Archives: Podcast

Artistic Cartographer Maps Out Successful Side Hustle

What It’s About

These iconic city maps will a-maze you!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Michelle has always been a big believer that early efforts don’t need to be perfect. In her book, it’s better to start with something, get feedback, and grow. And she learned a lot by sharing her map art at craft fairs where she could get feedback directly from a wide range of people and improve her prints and website.

Fun Fact

So, is it true that all roads lead to Rome? Well, at least in Europe, they do! A map visualization from this Vice article shows the 500,000 routes to Rome across the European continent.

Notes from Chris

Episode 861

Need to get from the Golden Gate Bridge to Sutro Tower in San Francisco? Well, you’re in luck! Today’s featured side hustler, Michelle Chandra, can take you on the longest, windiest route imaginable.

Michelle is a graphic designer with a love for the outdoors, adventures, learning, and art. From her life as an undergraduate seeking to be a creative writer to her current life as an artist with a mapping style all her own, Michelle’s journey has been full of twists and turns.

She began her adventure when she entered college, discovering a new world of travel, poetry, and art. She connected with a community of artists all over San Francisco—ultimately inspiring her into a labyrinth of projects.

The “x” at the conclusion of her journey was artistic cartography. And the intricate world of mapping was love at first sight. Michelle landed a full-time job with a Bay area startup creating web map visualizations, and that’s where she stayed putting together maps for three years.

While at a work conference, she attended a talk on maze-generating algorithms utilizing grids. As a traveler who worked in mapping, Michelle immediately connected the dots: cities are planned on grids as well!

Always keen on a puzzle, Michelle took on the challenge of designing her first map maze, using actual street grids. Although the journey was at times difficult and took 3 months and over 100 hours to solve, it was also a ton of fun. And it occurred to her that perhaps others would enjoy the challenge as well.

To get Dirt Alley Design started, Michelle created a maze map using screenprinting for two of the country’s most iconic cities: her hometown of San Francisco, and Brooklyn.

For the San Francisco maze, she decided to start at the Golden Gate Bridge with it ending at Twin Peaks, in the heart of the city. And for Brooklyn, nothing would suffice but to have it start at the Brooklyn Bridge winding its way all the way to Coney Island. She realized pretty early in that people would want to solve these without damaging the original designs, so she also sends along an extra print of the maze for you to solve.

Her first year, she brought in small profits of around $3,500. The year after that, her profits doubled to $7,000. Her goal is to keep doubling every year. Not only that, but Michelle recently realized that she was learning way more running a business than she was at her main job. With that in mind, she opted to set off on her own path—leaving her day job to focus entirely on her growing side hustle. Luckily, she was able to take the leap thanks to savings and living a minimalist lifestyle.

Looking a bit further down the road, Michelle is aiming to convert more maze enthusiasts by getting her art featured in new places and boosting online marketing so she can spend more time creating and less time at festivals and art fairs. She is especially excited to start exploring different art forms.

Most of all, Michelle feels fortunate to have the opportunity that her hustle has given her to create a new lifestyle. She looks forward to the twists and turns ahead.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Dirt Alley Design: Learn more about this winding side hustle over on Michelle’s website!
  • Shopify: Michelle used Shopify to set up her site for Dirt Alley Designs, and they’re offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!
  • The Jealous Curator: A popular, curated art blog we featured in Ep. 818
  • Kottke: One of the oldest blogs on the web. Written and produced by Jason Kottke, this blog covers the essential people, inventions, performances, and ideas that increase the collective adjacent possible of humanity
  • HauteLook: A “members-only” shopping website offering flash-sales and limited-time sale events featuring women’s and men’s fashion, jewelry and accessories, beauty products, kid’s clothing and toys, and home décor
  • Art Biz Success: A website run by my friend, Alyson Stanfield, that focuses on helping artists successfully manage the business side of their operation
  • Forbes | Holiday Gift Guide 2018: A holiday gift guide that highlighted some of Michelle’s products back in 2018

 

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
"In the beginning, you might just have an idea or an invention, but until you share it and get feedback, you won’t be able to learn, grow, or build it something bigger!"
—Michelle Chandra #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

Friends Build Water Filtration Systems for Outdoor Hydration

What It’s About

Two friends do their part to reduce the use of plastic.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Tyler and Doogie’s approach was simply to start building the product they had in their sights, and they advise others in similar situations to consider that counsel. When their first Guzzle versions were done, they were unhesitatingly honest about determining which parts and features were working to make the user experience better, and which parts were adding costs and not contributing to the consumer experience.

Fun Fact

Water is precious stuff: Nearly 97% of the world’s water is salty or otherwise undrinkable. But it’s been hanging in there—there is essentially the same amount of water on Earth as there was when the Earth was formed. The water from your faucet could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank (we all hope they flossed).

Notes from Chris

Episode 860

Water is as basic a need as we humans have—we can’t get enough of the stuff. But especially in the great outdoors, sometimes the water that’s available has a funky smell, a stale taste, or even contaminants that might do us in. Tyler Bech and Sean “Doogie” Couvreux realized that people who spend a great deal of time outside not only drink lots of water—but also that their water sources needed improved.

With Tyler and Doogie’s Guzzle H2O system, water on the run is now safe, fresh, and even ecological.

Friends in Hood River, Oregon since 2004, the two often rode bikes and sailed together. Doogie is a professional sailboat racer, and he noticed that the large teams on the boats went through lots of plastic water bottles during their long trainings and competitions. He knew that some of those bottles ended up in the ocean, a blight on the environment. He also knew that marina water often tasted suspect, so filling reusable bottles wasn’t the best solution.

Tyler, who builds parts for unmanned aircraft cameras, had the technical savvy to work on a solution for the water problems Doogie saw out on the surf: a portable water purifier, adaptable to various recreational needs. In a garage-style workshop in early 2018, they began on the design and some prototype devices, going from several iterations first in cooler bags and then backpacks, while eliminating a lot of non-essential parts.

The Spigot version of Guzzle H20 was the first result: a lightweight device that can connect to a water tap at a park, campground, marina, or anywhere water is available. The Spigot pulls out chlorine and chemical contaminants with a carbon block filter and purifies the water with LED UV-C purification technology.

Hook it up, turn on the tap, and freely fill containers. The partners estimate that using a Spigot instead of single-use plastic water bottles eliminates 700 pounds of plastic on just the first maintenance cycle of the filter.

So far they’ve sold 50 systems, bringing in $32,000, around $18,000 of which is profit. This profit has gone back into buying inventory, marketing, and tools for improving production.

Their first true customers were a New Zealand group that was putting on a professional level sailing event in foiling catamarans. They paid $1,000 for the system, prompting Tyler to celebrate with an Oregon IPA after shipping it out. Not all drinking has to involve water.

Their uncompromised products are now used in parks, campgrounds, and of course on the water. They’ll be exhibiting this summer at the Overland Expo in Flagstaff, Arizona for the overland driving community, the folks who travel on backroads in remote areas where good water might be scarce. No recreation ventures should involve water with contaminants, chemicals, viruses or bacteria—the Guzzlers have solutions for all that.

In the meantime, know that water makes up a full 70% of our body mass—we’re literally made of it. Everything comes down to water!

 

  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Guzzle H2O: Drink up more about this side hustle over on Doogie and Tyler’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
"If you want to sell a product, just start building what you think the product should be. When it is done, and you see people using it, honestly consider which features are working to make the users experience better and which are adding cost without contributing to the end user experience. Then make changes, and build again."
—Tyler Bech & Doogie Couvreux #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

Working Military Mom Finds Success Working Virtually

What It’s About

A military wife forges her own path as a virtual assistant, then shows others the way.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Esther advises letting go of clients that are less than ideal and moving on. As she puts it, hanging onto toxic clients for fear of being destitute is the wrong kind of mindset and keeps people stuck in low-paying jobs.

Fun Fact

Did you know that 63% of companies now have remote workers? 48% of companies also use freelancers, and work done by freelancers has increased 168%.

Notes from Chris

Episode 859

Seven years ago, Esther Inman dreamed of having a career that allowed her to work from home, wherever “home” might be. At the time, her husband was in the Marines, and they lived with their 2-year-old son in San Diego.

But Esther was supremely unhappy trying to juggle her corporate day job in software product management with being a mom and military wife. A typical work day consisted of dropping off her son at daycare at 7 am, then catching the train for her 1-hour commute to work. After work, she would pick him up after 6 pm and they would have only an hour for dinner, a bath, and bedtime.

Her husband was often deployed overseas or working nights, so she had no help on the homefront. And weekends were spent running errands and doing household chores. Eventually, Esther realized this was not a life she wanted for herself or her son. She just couldn’t do it anymore, so she quit her corporate job.

Needing to replace her income ASAP, she took what she thought was her dream job, but it involved a lot of work travel. With her husband was deployed at the time, this meant their son had to stay with family for weeks at a time. She toiled at this for a year before realizing it wasn’t the answer either. She then decided to try her hand at being a VA, or Virtual Assistant.

She landed her first gig in the VA world through a posting on CraigsList. The job was working for an online course creation agency, and Esther was chosen out of 300 applicants! What made her stand out from the competition? First, she made a modern-style resume using a tool called Canva, which included a picture of herself. She also included a brief “about me” video.

Mostly, though, she followed directions.

The posting also had a few other requirements, such as asking specific questions for each applicant to answer. This is commonly used in job postings to help filter out candidates. It not only ensures that people are reading the posting in its entirety—it also shows that prospects can follow directions.

Esther jumped through each hoop. One requirement was to call a number and leave a message about why she was a good candidate for the job—only 3 out of all 300 applicants bothered to do this properly. It’s the simple things, people!

When Esther first started working as a VA seven years ago, she charged $20/hour, with a minimum of 30 hours per week, but she often would have the opportunity to work a LOT more. Good VAs are hard to find, so she was quite the hot commodity. Within about a year though, she raised her rates to $35-$50/hour.

She was soon so booked out that she had to hire help! From there, Esther’s business quickly evolved into a Virtual Assistant agency. For several years, she led a team of twelve, primarily building online courses for clients.

As her VA business grew into an agency, Esther had so many people asking her how to work online that she began mentoring and helping other women become VAs, too. From there, she then developed her own VA training programs. For four years, she ran both her agency and training programs. Eventually, she became burnt out with the client work. In the last year, Esther transitioned into running her VA training programs full time (she still offers online course consulting). Last year Esther’s business made $158,000, and this year, she is on track to make over $200,000.

Now able to travel the world at any time, Esther and her family call the island of Bali home. Being an influencer in the remote work movement, having an army of women working online and saying “no more” to the old corporate ways is her goal for the future.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Virtual Assistant Internship: Now that she’s mastered working as a VA, Esther is working to help others do the same. Learn more about working remotely as a virtual assistant over on her website!
  • WordPress: Esther used WordPress to set up her website for Virtual Assistant Internship, and here you can learn how to install your own WordPress site in 5 minutes
  • Canva: The free design platform that Esther used to create her stand-out resume. Whitney, our Content Manager, uses this platform daily and gives it her stamp of approval!

 

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 great part about the online space is that it’s not about what degrees, years of experience, or certificates you have—nobody cares. What they do care about what you’ve DONE."
—Esther Inman #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

Plant Lover’s Tiny Terrariums Take Root on Instagram

What It’s About

A terrarium building project takes root and grows!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

As a marketer, Jesse was able to use techniques he was already familiar with to get his name out there. One tactic that worked especially well was contacting aggregator accounts, which are accounts that curate content that isn’t their own. They need content to survive, so they’re always looking for new things to post, and it gives your account exposure.

Fun Fact

Every time Jesse makes a sale, he celebrates with his daughter, Grace. They start dreaming up ideas for the order, then go to the plant nursery to get some supplies. Grace always gets her own flowers!

Notes from Chris

Episode 858
When Jesse Goldfarb first started dating Lauren, the woman who would later become his wife, he also became interested in plants. Hanging out at her place, he noticed that she had two bonsai. Looking further, he saw that although they were beautiful, they also seemed a little unhealthy. After some research, he learned that all they needed was a trimming and an annual potting. He excitedly got to work and revived them both.

While he was glad they were back to health, he missed taking care of them. He felt this way for years, and finally, Lauren bought him a gardening magazine that changed everything.

As he was flipping through it, he noticed a section on container gardens and small terrariums. They were tiny enough that they would be cheap to make and only take a few hours to assemble. He could be creative and work with plants, but wouldn’t have to commit to a huge project. It was perfect.

Jesse rushed to the store to pick up some supplies and immediately got to work. He made one the first day, two the next, then went back to the store to stock up for making 10 more.

When his co-worker saw one that he’d planted on his desk, she asked if Jesse would make her one too. He said sure, that will be $40. Of that, $20 was spent on supplies, and the other half was profit.

Suddenly, Jesse’s plants became an office trend! As more and more people ordered them, he increased the price. He doubled it every order for the first three orders, but no one complained, because as time went on, the terrariums were becoming more complex and Jesse was getting better at making them.

Around this time, Jesse began an Instagram account where he posted pictures of bonsai for fun and had accumulated 4,000 followers. Jesse had a feeling that if he made an Instagram account for his terrariums, there would be just as a big of an audience—and a bigger audience meant more sales.

So, in November of 2016, he officially created his account called TeenyTinyTerra.

By doing this, Jesse soon racked up thousands and thousands of followers, all the way up to 30,000 at the time we worked on this episode. His sales increased and another money-making opportunity presented itself: sponsorships. For a price, Jesse would incorporate his terrarium designs with products from a particular company.

Today, only 15% of his profits actually come from selling terrariums. Another 20% is from the sponsored posts. But the biggest source of his profits actually comes from something entirely different. After his success on social media, Jesse found himself craving in-person interaction with his audience. He saw that other artists were doing workshops, and realized that he could start his own for terrarium building. By charging $150 per person, at 50-150 person workshops, he could make a lot of cash quickly. Now, this accounts for 65% of his profits annually.

By building up his audience on his Instagram account, Jesse was able to get his money-making ideas to the niche that would most likely be interested in them. As his hustle grew and he had more ideas, he already had a huge pool of people that could be his potential customers.

Last year, he made $10,000 from TeenyTinyTerra and has already made $7,000 the first four months of 2019. We can’t wait to see how Jesse continues to grow in the future.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • TeenyTinyTerra: Learn more about this growing side hustle over on Jesse’s website, and while you’re at it, check out his Instagram page!
  • WordPress: Jesse used WordPress to set up his website for Teeny Tiny Terra, 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

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 no one is doing what you plan on doing, then jump in! Fail fast, fail cheap. And if something is not working and takes lots of time, then drop it and try something else."
—Jesse Goldfarb #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

Telecom Sales Manager Brings Mexican Coffee Across the Border

What It’s About

A highly caffeinated side hustle!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Remember: do what’s in front of you. Don’t worry about a dozen other opportunities; focus on what you can do right now.

Choose to focus on the task that is waiting for you, the opportunity you already know about … instead of searching for something new and shiny.

Fun Fact

Disney World found Christina through employees from Mexico who recommended Capeltic coffee. They raved about how good the coffee is in their home country and said it would be great to sell in their Epcot village. After researching distributors in the U.S. for Capeltic coffee, Christina’s online brand and store, Inissor came up and they were able to connect with Christina.

Notes from Chris

Episode 857
What would you do if a side hustle opportunity dropped in your lap? In the summer of 2017, Dallas native Christina Rossini found herself facing this question. Christina was invited by a college friend to visit him on a fair trade coffee farm in Chiapas, Mexico.

Being an avid traveler, she accepted the invitation without a second thought. When she arrived, she was given a tour of the Capeltic coffee farm.

Christina was immediately drawn to this coffee co-op. She learned that Capeltic controls the entire coffee value chain from field to cup while paying the farmers a fair, consistent wage. She appreciated their sustainable mission—to keep the co-op 100% farmer-owned so they can stay and support their local economy. It was one of the most successful social enterprise projects in Latin America … but they also had a problem.

Their coffee was very successful among the Jesuit church in Mexico, and they wanted to expand their mission internationally. At the time, Christina was a successful Sales Account Manager in the telecom industry, savvy with sales and making connections. She saw an opportunity and jumped on it.

Working with her friend Stephen, she started small and began importing the coffee a little at a time to sell to friends and family. They wanted to see how the coffee was received before expanding. Since the coffee was heavily intertwined with Jesuit communities and universities, they set up a booth at a holiday bazaar where many potential customers would be in attendance. While at the bazaar, they landed a few institutional clients whose own mission and core values aligned with those of the co-op. They wanted to partner with Christina and begin selling Capeltic coffee.

It’s been nine months now since she quit her job to pursue Inissor full-time, and sales have continued to brew. Her brand has grown outside of the Jesuit community and found its way to other clients and universities, and even to Disney World.

That’s right, Mickey Mouse himself has indulged in a cup of Capeltic coffee after many of his Mouseketeers native to Mexico recommended it to him. This goes to show how valuable brand loyalty and a good social impact story can open more doors to success.

Christina is currently bringing in around $3-4,000 in profit each month and is on track for $250,000 in sales this year. And while things are roasting smoothly now, she had a lot to learn in making the transition. She spent a lot of time researching and connecting with others who worked with similar goods. And before she hired the customs brokers, she ran into some problems.

Her first big order was held up at the border for nearly six weeks because a license for the FDA was expired. They scrambled to get everything together to renew the license so that shipments could resume. Shipping costs have also been higher than she anticipated and have siphoned some of her funds to cover these underestimated costs.

Christina’s advice for anyone wanting to launch a similar side hustle or product is to find your smallest viable market and go after it hardcore. In her case, it was marketing to Jesuit institutions and universities throughout the United States. And from there the products have expanded to other markets. But only after she started with a very specific group.

While she was handed the right cup of coffee at the right time, it took time and dedication for it to brew into a profitable and fluid business.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Inissor International: Learn more about this coffee importation side hustle over on Christina’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
"Find your smallest, viable market and go after it hardcore. It’s easier (and more profitable) to start specific and then expand."
—Christina Rossini #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

That’s the Spot! Dog Lover’s Hustle Becomes Fur-ever Biz

What It’s About

A dog training side hustle to go mutts over.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

It can take time to gain confidence when you’re going out on your own. The important thing is to not let it get the better of you.

In Patrice’s case, humility can be a healthy response if it leads you toward self-improvement. In fact, she cites overcoming those fears as one of the most rewarding aspects of growing her business. She says, “Prior to this experience, I didn’t know I had as much gumption as I do.”

Fun Fact

For years, getting researchers to pinpoint the origin of man’s best friend was like walking into a room full of dog owners and asking, “Who’s a good boy?” Everyone would promote, with utmost confidence, their own pet theory.

But a new dual-origin theory found that an ancient European population was replaced by an eastern Asian population as the latter expanded across the continent. Every dog alive today is descended from ancient Asian roots!

Notes from Chris

Episode 856

Patrice Kuiken knew she wanted to run her own business. She even knew exactly what that business would be. But like all of our stories—and because she had to pay the bills—it needed to start as a side hustle.

You see, Patrice had been passionate about animals from a young age. Ever since volunteering at the Humane Society, helping train dogs at the shelter to become more adoptable, she was hooked on dog training.

Patrice devoured every book, video, and resource she could find to learn more about dog behavior and how best to humanely train them. Interestingly, dog training ended up being much more about training the humans than the dogs!

She gained experience working at a doggy daycare through college and then as a dog trainer at a local pet store after graduation. Patrice’s specialty became young, out of control dogs, and highly reactive dogs whose owners were at their wits’ end.

She made herself “top dog” at training, but she knew very little about business. So she started out simply. While working full-time at a customer service job she wasn’t mutts about, she began offering private training sessions. This required no overhead since she would go to the dog owner’s house and do the training there.

After a year or so, Patrice realized that her full-time job was standing in the way of building her dog training hustle. Work was draining, leaving her little energy for after-hours work. Though it was keeping her afloat financially, something needed to change.

After a brief search, she found more flexible work as a personal assistant and gardener for a psychologist who ran her practice out of her home. This allowed Patrice to create her own schedule and focus more on the business, which she named “In Good Paws” Dog Training. She’d get her work done for the psychologist in the morning. Evenings and weekends were dedicated to In Good Paws, helping people train their dogs to be the well-behaved family member they always wanted.

After taking into account her business license, liability insurance, a website, and some business cards, her annual profit from 2018 was $23,000, which was up 40% from 2017!

Patrice recently brought on another dog trainer to do private training sessions as an independent contractor. This allows her to further increase the number of training sessions the business provides, without adding any risk to her. Eventually, she would also love to hire someone to do more of the administrative work so that the business could move forward when Patrice takes a vacation.

What’s so fetching about Patrice’s story is that she knew her end game and kept that ball in sight. She took purposeful steps as she could, including switching her full-time gig to be more accommodating to growing her side hustle. All the while, she gained more experience and confidence until she was ready to roll over into a full-time business. Now she’s barking to the bank!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • In Good Paws: Sit, stay, roll over, and learn more about the dog training work that Patrice is doing over on her website!
  • WordPress: Patrice used WordPress to set up her website for In Good Paws, 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

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
"Most of dog training is about the humans, so you really do have to enjoy working with people and know how to teach them. Finally, network, network, network! Having good relationships with people in the dog industry is invaluable for getting your name out there—this business is a word of mouth business."
—Patrice Kuiken #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: It’s Better to “Almost Win” than to Barely Succeed

Notes from Chris

Episode 855

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

We’ve just finished week 18 of Season III! This week, we featured a six-figure business inspired by The Little Mermaid, a Best Buy employee who moonlights as an online advertising consultant, and so much more!

We also welcomed a new show on the Onward Project, Do the Thing, with Whole30’s Melissa Urban. Check it out!

In this action-packed recap: I’ll share why sometimes it’s better to almost win than to barely succeed. I recently read a recent study that tracked the careers of scientists who failed to receive the grants they applied for. The results were fascinating and unexpected…

WHERE ARE THEY NOW:

Today, we have an update from Claire Robinson who was featured on the show in Ep. 293.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to hear from Claire!

You can also check out her website, ZigZag On Earth Travel Blog.

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. 849 – A frugal bride starts blogging about how to save money while planning a wedding. After a lot of hard work, she’s now generating over six figures per year
  • Ep. 850 – A digital marketer freelances away his nights and weekends, eventually turning his side gig into a multi-million dollar ad agency
  • Ep. 851 – A special effects artists turns his Hollywood trade into an oceanic brand that makes unique sleeping bags for kids
  • Ep. 852 – One woman’s passion for macrame turns into a money-making side hustle teaching others the craft
  • Ep. 853 – A nonprofit consultant makes journals from recycled materials, using her side hustle to transition into retirement
  • Ep. 854 – After starting off with no real focus, this couple uses goal-setting and hard work to forge a vision and earn $30,000 in the arts

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

We want to hear from you!

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

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

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

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

Here’s what’s coming up next…

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

  • A customer service agent engineers a side hustle trans-fur-mation to full-time dog training business
  • Two friends create water purification systems that save drinkers from foul chemicals—and save the planet from disposable bottles
  • 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
"People who almost succeed in an important goal—but then fail—have a better track record of long-term success than those who accomplish their goals right away."
—#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

Artistic Couple Juggles Parenthood and Hustling

What It’s About

A couple team up to create a side hustle that’s a work of art!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Assignment: Ask yourself what your living expenses are: not how much you actually spend, not your current salary, but your actual expenses—the purchases you absolutely need to make each month.

That information can help you take calculated risks and make more informed decisions!

Fun Fact

Couples owning and running a business together has been going on for centuries. One recent estimate shows that 2.7 million businesses were owned by couples and had $731.4 billion in receipts.

Notes from Chris

Episode 854

Newlywed artisans Eddy and Carol Sagebin knew that they wanted to create a business selling their artwork. Both come from humble beginnings as first-generation children of immigrants from Brazil. As Eddy shares, though times were simple growing up, they were happy. They now want to provide a similar life that allows their children to flourish.

Eddy and Carol share the responsibilities of running SageTribe Art:, which offers original watercolor and ink commissions, graphic design, ceramic, and laser engraving services.

However, this artistic couple didn’t start off offering such a wide range of art. In the beginning, they had little focus or vision of what they wanted their business to become. It began with a domain name and a business license. Eddy would create art in the evenings after working his day job in IT. Carol, a homemaker, would find time in between household tasks and caring for their two young children. They posted some of their art online and make a sale here and there. It wasn’t until they booked their first event, at the 2017 Kansas City Comicon, that they really became focused.

The first items they took to that Comicon were art prints for $10, and spirit animal totems for $50. And the spirit animal totems are handmade ceramic animal necklaces with an area for a drop of essential oil. Carol designed this wearable art for use as aromatherapy for her morning sickness.

Eddy and Carol’s strength going into Comicon was knowing which of their products would be attractive to this particular group of customers. Their weakness was having a gap in their product pricing.

Most people attending the event were young adults who had already spent a good chunk of their money on the ticket getting in. This left them with little spending cash left over. For Eddy and Carol, it was a learning experience—they realized they needed to have more options for lower budgets. They also needed to have something to set them apart and draw clients into their display. That’s when they had the idea to design an “animal avatar quiz.”

Drawing on associations with their parents’ homeland of Brazil, they researched indigenous cultures and the traits of each animal. Carol created a quiz of eleven questions that match an animal to each customer’s personality. To take the quiz, the user must provide their email address. This created a way for customers to learn their “animal avatar,” and Eddy and Carol to grow their email list. To draw customers in at the next booths they rented, they made a banner advertising the quiz. This also facilitates interaction with potential customers.

The year following their Comicon debut, Eddy and Carol went through a period of intense growth and learning. Then came the next turning point for Sage Tribe Art. In January 2019, Eddy chose to leave his IT job and work on the business full-time. From the start, they’ve both have been financially conservative, cutting costs wherever possible while investing in their own equipment like a laser engraver and kiln. Although the shift to full-time was sooner than they originally planned, the business is still growing and on track to make $30,000 profit this year.

Of course, there are still challenges to overcome. Juggling the ins and outs of running a business and raising two small children is no easy task! They use their basement as a studio, and try to respect that as a workspace. Having a separate workspace from their living area is an important key to their success in working from home. When one of them is working downstairs, they treat it as if they are “away” at work. They also take advantage of the kids’ nap time, as well as after their bedtime, to work together in their studio.

Their next goal is to write and illustrate a book. For this couple, whatever project they take on next is sure to be a work of art!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • SageTribe Art: Learn more about the Sagebins and their work over on their 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

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 biggest takeaway from all of this goes back to the fundamentals of setting goals. It is a very elementary concept, but very few have the discipline to abide by it. Without our goals, we would’ve been aimless and making little to no progress."
—Eddy & Carol Sagebin #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

Retiree Earns Extra Income with Upcycled Journals

What It’s About

A woman uses her love of upcycled journals to help her transition into retirement.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Donna says that it’s important to create something you’ve never seen before, or at least somewhat different. There are all kinds of journals out there, but very few are hardbound. Hardly any are made of recycled materials like old cowboy boots and license plates.

Fun Fact

One time, a woman from Florida sent Donna a pair of her late husband’s cowboy boots to turn into journals for her and their two daughters. After that, Donna decided to find more cowboy boots and make that one of her signature styles of journals.

Notes from Chris

Episode 853

In 2012, Donna Erickson needed a change. There was nothing wrong with her job as an organizational development consultant … but it didn’t give her a chance to work with her hands or unleash her creativity. Twenty years earlier, she had learned how to bind books—and she realized that this could be the perfect way to fulfill her “maker” tendencies.

She decided to create her own refillable journals, with recycled materials like license plates and old cowboy boots for her hardbound covers.

Later that year, she wandered into a store in her hometown of Missoula, Montana called Upcycled. All of their products incorporate recycled materials in some way, and Donna couldn’t help but think of her journals. She struck up a conversation with the owner, and soon enough, she was bringing her journals to the store so he could take a look at them!

He offered to sell them on consignment. In this model, Donna would get 40% of the retail price whenever they sold. She quickly agreed, and the journals went on sale soon after. Donna realized that her fun craft project could be more than that—it could be a profitable side hustle.

In 2016, she made over $2,500 from her hustle, now called Just My Type. From there, she amped up the business by creating a website, a more professional looking booth for shows, and by hiring a graphic designer. It all paid off because her profits jumped to $10,000 in 2017.

That was a pivotal year for Donna. She had slowly been taking on less work at her day job and decided to retire.

While she could have retired without this project, it was Just My Type that has allowed her and her husband to have more recreational income. They have a new level of autonomy that allows them to live their retirement to their fullest, including more ability to travel. The one limitation is that from June to December, during craft fair season, there are certain dates that they must be in a particular place. So far, it’s been easy for them to schedule camping trips and visits to their grandchild around those dates.

She loves the thrill of the hunt for new items to upcycle, and it also fits with her ethics. For her, a side hustle isn’t only about the money. It gives her a sense of purpose, allows her to connect with other creative people, and offers her plenty of chances to grow or slow down to suit her lifestyle.

 

  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Just My Type: If these journals are just your type, head on over to Donna’s website to grab one for your own!
  • Lorraine Wright: A Professor Emeritus of Nursing from the University of Calgary that is on a quest to visit 100 countries (78 so far) to learn about illness suffering and offer her knowledge to other professionals in healthcare

 

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 going to sell journals, create something different than what you usually see, and continue to make new lines instead of sticking with the same old thing. Mix it up a bit!"
—Donna Erickson #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

Landscape Architect Knots Together Macrame Workshops

What It’s About

An architect teaches others the art of the knot.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you’re looking to do something similar, Marie recommends that you share your craft and your knowledge.

As she put it, “I meet a lot of people who feel that if they shared their skill that they would jeopardize their own success, and I haven’t found that to be true. People will copy what you are doing if you are doing it well, and that’s okay! No one’s journey is the same, even with the same skill. And just like it did for me, their side hustle will take a completely different path than yours, but at least you helped them along the way.”

Fun Fact

Macrame dates back to a 13th-century Arabic word, “migramah,” or fringe. Originally, macrame was used as a decorative fringe placed on the backs of camels and horses to keep away flies. The styled, decorative knots were also seen in Babylonian and Assyrian carvings. Macrame traveled with the Moors from North Africa to Spain, where it gradually spread throughout all of Europe.

Notes from Chris

Episode 852

Marie Frier is a full-time landscape architect at a design firm located in Charleston, South Carolina. She loves what she does for a living, but she’s also learned the importance of diversifying her income sources. Upon graduating from college a decade ago, the economy took a nosedive. Thankfully, she survived the round of layoffs at her firm—but she was hit with a substantial salary cut.

In order to make ends meet, she worked 40 hours a week at her firm and picked up an additional 25 hours a week as a sales associate at the popular home decor shop Pier 1.

It definitely wasn’t the most ideal time to break into the job market, but those early years in her career taught her a valuable lesson: If you live within your means and work hard, you can survive anything.

Fast forward to 2017—Marie was perusing a West Elm catalog (another home decor shop … I’m sensing a theme here) and saw a wall-hanging for sale for $400. That was outside her price range, but with the rise in Pinterest and DIY techniques, she figured she just might be able to make it herself.

That night, she got on YouTube and started teaching herself some Macrame basics. At first, her fascination for the craft served as a way to harness her creative energy and make items on a budget. But, once she realized how simple and creative macrame could be, she began noticing that fiber art was becoming a huge trend. The term “boho chic” was even being tossed around.

Marie figured if West Elm could sell a basic wall hanging for $400, there had to be a market for a local fiber artist in Charleston— a city that boasted a supportive, thriving artistic community.

She dove headfirst into learning anything she could about how to turn her hobby into a side business. She began by making plant hangers and wall hangings in the early hours of the morning, and she developed her brand and website on the weekends. She even bartered with friends who had creative hobbies for help with things like photography in order to keep her startup costs low—just $350.

The business was named Macramade by Marie.

Marie described her first year of running Macramade as putting all of her earnings into upgrading her display and making her business and art better. In her second year though, Marie’s business model took a turn…

Out of all of the questions she received from customers, “Do you teach classes?”, was the one she heard the most. It wasn’t a plan she originally had in mind, but with continued requests, she noticed there was definitely a market for it.

So, Marie decided to give teaching macrame a knot(shot)!

Marie profits between $270 – $550 per workshop depending on which item they’re building, and she holds several of these workshops on a monthly basis. If someone wanted to create a side hustle similar to Marie’s, she says:

“My best advice for someone starting a similar side hustle would be to share your craft and your knowledge because a rising tide lifts all ships. I meet a lot of people that feel that if they shared their skill that they would jeopardize their own success. I haven’t found that to be true.

People will copy what you are doing if you are doing it well, and that’s okay. Share your knowledge, share your experiences, and any other information that others may find helpful. No one’s journey is the same, even with the same skill. And just like it did for me, their side hustle will take a completely different path than yours, but at least you helped them along the way.”

So, what’s next for Marie? She plans to continue teaching workshops with local businesses as well as taking on custom orders. She said she may even use Macramade Marie profits to plan some fun trips with her husband. But one thing is for certain—Marie’s market days sitting behind a booth are behind her.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Macramade by Marie: If you’re interested in learning more about the art of macrame, head on over to Marie’s website!
  • Squarespace: The website building platform that Marie used to create her website

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

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
"If you’re considering teaching a craft, it’s imperative that your love for the craft comes through in your teaching. Be patient with those you are teaching—they’re likely nervous, probably intimidated, and are there to learn from you!"
—Marie Frier #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