Archives: Podcast

Project Manager Helps Cubicle Workers See the World

What It’s About

A remote work focused travel planning service that helps people ditch their cubicles in lieu of international views.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Remote workers value security and stability more than self-employed nomads, and you really have to take these differences into consideration if you’re planning on marketing to either group. While some of their needs may overlap, there’s also a lot of distinction between the two groups! And remember, the services that you tailor to the people in each group is important, but it’s also vital to consider how you speak to them and their needs as well. In some ways, that might be even more important!

Fun Fact

Just a few short years ago, working from home may have seemed out of reach across some industries, but today, not so much. In 2015, 23 percent of employees reported doing some of their work remotely, up from 19 percent in 2003, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. A New York Times report also noted that telecommuting is fast on the rise. Who said you can’t be more productive in your pajama pants?!

Notes from Chris

Episode 525

For Project Manager Libryia Jones, it was a desire to travel the world that brought her to side hustling. Before Libryia’s daughter started high school, she wanted her to experience a different kind of education: the kind that can only be gained by immersing yourself in the peoples and cultures of distant lands.

To do this, Libryia convinced her boss to allow her to work remotely—then she began looking for opportunities to travel and work at the same time. She’d heard about companies that facilitated travel, providing accommodation and workspaces, giving remote workers the chance to go all over the world. But as she researched these companies she found one common theme—she wasn’t allowed to bring her daughter with her.

Unable to find a package that worked for her, Libryia quit her job and took her daughter traveling with her on a self-planned trip. She felt she couldn’t be the only remote worker who wanted to share the experience with their family. So, in the spirit of so many of our case studies, Libryia came up with a solution to her problem and created an experience that would make this kind of travel more accessible.

She called it Wanderist Life, and it was built around the concept of having a life you don’t need to take a vacation from. The simplest way to describe the Wanderist Life business model is that people trade their at-home living costs—like monthly rent and bills—for one monthly payment to the Wanderist Life service. For this monthly payment, Libryia will find your accommodation, give you access to a co-working space, arrange transport and travel, as well as organizing unique experiences every month for you to take part in.

To test her idea, and get real-time feedback from her target audience, Libryia decided to create a one-off excursion. She set the location as Chiang Mai, Thailand, and aimed to get 50 people to spend time there over Thanksgiving. It was a big goal, but she posted in travel and remote work Facebook groups, and ran some targeted Facebook ads to cities with larger numbers of English speaking expats, and quickly built a list of people to attend.

This allowed her to really get a feel for booking accommodation for people, planning trips for larger numbers and seeing how remote workers enjoy spending their time on the road. It influenced how she planned and approached the future trips, and the overwhelming success of it made her want to stick with the idea.

Although she’d planned to make a profit sooner, she found there were lots of costs she didn’t account for. Extras like VAT (Value Added Tax) or problems with landlords have run up extra bills and eaten into the extra money she would have made for profit. This steep learning curve seems to have been essential to the future success of Wanderist Life, and Libryia feels she’s finally on track to make real money.

Her 2019 trips, which start in September of 2018, are on track to generate just under $200,000. She’s been able to set prices that allow her to cover these unwanted costs and still make a profit, without making the trips unaffordable.

Looking to the future, Libryia is focused on the growth of the company and creating more one-month “experiences” for travelers so she can test new locations. She’s also expanding into speaking and looking to promote the idea that you don’t need to work from a cubicle to be successful! If you like the idea of working remotely without quitting your job, maybe you should check out Wanderist Life.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Wanderist Life: Ditch the cubicle and stale, shared coffee—learn more about the curated, remote working travel opportunities Libryia has available over on her website!
  • Medium: A blogging platform that Libryia uses to market Wanderist Life and drive more traffic to her site

 

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
"I think that people are interested in Wanderist Life because they want to live and work differently than how they’ve always been told that they should. They want to do it in a way that feeds their passions and makes them feel fulfilled and not like life is passing them by in a cubicle."
—Libryia Jones #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Environmentally Impassioned Citizen Designs Plastic-Free Bags

What It’s About

Fashionable, minimalist eco-bags for all your shopping needs!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Here’s another refresher: Gabriella suggests seriously researching Kickstarter before creating your own campaign, and to keep in mind that Kickstarter is a business tool, not an automatic way to fund your entire project. But for her, Kickstarter was exactly the right move, and she was able to raise all of the initial manufacturing costs.

Fun Fact

The day Gabriella launched her Kickstarter, she woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning. She told everyone she knew about the Kickstarter, and then couldn’t check its status until her lunch break all afternoon due to a long meeting. She found that she was already half funded, and celebrated by eating cake for lunch.

Notes from Chris

Episode 524

The idea for Gabriella Jacobsen’s side hustle blossomed when she was doing a simple, routine task that most of us do each week: grocery shopping. This trip to the market was a little different. Gabriella had recently read some startling statistics about the harm plastic bags do to animals in the ocean. With this thought in mind, attempted to collect all of her food without using any unnecessary plastic bags. Unfortunately, her noble attempt just resulted in a mason jar shattering on the ground. But, something else happened. She realized that most people needed some kind of bags to carry their groceries, so she became determined to make sustainability more accessible for everyone.

Naturally, Gabriella started with what she knew. As a designer, she first began building a grocery bag prototype out of scrap materials around her house. Her day job easily translated into her side hustle in this way. She had already built up the skills she needed for it! And she wanted to follow two important principles: she would bootstrap her project and not go into debt, and even though her first motivation was to encourage less plastic usage, she’d operate this project as a for-profit business.

But, even though Gabriella had her design in the bag, she was still far away from being able to launch her product. Even with bootstrapping as a core value, she knew it was going to cost thousands of dollars, so she decided to create a Kickstarter campaign.

For Gabriella, Kickstarter was exactly the right move, and she was able to raise all of the initial startup costs of $8,000. And this figure included her LLC, initial manufacturing, initial marketing, and prototyping.

From there, she contacted the manufacturer that she had worked with to build her final prototype… and actually began to produce her bags. She now sells them on an eco-focused blog called Green Upward and at farmers’ markets. Within four months, she had already made over eight-thousand-dollars, which you might recall was a little more than the amount of money she initially invested in the project. She even sold out of every grocery bag on her website at one point!

So, Gabriella has now had a very successful first round of production. She is using the profits she made to expand Green Upward even more and looks forward to creating more than grocery bags. She envisions it as a cutting-edge design company with a variety of eco-friendly products and says she has dozens or even hundreds of new ideas already. Through this adventure, she’s learned to follow that classic motivational advice: think outside the bag!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Green Upward: Upgrade your basic grocery bags for these environmentally friendly reusable bags—learn more about them over on Gabriella’s website!
  • Kickstarter | Green Upward: Learn more about the Kickstarter that started it all

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
"We have enough junk in the world today… I believe the next generation of designers and entrepreneurs has the responsibility to question what they make and focus on solutions that contribute real positive health, environmental, or culture change."
—Gabriella Jacobsen #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Danish Pastry Partnership Bakes Up Series of Events

What It’s About

How a pastry builds a friendship and a delicious side hustle!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

While a market-type environment may seem like a ripe environment for competition, it may actually serve you better in the long-term if you work together with your fellow sellers.

Collaborating in the beginning was mutually beneficial for Chad and Zoie. Chad was able to save money on the filling for his pastries, Zoie had someone directing people to her stand, and they both got more exposure for their products.

Fun Fact

There’s much speculation on the origins of æbleskiver, but one of the most popular theories dates back to the time of the Vikings. Apparently, one band of these rampaging Vikings had been particularly hit hard in battle, so, when they got back on their ship, they decided to have one of their favorite dishes to help them regain their strength—pancakes.

In those days, they did not have modern conveniences like frying pans, so, they greased their dented shields and poured the pancake batter on them over the fire but, guess what came out of the holes of the shields—Æbleskiver!

Notes from Chris

Episode 523

Today’s side hustle was actually a result of a different side hustle. Back in 2007, Chad Gillard, a business analyst at a Minneapolis agency by day, was selling æbleskiver at a local farmer’s market. His food stall neighbor, Zoie Glass, owner of Lucille’s Kitchen Garden, was selling jam—the perfect thing to fill the æbleskiver with. A natural partnership formed between them—Zoie offered to let Chad use her jams in the pastries, and in return, he would conveniently direct customers to her food stall.

By collaborating like this, they both benefited. Chad was able to save money on the filling for his pastries, and they both got more exposure for their products. They decided to team up to try to learn more about growing their food businesses. They attended national trade shows and met with food industry leaders in other areas in order to figure out the best way to bring their businesses to the next level.

Their aim when starting Midwest Pantry was to help level the playing field for small-time players trying to take their food business to the next level. They noticed that even though the Midwest is known as the breadbasket of America, all the big wholesale food trade shows were located on the coasts. These are the places food producers go to meet with wholesale buyers and try to get their products in grocery stores and other markets.

Not only would people have to fly to the coast to attend these, they would have to pay upwards of $10,000 to get a booth in order to try to sell their products. For many people who are just starting out, this is unreachable. Chad and Zoie wanted to bring together local food producers with wholesale buyers without the astronomical price tag.

A local kitchen and food supply store was holding an annual tent sale, and Chad and Zoie thought this could be a great place to gauge interest in a trade show type event. Ahead of the tent show, Midwest Pantry paid for an extra day for the tents and set up booths for food producers. They only charged enough to cover the costs and brought in wholesale buyers.

After testing things out at the tent show, they secured some booths at a food and wine show that was held at the state fairgrounds.

These experiments were somewhat successful, but the next step was to create their own trade show. And that led to two more phases!

So let’s talk about how they make money. Like the activities of the business itself, the revenue model for Midwest Pantry has transformed multiple times since Chad and Zoie started up. At first, they tried to create a membership model, but because they didn’t have the name recognition then that they do now, it didn’t really take off. They then transitioned to monetizing at the event level, but because they wanted to make sure food producers had access to the events, they also wanted to keep costs down. Therefore, they’ve since transitioned back to the membership model.

The membership model they now offer includes both individual and corporate tiers. At the annual individual level, which is $65 a year, members get free entry to the meetups and access to the educational series, along with other discounts. Premium memberships, which are $40 a month, allows members to rent out space in the Food District. There are five tiers of corporate memberships ranging in price from $500 to $10,000 a year.

They have anywhere from one hundred to one hundred fifty individual members, depending on the time of year, over a dozen corporate members. Over the years, Midwest Pantry has worked with over five hundred businesses.

Midwest Pantry has been sowing the seeds of growth and fostering a community of collaboration and innovation for over ten years. And yes—it’s still a side hustle for both Chad and Zoie. It gives them the opportunity to help other side hustlers and to have a voice in shaping the food industry for small businesses. You might even say they’re helping keep the bread in the breadbasket of America!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Midwest Pantry: Learn more about the community they’re building over on Chad and Zoie’s website!
  • Lucille’s Kitchen Garden: The jam-based retail business that Zoie had when she and Chad stared their partnership

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

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

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

Quote of the Day
"The best part of working on Midwest Pantry has been getting to work with food producers from all over Minnesota. People do the coolest things, and I love seeing over and over that great ideas can come from any and everywhere."
—Chad Gillard #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Adventurous Couple Designs & Sells Fashionable Backpacks

What It’s About

Minimalist backpacks combine design and social good elements.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Kelly and Matilda recommend finding new ways to engage with your audience. Most people know how repetitive and annoying it can be on social media when brands try to promote themselves and their products non-stop. But, they’ve found that when you actually try to make friends and be have a positive impact on others, your Instagram marketing will function more smoothly and easily.

Fun Fact

The word “luggage” was originally invented by playwright William Shakespeare in his play Henry IV, and the word “backpack” didn’t make an appearance until 1910 (although it didn’t come from Shakespeare). Before the term backpack came around, people referred to bags as knapsacks or packsacks. We recommend bringing back “knapsack” if you want to kick it old school!

Notes from Chris

Episode 522

Planning for a trip is exciting because the possibilities are endless. You could go anywhere, stay anywhere, and eat anything (since everyone knows calories don’t count on vacation). But, with all this choice comes a little stress, too. What will you pack? How will you pack it? And, of course, what will you pack it in?

Kelly Belknap was working as a full-time Lyft driver in Colorado when he met Matilda Sandstrom, a nanny. They bonded over a shared passion for travel and adventure. This passion led them to a relationship, a marriage, and eventually a round-the-world backpacking trip to experience new cultures. It was during their travels that they witnessed the hardships of families that were struggling with hunger.

In particular, there was one experience that shook their foundation.

While backpacking in Bratislava, Slovakia, Kelly and Matilda happened upon a family of two parents and three young children. Less than a year ago, they were living in a house, working multiple jobs, and able to put food on the table each day. But work became scarce and lack of income forced them onto the street. It was seeing this experience firsthand that opened their eyes to a situation they had heard about before but hadn’t been able to imagine.

Wanting to do what they could to help, Matilda and Kelly prepared meals each morning from their hostel and began handing them out to anyone they encountered throughout the day that needed food. They started doing this in every country they visited. And, when they returned to the U.S. with a new awareness, they started noticing similar situations at home in Denver.

Their experiences traveling, combined with Matilda’s Swedish origin, inspired them to begin turning a budding idea in their heads into reality.

Matilda grew up in Sweden, and she and Kelly still spend 3 months a year there. As a foreigner, Kelly noticed that Scandinavians use backpacks as a form of expression and personal style. Backpacks were an accessory for their outfits, not just a tool to carry things around in. After their around-the-world trip, where backpacks were a key feature of their lives, Kelly and Matilda knew they wanted to bring this idea of a fashionably functional backpack… back to the U.S. It also helped that they both struggled to find a nice looking, high-quality backpack under $150.

From their round-the-world travel experience, they knew that they wanted to guarantee a constant flow of meals to those in need in their communities. So for every backpack sold, they decided to provide 25 meals to families in need across America. Their idea, and Adventurist Backpacks, took off!

Since their launch in September 2017, they’ve been able to provide over 15,000 meals to families in need, and have gotten their backpacks into 23 retail stores throughout Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, Kentucky, Montana, Tennessee, and Wyoming. Next, they want to provide 30,000 meals and be stocked in over 40 retail stores by the time they hit their official one year business anniversary. Ultimately, they want to have the freedom to take their side hustle full-time and keep doing their part to further their social cause.

Kelly and Matilda have a few more backpacks and product designs in the works that they’re planning on introducing to the Adventurist line as they continue to build their brand and side hustle. The Denver residents feel like the best reward, besides the additional monthly income, is the ability to be passionate about both their side hustle and the benefits it brings to families who need assistance. The adventure is in the bag, but it’s also just beginning!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Adventurist Backpacks: Embrace the minimalist adventurer inside of you and pick up a backpack over on Kelly and Matilda’s website!
  • Alibaba: The platform that Kelly and Matilda used to locate a manufacturer for their backpacks

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
"Our first order came before we officially launched! A chain store found us via our newly created Instagram account and liked the backpacks enough to order 90. It was an exciting time, but to be honest, as soon as this order was taken, the bar was raised and we were ready to focus and sell even more."
—Kelly Belknap & Matilda Sandstrom #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Man Earns $100,000 Serving Clients on $5 Website

What It’s About

A graphic designer makes a name for himself helping others build brands.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

When it comes to naming a product, Dion’s secret is to keep it simple. Not all businesses have sex appeal, and you shouldn’t try to make all products sound like they do. Find the tried and tested techniques in your industry and stay in line with them.

Fun Fact

Dion has been a Fiverr top rated seller since 2014 (side note: it’s no easy feat to achieve and hold something like that), and to date, he’s helped 5,828 clients develop names!

Notes from Chris

Episode 521

Have you ever looked around a store and thought, “Who comes up with the names for all these products?” If so, you might be interested in learning about today’s side hustler!

Back in 2010, graphic designer Dion Lynk was looking for ways to increase his income. He’d always wanted to earn a million dollars, and knew he’d need multiple streams of income to achieve it. After all, he’d heard that the average millionaire has at least seven!

He’d recently learned about a platform called Fiverr—but was unsure he could reach his goal with a $5 limit on his earnings. Intrigued to see what the potential earnings could be, Dion decided to create a gig and run a test.

Confident in his ability to be funny, Dion offered to tell people a joke in exchange for $5. Although this was a quirky idea he didn’t expect to perform well, he was surprised by the response. Within a matter of days, a number of people had commissioned $5 jokes from him.

Dion figured there may be more to this platform than he first thought. Plus, every $5 that was added to his account was a step closer to his million-dollar goal!

Having tested Fiverr’s potential, Dion wanted to create an evergreen skill he could use to make money well into the future—because he figured he might run out of jokes. He needed to find a skill that could be done efficiently for the lower price tag but would provide value to the customer. It needed to be a win-win for both of them. Dion closely inspected his skills and found he kept circling back to the same one—naming products.

From his work in graphic design and helping companies with their branding, he knew naming products was a problematic part of the marketing process. Giving the product the right name can be the difference between a bestseller and the bargain basement. If he could help people with this problem, he felt, he’d be opening his arms to a lot of five dollar bills.

Now, let’s approach a topic that many of our listeners are probably wondering about. Can you really make real money at $5 a person?

Much to Dion’s delight, Fiverr eventually allowed sellers to increase their prices and offer multiple services. This means he’d no longer have to work at just $5 per gig.

He then settled on three packages. His basic package costs $35 for three names. His standard package costs $65 and delivers three names with taglines. And his premiere package costs $95 which promises everything from the last two packages and a “.com” domain to go with it. He set his prices based on conversations with previous customers, as well as work he’d done outside the platform.

All of this together has helped Dion earn over six figures on the platform, and to date, he has created names for over 5,000 different clients, with nearly 3,000 positive reviews.

Looking to the future, Dion is still striving towards his million dollar goal. On the side (his side, side hustle) he recently patented an invention. He also wants to learn more about how to invest all this money that’s coming in! Maybe that’s a $5 service someone should provide…

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
"Just start, and don’t dive into comparing where you’re at with others, analysis paralysis, or asking for permission from anyone."
—Dion Lynk #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Civil Engineer Sells Everything but Kitchen Sink, Moves to Bali, Employs 100 People

What It’s About

A Chrome extension and online app that helps resellers make better product choices!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Greg likes to say his success has been due to his humble start. He made something that solved a problem, he continued to improve that product according to his customers’ feedback, and he grew organically. No outside funding, no big startup budget—just a grand idea that was fundamentally sound.

Fun Fact

Jungle Scout’s in-depth case study series has become the #1 source of new users. By demonstrating to newcomers how they can get started, he’s build authority, generated trust, and even donated over $50,000 to non-profits.

Notes from Chris

Episode 520

Greg Mercer has always been a tinkerer with a good head for business, and at 10 years old, he painted and sold acorns. As you might guess, that side hustle was not highly profitable, but the next one got more traction. At age 14, Greg launched Pedkey, a working key for motorized scooters, and he received enough traffic to his website that he proudly received a “Cease and Desist” letter from GoPed, a giant in the industry.

The shutdown didn’t damper Greg’s spirits for long, though. He continued to learn after school and experimented when he could, but, as with many of us, the draw of a “regular job” eventually started to overshadow Greg’s entrepreneurial spirit. So when he graduated from college, he settled in as a corporate civil engineer in Pensacola, Florida.

And for a while, he was happy. He had a reliable salary. He was working with talented professionals, and he even got to go out to the oil rigs every now and then. But it didn’t last for long. Greg quickly found himself dreaming of side hustles after work. Then it even started to happen during work…

So in 2013, Greg started selling wholesale items, like hooded baby robes, on Amazon.com. Why baby robes? Well, he would browse various subcategories on Amazon, look for strong sales rankings to determine if a niche was hot, and see if there was a gap in the available products that he could fill with imported items to generate sales. It became all he could think about, and he knew he couldn’t stay at his corporate job for long.

As expected, their business grew and grew. But it wasn’t very efficient… and that little business, as interesting as it is, isn’t what our story is about.

Scrolling through pages on Amazon, creating complex Excel sheets, doing a bunch of math—gathering the data to find products to sell was very difficult and confusing. There had to be a better way.

Greg dreamed of creating an app that could help him organize and analyze the data that was already available across Amazon.com. He figured that if he could crawl and digest that data onto a single page, he could speed up his product discovery time dramatically. It would also likely come in handy for others like him looking to flip products.

So in January of 2015, Greg drew up his plan and found a freelance developer on a gig-for-hire site.

One month later, the Jungle Scout extension for Google Chrome was released, and Greg set the price at $67. His goal was to simply sell ten copies to help make up the cost of development. And he did—on the first day!

But the sales didn’t keep up the next couple days. Greg tried Facebook ads—and they didn’t work. He tried blogging—but writing just wasn’t his strong suit. Then one of his initial customers asked Greg to demo the product for a Facebook group. He did a webinar for 100 folks and got ten more sales. It was clear: webinars were the most effective method for getting sales.

Greg’s idea was validated, but it wasn’t finished yet. He got in touch with his users for feedback, built out more features in the Chrome extension, and saw sales continue to climb as he released more webinars.

Fast forward to early 2018: Jungle Scout has 80 employees, 100,000 users, and aims to open 5 schools through Pencils of Promise and the Million Dollar Case Study. Greg and Elizabeth now live in Austin for most of the year, but still travel a lot and work remotely.

Their goal moving forward is to just keep doing what they’re doing. Entrepreneurship has enabled them to live a life that works for them—and they want to help as many people as possible achieve that sense of accomplishment and personal freedom!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Jungle Scout: Demystify which products will be the best to flip using Fulfilled by Amazon—crack the code and learn more on Greg’s website!
  • Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): The model that Greg used to flip products that allowed him to pass on the responsibility of keeping stock and shipping out orders
  • Reddit: The “front page of the internet” where Greg ended up building his launch list

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
"Looking back, if I were to give advice to myself two-and-a-half years ago, it would be to get in front of other people’s audiences as much as possible. It’s a great way to get your product and brand out there when you’re just starting out and lack an audience or email list of your own."
—Greg Mercer #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Weekly Recap: Do You REALLY Need a Facebook Page?

Notes from Chris

Episode 519

LISTENER CHECK-INS + QUESTIONS:

This week, we received listener voicemails from Dave, Chris, and Brenna:

    • Dave: “Hey, Chris! I just wanted to say that I’m binge listening to the show on the weekends like I usually do when I’m working around the house. Love the show, love the inspiration—keep up the good work!”
    • Chris was one of the original podcasters, but what he’s working on now is a Kickstarter football board game called Friday Night Legends. He recently met his Kickstarter goal, and now he’s working on getting the word out!
    • Brenna has a question about the pros and cons of having a social media page like Facebook for your side hustle. In Ep. 404, the Being Boss podcasting duo decided to close down their Facebook page, and she’s wondering if there are certain side hustles that really benefit from having a Facebook page or if the whole thing is unnecessary.

In today’s recap, we’ll delve more into this topic of whether or not you really need a Facebook page—listen to the Weekly Recap to learn more!

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. 513 – 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
  • Ep. 514 – 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
  • Ep. 515 – She spent years dreaming of building her own property in California. To turn the dream into a reality, she started a side hustle by applying the skills she’d gained in operating a bakery
  • Ep. 516 – While browsing the candle aisle at Target, a social worker discovers an illuminating opportunity to make money
  • Ep. 517 – An 18 year old in the UK goes from idea to action with his fitness-meets-fashion athletic brand in just over a year
  • Ep. 518 – When her day job no longer provides her with joy, a speech pathologist creates an online store that helps others make every day more like the weekend

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:

  • He’d always dreamed of making a million dollars–but could he achieve it selling his services for just $5? Thanks to a penchant for naming things, he’s well on his way
  • Backpacks that bring fashion to the mountains earn a Colorado couple an additional $2,500 a month while also feeding the homeless
  • 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
"You don’t NEED a Facebook page or any other social media presence. However, it’s a pretty easy thing to set up—so unless you hate Facebook, spend 15 minutes and get it done."
—#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

Speech Pathologist Sells Turkish Tea Towels By the Seashore

What It’s About

A woman discovers an opportunity to help others live like it’s the weekend.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Liz kept a close eye on her Instagram growth and used what she learned to start a beginner’s Instagram course for business. She breaks it down into three different sections: 1) the best time to post every day and minutia like that, 2) how to be discoverable through collaboration, and 3) how to dress to impress. Liz says that the other strategies won’t work if you aren’t paying close attention to the overall look of everything. It’s not really for you (shouldn’t include lots of selfies!) and all content should be driven by what your followers want to see with consistent aesthetic and overall look.

People make a split decision when they visit your Instagram page and decide pretty quickly if your feed is something that makes them happy to look at. Be consistent with the overall look of the things you’re putting out there because Instagram is a visual platform.

Fun Fact

When she was considering additional products to offer alongside her Turkish towels, she decided to tackle something called felted soap. If you’re like me and have never heard of this before, it’s essentially a bar of soap with bright, colorful wool wrapped around it that has undergone a felting process. Once felted, the wool is smoothly matted and totally adhered to the surface of the soap. It’s basically an ancient Turkish version of a natural loofah!

Many markets that Liz went to put an emphasis on handmade products, so this was her attempt at producing a handmade product. But it was so time-consuming for the amount you can charge (there’s totally a cap for how much you can charge for a bar of soap), so she abandoned it. Plus, it really took over her entire kitchen, and her husband wasn’t overly thrilled about it.

Notes from Chris

Episode 518

Liz Martin’s mom always told her that “you should have something to look forward to every day.” In 2014, Liz realized that this “something” was completely absent in her life. Although she had a rewarding day job as a speech-language pathologist for a nursing home in Charleston, South Carolina, she also felt a creative void in her life. You see, like many of us have done at one point or another, Liz was working for the weekend.

When things got rough, she’d try to convince herself that everything was okay. She had a good salary and felt that she was lucky to have the job that she had. Still, when something is missing from your life, it’s hard to forget about it.

Liz decided to focus on adding little, happy things to her daily routines—a new journal from a shop she loved, or some fun straws that would add a little color to her drinks. Basically, something small that would bring a little pizzazz or joy to her day. Something she could look forward to when the hours at work started to get to her. Her mother’s words became her mantra and an idea she tried every day to live by.

What does this have to do with starting a side hustle? Well… around this time, Liz had a cousin who lived in Turkey, and she sent over a set of Turkish cloth towels to the family in the States.

These Turkish towels were extra special. The richly dyed, handmade cotton creations were made on a loom, and they had many uses. Picnic on the beach? Bring a Turkish towel to sit on. Whiling away the evening on your front porch with a mint julep at hand? As the sun set, there’s no better way to stave off the chill spring breeze than by wrapping yourself in a stylish Turkish towel.

Since this was the ultimate weekend companion, Liz thought that she could try selling them.

As her sales increased, Liz felt more and more comfortable weaning herself out of her day job at the nursing home. She first dropped down to 4 days a week, then 3, but by late 2016, she was working just 2 days a week while dedicating the rest of her time to developing Charleston Weekender.

When the nursing home was acquired by a new company, they weren’t thrilled with this arrangement. They told Liz that she was welcome to work for them full-time again—but instead, it was exactly the push she needed. It was a great job, but it just wasn’t what she wanted to be doing. Had this not happened, Liz said that she’d probably still be there working part-time and never really taking the leap.

The Charleston Weekender has evolved considerably in two years of part-time work and now one year of full-time focus. These days she’s bringing in anywhere from $5-7,000/month. In addition to product sales, Liz also gets paid for sponsored social media posts, IG classes that she started to help others market their times. She even decided to open up a retail shop of her own!

What about that sense of something missing? Well, the side hustle turned small business has brought Liz the freedom to travel and reclaim more of her time for herself. Best of all, she no longer feels like she’s working for the weekend.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • The Charleston Weekender: Learn how to make every day feel like more of the weekend over on Liz’s website!
  • Squarespace: The website building platform that Liz used to create her website for The Charleston Weekender

 

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
"I notice that doing occasional Instagram live videos and consistently creating Instagram stories keeps my audience interacting with me. It never hurts to pop in to have more face time with your social media community!"
—Liz Martin #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

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