporate graphic designer, and her art was being used for a variety of products including cards, calendars, and blankets. Many of her designs were “ghost designs” meaning they were credited to a person the company worked with who had name recognition or a large social media following. After years of walking into big box stores and seeing her designs being sold under someone else’s name, she wanted a change. Once she had a baby, Jessica left her job and began freelancing.

Outside the freelance work, she was also looking for a creative outlet, and a way to make a little extra money on the side. Woodstock Rustic was the outcome—a home decor brand that tapped into the decorating zeitgeist that favors the wood pallet aesthetic.

There was no business plan, just a way to have some fun and make money—the true definition of a side hustle! Woodstock Rustic started out in that most mythical setting for American success stories, the garage, surrounded by yard equipment and not-so-rustic garbage cans.

For her first commercial outing, Jessica took her designs to an art show and made $2,500 in a single weekend. Giddy with early success, she set up an Etsy account for the pieces that hadn’t sold. This proved to be far less successful. That account only saw a sale or two over a six month period. Before throwing in the towel, Jessica decided to give Etsy one last go.

She did some research and learned that she’d made every mistake possible when setting up her page. Jessica discovered the importance of social media marketing and SEO—especially how impactful keywords and titles can be.

For example, Woodstock Rustic sells a lot of gift items, and one of their biggest product lines is sympathy or memorial gifts. Prior to this point, Jessica hadn’t really taken into account how customers might end up landing on her page when they started their search in Google or Etsy.

In the beginning, she might have named something “Butterfly Gift Box”—when she’d actually rank much higher if they called it a “Sympathy Gift Box” and just let potential customers see for themselves that the theme was butterflies. No one was searching for “butterfly” specifically, they were entering “sympathy” into the search bar.

After a few small adjustments, orders really started rolling in. It seemed like such a simple fix, but it made a major difference.

Woodstock Rustic now offers a range of home decor items including wall decor, plant containers, and kid’s room decor that can be purchased through the company’s stand-alone website. Jessica still sells on Etsy where she has more than 4,000 sales, but wanted her own site that would be free of some of the constraints imposed by the platform.

The business is now so successful that there never seem to be enough hours in the day. Luckily, the team members that Jessica has brought together all bring a unique skill, whether it’s marketing, customer service, production management, carpentry, or accounting. It’s the way these skills come together to form a complete picture that creates the overall Woodstock story.

Although their beginnings were humble, with just $1,000 in startup costs Woodstock Rustic now has an annual profit in the low six figures almost four years later. Not a bad return on investment for this homegrown family business!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

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

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

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

Quote of the Day
"If possible, start small rather than jumping in head first. We started by renting a booth at an art show (which felt like a huge undertaking at the time), and we learned SO much from it. Just hearing feedback from the general public was priceless."
—Jessica Massey #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: Health Coaches May Need to Be Certified

Notes from Chris

Episode 953

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

We’ve just finished week 32 of Season III! This week, we featured a Nashville Lyft driver who earns an extra $1,000/month storing luggage for her passengers, a travel blogger who focuses on content for travelers with Type 1 Diabetes, a story detailing how couples counseling money leads to an international whisky brand, and more.

This week, we’ll chat about my recent conversation with CBS This Morning, and I’ll give you my opinion on why health coaches may need to be certified. But it’s not just “what I think” so much as it is “here’s something to be aware of” if you’re in the field of health coaching, broadly speaking.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to learn more on this topic and to hear from a side hustler we featured in our second year!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW:

Today, we have an update from Andrew Tarvin who was featured on the show in Ep. 364.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to hear from Andrew!

You can also check out his website, Humor That Works!

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. 947 – A British fashionista turns £20 into £2,000/month flipping her vintage thread finds online
  • Ep. 948 – This Lyft driver hated seeing her customers cart their luggage all over Nashville. It looked exhausting… and like a great opportunity to cash in on the tourism market
  • Ep. 949 – A couple’s travel blog becomes a resource for other travelers with type 1 diabetes
  • Ep. 950 – Fed up with a lack of vegan options in New Jersey, two women help plant-based food festivals take root in the Garden State
  • Ep. 951 – A casting producer for NBC’s “The Voice” curates indie concerts on the side to create experiences and profits
  • Ep. 952 – A graphic designer falls in love with scotch—building an international whisky brand with money she’d originally saved for couples counseling

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:

  • Tired of seeing others get credit for her designs, a Georgia graphic designer turns her talents into a business that now employs her whole family
  • When a sports blogger creates an accidental success story, he becomes an independent publisher helping people write winning books of their own
  • 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
"For lots of businesses, the regulation in the U.S. is very simple. But for projects in the wellness world, it may not be. Be sure to scope out local rules and regulations!"
—#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

“Not Your Grandfather’s Scotch”: American Woman Starts Global Whisky Brand

What It’s About

When one door closes, this designer heads to the liquor store…

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Here are some great words of wisdom from Carin:

“If you are working your full-time job like I was doing, then write down how much money you think you will need to get going, including your salary. Write that number down. And then triple it. Don’t quit your day job until you have that in savings so that you can really move forward full force with your business when you are ready.”

Fun Fact

SIA means the number 6 in Scottish Gaelic, which just so happens to be both Carin’s favorite number and her birthday. She liked that it’s short and easy to say too because a lot of Scotch names are very intimidating to people.

Notes from Chris

Episode 952

Creative Director and Graphic Designer Carin Luna-Ostaseski was fresh out of a breakup when a friend introduced her to the next love of her life: Scotch Whisky. After years of tossing back uninspiring gin and tonics, it was truly love at first sip.

Carin had previously set aside money for weekly couples counseling, but after that door closed, the money was burning a hole in her pocket. Fortunately, where one door closes, another one opens … and that open door just happened to be a whisky shop conveniently located right next door to her workplace.

Thus began a new kind of therapy session. Every Friday, she’d walk in and buy two or three beautiful, expensive bottles of Scotch. As any therapist would tell you, hobbies are a healthy and productive way to deal with a breakup—and what’s building a collection if not a hobby?

After a while, Carin says she became quite the connoisseur, with 300 glistening bottles of Scotch lining her shelves. There was something exciting about trying out a new bottle—taking the time to note the subtle differences and flavors—and sharing them with others.

But she quickly discovered that her love of good Scotch was not as universal as she thought. To Carin, the superior nature of Scotch whisky was as clear as the golden Scotch in her tumbler, but she found that most people in her age group did not share her opinion. They told her that Scotch was their grandfather’s drink, or that it tasted like gasoline and burnt their nostrils.

Shocked by the reactions of her peers, Carin was determined to bring a love of Scotch to a younger demographic. The question, though, was “How?”

Her work as a Creative Director was incredibly demanding. Also, she already had a side hustle as a freelance graphic designer. Carin’s schedule was almost as airtight as an aging cask! But true love conquers all—even the busiest of work schedules.

After tossing around the idea for a bit, she decided that the best course of action was to host tastings. Her first event drew a pretty great crowd but after being billed as a “Scotch Tasting,” Carin found that it drew people who already liked Scotch, which wasn’t her goal.

She soon discovered that people were ready for a new whisky, one that would completely change the way people think about Scotch. A whisky that is affordable, accessible, and of course, delicious.

And Carin needed something new too. Day after day, she was stuck behind a computer desk making designs so that people could stare at their phones all day. She wanted to be the woman to bring this new whisky to the table—or, you know, the bar.

Just a few months after launching SIA Scotch, Carin left her job to focus on her side hustle full-time. She realized that this new venture wasn’t something that she could do halfway—but she also says that starting it before leaving her job gave her the confidence to move forward.

Today, the SIA Scotch brand continues to grow. After selling a few hundred cases in year one, the brand has grown at least 20-30% each year. In the past twelve months, Carin’s one time hustle has seen a massive jump in growth of over 150%.

Carin is working every day to share her love of scotch and make SIA the world’s favorite Scotch whisky. And to think … it all started from a breakup.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • SIA Scotch: Drink up more about this intoxicating side hustle over on Carin’s website!
  • WordPress: Carin used WordPress to set up her site, and here you can learn how to install your own WordPress site in 5 minutes

 

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
"When you work for a company, sometimes you get beaten down and sometimes you think it’s your identity—that this is just what you do. But when you start a side hustle, you do everything. That part is empowering, it shows you that you’re not just what you thought you were."
—Carin Luna-Ostaseski #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

Upstart Producer Turns Nostalgic Concerts Into Modern Money

What It’s About

A casting director for The Voice drops the mic on tribute style concerts.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

An event has at least one big difference from other business models: a fixed deadline that comes with other unchangeable variables. If no one signs up for your online course on ballroom dancing, you can try again later. But if no one shows up at a physical venue you’ve booked, you have a bigger problem.

Therefore, PR is essential. You absolutely must have a clear plan for how you will attract people to your event. This should include an easy way for them to sign up (and pay in advance whenever possible) so that you know what to count on.

Fun Fact

Turns out, whether it’s rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, hip-hop or classical, your gray matter prefers the same music you do. For a while, researchers believed that classical music increased brain activity and made its listeners smarter, a phenomenon called “the Mozart effect.”

In recent studies, however, they’ve found that people with dementia respond better to the music they grew up listening to. If you play someone’s favorite music, different parts of the brain light up—that means memories associated with music are emotional memories, which never fade out—even in Alzheimer’s patients. [SOURCE]

Notes from Chris

Episode 951

Lamont Leak has always loved music—but his first musical side hustle did not love him. After saving nearly $1,000 from two summer jobs, a then-fifteen-year-old Lamont hosted his first event, a party for high schoolers in his hometown of Detroit. He rented the venue, got the DJ, promoted the event like crazy—and it was a flop.

He was devastated—all of his money and his hard work were for nothing. Fortunately, he kept the faith and the devastation wore off after about a week. Then he reassessed his plan for the next attempt.

This time, Lamont built rapport with his vendors so he didn’t have to pay anything upfront, he found a venue at half the price in a prime location, and he picked a better day to hold the event. The lessons he’d learned paid off well—his event sold out and earned him over $3,500. Not bad at all for a teenager.

Fast forward several years to 2016. After living in Atlanta for a while, Lamont was now based in Los Angeles to pursue his dreams in the entertainment business.

He got a job as a production assistant in Hollywood, which he says is just about the lowest job you can have. Basically, you do whatever the producers, crew, or artists need. It was tough work with long hours.

But, Lamont kept a good attitude! His work ethic and bright personality helped him advance. After a while, he was getting PA jobs with higher-profile events like the Oscars, and then with higher-profile TV shows.

But he was also looking for a side hustle. Not only did he need to supplement his income, he was looking for a creative outlet. While living in Atlanta, he had hosted music showcases for up and coming artists because he loved giving artists a performance platform. The showcases were also a great way for him to connect and build relationships in the city, in addition to the income they brought in.

So with those experiences in mind, Lamont decided to host showcases once again—and soon The Live Playlist was born.

Lamont knew that Los Angeles was much more competitive than Atlanta. But that was okay because he had an idea. He decided that The Live Playlist would a showcase with a nostalgic twist. So how does it work?

Specifically, it’s a series of unique, immersive experiences that breed culture and creativity with Music and Art. The events are nostalgic music experiences that feature up and coming artists reimagining and performing music from well-known (often legendary) artists.

One show, I LOVE THE OLD KANYE, featured performances of Kanye West’s top hits and another recent event, the SOUL SESSIONS brunch, featured a live music tribute to R&B legends Usher and Brandy.

All of Lamont’s work has paid off well. He’s now bringing in a steady $4,000 per month in profit—a beautiful sound to anyone’s ears!

Lamont says he can’t imagine ever giving up his side hustle, even when the hours are long. He also said that while he enjoys his job, it’s his side hustle that keeps him going. The Live Playlist allows him to express his skills and creativity without limitations. And, for him, that is more valuable than money.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • The Live Playlist: Follow the beat—head on over to Lamont’s website to learn more about this nostalgic side hustle!

 

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
"My side hustle is honestly what keeps me going. While I enjoy my day job, my side hustle allows me to express my skills and creativity without limitations."
—Lamont Leak #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

Vegan Food Lovers Sprout Plant-Based Festivals

What It’s About

Vegan food events become a big dill in the Garden State.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Kendra and Marisa spent hours listening to people’s insights regarding what they didn’t like about their event. And Kendra said that listening to this feedback and making changes based on what they had to say has made their events so much better.

As Kendra put it, “It turns out that people who are taking the time to complain have good ideas, you just have to take the time to really listen. It really pains me when I see other businesses deleting comments or having kneejerk reactions because I think they are missing out on some really amazing feedback.”

Fun Fact

The number of U.S. consumers identifying as vegan grew from 1% to 6% between 2014 and 2017, a 600% increase, according to GlobalData. That’s still a pretty small portion of the total, but other data reveal a growing interest in plant-based foods by consumers who don’t consider themselves vegetarian or vegan.

Sales of plant-based alternatives to animal-based foods including meat, cheese, milk, and eggs grew 17% over the past year, while overall U.S. food sales rose only 2%, according to data from Nielsen and the Good Food Institute. The market for such foods totaled more than $3.7 billion. [Source]

Notes from Chris

Episode 950

When New Jersey native Kendra Arnold switched over to a vegan lifestyle in the early 2000s, it became painfully obvious that food options for her new diet were rather scarce. Together with her vegan spouse, she began to host Meatless Monday bike rides with her group of omnivore-inclined friends, hitting up the downtown area in pursuit of falafel and hummus. But beyond that, there was little else that made eating exciting. Food had become sustenance, and nothing more…

But all of that changed one day thanks to a single Facebook post.

Another friend of Kendra’s had just attended a vegan food festival, and posted about her adventures on Facebook. For Kendra, it was the answer to her tempeh-fueled prayers.

She set off to see what it was all about. On the way there, though, serendipity struck! She ran into Marisa Sweeney—one of the only other vegans she knew—and fielded the idea of putting together a vegan festival. Marisa was on board—the only question she had was whether it should be for the town or the whole county.

Kendra, on the other hand, was thinking much bigger than that—she envisaged a festival large enough for the entire state that would give restaurants and shops an opportunity to test out the demand for vegan food. Both Kendra and Marisa had some experience running nonprofit events, so they put their skills to work and began sourcing potential venues and vendors.

That festival, VegFest, was announced in 2015—and Kendra and Marisa spent the next year and a half getting the word out via non-profit organizations, Facebook groups, and restaurants. And, in the midst of their marketing efforts, they discovered that there were a whole lot of people out there keen to be part of what they were putting together!

At the very least, it certainly proved that people were willing to eat plant-based foods on days other than Monday.

Building on the community that had sprouted up overnight following the festival, Kendra and Marisa started to organize other events. They stepped up their social media marketing efforts and started sending out more postcards. Simple though it may seem, the postcards proved to be so effective that the team still sends them out today.

These days, Kendra and Marisa throw roughly seven vegan-themed festivals on an annual basis, with their biggest events bringing in up to 7,000 attendees and boasting over 100-150 vendors!

Moving forward, Sprout Everywhere Events have been consulting with more vegan food festivals around the country and are starting to branch out to other events too. Kendra isn’t just content with merely growing a business—she wants to grow a movement as well.

 

  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Sprout Everywhere Events: Learn more about this growing side hustle over on Kendra and Marisa’s website!
  • WordPress: Kendra and Marisa used WordPress to set up their site, and here you can learn how to install your own WordPress site in 5 minutes

 

SHS EPISODES 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
"If there’s too much noise, plan the event that you want to go to and ignore everything else."
—Kendra Arnold & Marisa Sweeney #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

Type 1 Diabetes Doesn’t Stop This Nomadic Blogger

What It’s About

A traveling couple helps people living with Type 1 Diabetes see the world.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

There are a lot of travel bloggers out there, but there are still opportunities to get started. In order to be successful though, you have to ask yourself what you can bring to the conversation that isn’t already being discussed. Whenever possible, niche down and find new ways to share content!

Fun Fact

At least 1.25 million Americans are living with T1D, including about 200,000 youth (less than 20 years old)

New research is exploring possible cures for Type 1 diabetes, like an artificial pancreas system to monitor and automate blood sugar control in the body.

Notes from Chris

Episode 949
It would seem that no matter where you look online these days, there’s another travel blog. But does that mean that there are no longer any opportunities for those looking to monetize their overseas adventures?

Well, as college students Bradley Williams and Cazzy Magennis discovered, it’s still possible, but if you want to stand out, you need to focus your efforts.

Cazzy had always dreamed of traveling the world, and she started saving up for grand adventures from an early age. But that dream came to a halt when she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

For those not familiar with the condition, Type 1 Diabetes is not preventable, and there is no known cure. It’s a condition that must be constantly and carefully managed with insulin—either via injections or an insulin pump. Diabetics measure their blood-sugar levels throughout the day with finger pricks or by wearing a continuous glucose monitor. On top of all that, if insulin gets too hot, or if it freezes, it becomes ineffective—adding another complication when traveling.

Having hoped for a carefree, vagabond life, Cazzy was devastated.

But she also wasn’t interested in letting that diagnosis become her only reality. Three months later, Cazzy set off—insulin pump in hand—to see the world. It wasn’t always easy, but she found ways to make do even in countries like Bangladesh and Thailand where there was little Diabetes care. Nothing was going to keep her from hanging out with elephants!

Over the years, she learned a lot about Type 1 diabetes and the impact it had on her travels. And somewhere along the way, it occurred to her that this was valuable information that she could share with others. So, when she and her boyfriend Bradley graduated from University with a four-month backpacking stint to South America on the horizon, they decided that it was time to make a leap.

With less than £500 [$650], they launched a website and called their new project Dream Big, Travel Far. And instead of creating an all-purpose travel blog, they opted to focus on giving others with Type 1 Diabetes the tools they needed to meet their travel goals—without compromising their health.

In between Amazon riverboat cruises and trekking through National Parks, Cazzy and Bradley published their advice on taking medication and syringes through TSA, traveling to high altitudes, and even location-specific “What to do in case of emergencies” guides. The latter of these was especially important because following a night with her sister at a bar in Thailand, Cazzy knew all too well how easy it is for someone to mistake a glucose monitor for a cell phone and walk off with it.

Although slow to grow, their hustle eventually did pay off! They centered themselves as authorities for travelers with Type 1 Diabetes, and Dream Big, Travel Far currently gets more than 100,000 page views per month and brings in about £3,000 (or $3,700 USD) in profit each month as well. It’s even been successful enough for them to quit freelancing entirely and sustain their travels.

This adventurous couple now has lofty goals to triple their blog traffic this year and find new ways to continue growing their incomes. Eventually, they’d love to hire a Virtual Assistant to cover tasks like email and social media so they can focus on what they do best—namely, getting traffic through Google.

Meanwhile, they’re making their way from Ireland to Indonesia. It just goes to show that a diagnosis can’t stop you from dreaming big and traveling far.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Dream Big, Travel Far: Dream big, travel far, and learn more about this adventurous side hustle over on Brad and Cazzy’s website!

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

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
"Having a side hustle has been very beneficial for my mental happiness. I really struggle turning my mind off and, whenever alone with my thoughts, I always think up new business ideas. Having a successful travel blog gives me a place to channel all of these ideas into something worthwhile and productive."
—Bradley Williams #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

Lyft Driver Bags Luggage Storage Hustle For Tourists

What It’s About

A Nashville rideshare driver takes the stress out of travel.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

I love simple projects! A simple business idea, well-executed, can be much more interesting than a grand vision that never gets implemented because it’s too complicated or for whatever reason.

So, here’s a challenge for you: as you go through your day, identity some kind of service you could provide. There is an opportunity somewhere!

Fun Fact

Cecilia bought a domain and created a Facebook page in just ten minutes when she got the idea for Music City Luggage Lockers, demonstrating that, to be successful, you don’t have to do it perfectly… you just have to do it.

Notes from Chris

Episode 948
Cecilia Ebrahimi is always on the lookout for new, interesting ways to earn money. She owned a recording studio for her own music. She started a women-only rideshare service. She bought a giant touch screen mirror for photo booth pictures at events. And during her free time, she drove for Lyft.

Driving people around was fun. She loved meeting tourists that were eager to explore Nashville. She’d listen to their stories, and offer suggestions on where to eat and what to see.

Along the way, she kept noticing something: many of those Lyft customers would carry their luggage all over town while they were sight-seeing. It looked exhausting. Surely they’d rather not have to lug all their belongings around.

One day, she got to talking to two passengers about it. They said they’d be willing to pay $5 per hour for someone to store their luggage for them in-between hotels, flights, or sight-seeing journeys.

The idea seemed ripe for a side hustle—and it was going to be an easy one to test out. Cecilia knew it was a widely-experienced problem. She already drove for Lyft and could manage picking up and delivering luggage. She already had an extra room in her music studio for storage. All she needed was … her first customer.

She dropped those passengers off at their location, pulled over to the side of the road, and immediately bought a domain for Music City Luggage Lockers. It cost her $10. She also claimed a Facebook page for the business. All-in-all, it took about ten minutes.

The $5 per hour storage fee turned out to be fairly lucrative. And along with optional pickup, drop off, and airport trip fees ($20-25 each), she earned more than $200 that first month with only a few hours of work and a handful of phone calls.

The key wasn’t just that Music City Luggage Lockers existed as a service, but that Cecilia bent over backward for her customers. She loved helping people, sometimes even if the pickups were inconvenient. And as a result, her 5-star ratings began to soar on her Facebook page, as well as a new Yelp profile she’d made. That September she had her first $1,000 month. This is certainly a side hustle that’s locked in!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

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

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

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

Quote of the Day
"When I started the service, I just wanted to help people. I started bending over backwards for them, getting amazing reviews, and it’s just taken off from there."
—Cecilia Ebrahimi #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

Trade-Up! Fashionable Flipped Threads Lead to Fabulous Profits

What It’s About

A love of vintage leads to a modern hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

For those looking to embrace their love of vintage clothing like Rachael, you’re in luck! She has a few recommendations for you. Mainly:

Listen to the right advice, focus on specific keywords to help you rank highly in Google, and finally, don’t dwell on mistakes or wish that you could have done something differently.

Fun Fact

Rachael and her mother are both obsessed with keeping plants, so they opened their own mother/daughter online plant shop called Wild Ivy Plants. Last year, their shop was chosen to be the spider plant supplier for National Clean Air Day in the UK, and they ended up shipping out over 300 plants!

Notes from Chris

Episode 947

From a young age, Rachael Sadler of Birmingham, England has had a love affair with fashion. But while many of her peers headed to popular box stores to spend their hard-earned allowance, Rachael set her sights on something a bit more… old school. It wasn’t just the thrill of the hunt that had her hopping from thrift store to vintage hideaway—it was a desire to find something that was uniquely hers. She had a personality that stood out, and she wanted her wardrobe to reflect that!

When she went off to University, she studied fashion design (naturally). After she graduated, Rachael opted to take a year off to travel the world with her boyfriend. When they found their way back home after months of camping, they were broke. She knew that she should be looking for a full-time job, but Rachael took the last £20 ($25.02) to her name and indulged in a little retail therapy.

And that’s where our story begins—with £20 ($25.02) and a pastel-colored zebra print jacket which Rachael assures us was much cooler than it sounds.

When she got home, she asked her mom to take a photo of her wearing her funky new find. Then she recalled something her sister had said to her in passing about an online platform called ASOS Marketplace. It was a fashion website that provided a platform for small boutiques to sell their own label or vintage collections without the need of opening a brick and mortar establishment. Since the steep overheads were pretty much the only thing keeping her from opening her own vintage storefront, she jumped at the opportunity to sign up as a seller.

She named her new shop Ada’s Attic Vintage. But she wasn’t relying on the shop to pay the bills just yet—this was a side hustle after all. She worked a few waitressing gigs before finally scoring a job designing window displays for a large clothing brand. And when she wasn’t artistically posing mannequins, she was scouring her local thrift shops in pursuit of more promising items to flip.

Now, a little over six years later, a lot has changed for both Rachael and Ava’s Attic Vintage. She launched her own website using Shopify in addition to her Etsy shop, and she’s expanded her offerings to include personal and group shopping tours in Birmingham, London, and Nottingham through Eventbrite and Airbnb. That’s right! Starting around £45 – 65 a pop, you can scour the racks with Rachael and even get some expert advice on your look.

She also waved goodbye to her position as a window display designer! Although she’d enjoyed it, she started to feel like a square peg in a round hole. After three years, she cut her hours back, and then quit entirely to focus more of her efforts on Ava’s Attic Vintage.

These days, Rachael brings in anywhere from £2,000 – 3,000 ($2501.80 – 3752.70) a month!

Moving forward, Rachael is looking to grow her vintage shop. She’s also eager to expand her vintage shopping tours and start designing her own pieces to make available for purchase. No matter what Rachael ends up doing, we’re pretty sure she’ll do it with style!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Ada’s Attic Vintage: Check out Rachael’s current offerings over on her website!
  • ASOS Marketplace: The platform that Rachael originally got Ada’s Attic Vintage started on before setting out on her own
  • Shopify: Rachael used Shopify to set up her site for Ada’s Attic Vintage, 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
"Building a side hustle takes time, work, and a lot of dedication, but if you are willing and excited to do all that then you will enjoy the journey along the way."
—Rachael Sadler #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: Warren Buffet’s “Five Goals” Rule

Notes from Chris

Episode 946

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

We’ve just finished week 31 of Season III! This week, we featured a Toronto powerlifter who bakes custom cakes, a Texas couple who turn test scores into treasure, and my favorite: a Reddit “Secret Santa” who delivers a sack full of adventure.

It’s also a new month!

Warren Buffet’s “Five Goals” Rule…

This week I’ve been thinking a lot about an apocryphal story attributed to Warren Buffet.

The short version is that he suggests you make a list of your top 25 goals, then select your top 5. From there, instead of merely “prioritizing” your top 5 and working on the others whenever you can—an approach that seems logical, and what many of us would do—you consider the 20 to be the enemy of the 5.

In other words, according to this theory you should focus ONLY on your top 5 goals, ignoring all the others even if they seem like good ideas.

The 5 Goals strategy is a reminder that it’s not what you do, it’s what’s you don’t do, that drives your productivity and performance.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to learn more on this topic and to hear from a side hustler we featured in our second year!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW:

Today, we have an update from Reena Goodwin who was featured on the show in Ep. 313.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to hear from Reena!

You can also check out her website, FACTEUR PR!

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. 940 – A couple’s love for helping students succeed turns into a profitable consulting firm
  • Ep. 941 – A science and technology consultant becomes a successful sports, motorsports, and luxury lifestyle artist
  • Ep. 942 – When two identical twins start self-publishing ebooks, they build an $8,000/month income stream while traveling to twelve countries
  • Ep. 943 – After creating an unforgettable scavenger hunt for an anonymous Redditor, an account manager stumbles across his own buried treasure
  • Ep. 944 – A Toronto startup employee (and powerlifter!) ices her way into a sweet, profitable side hustle that bakes up an extra $600 per month
  • Ep. 945 – Long before Upwork and Fiverr, this marketer knew that outsourcing was the way to go—and he went all the way to the Philippines to make it happen

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:

  • Fed up with a lack of vegan options in New Jersey, two women help plant-based food festivals take root in the Garden State
  • A graphic designer falls in love with scotch—building an international whisky brand with money she’d originally saved for couples counseling
  • 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
"Make a list of your top 25 goals, then identify which 5 are the most important to you. Everything else is the “avoid at all costs” list. Give no attention to that list until you’ve achieved the top 5."
—#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