Archives: Podcast

Minnesotan Opens Private Campground in Her Backyard

What It’s About

A chocolatier discovers a side hustle in her own backyard.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Robyn’s experience can be summed up in four words—use what you have. Take stock of the things and skills that you possess, and you’ll find that there’s a lot you can do. And if utilizing your backyard as a campground is at the front of your mind, just make sure to check that you don’t run afoul of any laws or regulations!

Fun Fact

Platforms like Airbnb and Hipcamp make payment and marketing easy—all you have to do is take pictures and create a listing and everything else will be taken care for you. It’s not just for renting out traditional homes either; Airbnb allows you to host experiences created by you. As Robyn says, you don’t have to do all the heavy lifting by yourself.

Notes from Chris

Episode 668

Robyn Dochterman wasn’t expecting to come up with a new idea for a side hustle. But while listening to 70s music on a normal day, inspiration struck. James Brown sang that “You’ve got to use what you’ve got to get what you want,” and this was just the line for her situation.

At the time, Robyn needed some money. Her puppy had broken his leg keeping the world safe from an evil mop at doggie daycare. The surgery he needed was expensive and she didn’t want that sitting on a credit card costing her interest.

James Brown’s words told her that the answer was sitting right in her backyard.

The chocolate shop she owned kept her exceptionally busy in Fall and Winter, but sales slowed down with the summer heat. Robyn and her partner Deidre owned 5 acres of land near the St. Croix River in Minnesota. This land was just two miles away from a state park, which was almost always full of campers. It hit her then that this was an opportunity she could take advantage of.

The campgrounds near the state park were always full and there were no inexpensive motels nearby. What was stopping her from hosting her own private campground?

This was her chance.

Robyn didn’t come up with a completely novel idea, but the manner in which she executed her plan is perhaps one of the biggest reasons she has been successful. She made use of her well-located and spacious land, turning it into a private campground. But Robyn also knew that this wasn’t enough to build a business on and she needed to build a unique selling proposition for the St. Croix Valley Sweet Spot to take off.

Of course, Robyn knows that the nature of camping meant that revenue would vary greatly by season. During the summer months, she has been able to average $800 a month in extra income. She also began selling firewood as a side, side hustle.

Moving forward, Robyn is planning to turn an unused chicken coop into a micro-tiny house that she’s calling “The Roost”. She’s pitched camp on her idea and is doubling down to ensure that she can create the best experience for adventurous travelers. Her advice—and that of the singer James Brown—is to “always use what you have.”

 

 

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

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
"I’d urge anyone to think through what they have already available and how they could monetize it."
—Robyn Dochterman #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get Your Logo Today With Logojoy!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Logojoy, an online tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you design a beautiful, custom logo.

Try Logojoy today and get 20% off any logo package when you visit logojoy.com/hustle.


Get it Here

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Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Game on! Seahawks Fan Kicks Off Six-Figure Sports App

What It’s About

A loyal sports fan kicks off his own touchdowns.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Here are some of John’s quick tips for working with a developer:

1) Keep it simple. Start with an MVP so that you can a) keep startup costs low, and b) see if there is even a market for what you have to offer.

2) Use milestones. If you’re working with a developer that you’re not very familiar with, never pay for something up front.

3) Be transparent and clear. Be very clear about what you’re looking for, and draw up what you think something should look like.

Fun Fact

Over the years, John has found some rather interesting markets for his apps. Two that he hadn’t really considered: people in the military and those who are visually impaired.

For those in the military, John’s apps give them an opportunity to catch the local games no matter where they’re stationed. Being out in the field means that they don’t have easy access to the games via radio or tv, but everyone has their cell phone with them.

And 2-3 years ago, John learned that he had a large following from the blind community because for them, listening to sports radio announcers were how they are able to connect with the sports they love.

Notes from Chris

Episode 667

As Seattle native John Nguyen can attest, moving to a new city can come with some interesting challenges—finding a new grocery store, updating your mailing address everywhere, and of course, figuring out how to best navigate the dreaded rush hour traffic. But it wasn’t until he had to relocate to San Carlos, California that he became acutely aware of a whole new kind of complication… one that would eventually lead to a lucrative side hustle.

You see, John was a big fan of the Seattle Seahawks, and San Carlos was smack dab in the middle of 49er country. Which meant that it was much more challenging to tune into the games that he loved.

There were some options to pay to stream the game, but who wants to pay to watch sports? John loved the Seahawks, but he wasn’t sure that he loved them enough to shell out that much money for a handful of games a year…

He knew that the solution probably came in the form of an app, but he’d been burned before… This wasn’t the first time he’d considered creating an app. Before this, he had the brilliant idea of creating what he calls an “Instagram for videos” style app. Of course, this goes back a few years before Instagram started doing Instagram for videos.

It was a great idea but poorly executed.

Looking back, he can identify the mistakes he made. They included spending too much money upfront to essentially handcuffing himself to an overseas developer since he didn’t know how to develop apps himself.

Not eager to get burned again, this time he decided to follow a different game plan. He tracked down everything he could to learn how to program himself. From YouTube to Github, the internet was his offensive playbook.

His app was simple: it just needed to be something that would allow users to stream a radio station. Then, it doesn’t matter where you are in the world, you can still listen to your favorite sports games—just like a local!

These days, any radio broadcast you can think of has a digital stream to it, and you can find that stream as a URL. And from there, all you have to do is connect to it. The challenge is that sometimes big games will be blacklisted by their local stations, but there are usually sister stations that will be carrying it.

The launch of his first app, GameDay Pro Football, could not have come at a better time—it was the first Sunday of the NFL season in 2014.

When he checked the stats the following day, he discovered that he had ended up making nearly $500 in one day! And by the end of the first month, he had made close to $2,500.

Four years later, John has roughly 20 sports apps out there keeping his fanatics tuned in to their favorite games. Although this was a $100 startup, he brought in $25,000 his first year, $35,000 his second, $50,000 his third, $75,000 his fourth, and this year, his income from this is expected to break six figures. Not bad for a project that only takes roughly 30 mins of his time for customer support on a weekly basis!

Moving forward, John is focused on building more apps to connect people to the local sports and news that they love. And as he’s proved with the 20 apps he on his scorecard now, where there’s a rabid fan base, there’s a side hustle sitting on the bench just ready to get in the game.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Donga Labs: Interested in catching your favorite games but aren’t a fan of the large subscription rates of other apps? Learn more about John’s many sports apps over on his website!
  • GitHub: The open source platform that John used to source the templates that he used for his apps

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

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

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

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

Quote of the Day
"If you’re looking to start a side hustle, keep it simple—don’t try to reinvent the wheel!"
—John Nguyen #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: Don’t Sit On Your Ideas

Notes from Chris

Episode 666

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

When I was going over the notes from this week, I was struck by something that was said by Steve in Ep. 661:

“The first would be, if you have a great idea don’t sit on it because everyone’s got a good idea too.

It’s the people that actually take action are the ones that can have any sort of success. I will say that people will always doubt you, laugh at your idea. People will tell you that it’s a bad idea. There are other people that will tell you it’s an amazing idea but you really have to listen to your gut, to your intuition, because there are so many people out there who have had good ideas and never do anything about it.

As a result they’re stuck in the same position that they’re in.”

To hear more, check out today’s Weekly Recap.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW:

Today, we have an update from Travis Vengroff, who was featured on the show in Ep. 199.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to hear from Travis himself!

You can also check out his website, Liberty Endures.

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. 660 – How one man grew his $46 idea into a six-figure monthly sales machine selling beard oil
  • Ep. 661 – In trying to remedy his own workout injuries, this physical therapist invents a portable device to relieve pain. He then patents the device and sells 57,000 of them
  • Ep. 662 – This Bay Area transplant started blogging about Napa wines as a creative outlet, but she soon discovered that valley wineries were willing to pay for exposure
  • Ep. 663 – With a full-time job and a family of four to support, this job recruiter applies the skills he uses every day to earn additional money on the side
  • Ep. 664 – After an initial attempt at baking scones fails to rise, a client services manager combines her passion for ballroom dancing with publishing guides for fellow dance students
  • Ep. 665 – Ever wondered how match strikers are made? This chemical analyst figured it out, and now earns $2,000/month from her online shop
  • Bonus note: In this episode I referenced a Vice article on how to get a friend out of multilevel marketing. Here’s the link.

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

We want to hear from you!

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

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

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

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

Here’s what’s coming up next…

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

  • When faced with the possibility of not being able to enjoy his favorite football games, this sports fan creates an app to solve the problem. Four years in, it earns him a full-time income in exchange for 30 minutes of work each week
  • Get paid up to $700 each for carving pumpkins?? Only on Side Hustle School: a love of all things Halloween leads two friends to carve out a chunk of seasonal profits
  • 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
"So many people have good ideas and never do anything about them—as a result they’re stuck in the same place."
—#SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get Your Logo Today With Logojoy!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Logojoy, an online tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you design a beautiful, custom logo.

Try Logojoy today and get 20% off any logo package when you visit logojoy.com/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

Chemical Analyst Strikes a Side Hustle Match(Stick)

What It’s About

A side hustle that’s truly on fire!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

So here’s a challenge for you: take note of some of the random items you encounter through your day. See if you can figure out where they come from.

Imagine that you had to find a way to either buy them or commission them or make them yourself—how would you do it?

Fun Fact

Everyone has that one friend who collects matchbooks from restaurants. “Phillumeny” describes the people who collect them, and other match-associated things.

Notes from Chris

Episode 665

They say that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And, in Melissa Moore’s case, where there’s fire, there’s a side hustle. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the chemical manufacturing senior analyst is also a lifelong candle and incense lover.

Her side hustle is matchsticks and the paper you strike them on. You know the striker strip on the side of matchboxes? Well, she imports them by the sheet (about the size of a piece of paper, US letter size) and sells them online on Etsy, Amazon, eBay, and my own website.

In addition to generic ones, she also cuts them down into various sizes to create more artistic strikers—circles, squares, rectangles, etc., as well as hearts, moons, letters, and even outlines of US states. The sheets and the die-cut shapes have an adhesive backing, so they function like stickers.

How did this come to be?

For years, Melissa tolerated tacky lighters and ugly matchboxes to help fulfill her candlelit dreams. But when she took a casual wander through stacks of homemade pottery at an arts festival, an idea sparked in her mind.

While perusing oil warmers, she noticed that there was a small compartment on some of them that could be the perfect size to hold matches. The clay also gave it an easy striking surface. It was while staring at the oil warmer that Melissa realized that all she really wanted was a cute container to hold her matches in and complete her candle collection.

So, she turned to Google to start searching for match holders. But all she could ever find were dingy antiques or flimsy plastic ones, which just wouldn’t do for her modern decorative needs. After many days, and even more refined search terms later, Melissa found the perfect jar size for her grocery store-sourced matches.

But just because she had the matches, and a nice container to put them in, did not mean her work was done just yet. She still needed a way to light those matches. Sheer willpower wouldn’t do the job, so Melissa went back to the drawing board to figure out how to source striking paper that she could stick onto her jars.

A few weeks after that she got her first paper delivery in the mail. A Sunday afternoon crafting session later, Melissa had glued the paper to her containers, filled them with matchsticks, and realized that she couldn’t possibly be the only person who needed an answer to the inevitable matchstick/container problem in their lives.

The side hustle fire was lit—she called it Strike a Match.

That was seven years ago. It’s been a slow burn since then, Melissa now brings in about $3,500 in monthly revenue. Her profit margins are almost 50%, which means she’s making just under $2,000 in profit each month. Since people use striking paper and matches for a plethora of reasons, like gifts, emergency supplies, or to pair with antique match holders, Melissa has pretty steady sales through the year.

Melissa realized how fragmented the matchstick industry was because there wasn’t one ‘go-to’ destination, so she set herself the goal of making the purchasing experience easy and fun. It’s an additional bonus that it’s given her the freedom to spend more time with her family.

Sounds like she’s on a hot streak.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Strike a Match: Looking to light a fire of your own? Head on over to Melissa’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
"The best way to brainstorm side hustle ideas is not to try to think of side hustle ideas, it’s to look for problems that you can solve—preferably problems you have yourself."
—Melissa Moore #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get Your Logo Today With Logojoy!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Logojoy, an online tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you design a beautiful, custom logo.

Try Logojoy today and get 20% off any logo package when you visit logojoy.com/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

Ballroom Dance Enthusiast Triples Side Income with “How-To” Guide

What It’s About

A side hustle that helps a corporate employee feel like dancing again.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

In both dance and business, Katie says that you should be prepared to work hard for whatever you’re trying to accomplish. She says that it’s important to stay true to yourself while still respecting the craft.

Fun Fact

This year Katie won the World Champion title in her ballroom dancing division. She did so in spite of not fitting the “ideal” look for a competitive ballroom dancer. She refuses to cover up her full back, tree of life, tattoo.

Notes from Chris

Episode 664

Katie Flashner needed a creative outlet. Something that helped her escape from the drudgery of her corporate day job of writing and reviewing indoor air quality testing reports. She first tried starting a homemade pastry business called “Katie’s Scones.” She soon discovered, however, that even though she loved baking for others, she didn’t love the exhausting, constant cleanup.

Then she found a new activity and passion. You could say it made her feel like dancing again. These days, after Katie leaves the office, instead of heading home, she goes to the dance studio where she spends her free time as a competitive ballroom dancer. And she doesn’t “hang up those dance shoes” after leaving the studio. She also writes about ballroom dancing, earning a side income from the sale of books and guides.

She first began blogging as a way to process all of her new experiences with dance. Her blog grew into a place where other amateur ballroom dancers could get an honest perspective from someone relatable.

She had the blog, but wasn’t sure what kind of paid product she would offer. As she discussed her options with her fellow entrepreneurs and that mentor, they kept suggesting that she teach a course or offer some kind of coaching program. She started getting swept up in the others’ enthusiasm. But Katie never had a strong urge to teach. For her, writing a guidebook was her obvious choice, because she’s a writer. Looking back, she realizes that the biggest challenge came from trying to do what she thought she was supposed to do—instead of staying true to herself.

Katie learned from her coach the concept of creating a free offer to collect an email list of potential customers and then using that list to market paid offers. She followed this model for The Solo Practice Guide for Ballroom Dancing. The guide is more than just a book to read. Katie created worksheets for dancers to record and track their practice. She also created a few videos to better demonstrate the ideas she describes in the book.

She promoted it on her blog, The Girl With The Tree Tattoo, and social media pages, and after a while, she started marketing her beta offer to that list. The beta offer was the next step—and she hadn’t even written the book yet!

To move forward, she’ll need to increase the number of prospects—people who are interested in learning about ballroom dancing, and who might be persuaded to purchase the guide. But so far, she’s been able to triple her income.

So what is in this Dancing Queen’s future? Katie is reaching out to dance shops and dance studios to partner with her so she can get her guide into as many ballroom students’ hands as possible. At this step in time, her dance card is full.

 

 

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 don’t have a huge following, but my audience is full of ideal clients. Sometimes, there are more important things than numbers."
—Katie Flashner #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get Your Logo Today With Logojoy!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Logojoy, an online tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you design a beautiful, custom logo.

Try Logojoy today and get 20% off any logo package when you visit logojoy.com/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

Job Recruiter Helps LinkedIn Connections with Resumes

What It’s About

A recruiter helps professionals turn a “no” into a “yes.”

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Alex went to the people he knew. As a recruiter, he was proficient at using LinkedIn—in fact, he had accumulated something like 18,000 connections over the years.

He then thought carefully about the best possible pricing, created three package options (always a good idea), and uploaded a sample resume so that people would have an idea of the value they would receive for their $200. And the results speak for themselves!

Fun Fact

At first, Alex had a hard time selling his services. He had no examples of resumes that he had created on his website, so his customers didn’t trust in his capabilities—especially because he was charging $200.

To solve this problem, Alex offered to redo one of his friend’s resumes for free, in exchange for being able to use it as a sample. After that, his business started to pick up!

Notes from Chris

Episode 663

Alex Benjamin’s life was a combination of excitement and worry. His family had recently welcomed a new baby into the world, but with each new week, his workload was beginning to get lighter and lighter. As a full-time recruiter for pharmaceutical companies, it was Alex’s responsibility to find employees for the most difficult to fill jobs. Essentially, he was a talent scout for the pharmaceutical industry.

Around that time, many of the biggest names in pharmacy all seemed to stop hiring within the period of a few months. Since Alex was paid on commission, this meant that his income took a major hit.

And with that new baby to support, the timing couldn’t have been worse. You could say it was a tough pill to swallow…

Although he was stressed, he knew that failure wasn’t an option. Rather than take the experience as a total loss, he started to read books about entrepreneurship and purpose. Through his reading, he realized that he had been living in autopilot for years. He had only been focusing on short-term goals. Suddenly, he was able to see beyond the tunneled vision he had grown so accustomed to.

Alex wasn’t sure that he wanted to be a full-blown entrepreneur, but a side hustle didn’t sound like a bad idea.

It wasn’t exactly original, but he felt confident in his ability to stand out. He was going to start a resume building business!

As a recruiter, he looked through resumes all day. He saw that even the most highly paid, well-educated professionals struggled to create resumes that were compelling and attractive. And these were people in the medical field with six-figure incomes! Sometimes even the pharmaceutical writers had resumes riddled with grammatical errors and inconsistent formatting.

But Alex could help! He knew the ins and outs of resume writing and what attracted employers like the back of his hand. After all, it was his full-time job to hire people.

To start, he did a lot of research on LinkedIn to see what his competition was charging. Many of them offered packages in the $100-200 range, but a lot of them also offered larger packages at $500. He didn’t feel that many of the “bonus services” offered in those packages were what people would really value, so he wanted to keep his services in that lower range.

The writing on the wall was crisp, clear, and in 12 pt. Times New Roman—Recruiter Written was ready for business!

He created a website using Weebly and focused on offering a few different options:

1) a professionally written resume for $179.

2) a professionally written resume and a LinkedIn profile complete with keyword optimization for $299.

3) a professionally written resume, a LinkedIn profile complete with keyword optimization, a customized cover letter template, and a customized “thank you” letter template for $399.

Alex says that he averages roughly 8-9 clients a month and brings in an extra $1500—just using a skill that he already had!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Recruiter Written: If you’re looking to make a workplace change, head on over to Alex’s website!
  • Weebly: The platform that Alex used to create his website for Recruiter Written

 

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
"Before Recruiter Written, I had zero experience creating a website, I had no idea on how to accept credit card payments, and I knew nothing about search engine optimization. Every step forward is one step closer to starting the business. Every roadblock is one more opportunity to learn something new."
—Alex Benjamin #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get Your Logo Today With Logojoy!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Logojoy, an online tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you design a beautiful, custom logo.

Try Logojoy today and get 20% off any logo package when you visit logojoy.com/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

Tech Employee Gets Paid to Visit Napa Wineries

What It’s About

A wine lover connects the gap between beginners and experts.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

We have looked at the role of personality in a side hustle a few different times. Especially when it comes to mediums like blogging or platforms like Instagram, people want to know about you. It’s true that the world of wine can be overwhelming or intimidating, but there are lots of ways they can learn about it. Kristen’s readers are interested in her perspective and her experiences, not just the knowledge itself.

Fun Fact

Although grapes grown in Napa Valley only represent 4% of the total grapes grown in California, the Napa Valley wine industry yields $50 billion dollars to the US economy. 95% of the wineries located in Napa Valley are family run, and 67% of these wineries produce fewer than 5,000 cases a year.

Notes from Chris

Episode 662
When Kristen Dussel first set her eyes upon Napa Valley’s lush vineyards, it was love at first sight. She couldn’t believe how beautiful it was—not to mention how delicious the wine could be—and dreamed of one day moving there after graduating from university.

And that’s what she did. She earned a degree in marketing and moved from Minnesota to San Francisco to work for a tech company. She loved the job. And she loved being so close to wine country.

She began visiting wineries on the weekends and soaking up all the knowledge she could. She was a fascinated learner, but sometimes it was just downright intimidating. The people she was interacting with at these wineries were seasoned sommeliers. The disconnect between the casual and enthusiast wine lover was clear—sometimes painfully clear.

Kristen wanted to close the gap, not only for herself but for other millennials who weren’t sure how—and just last fall, she realized the way to do it: a wine lifestyle blog.

In December 2017, Kristen launched her site, Wine Country Chick, and published her first blog: a review of Mumm Winery in Napa.

She published several more posts that month, making sure to stay active on social media. It quickly became clear that Instagram would have the most engagement for her brand since the market was so visual, so she focused on that.

She followed big names in the fashion and food world so that she could learn from their style. They posted frequently, favored certain kinds of photography, and published lots of Instagram Stories. So, naturally, she started doing it too. By early 2018, Kristen had amassed a small following of 3,000 people—and it was growing faster and faster.

In March, a local wine brand messaged Kristen and asked about the possibility of a sponsored post on Instagram. She couldn’t believe it. Someone already wanted to pay her for exposure! She quickly and excitedly agreed, celebrated with a glass of wine, and a couple weeks later, she had made $175 for something she would have done for free.

This opened up a whole new world for Kristen. The blog was just a creative project at first. But from now on, she wouldn’t just get to write about great wineries, she might actually get paid to do so.

Brands kept reaching out, and for the most part, partnerships went off without a hitch. Winecountrychick.com had its first $500 in June, and then in July the brand broke $1,000 and acquired her 10,000th follower.

These days, Wine Country Chick generates anywhere from $500 to $2,000 per month, depending on her full-time job commitments. Kristen’s 16,000 Instagram followers are highly engaged, and she reciprocates with constant engagement back. She’s thrilled that she’s built a profitable hustle in less than a year starting from scratch, and she loves that she’s helping others explore their passion along the way. Kristen is living the Napa dream.

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
"Put yourself out there. People want to see the face behind the camera and the business. You will be surprised by how many people will respond positively and feel connected to you and your brand."
—Kristen Dussel #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get Your Logo Today With Logojoy!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Logojoy, an online tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you design a beautiful, custom logo.

Try Logojoy today and get 20% off any logo package when you visit logojoy.com/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

Physical Therapist Sells 57,000 “Neck Hammocks”

What It’s About

A neck hammock that takes the pain out of a “pain in the neck.”

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Steve says that the power of people and connections is one of the most undervalued assets that you can have. He even goes further by saying that the more people you put yourself in contact with and develop positive relationships with, the better because later on down the road it can pay huge dividends for you.

Fun Fact

Much like the story we featured of a guy who creates a tool to keep hair out of the drain (Ep. 657), Steve’s biggest challenge has been imitators and counterfeiters. He describes it as a systemic problem with leeches looking to profit off of someone else’s idea. As part of his education process, he’s learned about intellectual property and patents—but that only goes so far. Mostly, he tries to stay positive and keep selling his original product.

Notes from Chris

Episode 661

Steve Sudell works as a physical therapist at a clinic in Venice, California. He provides personalized and sport-focused exercises to athletes before their competition to help reduce and possibly prevent injuries associated with intense, physical activity.

His side hustle is The Neck Hammock, a portable device that attaches to any door or railing and promises to provide medical grade cervical traction.

It came about first from his own needs. As someone who grew up playing sports, Steve had dealt with neck pain over the years and there wasn’t much he could do on his own besides going to see a chiropractor or a physical therapist. Once he became a PT, he learned about cervical traction—this was a treatment that worked for him every time. He also saw it work over and over with his patients.

Still, to get this treatment you had to go to the clinic and use a $2,000 machine.

One day, he was working out and tweaked his neck again. He decided he wanted to recreate the concept of cervical traction at home—so he took a long resistance band and wrapped it around a pole. He laid down on it for ten minutes, and his neck pain was gone.

Steve knew he was on to something, but making it wasn’t simple. Steve spent the next two and a half years going from concept to product. It had to fit snugly and securely around the back of your head, yet also be comfortable. It also had to be portable. Last but not least, it had to be affordable. He wanted something that you could put in your sock drawer at home or take with you on the road.

So he made it, learning along the way. In fact, he says that’s been the greatest and most unexpected benefit of the process. He’s learned about digital marketing, design, accounting, social media, how retail sales work, and so on.

But the education isn’t the only benefit. Since launching The Neck Hammock, Steve has sold over 57,000 units at an average price of $50.

It started with a pain in the neck, it became a pain relief profit center.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • The Neck Hammock: What are you hangin’ around here for? Head on over to Steve’s website to learn more about this inventive little device!

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

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
"If you have a great idea, don’t sit on it. Everyone has a good idea at one point or another, but it’s the people that take action that are the ones who see any sort of success. There will always be people who will doubt you and tell you that it’s a bad idea, but you really have to listen to your gut."
—Steve Sudell #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get Your Logo Today With Logojoy!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Logojoy, an online tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you design a beautiful, custom logo.

Try Logojoy today and get 20% off any logo package when you visit logojoy.com/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

Beard Oil Behemoth Expands to 35 Countries

What It’s About

A Georgia transplant with an itchy problem turns $46 into six-figures … using beard oil.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Although he’s experienced some major success along the way, Ryan’s not really sure if he’d have similar results if he had started Dream Beard today. Dream Beard’s success was kind of a perfect storm—beards had really taken off in pop culture (seriously, they were on baseball and basketball players, Duck Dynasty stars, and even the hipsters took on beard culture), social media for business ventures was still relatively authentic, and the market was severely less saturated.

Fun Fact

Dream Beard began on his father-in-law’s dining room table but quickly expanded throughout his entire home. It overtook the entire dining room. Then the kitchen, followed by the living room. Eventually, his father-in-law’s home was consumed by boxes, tables and shelves and had become their shipping and receiving warehouse. But as long as his pop-in-law could sit in his comfy chair and watch his favorite television shows he wasn’t bothered by any of it!

Notes from Chris

Episode 660

Ryan Lane is the founder of Dream Beard—an e-commerce shop that sells hair, beard, and body products—and he runs it alongside his wife and fellow beard enthusiast, Brittany. Although it was a humble project that they started with the last $46 they had in their bank account in 2012, six years later, this trailblazer in the world of facial hair brings in over six figures a month in sales.

But how exactly did they turn a $46 idea into something so profitable and with a huge, cult following of bearded fans?

Well, it started with an itch. The itch heard ‘round the world.

When the 9 to 5 grind just wasn’t cutting it anymore, Ryan Lane discovered that he simply wanted more out of life than his desk job could give him. And after talking about it at length with Brittany, the two of them decided to do something a bit hairy…

Despite this being the era of the Great Recession, Ryan and Brittany both quit their jobs and relocated from Ohio to Atlanta, Georgia. They wanted to be closer to family, and since neither of them had anything lined up yet, they moved in with Brittany’s dad.

They applied to hundreds of different jobs, but despite their best efforts, nothing came through. It was totally nerve-racking. For many, being unemployed and sleeping across the hall from your father-in-law might feel a bit demoralizing, but Ryan immediately got down to business—and this time, that business was one of his own.

Around this time, Ryan had what he called a “short corporate beard,” and it was itching like crazy. He tried a few products that claimed to help with that awkward, short beard growth phase, but nothing was working. They either left a funky scent that made his wife consider kicking him out of bed, or they just promised a lot without actually delivering results.

Not willing to give up his manly badge of pride, he started doing a little experimenting of his own. And these experiments led him to the wonderful world of essential oils. When he found a combination that he really liked, he started sharing it with friends who in turn shared it with their friends as well.

This sparked an idea—what if he created a product that could combat the pesky problems that come with growing a beard?

His timing really couldn’t have been better. Facial hair was in the middle of transitioning out of a “don’t mind my 5 o’clock shadow, girl—just look into my beautiful eyes” phase and moving into a more “lumber-sexual” phase. Since Ryan had already done quite a bit of research in order to look for a solution to his scratchy beard woes, he knew that essential oil blends specifically for beards didn’t really exist in the market.

So, in 2012, with that $46 in the bank and the small space provided by his father-in-law’s dining room table, something beard-ah-riffic began to take shape. He called it Dream Beard, and since Etsy seemed like a natural place to get his start, he signed up for an account.

His focus was aimed at drawing the attention and support of beard lovers everywhere, and his timing was perfect for another reason as well: it was also the rise of social media. Between leveraging the power of word of mouth and some very strategic social media posting, he ended up selling roughly 30,000 bottles of his signature beard oil concoction in the first year. And that annual bottle count has risen to roughly a million bottles sold in 2018 to beard growers in over 35 countries. Kid Rock is a fan, and so are the original bearded, sharp-dressed Texas legends themselves—ZZ Top!

His business isn’t the only thing that’s seen some serious growth—his “business beard” has reached great lengths and is now braided and down to his waist! (He once thought about trimming it, but realized that would be off-brand.)

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Dream Beard: Join the beard revolution and pick up a bottle of your own beard oil over on Ryan’s website, and while you’re at it, check out Ryan’s podcast, Life Gets Hairy too!
  • Shopify: Ryan used Shopify to setup the website for Dream Beard, and they’re offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!
  • ShipStation: The amazing platform that Ryan and Brittany use to help them get orders out and delivered in record speed. They’re also a partner of the show, and you can get two months free when you click on the microphone in the upper right-hand corner of the page and type in “HUSTLE”!

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

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
"Everything but now is a story, and we live for a good story. Social media and the internet have become nothing but noise—tell a story that cuts through that noise and resonates with your audience."
—Ryan Lane #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: Don’t Be Afraid to Tear Down & Rebuild

Notes from Chris

Episode 659

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

At the beginning of the week, in Ep. 654, we featured a video game streamer by the name of Doug Veney. He said something I didn’t include in the regular episode:

Content creation is easier than ever to get into now, but it’s harder than ever to stand out.”

This is like the print-on-demand business—anyone can get started right away. And because of that extremely low barrier to entry, a lot of people are doing it.

Most of them aren’t going to be successful, so you want to pay attention to the people that are. And in this industry (it’s strange to call playing video games for a living an industry, but it is), like Doug says, a lot of it comes down to doing it over and over, grinding it out night after night.

The second key factor is building quality relationships with all of these people who are watching you.

So it’s not easy, in other words, and it’s not a get rich quick plan. But if you have the right spirit and determination, maybe you should follow this model. If not, let this serve as inspiration and a reminder of one of the Side Hustle School principles: there are all kinds of ways to make money!

To hear more, check out today’s Weekly Recap.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW:

Today, we have an update from Kristin Berry, who was featured on the show in Ep. 178.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to hear from Kristin herself!

You can also check out her website, Miss Design Berry.

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. 653 – A Crossfit trainer and her videographer partner create a healthy meal prep and delivery service, launching it with zero startup costs and growing to nearly $1m in 3 years
  • Ep. 654 – Hard work pays off! After three years of streaming video games to an audience of thousands every night, this marketing manager now earns more from his side gig than he does from his day job
  • Ep. 655 – After meeting on Tinder, a couple takes a long walk through Central Park and decides to sell cupcakes for $20 each. Surprise: it works
  • Ep. 656 – Needing a way to reconnect with her creative side, this IT manager learns to thread her hustle into her life
  • Ep. 657 – A modern-day Edison creates a million-dollar product after constantly cleaning up loose hair in his household drains
  • Ep. 658 – “They’re all illegal!” As an attorney, she knew that bloggers weren’t following the rules, but it was painfully obvious that nobody else did

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:

  • How one man grew his $46 idea into a six-figure monthly sales machine selling beard oil
  • This Bay Area transplant started blogging about Napa wines as a creative outlet, but she soon discovered that valley wineries were willing to pay for exposure
  • 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
"Instead of making small improvements, maybe you need to break something down to its core foundation. Only then can you rebuild it the way you want."
—#SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get Your Logo Today With Logojoy!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Logojoy, an online tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you design a beautiful, custom logo.

Try Logojoy today and get 20% off any logo package when you visit logojoy.com/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