Archives: Podcast

Teenage Fitness Fan Jumpstarts Athletic Apparel Brand

What It’s About

A security guard launches his own athletic apparel brand, and it’s a slam dunk!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Anthony’s goal was to be active on social media and create a sense of urgency while also gaining the trust of potential customers. He started out by posting 1-2 times a day, but to build that trust, he focused on adding content to his blog that would actually be helpful to his audience instead of just selling to them. Not only did it drive them to the site—it often yielded a steady stream of sales.

Fun Fact

Anthony was 18 years old when he started this venture, didn’t have a degree or qualifications in business and still learned how to developed everything—from the website to designing every item Absolute Fitness Apparel has released. Very cool!

Notes from Chris

Episode 517

Today’s featured side hustler, Anthony Mellor, works full-time as a Security Officer at Heathrow Airport in London. But when he’s not sending passengers through x-ray screening or checking bags for those oversized shampoo bottles that every terrorist loves, you can find him on the court or in the gym.

You see, like many young men his age, Anthony has always had a passion for sports and fitness. And it was that love of athletics that inspired Anthony to start Absolute Fitness Apparel—an innovative and affordable athletic clothing brand that promotes a healthy well-being.

No, Anthony does not have a business degree, or any degree for that matter because at the time of starting this in 2017, he was 18 years old and fresh out of secondary school (that means high school for our North American listeners). What he did have was an idea and a sketch, as well as the motivation to turn both of those things into an athletic apparel brand.

By this point, you may be asking yourself, in an industry saturated with brands like Nike and Adidas, why did our young security officer decide to launch something like this? Well, it came down to a lot of different things, but first and foremost, it was about cost.

Being 18 with a finite amount of available cash, Anthony felt financially strapped buying all of the fitness apparel he wanted without breaking the bank. A simple running tank top from Nike could set you back £48.53 (or $65) on average, and being the fashionable individual he is, Anthony felt underwhelmed by their minimalist design.

Anthony wanted to create a brand that was reasonably priced enough for your average 18-year-old while also blending performance and style, and since he was working with limited funds, he decided to sketch his first design himself.

And it was that first t-shirt sketch that really got the ball rolling.

For the next few months, Anthony would get home from hassling old ladies at Heathrow and spend his free time creating a logo, building a website, and launching a social media presence for his new brand.

Since launching Absolute Fitness Apparel a little over a year ago, Anthony has expanded his product line to include long sleeve shirts, hoodies, and joggers, and he’s sold well over 300 units at an average price point of £28.32 (or $37.91).

Like most athletes, Anthony is in it to win it, and he finds motivation every day to build his brand out just a little bit more. Looking to the future, Anthony plans on continuing to expand his line and audience and getting more people interested in pursuing active and healthy lifestyles. He’s invested in going the distance, and with his new line of fashionable apparel, we expect that he’ll do it in style too.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Absolute Fitness Apparel: Learn more about Anthony’s athletic apparel brand over on his website!
  • Shopify: Anthony used Shopify to set up his store for Absolute Fitness Apparel, and they’re offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

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
"Get a pen and paper and write a list of what needs to be done, prioritize, and start today—not tomorrow."
—Anthony Mellor #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Cook with Blue Apron!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blue Apron. 👩‍🍳

Check out this week’s menu and get your first three meals FREE, with free shipping. Get ready to say mmmmmm.
Get Yours 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

Trip to Target Inspires Aromatic Hustle

What It’s About

A candle company with lots of attitude lights a new path for this social worker.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Since there are a lot of different candle companies out there, the trick to being successful is branding. What’s different, what’s unusual, how can your candles become somewhat of a statement piece? This is also going to determine your market.

Also, a reminder: if you’re bored with something, move on! Tay could have kept making soap, but she was bored—so she washed her hands and moved on. That’s okay!

Fun Fact

Tay had an idea journal years before starting Posh Candle Co. She looked at this journal shortly after launching her candle hustle and realized that she had had a candle idea many years before—except all her candles were shaped and smelled like food.

Notes from Chris

Episode 516

Tay Watts is a full-time social worker in Los Angeles and a part-time seller of candles. But this story doesn’t actually start with candles—it starts with soap. Tay’s first product line was aromatic soaps she made at home. She did this for a few years and enjoyed it, but it lost its luster… so she washed her hands of that idea and moved on.

Still, the idea of earning money apart from her job was appealing. As a mother of two, Tay often went to Target to get things for her family. When she did, she found herself stopping by one aisle in particular. It was an aisle of peace and solace: the candle aisle. In this sweetly scented world, the stresses of motherhood and diapers dissipated and she found herself enveloped in calming lavender, sweet vanilla, and earthy eucalyptus.

On a whim, Tay began making candles and experimenting with scents. She already knew how to do it—she had made a few before for family gifts, and the knowledge from the soap making venture helped her estimate costs and work with different materials.

Tay wanted to launch her candle brand with four scents, and the inspiration for those initial scents came from things she already loved: books, tea, and women’s empowerment.

This R&D phase was all about capturing a feeling. That feeling of wonder and comfort at the smell of a good book. The assertive “go get it” attitude of women hustlers. The sophisticated, calming presence of a cup of tea. By November, Tay had her four candles: Boss Girl Magic, Dear Book Hoarder, Carpe Diem & Coffee, and Big Cozy Sweater.

She built her store with BigCommerce and launched Posh Candle Co. on December 27, 2016. She immediately started reaching out to influencers on Instagram. She targeted accounts with 5-10,000 followers and send about 20 pitches asking about exchanging a product for a styled shot. Over the next month, she received about 10 responses and sent off 10 candles. Many followers of those influencers ended up re-posting those images, which began a trickle of word-of-mouth marketing.

Her first order came in a couple weeks later on January 6th, 2017. She was ecstatic—and she screamed. Though, she honestly can’t remember if she did anything to celebrate because she was so busy with the rest of her life.

In fact, Tay was so busy those first few months that she can’t remember when she made her first $1,000, which is normally a big milestone. She does, however, know for certain that she broke $10,000 in sales that June, just six months after launching.

These days, Tay’s excited to partner with other women entrepreneurs to create scents for their businesses. She’s also looking for ways to finally move her business out of her house so that she can have people over on the weekends without it being a minefield of soy and wax. The journey is still in its early stages, but she is lit up with enthusiasm over her decision to get started.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Posh Candle Co.: Learn more about Tay’s unique line of candles over on her website!
  • BigCommerce: The website building platform that Tay used when she first started Posh Candle Co.
  • Shopify: Tay used Shopify to set up her store for Posh Candle Co., and they’re offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

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

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

Quote of the Day
"My best advice for others in similar situations is to identify your most productive hours of the day and stick to it. Even with great time management and support, there’s going to be good days and bad days—just remember to stay patient with yourself and the process."
—Tay Watts #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Cook with Blue Apron!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blue Apron. 👩‍🍳

Check out this week’s menu and get your first three meals FREE, with free shipping. Get ready to say mmmmmm.
Get Yours 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

EXTENDED CUT #14: Start a Service Business in Less Than a Week

Notes from Chris

Episode x14
What if I could show you how to pick a topic that you have knowledge in, or a skill you already have, and then help you extract a specific idea from that topic, turn that idea into an offer, and finally publish that offer for a chance to get paid?

Well, that’s what we’re going to talk about today—starting a service-based side hustle in less than a week!

First and foremost, you should know that everyone is an expert on something. You might have heard me mention this in the past, and it’s true! There’s no such thing as a consulting degree, but you can still craft your knowledge into a marketable offer.

In order to build a service based side hustle that someone will pay you for, you really need to:

  • a) Choose something specific
  • b) Choose something marketable

    • With that in mind, listen to this Extended Cut to hear some examples of service based side hustles and how you can get started within a week!

    SERVICE BASED SIDE HUSTLE CHECKLIST:

    • 1. Do you have a clear offer?

    • 2. Do you describe your offer in simple terms (two sentences max)?

    • 3. Do you have a clear market or ideal customer?

    • 4. Additionally, do you have an idea how to reach that person?

    • 5. Do you know exactly what you’ll do in terms of workflow when someone signs up?

    • 6. Do you have an easy and obvious way to get paid?

    EPISODES MENTIONED IN THIS EXTENDED CUT:

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

    Yours in the revolution,

    cg-sig-newsletter

    Baker Starts Agency to Raise Dough for Dream Home

    What It’s About

    A baker makes extra dough for her dream home helping others build their brand.

    [podcast_details]

    Words of Wisdom

    For anyone looking to take advantage of Instagram in their business, Mimi recommends you go back to basics. Many businesses forget that Instagram is a photography platform first, and a marketing tool second. You need to create well-lit images that show your product in its best light and share captions that are relevant to your audience. Stick to basics and use the platform properly and you can see major growth in your following, while subtly promoting your products!

    Fun Fact

    Mimi has a strong sense of what she wants and has often turned down work with bigger agencies who don’t meet the requirements or don’t mesh with her ideals of what good creative work looks like. One of the best things about a side hustle is you get to make all the final decisions!

    Notes from Chris

    Episode 515

    For organic baker Mimi Council, it was the dream of building a new family home that brought her to side hustling. With sky-high California house prices, Mimi knew her current level of income wasn’t going to help her raise the $100,000 she needed to build the first part of the project. If she was going to turn dreams and ideas into bricks and mortar, she’d need a second source of income. But Mimi was faced with a problem.

    As the owner of a successful bakery, she found herself with a full schedule. She was working six days a week, for at yeast 10 hours a day, trying to rise to the top. This meant if Mimi was going to start a side hustle, she’d need to draw on her existing skills, and use the free time she did have. There was no room for learning new skills or taking Saturdays off work!

    So instead of seeing her job as an obstacle, Mimi saw it as an opportunity to find side hustle ideas.

    As a scrappy small business owner, she’d learned lots of skills to help her market and grow her venture. For example: she’d learned photography to capture beautiful images of her creations, Instagram marketing to make her more visible, and SEO to ensure that her website was consistently receiving traffic. Most of all, she remembered what drove her to learn these skills in the first place: they were expensive to outsource, and it was hard to find someone she could trust who really understood her needs as a small business.

    Her friends often asked questions regarding how she started her bakery. Things like that list of skills she’d acquired—how she created an Instagram following of over 45K in just a year, how they could create visually stimulating photos like hers, and even what kind of promos they should run for their own businesses. It was then that she figured she could be making money instead of just telling her friends all of these things. So, she started marketing to people outside of her friend group.

    Mimi felt she was competent enough with all of these skills to perform them for other businesses. She also figured that she could charge an affordable price which could give her an edge over the competition. Since she’d been in the trenches trying to grow her bakery and could empathize with many of the day-to-day problems small business owners deal with, she decided she would start a creative agency and offer her services. She called it Above 8000 Creative.

    Thanks to her focused marketing techniques and clear branding, Mimi has been able to generate $2,000 a month through the business. This money goes directly into the savings account for her new house, which she’s hoping to be able to start work on in January of 2019.

    Looking to the future, Mimi wants to keep growing Above 8000 Creative’s client base and put more away towards her dream home every month!

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

    • Above 8000 Creative: Learn more about Mimi and the work she’s doing over on her website. And don’t forget to order some cookies over on her bakery’s website!
    • Unsplash: Beautiful high-quality free images and photos you can download and use for any project—no attribution required.

    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
    "When starting a side hustle, it’s good to have a strong work ethic since you’ll need to be working instead of doing other things."
    —Mimi Council #SideHustleSchool

    Sponsors & Gratitude

    Cook with Blue Apron!

    Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blue Apron. 👩‍🍳

    Check out this week’s menu and get your first three meals FREE, with free shipping. Get ready to say mmmmmm.
    Get Yours 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

    Sweet-Toothed Dentist Creates Sugar-Free Caramel Company

    What It’s About

    Sugar-free caramels lead to sweet sweet profits for this dentist and her husband!

    [podcast_details]

    Words of Wisdom

    The side hustle journey is not always linear. In fact, it often isn’t. The people who are the most successful start with a dream and then turn that dream into practical reality as soon as possible. They ask hard questions of themselves, and when they encounter obstacles, they look for solutions.

    Fun Fact

    In addition to being a majority woman-owned and minority-owned company, Tom & Jenny’s also prioritizes the employment of handicapped adults, which is a great example of someone using a side hustle to further their societal impact as well!

    Notes from Chris

    Episode 514

    Day after day, Manhattan pediatric dentist Jenny Thekkekandam heard the parents of her patients talking about the same thing: the distasteful state of sugar-free candy. Wanting to remain on their dentist’s good side, they searched high and low, but despite their best efforts, they couldn’t find a sugar-free candy that both tasted good and satisfied the cravings of their pickiest eaters.

    Almost as disappointing as the taste of sugar-free candy was the fact that many of them were too acidic to be truly good for teeth, not to mention packed to their wrappers with artificial sweeteners, flavors, and colors. This was problematic for Jenny who was in the business of healthy teeth.

    So, naturally, Jenny started experimenting… which, as you know, is how many great side hustles begin. On the weekends, her tiny apartment kitchen would transform into a small-scale factory of sticky, confectionery delights. Jenny played around with lots of different recipes but where she really found sweet success was in a batch of sugar-free caramels. It wasn’t long until her husband, Tommy, took notice (and a caramel or two…) and decided to join in on the action.

    A few years and countless iterations later, their mission to concoct the perfect sugar-free caramel recipe was still missing something. They wanted to make sure they had both tooth friendly ingredients and amazing flavors for their chewy creations, so they decided to look outside of their kitchen for a set of more knowledgeable taste buds. And those taste buds came in the form of professional chef and twice recipient of a coveted James Beard pastry award, Michael Laiskonis.

    After a series of tweaks, their recipe was finally complete. The finished product? A delicious caramel sweetened with a gram of xylitol to help reduce harmful acidity and cavity-causing bacteria on your teeth. They were also soft enough not to damage teeth or dental work and unlike their sugary counterparts, they melted away within minutes.

    It was finally time to see if they had created a product that consumers could really sink their teeth into!

    And it sounds like it was a recipe for side hustle success! This year, Tom & Jenny’s is projected to bring around $100,000 in sweet, sweet profit. Although they started Tom & Jenny’s with approximately $15,000, they’ve invested almost $90,000 back into the company. This has helped them create new flavors (including chocolate, ginger, coffee, and spiced rum!) and really flesh out their brand.

    So, Tommy and Jenny now have a solid recipe and online presence for their business. Their next phase is to start introducing their caramels to retail stores, particularly the ones with a natural food focus. There, they’ll be more likely to make direct connections with the consumers, while making confections in their kitchen.

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

    • Tom & Jenny’s: Nine out of ten dentists (seriously, what’s up with that last dentist??) recommend Tom & Jenny’s caramels—learn more 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

    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
    "Whether you want to one day have a big exit or to run the business as a family owned operation for a lifetime, it’s critical to have a plan for how to grow when you’re first starting out."
    —Tom & Jenny Thekkekandam #SideHustleSchool

    Sponsors & Gratitude

    Cook with Blue Apron!

    Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blue Apron. 👩‍🍳

    Check out this week’s menu and get your first three meals FREE, with free shipping. Get ready to say mmmmmm.
    Get Yours 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

    Man Buys Tesla, Rents It Out to Cover Monthly Payments

    What It’s About

    A family takes a unique detour to owning the car of their dreams.

    [podcast_details]

    Words of Wisdom

    According to Mike, if you want to succeed on Turo—or any other platform really—you must figure out how to stand out from the crowd. For Mike and Rachel, their unique selling proposition was their Tesla X. With falcon-wing doors, the vehicle is unmistakably a Tesla and never fails to grab attention. It also helps that there are people who are drawn to the appeal of an electric car.

    Fun Fact

    By their estimates, Mike and Rachel spent approximately 156 hours working actively on renting out their Tesla in 2017 and earned $15,346. If you do the math (not my strong suit, of course), that works out to $98 an hour for driving and cleaning their Tesla X, which is quite a decent return on your time—especially if you love your electric vehicle and are already invested in keeping it in good condition!

    Notes from Chris

    Episode 513

    When Tesla announced the Model 3 sedan in 2016, Mike Greiner and his wife, Rachel, eagerly made a reservation. Living in Canada, near Toronto, both of them were extremely excited and couldn’t wait to get their hands on the Model 3. However, they realized that with another child on the way, they would need a larger family-sized vehicle.

    While they could afford prices starting at $35,000 for the Model 3, the large Tesla X would cost almost 5 times that amount at $165,000. Since it was way outside of their price range, it seemed that their dream of owning a Tesla vehicle would have to be stashed away in the metaphysical garage…

    But all of that changed when Mike took a business trip to California in June 2016. During the weekend of his trip, Mike decided to rent a vehicle and chanced upon the car rental platform known as Turo. Not only did he get to experience the thrill of driving a Tesla for the first time, the experience of renting through Turo was also remarkably convenient, with prices lower than those offered by other car rental agencies.

    It was then that Mike wondered if this would be a creative way in which he could finance the purchase of a Tesla X. Having always been entrepreneurial, Rachel didn’t take much convincing and was quick to hop in the passenger seat with this idea. They then headed down to the local car dealership for a test drive. Satisfied with their experience, they placed an order and received their car two months later. By the end of 2016, they had successfully listed their Tesla on Turo.

    During the first few weeks, the Greiners weren’t able to get any rentals, and they wondered if they’d made a big mistake. However, things quickly picked up as spring had rolled around.

    Over the next few months, demand increased as the warmer weather made driving more appealing. As a premium car, they could ask for up to $200 CAD every day. With that strong demand, they were able to rent it out for 15 to 20 days a month, which significantly helped with the monthly payment for the car. This made up for the colder days of the year, where there were a lot less renters who were interested in driving a car.

    Given that this tricked-out Tesla X costs $165,000, you’re probably thinking that this idea is out of reach for yourself. That’s what Rachel and Mike thought too, but they figured out a way to lower the cost and mitigate their risk.

    They made a $10K downpayment and opted for the longest allowable financing term of 8 years, which put their monthly payments at $1,850. It helped that they received $3,000 back from government incentives for purchasing an electric vehicle. But it’s the side hustle that they ran which made this purchase possible: with this business generating at least $1,250/month, that covers at least two-thirds of their monthly installment. It made purchasing a Tesla possible for a family which thought it was out of reach.

    Side hustles can seem risky and intimidating, especially when the costs were as hefty as those borne by Mike and Rachel. But if you’re ever at a junction where you’re unsure of whether something would work, don’t be afraid to test drive your idea. Like Mike and Rachel, you might discover that there is a green light and you’re all set to go.

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

    • Rent My Tesla: Learn more about this creative, problem-solving couple (and their sweet ride), over on their website!
    • Turo: The rent by owner platform that Mike and Rachel used to to pay their monthly car payment
    • Squarespace: The website building platform that Mike and Rachel used to create their website for Rent My Tesla

    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 want to succeed on Turo—or platform for that matter—you must figure out how to stand out from the crowd."
    —Mike Greiner #SideHustleSchool

    Sponsors & Gratitude

    Cook with Blue Apron!

    Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blue Apron. 👩‍🍳

    Check out this week’s menu and get your first three meals FREE, with free shipping. Get ready to say mmmmmm.
    Get Yours 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

    Weekly Recap: Food Trucks, YouTube Makeup, and Marijuana

    Notes from Chris

    Episode 512

    THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

    I find that a lot of people struggle with putting together a website for their side hustle, so this week, I want to talk about how you can put something together quickly and easily. I think that everyone should know how to make a website, which is not to say that I think that everyone should know how to code or be a programmer.

    What do I mean by that? Well, when it comes to technology and the internet, a little knowledge can go a long way. Even if you do end up working with a developer, it can be in your best interest to learn enough so that you can fix small things on your own. It also helps to have a tech-savvy vocabulary that can use to explain what you want, or what you’re looking for, in the event that someone else is building your website.

    Below you’ll find links to the resources I mentioned in today’s Weekly Recap—listen to today’s episode to learn more!

      • How to Build a Website in 90 Minutes or Less: The goal of this tutorial is to show you how to set up your first website in a short period of time and without spending a lot of money. Your site probably won’t be beautiful or amazing at first, but that’s okay—done is better than perfect, and you have to start somewhere!
      • WordPress.com: The website building platform that I’ve been using for over a decade—right now they have a special deal for SHS listeners
      • Squarespace, Weebly, Wix: Some other website building platforms that our side hustlers have found success with

    In today’s recap, we’ll delve more into this topic of getting started and sticking with it—listen to the Weekly Recap to learn more!

    LISTENER UPDATES + QUESTIONS:

    This week, we received a listener email from Sabine:

        • Sabine: “I have been listening to SHS since the beginning and have always been impressed with the podcast. And in year two, you are the Energizer Bunny of podcasters!I just listened to Sunday’s show and had to write you to make sure you know how terrific the show is. It amazes me that you share so many insights, for free. I loved what you said about network marketing, and agree completely! Thanks for speaking up.

          Also, the insight you shared about profit margins was on the money. Pun intended. (Keep up the punning, btw.) Profits are what keep us alive and thriving. People who have regular jobs would never turn down a pay raise, and if they were offered the same job for more money at another company, would probably take it, if all other considerations were the same.

          Finally, the reminder to think about why someone is doing a side-hustle was pertinent to me, as I’ve become stalled in my own side-hustle creation process. I’m thinking again about what I want, why I want it, and why I think others will want what I create. Every time I listen to your show, it’s an idea- and energy-boost.

          Thanks so much for all you do. Day after day, besides the people you feature on the show, you provide us with your own example of a successful entrepreneur, sharing what he’s learned. And thanks to your crew, as well. You obviously have great people working with you.”

    If you have something you’d like to ask me or an update you’d like to share, I’d love to hear from you. Leave me a voice message on the website or call into the Side Hustle Hotline (Dial 844-9-HUSTLE // 844-948-7853), and your question may be featured on the show!

    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. 506 – In his quest to understanding the economics of food trucks (also known as food carts), a man creates a blog and podcast that earns $60,000 in a year. He does this part-time—and without owning an actual food truck!
        • Ep. 507 – An Australian teenager learns to express her passion for makeup by posting tutorials on YouTube
        • Ep. 508 – A public policy researcher starts a Washington, DC tour guide business and overcomes the hurdle of competitive TripAdvisor reviews
        • Ep. 509 – A former venture capitalist starts a scent-sational side hustle selling her own natural, floral-based deodorant
        • Ep. 510 – Two Orange County artists set high expectations when they create the first bring-your-own-cannabis art studio, complete with Bob Ross classes and a welcoming vibe
        • Ep. 511 – While training for a 24-hour obstacle course challenge and working full-time, two GM employees turn cold brew into a money making energizer

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

    Yours in the revolution,

    cg-sig-newsletter

    Join me at the World Domination Summit!

    Have you heard of the World Domination Summit? This is a gathering of awesome people—an event that I’ve been hosting together with an amazing team in Portland, OR every summer for the past eight years.

    WDS 2018 is coming up at the end of June (June 26th-July 2nd), and we’ll be welcoming people from over 30 different countries. With inspiring keynote speakers, a week full of activities and attendee-led meetups, and two incredible parties, you won’t want to miss it!

    This is our final wave of main stage tickets so visit our website to get your ticket to this incredible, once a year event! We promise that it’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before.

    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 an Ontario man finds himself dreaming of a car he can’t afford, he buys it anyway—then rents it out half the time to earn an extra $15,000 in 2017
        • A pediatric dentist joins forces with her husband to sell sugar-free caramels. Starting from a goal of selling 100 bags at a local market, they go on to earn $100,000 in 2017
        • And so 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
    "Everyone should learn to make a simple website. This is not the same as learning how to code—you can do it in a couple of hours."
    —#SideHustleSchool

    Sponsors & Gratitude

    Travel the Globe With Cards For Travel!

    Side Hustle School is brought to you by CardsForTravel.com. Use travel hacking to see the world!

    When you apply for their most popular, small business rewards card, you can earn 80,000 Bonus Points—enough for three round-trip plane tickets or $1,000 in travel credits. Check out this limited time offer! ✈️ 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

    Coffee Lovers Brew Quick Fix Into $1 Million Hustle

    What It’s About

    Two friends brew up success with their million dollar side hustle.

    [podcast_details]

    Words of Wisdom

    This is one of the few stories we feature in which it really is difficult to grow this kind of business without outside funding or substantial help. Remember, this show is not about quitting your job to take a big risk.

    That said, in this story, I think they took a measured risk. They worked on the project for a long time on their own. The first time the accelerator asked them to quit their jobs and move to NYC, they said no. I recently talked about the “right time to quit a good job”—in this case, the right time came with the second ask.

    Fun Fact

    Bizzy Coffee couldn’t win in retail, so Alex decided to increase the product size and reduce costs. Amazingly, this enabled Bizzy to sell more bottles, which allows the company to increase production, which reduced production cost, which made those larger bottles profitable.

    Notes from Chris

    Episode 511

    Obstacle courses are fun. They offer exercise, a challenge, and a moment of lighthearted competition. 24-hour obstacle courses, on the other hand, are serious business. Alex French, a corporate worker for General Mills, was training for one of these insane day-long courses. Between training and work, he basically had no free time and needed frequent energy boosts.

    Alex and his training partner, Andrew Healy, started brewing large batches of cold brew coffee when they could find time here and there. By immersing coffee grounds in cold water for 12 or more hours, they could create a rich, smooth cold brew concentrate that they could dilute with cold or hot water whenever they needed a boost. It was simple, affordable, and much healthier than the energy drink alternatives they’d seen on store shelves.

    A few months after the race, Alex and Andrew came up with an idea. What if they could streamline their cold brewing process to make the beverage accessible to other people low on time, but who still want to enjoy good coffee?

    With jobs in the marketing department of General Mills, Alex and Andrew had access to data—and lots of it. In early 2014, they noticed that the cold brew coffee market appeared to be at the beginning of a huge spike in growth. Sales were picking up for other companies, new products were being launched—and they thought it was time to jump into the black gold rush.

    So they did. In homage to how busy they both were when they were working full-time and training for the obstacle course, they decided to name the company Bizzy Coffee.

    In May of 2016, Bizzy Coffee launched via its own website and on Amazon.com with a 16-ounce bottle of cold brew concentrate priced at $8.99, and they generated a few thousand dollars that month. By the end of June, they had reached $10,000 in sales. And by the end of 2016, after just over six months, Bizzy had generated $100,000 in sales.

    The duo attributes their rapid growth mainly to Amazon. By targeting very precise search terms in their product descriptions, Bizzy was able to attract a ton of organic search traffic—and a ton of sales. Oh, and when Buzzfeed, the holy grail or internet PR, mentions Bizzy (like they already have three times), they see nearly a 500% spike in sales for that day.

    Fast forward to 2018. Bizzy Coffee has already generated over $1,000,000 since its launch two years ago and can be found in over 1,000 retail stores across the nation. Alex and Andrew aren’t ready to just ride out the wave of their success. They didn’t want to spill too many beans, but they’re said to be brewing up three new products over the next three months.

    When we asked about the long-term goal, Alex told us he just wants to be the leading cold brew coffee brand—a big challenge, but this is coming from a guy who runs 24-hour obstacle courses. At least we know that he’ll be well fueled on his way!

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

    • Bizzy Coffee: Get your morning buzz on—learn more about this unique cold brew over on Alex and Andrew’s website!
    • Food-X: The food and beverage accelerator that helped Alex and Andrew truly launch Bizzy Coffee

     

    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
    "Marketing a beverage can be really hard. Buying habits can be unpredictable, and your market audience may not follow influencer trends the same way they do with other products. Sometimes, you have to get creative and think outside of the box!"
    —Alex French #SideHustleSchool

    Sponsors & Gratitude

    Travel the Globe With Cards For Travel!

    Side Hustle School is brought to you by CardsForTravel.com. Use travel hacking to see the world!

    When you apply for their most popular, small business rewards card, you can earn 80,000 Bonus Points—enough for three round-trip plane tickets or $1,000 in travel credits. Check out this limited time offer! ✈️ 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

    Bring Your Own Cannabis to this “420-Friendly” Painting Class

    What It’s About

    A side hustle that’s equal parts Bob Ross and Cheech and Chong!

    [podcast_details]

    Words of Wisdom

    With any partnership, maintaining trust and respect is crucial. Kelly and Tasha have collaborated from the start, and they work through hurdles by being honest and being able to talk through things. They complement each other with their different skill sets, being able to create a complete business. Never having to hire out anything. Plus, they like to set an example of a hard-working stoner duo, to really break the stoner stereotype. We’d have to say that they’re definitely succeeding!

    Fun Fact

    Kelly and Tasha aren’t much for social media. But one day, they woke up and discovered Brush Tokes was featured in Rolling Stone magazine! They were shocked and thrilled. As one of the best places to get your paint and pot on in California, Brush Tokes has had other fun PR moments like being in the California Pot Guide and on the Cannabis Talk 101 radio show.

    Notes from Chris

    Episode 510

    What do you do when you’re in Orange County, California and you want to paint while getting high? It’s always been a huge problem—there are places you can paint, and there are places where you can consume recreational marijuana … but until Kelly Pyszkiewicz and Tasha Rindt came along, there was nowhere you could do both.

    That’s right, this side hustle story is all about combining two passions that both Kelly and Tasha had: painting and pot.

    As local artists, they were inspired by one another’s endeavors and realized along the way that the cultural topic of cannabis was also a connection. At the time, California was buzzing with the possibility that it might follow suit with the rest of the west coast and make recreational marijuana legal. For Kelly and Tasha, that signaled an idea.

    In 2017, they decided to commit to creating Brush Tokes, Orange County’s premier 420-friendly art studio. It’s a place that welcomes artists who also enjoy hanging with friends while casually having a glass of wine and a joint. Kelly and Tasha wanted to create a place for folks to get inspired, relax and meet like-minded people.

    The biggest hurdle for many pot-specific businesses is finding a space that will allow smoking. Luckily, Kelly’s gracious boyfriend offered up a space where he usually works on custom cars, to be used for Brush Tokes classes. Once they landed the space, gathering the tables and chairs to host was the next step. Kelly and Tasha found gently-used options on Craigslist. This approach kept their start-up costs way down to only around $1,000.

    The first few Brush Tokes classes were filled with their friends, all hanging out and learning to paint. One friend led to another friend…and another. To this day, Kelly and Tasha haven’t spent a dime on advertising. One way they did spread the word was by going to pot dispensaries and introducing themselves, leaving flyers and branded stickers to promote.

    Classes range in subject matter from Bob Ross landscapes (happy little trees and cannabis plants) to a class coming up around Glass Vase painting. Kelly and Tasha teach the classes themselves and encourage their fellow artists to explore and experiment. And of course, have fun. Classes range from $30 to $40 and they fill up fast. Each ticket includes an 11″ x 14″ canvas, supplies, step-by-step instruction, and a goodie bag! The goodie bags are filled with fun pot-related freebies like rolling papers, a hemp wick, a branded lighter and stickers.

    The classes are so fun that people stay sometimes until 10pm or later. The addition of pot can influence people’s paintings in some funny and creative ways. Of course, it helps the painters come up with unique ideas. Even the instructors get inspired by the weed, like when Kelly added a ferris wheel at the end of a painting of Newport Pier, and when Tasha added a joint in the Lovely Lion’s mouth.

    Kelly and Tasha are able to cover expenses and make a profit from each class. Usually, two, two-hour classes a month brings in a profit of $2,400! Proving Brush Tokes is paving the way for art and pot-enthusiasts alike to make and mingle. This is certainly proving to be no one-hit wonder!

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

    • Brush Tokes OC: If spending your time getting high and painting happy little trees with others sounds like your idea of a good time (I mean, how could you not?), learn more about what Tasha and Kelly are doing 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

    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 thinking about starting a side hustle, you need to step outside of your comfort zone. Comfort inhibits achievements, and fortune favors the brave!"
    —Tasha Rindt #SideHustleSchool

    Sponsors & Gratitude

    Travel the Globe With Cards For Travel!

    Side Hustle School is brought to you by CardsForTravel.com. Use travel hacking to see the world!

    When you apply for their most popular, small business rewards card, you can earn 80,000 Bonus Points—enough for three round-trip plane tickets or $1,000 in travel credits. Check out this limited time offer! ✈️ 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

    Natural Deodorant That Actually Works Brings In $5,500/Month

    What It’s About

    A Side Hustle School listener pads her pocketbook and comes out smelling like a rose!

    [podcast_details]

    Words of Wisdom

    Sarah’s first product run was a great opportunity for her to get feedback from friends and, more importantly, complete strangers. She used all the feedback they gave, especially the constructive bits, and continued to iterate on the product until she landed on the final scent and formula that she sells today. As Sarah told us, “this was a crucial step since up until that point, I was the only one using it. I am a sweaty chick and very active so I’m a good test subject, but deodorant is a product that works differently for everyone, so I needed to bring others into the process.”

    Fun Fact

    Everyone’s body odor is unique and one-of-a-kind, almost like a fingerprint! Everyone’s scent depends on different factors, like diet, DNA, and stress levels. Each person’s smell is a reflection of what they eat and is part of an ancient communication system with fellow humans and animals.

    Notes from Chris

    Episode 509

    You know the saying, “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself”? That saying can apply to so many things, even, as Sarah Moret found out, natural deodorant.

    Sarah is currently the head of business development for a biotechnology company, but she had previously worked in venture capital for five years. During those years, she saw tons of seed-stage companies (the ones just starting out) trying to raise money and give away 30% of their company’s equity just for a chance at funding.

    But, as an investor, she knew that a lot of businesses don’t need $1M in venture capital funding to get started. They just need some cash and a day job to keep them going until their business starts earning money.

    During this time, Sarah was also on the hunt for a natural deodorant that didn’t have harmful chemicals, parabens, and aluminum, but nothing seemed to work for her. She was frustrated by the lack of options, especially after she had tested just about all of them. Sarah decided to do what any Pinterest-crazed millennial would do. She decided to try making her own, and she called it Curie.

    Sarah gathered recipes from the internet, stocked up on ingredients, and turned her kitchen into ground zero. She spent 10 months working on the formula, and asking everyone around to “smell me, please?” But, at long last, she had cracked the code. It’s a little citrusy, contains a hint of floral, and a lot of freshness.

    Sarah officially launched Curie in April after testing her product for a few months and doing a limited production run of 50 units in December. Once she sold out of the initial product run, which she sold to her friends, family, friends of friends, and even a few Instagram followers, she took their feedback and used it to finalize her formula.

    Everything from the consistency and scent of it to the amount of baking soda it contained (a concern for those with sensitive skin) was carefully noted and used to create something that would truly sweat equity.

    It turns out that she had all the right ingredients in her side hustle for success. In her first week, Sarah brought in $1,500 from sales of her natural deodorant, and her profit for the month of April came out to around $5,500!

    Sarah has come a long way since testing deodorant formulas in her kitchen and making her friends and family smell her after a workout. While she couldn’t share more about it just yet, Curie’s future looks bright (and lightly scented). We think she’s off to a scent-sational start!

     

     

    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
    "When my first order came in, I freaked out because I didn’t have any inventory yet. I sent an email asking the customer if they were okay waiting 2 months for their product or if they would rather have their money back. They said they’d wait. Turns out they’re glad they did!"
    —Sarah Moret #SideHustleSchool

    Sponsors & Gratitude

    Travel the Globe With Cards For Travel!

    Side Hustle School is brought to you by CardsForTravel.com. Use travel hacking to see the world!

    When you apply for their most popular, small business rewards card, you can earn 80,000 Bonus Points—enough for three round-trip plane tickets or $1,000 in travel credits. Check out this limited time offer! ✈️ 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