Archives: Podcast

Rustic Wall Hangings Rack Up Worthwhile Profits

What It’s About

Artist goes from part-time to full-time in four months making rustic wall hangings.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Here’s a practical tip: CJ’s price points are determined by three factors: the size and difficulty of each piece, the materials needed, and then her time. You can find standard calculators online (like this one!) to help you determine the wholesale price of handmade goods. She’d then double that wholesale price for retail sales.

Fun Fact

CJ transitioned her part-time hustle into her full-time hustle after only four months into starting it! She ended her remaining financial obligations and as CJ put it, “jumped off the cliff,” so that she would be hyper-focused in making this new business venture work for her.

Notes from Chris

Episode 816
In Spokane, Washington, CJ Morrison runs her own business hand-crafting unique items made from wood. She builds her pieces in her garage—typically wooden wall art, geometric shelving, and tables—then sells them online and through wholesale accounts.

This is now a very successful endeavor, bringing in a full-time income … but, of course, it wasn’t always that way.

Before starting this side hustle, CJ (and her former partner Joe—who have since parted ways on good terms) were working on other projects, including reselling vintage furniture.

While meeting up with people and selling out of her car was fun, it was also unpredictable. CJ craved something more reliable. She also didn’t want to just be a reseller; she wanted to make something.

Drawing on their vintage furniture arbitrage exploits, CJ and Joe started thinking about ways to use their creative capacities to enhance people’s homes. The idea they chose sprang to life after visiting a friend who had a handmade geometric inlay coffee table. Upon seeing that tabletop, and thinking they could pull off something on par with their friend’s table, they bought a couple of saws and converted their one car garage into a wood shop.

They found some reclaimed wood at a lumberyard and got busy designing. Then, they created their first collection of 12 pieces—art hangings, trays, and tabletops.

It’s worth noting that CJ had zero experience with woodworking outside watching her dad work with tools when she was younger. Joe grew up with a father who was a contractor and learned woodworking from him—but he’d never built any furniture or home goods either.

Together, they learned to use some tools as CJ jumped right in with drawing and creating designs. Basically, learning on the fly. Serendipity arrived when a woman who owned a gallery came to buy a set of vintage side tables and noticed CJ’s collection of wooden wall art panels.

This encounter led to their work being displayed at the woman’s gallery. It was key to getting exposure in the very first month of starting Roaming Roots.

Because they both lived and worked together, CJ and Joe were almost never apart. Their relationship didn’t make it through the stressors of a home-based business and the intensity of the schedule. There was a time when they were working 7 days a week, 10 hrs a day to keep up with the demand for their pieces. They eventually went their separate ways and she took over the business completely, doing everything from creating, to shipping, to all the “behind the scenes” technical work.

She also says if she could go back, she would set more healthy boundaries around her schedule, and change how much time they spent together. But she’s also made peace with the breakup and believes they’re both on better paths now than if they’d stayed together.

Ths business is now earning between $2,000 – $8,000 a month depending on the time of year. CJ is learning new techniques to create more forms of art and wood décor.

She eventually plans to return to school to become a licensed counselor. But for now, there’s a new collection of wall hangings and an interview with her local newspaper that require her attention!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Roaming Roots: You don’t have to roam far to find CJ’s goods—check out her full lineup here!

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
"Believing you’re capable of beginning something new is the biggest first step. Action is the second!"
—CJ Morrison #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

Personal Problem Leads to Profitable Project

What It’s About

No-mess peeing produces private productive profits!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Tracy learned that it wasn’t the fashion and celebrity market that loved the peeLUX with the most intensity… it was the people who had to wear shapewear after surgery. These customers were desperate for a solution because it directly affected their health and wellbeing.

With that knowledge, Tracy started reaching out to surgeons and doctors on social media, asking them how they helped their patients tackle the issue of peeing in shapewear. And they responded! It just goes to show you that you should always keep an eye out for new markets and opportunities.

Fun Fact

Did you know that SPANX was originally started as a side hustle as well? Founder Sara Blakely was getting ready for a party when she realized she didn’t have the right undergarment to provide a smooth look under white pants. Armed with scissors and sheer genius, she cut the feet off her control top pantyhose and the SPANX revolution began! With a focus on solving wardrobe woes, the SPANX brand has grown to offer bras, underwear, leggings, active and more and has secured its place in women’s hearts and in pop-culture with daily mentions everywhere from CNN to SNL.

Notes from Chris

Episode 815
Like all of our profiles, Tracy Bech is a side hustler. She’s also a working mom with a job in marketing, and once had an online jewelry store. But we’re not going to talk about jewelry today. We’re going to talk about a more personal problem faced by millions of women who wear shapewear.

Shapewear—for the guys out there or anyone else who’s unfamiliar—are those super-tight undergarments that some women wear after surgeries or just to look more slimming under a fancy dress.

After experiencing her own issues, Tracy looked around online and found comfort in the thousands of women complaining that it was way too easy to make a mess trying to pee while wearing shapewear. The small opening for getting business done just doesn’t work—there had to be a better way.

And there was! One day when Tracy was cooking dinner, she noticed something that looked almost perfect: a kitchen funnel.

Tracy gave it a shot, and sure enough, she left the restroom feeling clean and confident… and then she told her husband that the funnel shouldn’t be used for cooking anymore.

It was obvious, however, that a kitchen funnel wasn’t the best long-term solution. There needed to be an easier and faster, not to mention more portable way for women to relieve themselves while wearing shapewear. And as a side hustler, Tracy wanted to be the one to invent it.

She’d read all about how Sara Blakely of SPANX solved a common problem millions of women experience and became a mega-millionaire (you may have seen her as a shark on Shark Tank), so Tracy figured her idea was worth going after.

She took the problem to her husband, Tyler, who conveniently worked as a professional product designer. They began working on prototypes. It took a few rounds of 3D printing—as well as a handful of awkward conversations—but they finally landed on a design that functioned smoothly just two months later.

While the manufacturer was getting everything set up, Tracy applied as a seller on Amazon and listed her prototypes under the brand name peeLUX. And, a bit to her surprise, they sold organically—without any ads—in just a couple of weeks!

Sixteen months in, the new product brings in just over $1,000 per month—and sales are trending upward. But while the growth is exciting, it’s not the most rewarding part.

Answering the call of nature in shapewear is no longer an anxiety-inducing activity for women across the country—and for Tracy, that’s the greatest prize of all.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • peeLUX: Don’t let tight shapewear get you bent out of shape—pick up a peeLUX of your own over on Tracy’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

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
"To start, try to market a product by building the community around it and involving people in the process who can become evangelists later."
—Tracy Bech #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

Cocktail Lovers Earn Liquid Profits from Boozy Pins

What It’s About

Cocktail pins lead to intoxicating profits for two expats!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Looking at starting an intoxicating side hustle of your own? Well, Brian says that you should study the market and find what people are passionate about. He also says that going super-niche is ok for this kind of side hustle, and we agree!

Fun Fact

When Brian and Gillian made their first sale, they celebrated with drinks, of course! They drank a negroni and an old fashioned, after their first two designs.

Notes from Chris

Episode 814

Five years ago, Brian Burgess decided that he was going to make his wife a Sazerac cocktail, no matter what it took. Although originally from the United States, the two had been living in Barcelona for the better part of a year. Several of the ingredients for the classic New Orleans cocktail, including absinthe and Peychaud’s bitters, were thousands of miles away.

Brian was determined, though. He and Gillian had met in New Orleans during college, and her birthday was coming up. It felt special—so he had to find a way.

After some searching, he managed to scrounge up a bottle of absinthe, the bitters, and of course, the right brand of rye whiskey just in time. The two sat out on their tiny balcony overlooking the city, enjoying their drinks.

Brian says now that he’s not sure if that’s when his love of cocktails began, but if it wasn’t then, it was shortly thereafter.

Over the course of the next four years, cocktails became a meaningful part of their lives. The pair had thought of a couple of side hustles involving drinks in some way—from reselling antique barware to starting their own gin distillery. But then, in March of 2018, they had a new idea. One that would be a lot simpler and cheaper.

They were on a trip to Germany. While perusing the local shops, they found one selling enamel pins. This instantly reminded Brian of one of his old side hustles. Back when he was a graphic designer, he’d created and sold buttons for fun. The buttons ultimately didn’t work out—they weren’t very lucrative—but the pins were a similar concept and could be sold for a lot more.

If he could apply his old skills to this new hustle, it might become an intoxicating profit center. So when they got home, he began researching the pins to see how they were doing in the market. Brian found that they were a hot product and that many buyers were hardcore pin collectors. He saw pictures of bartenders with aprons covered in pins … and that’s when it hit him: he could make cocktail-themed pins.

Six months after stumbling on the idea, they were ready to launch. During those months they spent about $800 on startup costs, including a business license, a PO Box, the material for the pins, and shipping and packaging supplies.

By the time they started selling, they had a second pin and it was mid-October. Although they didn’t realize it at the time, this aligned perfectly with the upcoming holiday shopping season. By late December, they had nearly sold out of all 200 of their initial stock, and they needed to put another order in with their supplier.

Even in these early days, they’ve made at least $500 in profit each month, and they no longer have to put any of their personal funds into the business.

Although making a little extra cash is awesome for Brian, another big advantage of this hustle is that it coincides with some of his bigger goals. He’s still thinking about opening up a gin distillery for a few years. Thanks to Tipsy Per Tutti, he’s building valuable connections with bartenders and suppliers everywhere.

We can all drink to that!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Tipsy Per Tutti: Don’t wait around for “last call”—get your pins over on Brian and Gillian’s website now!

 

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
"The production timeline is pretty quick. So, it’s incredibly rewarding to have an idea, design it, have it manufactured, and be selling it in less than a month."
—Brian & Gillian Burgess #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: What Happens When a Partnership Ends?

Notes from Chris

Episode 813

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

We’ve just finished week 12 of Season III!

This week, we featured a rosary bead hustle, 50 shades of editing romance novels, a series of pizza parlor tours in Chicago, and more.

This episode also comes to you live from Thailand, where I’m working on location for the rest of the week.

In today’s recap: I’ll bring you TWO audio updates from previously featured case studies. Both of them are people who experienced major changes in their side hustle, one of them in the form of a partnership and the other whose hustle needs to close.

What can we take away from these two stories?

WHERE ARE THEY NOW:

Today, we have TWO updates! One from Miraya Berke, who was featured on the show in Ep. 284 and another from Shahan Fancy, who was featured on the show in Ep. 277.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to hear from Miraya and Shahan!

You can also check out Miraya’s website at Dessert Goals and Shahan’s website at Shave Valet.

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. 807 – A stay-at-home mom’s prayers are answered when she begins to earn a full-time income making and selling rosary beads
  • Ep. 808 – A corporate recruiter pursues a steamy side business editing romance novels
  • Ep. 809 – A Chicago food reporter launches weekly pizza tours, showing Windy City visitors that there’s more to life than just deep-dish
  • Ep. 810 – Many of this freelancer’s clients all suffered from the same frustrations. They needed more time and fewer headaches—so she started a project to help them build productive systems
  • Ep. 811 – A Colorado artist utilizes Instagram and wholesale relationships to grow his following and bank account with unique designs. When his first attempt to go full-time ends in frustration, he regroups for a second attempt
  • Ep. 812 – A New Zealander’s artistic side hustle encourages nostalgia while providing extra income and a creative outlet

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:

  • An expat couple captures the spirit of their favorite drinks with punny cocktail pins
  • Thousands of women struggle to pee while wearing shapewear after a surgery. This side hustler and her product designer husband invent a no-mess solution!
  • 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
"A side hustle partnership is like a marriage. If you’re going to separate, it CAN be done well but it will take work and cooperation."
—#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

Photojournalist Crafts Fighter Jet Jewelry to Relive History

What It’s About

A photojournalist takes the stress out of PTSD with a nostalgic side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Martin suggests that you have solid systems in place. For him, this means keeping track of his costs and sales on Excel spreadsheets—he even records cash sales to friends! One of the gallery owners once told him the best artists keep good records and treat their art as a business. It’s important to him to look back over the last five years since he started his business and see where he’s at now.

Fun Fact

The Spitfire was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft. Nearly 60 remain airworthy, and many more are exhibited in aviation museums worldwide.

Notes from Chris

Episode 812

Martin de Ruyter is a visual journalist living in Nelson, New Zealand. This job was formerly called a photojournalist. But like so many careers, the duties have changed, as has the job title. Martin now shoots and edits around 200 videos per year, something he never did much of before.

This kind of documentation can be mentally draining. Martin has covered numerous disasters, including over 100 fatal car crashes and a number of aircraft crashes. At the time we worked on this story, he was in week four of covering a major forest fire (and this is the fourth one this year in New Zealand). As a result of working in journalism and witnessing death and disaster for 35 years, Martin suffers from PTSD.

It’s not surprising, then, that his side hustle is completely different from his day job. After covering disasters all day, Martin looks forward to going home to his happy place. For him, it’s very uplifting to know people love what he produces, and as one of his recent customers said—‘you created a family heirloom!’

So exactly what does Martin create? He makes ‘Spitfire Trench Art.’ The Spitfire is a type of fighter aircraft used by the British Royal Air Force before, during, and after World War II. Trench art, also known as sweetheart pins, is a type of brooch (or a pin worn as jewelry).

In the last 6 months, Martin’s average monthly profit has been around $600 US dollars. Startup costs were minimal because he was given his grandfather’s tools. He purchases the coins he uses in making the jewelry in bulk, through Trademe, the New Zealand version of eBay. Each coin costs less than 25 cents, and the brooches sell on his website for $40.

Martin’s trench art has been worn by some extraordinary and distinguished people. In 2014, the (then) New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, was photographed wearing Spitfire cufflinks at a service commemorating the start of World War I. Martin knew that John had a cufflink collection of over 120 pairs, and enjoyed the personal story behind each pair. Each year while John was Prime Minister, Martin would send a pair of custom made cufflinks for John’s birthday, and get a friend who was one of the PM’s press secretaries to hand deliver them.

In fact, during his time working as a journalist, Martin has met and photographed every New Zealand Prime Minister in the last 35 years.

The digital revolution is another incentive for him, since Martin is unsure what will happen with his day job. In the last 20 years, 80% of the jobs in his workplace are now gone. His business provides him with an income should his visual journalist career become threatened in the future.

Regardless of what that future holds, Martin can continue to fly high with his trench art creations.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Spitfire Trench Art: Don’t let your interest take a nose dive—learn more about Martin’s artwork over on his website!
  • Felt: New Zealand’s online marketplace for handmade goods—another platform that Martin uses to sell his artwork

 

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
"The digital revolution has already been catastrophic for many industries and this isn’t going to change. I think this is the reason everyone should have a side hustle."
—Martin de Ruyter #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

Colorado Artist Quits Job, Goes Back to Work, Then Quits Again

What It’s About

Art Director takes a new direction with his art.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Jimmy recommends that you start small—pick one product design to gauge how people respond to it. If you can get customers in with smaller purchase items such as stickers or hats, you can then bring them into your audience and sell them higher priced items like t-shirts and hoodies.

Fun Fact

Through networking and online exposure, Jimmy has had the opportunity to sell his designs on Nordstrom.com, and create merchandise for bands like Norah Jones, The Grateful Dead, and Counting Crows. And starting later this year, you’ll find some of his designs at REI!

Notes from Chris

Episode 811

Colorado native Jimmy Bryant has been designing and creating art his whole life. When he wasn’t working his 9 to 5 job, you could find him sketching or creating new designs on his computer. His passion for designing unique styles consumed most of his free time.

While working in a construction job in California, he began taking on various freelance projects to fuel his hobby. After doing this off and on for many years, he decided it was time to take the leap and launch himself as a full-time freelancer with his brand, Atomic Child Designs.

He moved back to Colorado and began listing his designs with various sites like Mintees and Red Bubble. On these sites, he was able to get his designs out there and find clients. Jimmy also did several band merchandising gigs where he would design t-shirts and promotional items.

However, life as a freelancer didn’t last long. Jimmy had left his previous job with little money saved and learned early on that he wasn’t prepared for this lifestyle. He decided to go back to working for a company so he could have a steady paycheck again and found a job as an Art Director for an apparel design firm. While there, he continued his art on the side. Jimmy still loved doing it and wasn’t ready to give up on his dream. Having a full-time job took the pressure off of making regular sales from his side hustle, and allowed him more freedom to experiment.

Part of his experimenting happened on Instagram. He started a 365 challenge, where he began posting one new design per day for 365 days. During this challenge, he picked up more and more followers. People were eager to see what he was going to design next. And it provided accountability to continue creating and expanding his design skills. When he began this challenge, he had just over 500 followers. Today he’s up to 659 original designs and almost 14,000 followers.

Sales and clients continued to grow. After much consistency and persistence, he was averaging about $11,000 per month and making more money from his side hustle than his day job. That’s when he knew it was the right time to leave his Art Director role.

It’s been quite the journey for Atomic Child, from freelance to full-time, to part-time, and now back to his main hustle. In his words:

“The best experience is realizing you can make a living off your designs by designing for yourself and not being tied to client work. It has given me the freedom in my life that I dreamed of for so long.”

 

  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 you’re wanting to grow your side hustle into a full-time gig, make sure you have multiple sets of revenue coming in first rather than relying on one stream. It’s easier to make mistakes and take risks when you have a steady paycheck than to jump ship and start with nothing."
—Jimmy Bryant #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

Freelancer Starts New Hustle to Help Frustrated Clients

What It’s About

A freelancer notices that many small business owners struggle with creating systems and structure.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you’re looking to improve your workflow, you should pay attention to:

1: what you’re putting off 2: the things you do over and over 3: and what you want to do but feel like you don’t have time for

Then, try to make small decisions to adjust each of these areas. How can you schedule what’s important to you?

Fun Fact

Lori named her business The LAB Creative Co. At first, the L-A-B was a nice play on her initials, but she eventually realized it was a good way to encompass the journey she was going to take her customers on too. Lori would guide them through a six to eight week period where they would work together to create unique productivity systems, which felt like she was taking them through a science lab!

Notes from Chris

Episode 810

Lori Behle is a full-time freelancer with a broad skill set. From writing and graphic design to social media and virtual assistance, she’s run the gamut of freelance projects. Across all of these projects, Lori began to see a noticeable trend.

In her onboarding conversations with clients, they always expressed the same problems:

● Their work was overwhelming

● They felt behind on projects

● For the most part, they wished they had more hours in the day

● They could never “get organized”

Hearing these problems, Lori began to brainstorm different ways she could help people solve them. She looked at her own skills and saw she’d always been good at building systems and working with logistics. She’d set up lots of efficient workflows to make her more productive in her freelance business, and thought she could help her clients to do the same.

Although Lori saw this gap in the market, it took her a long time to actually start her side hustle. She felt gripped by the fear of rejection and didn’t want to start offering a service nobody wanted. So, it spent around six months bouncing around in the back of her mind.

Eventually, though, she stopped hesitating and committed to taking small daily steps to start the business. On the first day she developed a name, the second she bought a $200 website from Squarespace, the third she created one page of her website … and so she continued for a few weeks until her new side hustle was ready to open its doors.

Lori named her business The LAB Creative Co.

Since opening the doors to The LAB Creative Co. in January of 2019, Lori has successfully guided 5 clients through this process. She projects that she’ll earn a total of $30,000 this year, which would be at least 20 clients in total.

Looking to the future, Lori wants to increase the passive income side of her business. She’s started writing guides which isolate each of the processes she takes her clients through. This way, people with a lower budget can also get the benefit of her services. It’s a whole new world!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

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

Quote of the Day
"I would encourage new side hustlers to offer one or two free packages at first to get testimonials and solidify your processes/offerings before doing a full launch of your service."
—Lori Behle #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

ABC News Reporter Dishes Out Profitable Pizza Tour

What It’s About

Breaking News — a reporter helps others get a taste of the best pizza Chicago has to offer.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

I think the key to long-term success here is getting listed in guide books and city directories and all of the promotional tourism materials that are distributed every year. For most of those things, getting listed and endorsed can take a while, but once you’re there, you’ll just be renewed every year.

Fun Fact

Working as a food reporter since 2003 with 13 James Beard Awards under his belt, Steve felt that he had to set the record straight about Chicago’s pizza scene. So, like any great reporter, Steve spent time in the field gathering research. He spent the better part of a year sampling pizza from 185 locations which led to a shocking revelation: Chicago is a “thin town” with the majority of pizzerias specializing in tavern-style pizza that’s thin, crisp, and square-cut—not deep-dish!

Notes from Chris

Episode 809
Steve Dolinsky wears many hats. He’s the food reporter for Chicago’s ABC 7 news team. He runs two podcasts, and he offers media training outside of Chicago for chefs. He’s a veritable curator of culinary experiences. He’s also the new owner of Pizza City USA Tours, offering weekly pizza tours, by both bus and foot.

Why did he start this side hustle when he’s already got so much going on?

Well, he had a book coming out in the fall of 2018 called Pizza City USA. Oh yeah, he’s also an author. Steve figured, “Hey, why not start a tour business to help bring the book to life?”

There was only one other dedicated pizza tour business in Chicago, and a lot of pizza … not to mention a lot of visitors passing through.

He knew that Chicago pizza had been reduced to the deep-dish and stuffed cliches. But hold the pepperoni—there’s more to midwest pizza than only deep-dish and stuffed.

What about thin? Tavern? Artisanal? Neapolitan? Roman? Sicilian? Detroit? Steve dared to challenge the status quo with these questions. He estimated there were at least 10 distinct styles in his Chicago pizza roundup.

So, he decided to launch a weekly tour that highlighted these differences, showing guests four styles of pizza in three hours.

He started with a Saturday bus tour to four neighborhoods. Next, he added three walking tours that each focused on a single neighborhood.

Throughout the tours, Steve dazzles guests with his encyclopedic knowledge of Chicago history while leading his groups into the belly of the beast… the fiery kitchens themselves to show people exactly how the pies are made.

Here, one can expect to engage in lively discussions with the owners and gain a better understanding of the families behind the sauce.

So far, business has been pizza-rific with Steve adding five tour guides to the mix. This salty bunch are affectionately referred to as “doughcents” (experts who know Chicago pizza and would love to tell you all about it). They were trained by Steve and help lead other tours, as well as private events.

In the colder months he offers bus tours only (after all, this is Chicago we’re talking about). When warmer weather returns in the spring, he’ll bring back the walking tours as well as a 3rd Thursday Pizza Crawl.

What’s next for Pizza City USA Tours? Steve’s considering a 2nd edition of his book, as well as working towards consistent sell-out tours. Once he achieves that, he’d like to add another walking tour. That would be a slice of heaven.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Pizza City USA Tours: Take a slice out of Chicago’s pizza scene—learn more over on Steve’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
"It’s important to get media placements. If no one knows about your offering or business, it doesn’t matter how good it is. People have to hear about you."
—Steve Dolinsky #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

The 50 Shades of Editing Romance Novels

What It’s About

A steamy side hustle editing romance novels.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Jessica reflects that the desire to learn, professionalism, strong networking skills, and authentic marketing are all vital to building and maintaining a client base. Perfectionism, timeliness, communication skills, and project management are also necessary skills for all editors.

Fun Fact

Romance novel sales total more than a billion dollars a year. They sell as much as sci-fi, mystery, and fantasy combined. More than 70 million people in the USA alone read at least one romance novel per year, and most of them read many more.

Notes from Chris

Episode 808
We sometimes assume that being in the right place at the right time is all luck. Today’s side hustler, Jessica Snyder, encountered some serendipitous opportunities, but she also played an active role, putting herself in a position to take advantage of those opportunities.

Jessica has been a corporate recruiter for over a decade, but her true passion is passion—in the form of romance novels. A voracious reader, she never considered that “books” could be a career for anyone other than authors. She knew that writing wasn’t the right fit for her, but she was always happy to help a friend work through plot issues or proofread a classmate’s research paper.

In 2012, Jessica’s long-standing love of romance novels led her to attend a romance writers conference. She discovered a whole industry of professionals she never knew existed—editors, agents, and publicists, among others.

In a true moment of luck, Jessica won a prize at the conference that included breakfast with an editing team from a well-known publishing house. She took advantage of the opportunity to ask how they had started their jobs and what the requirements were to be an editor or proofreader or anything that would help get her foot in the door. One of their suggestions was to start following agents and editors on Twitter, so that’s what she did.

A few months later, Jessica noticed a tweet calling for interns at a publishing house for romance fiction. She expressed her interest with a direct message to the senior editor, and they chatted online briefly. A couple of weeks later, she was officially an unpaid intern. At the time, it felt like the best. job. EVER!

While continuing to work full time, Jessica soaked up expertise from her part-time, unpaid internship. She learned to analyze manuscripts for what the market supported rather than her personal preferences, and what in a “not perfect” manuscript could be salvaged or improved—like structure and conflict—and what was harder to “fix”—like voice or lack of storytelling ability.

After six months, the publishing company promoted Jessica to Editorial Assistant, where she received a modest side income and continued to hone her skills.

Eventually, Jessica decided to start freelance editing on her own. She got her first client by referral.

For a while, Jessica juggled both freelancing and her part-time projects with the publisher, alongside her day job. In her first year, two clients brought her multiple projects, bringing in $1,400 in revenue.

Projects due to her publisher always took precedence over her hustle to find new clients, so after a year, she opted to resign from the publishing house. This allowed her to add more freelance clients, with revenue increasing to $7,700 in the second year and $15,000 in the third year (2018).

Editing projects are highly time intensive, and Jessica has to live by her color-coded calendar with constant reminders of what she has to do next. She says she doesn’t love scheduling every hour of her day, but she’s willing to do it for the right projects.

The temporary sacrifice is worthwhile because, as it turns out, Jessica has fallen passionately in love with her side hustle and hopes to pursue it for the rest of her life. She plans to transition from recruiting to full-time editing and author coaching. When that day comes, she’ll pack up her computer and her dog, and head off into the sunset to travel the world.

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
"Though I’ve been a voracious reader my whole life, I never considered that ‘books’ could be a career for anyone other than authors."
—Jessica Snyder #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

Rosary Bead Hustle Pays Bills for Homeschooling Mom

What It’s About

One mom crafts a heavenly side hustle with a little help from above.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

To get started in jewelry making develop a line of at least 5 pieces, get feedback from friends and family. Then create an Etsy store, trademark your name (or use your personal name), have consistent branding, and sell, sell, SELL!

Fun Fact

A traditional set of rosary beads contains five sets of ten beads separated by larger beads in between each set. Most rosary beads are created from glass, plastic, or wood.

Notes from Chris

Episode 807

When Maria Laurin had her first child she knew she couldn’t go back to her day job in a bank. Hearing the pitter patter of tiny feet was much more alluring than counting other people’s deposits all day.

But how would she make her dream a reality? She started by selling items on eBay shortly after her son was born. It was good for a while and lucrative enough to generate a nice side income. But it was also exhausting. Listing products, shipping them out every day, and dealing with customer questions was a lot of work. More importantly, Maria just didn’t enjoy it.

Around this time, she also began volunteering at her kids’ school. They had a charity gala coming up and needed some help making rosary beads—and Maria jumped in.

The school provided her with the necessary beads and equipment. It turned out that Maria had a real knack for it, and in no time at all, she’d crafted some beautiful pieces that caught the eye of a lot of people at the school charity gala.

It was at this gala that an unsuspecting Maria found a customer, for a business she hadn’t even conceived of yet. A friend saw the rosary beads and asked if she could create a custom set for her daughter as a gift. This friend was very specific about what she wanted in the coloring and sizing. Since Maria had enjoyed the process so much, she lept at the chance.

That custom order led to another, and another, and another. Before she knew it, Maria had created a handful of custom pieces and, almost as if guided by something greater than herself, had become a jewelry maker. But transitioning it to a business? She wasn’t so sure about that.

Then, one night she had a vision. A north star was leading her to Etsy.com. … Or actually, her mom said, “Why don’t you open up an Etsy store?”

So she did, and she named that store Willow and Bee.

There have been a few trials and tribulations along the way. One of the issues is not trademarking her name. In hindsight, she thinks she should have done this from the very beginning as there are now a few other, non-related companies that are using the same name. She also admits that she doesn’t always enjoy keeping up with records and receipts.

But in the end, those are small problems. Maria’s faith in the path helped her create a great little side hustle that has changed her life for the better. In the last year, her Etsy store has generated over $20,000 profit, and that doesn’t include sales from the Von Maur department stores, which significantly increases that. Although she makes more margin on her Etsy store, the volume that comes through Von Maur makes up for the difference.

All those sales have improved her family’s life. She’s been able to save up and buy a car, go on vacations, and do a lot of things that would not be possible had she gone back to work. It also allowed her to eventually move to homeschooling her children, bringing them even more time together.

A little faith, a little hustle, and she’s exactly where she needs to be.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Willow and Bee: From starting out with rosaries on Etsy, Maria now has her own full e-commerce site. Check out her entire, beautiful collection
  • Shopify (special offer): Maria’s current site is built on Shopify. Start your own e-commerce site with an exclusive offer just for Side Hustle School listeners — 10% off your new site for one year!
  • Etsy: Maria first started her side hustle by selling her rosaries on Etsy

 

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 have a million and one ideas brewing and no shortage of hobbies… So, for now, I’m trying to focus on one at a time. I learned the hard way that I can’t monetize EVERYTHING."
—Maria Laurin #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