Archives: Podcast

JP Morgan Employee Starts “Money Therapy” for Millennials

What It’s About

A finance guru helps millennials strike a balance between avocado toast and 401k retirement plans with her own brand of “money therapy.”

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

As we’ve talked about elsewhere, if you’re qualified to help people with personal finance issues, something like this can definitely be a rewarding endeavor. The key is to specialize and be clear on your messaging. That’s why Ellie’s research—rather than starting with a website, logo, etc.—was so important.

Fun Fact

Finance isn’t exactly the type of topic that causes belly laughs around the dinner table. It isn’t fun or funny! Most of the people Ellie deals with are up to their eyeballs in debt with no easy way out. That being said, she finds fun in the simple aspects of the business. To date—through Money Therapy—Ellie has helped her clients pay off over $100,00 in debt. That’s a lot of kale smoothies!

Notes from Chris

Episode 486

Ellie Thompson had what many would consider a dream job. As an advisor at JP Morgan, you’d be forgiven for thinking she was on top of the world. But the world of American Psycho style suits and business cards doesn’t work for everyone. Like many of those working as a single cog in a large corporate machine, it just wasn’t right for her. She needed a change of pace. That’s when she joined Hello Wallet, a financial startup with a bold mission: to help people make better financial decisions using software.

The entrepreneurial bug struck a short time later, as it does to many in the startup world. Ellie decided to take a punt and go all in on her own startup called Venyou. Venyou is a website that helps match people with great spaces for weddings and functions. It’s was a big idea and a lofty goal that would have taken a lot of money to get off the ground. Money that Ellie simply didn’t have.

It’s here that her story gets more interesting…

Ellie decided to start a side project to help fund Venyou. She entered a market she knew well and that played to her strengths. What is that project? Well, naturally, it’s a financial advisory service for millennials. Specifically, she began consulting on how to get out of debt, increase income, and plan for retirement. And the name of this burgeoning side hustle? Money Therapy! Because, of course, we all need someone to talk to every now and then, even about our finances.

The next part of her story will resonate with a lot of our listeners who’ve followed their own path. You see, Ellie didn’t spend time building a website, printing business cards or having a logo designed. She’s way too smart for that! Instead, she spent time talking to customers that fit her demographic. Millennials with decent jobs and a stable income. Specifically, she talked to millennials working at Fortune 500 companies.

That investment—to use some finance jargon—paid real dividends. Those initial interviews gave Ellie the insight into the pain points and frustrations of her target market. It didn’t take long to realize that it doesn’t matter how rich you are or how much money you make. If you don’t have the right education and financial tools, you’ll overstretch and get yourself into debt. A consulting service providing information and help around how to avoid this trap was the perfect product.

You’ll notice I haven’t once mentioned startup costs in this story. There’s a good reason for that and it’s not what you might think. The reality is that, in Ellie’s case, there was literally no startup cost! So far it’s a $0 startup! She didn’t even have a website in the beginning and only decided to treat herself to one after she signed up some customers. There’s a really great lesson here. Many people starting out get bogged down on the smaller details and forget that a real business is built by finding customers. The rest is all window dressing.

The icing on the cake? She had the website built for only $100! A measly $100. Probably less than a hipster millennial spends on avocado toast and artisanal microbrews in a month!

How much has this $100 investment returned so far? Money Therapy—a little side project conceived to help fund another project—is now generating $2,000 per month via around 8 clients per month. Even though I didn’t finish high school, I’m pretty sure that’s $250 per client.

Needless to say, it sounds like Ellie won’t need any money therapy for herself…

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Money Therapy: If your finances have got you feelin’ blue, there’s so much that you can do—learn more on Ellie’s website!
  • Hello Wallet & Venyou: The startups that Ellie worked on in addition to her side hustle
  • EXTENDED CUT #7: Pricing Your Product or Service: When you’re starting a new product or service, how do you know what to price it at? Good news: there’s a simple method you can use that will take you less than 10 minutes to apply
  • Zoom: The video communication platform that Ellie used to consult her clients

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
"The best part of the experience has been knowing that I have the ability to change the trajectory of someone’s life. Getting someone out of debt or helping them establish a 529 plan for their child is so rewarding. It feels like you’re giving them a new lease on life!"
—Ellie Thompson #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get a Free Audit on Your 401k!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blooom. If you're still working a 9-5, make getting a 401k your side hustle!

Blooom is the simple and smart way to grow your 401k. Go online to Blooom401k.com and get your truly FREE 401k audit when you use promo code "HUSTLE" at checkout.💸 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

“Graphic Design for Dogs” Earns $84,000

What It’s About

This graphic designer fetches some niche clients with her pet company specific design firm.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Kaila joined pet-related and ‘petpreneur’ Facebook groups, offering her skills as a graphic-designer-slash-dog-lover to pet companies looking for a new website or fresh branding. She landed several clients through Facebook alone and noticed an immediate growth to her side. But she didn’t want to stop there. Cold emails became her next hot ticket to getting her foot in the door, and she spent a weekend emailing every dog store, veterinary office, dog walker, and dog trainer she could find.

This outreach strategy paid off, to the tune of $20,000 in her first year, on top of her full-time job. Don’t wait for clients to come to you—reach out to them! With the power of the internet, anything is paw-sible.

Fun Fact

We don’t want to alarm you, but your dog can smell your feelings. They are able to pick up on any changes in your scent and figure out how you’re feeling based on those changes. So if you get nervous or scared, they can smell the difference from your perspiration. On the plus side, it helps them detect certain diseases. Dogs really are man’s best friend!

Notes from Chris

Episode 485

As a full-time graphic designer, Kaila Piepkow knows a thing or two about branding and visual communication. And, after a chance conversation with a photographer, she learned how to unleash her skills into a highly targeted market that fulfilled her craving for a new outlet for her ideas.

Feeling uninspired by her nine-to-five endeavors and needing a new channel for her vision, Kaila decided to open her own design studio on the side. But, since she was already in the business, she knew just how overwhelming the marketplace could be with seemingly endless competition. That being said, she also knew how to stand out, if she could define the right focus for her ideas.

Kaila thought about different audiences to target. Lists were made, and she talked to her friends about it. She even talked to her dog about it! And that’s when it hit her. It was a dog-eat-dog world out there… but there were no graphic designers that targeted pet companies.

The self-described ‘crazy dog person’ knew that focusing on the pet industry would mean foregoing other projects, but it would also be a surefire way to stand out with both her design and the projects she would take on. Therefore, Dox Designs, as she called it, morphed into her new side hustle.

Once she launched the Dox Designs website and put together a business strategy that included Facebook Advertising and a more targeted outreach strategy, she began to earn an extra $7,000 a month on average. That’s right—Kaila is projected to earn $84,000 this year, in side hustle income alone.

Like so many stories, Kaila’s side hustle wouldn’t be as successful as it is now if she had waited for “the perfect moment.” She credits the fact that she launched herself into a specific target market without a plan as one of the main reasons she’s been so successful. Since Dox Design began, it’s paid off in the form of referral clients all around the country and the ability to double her income, working only during evenings and weekends.

Taking the skills that she’s already had has allowed Kaila to work in an industry that she’s truly passionate about—and hopes to turn into her full-time job down the road. She’s also able to combine everything she loves into one life. Dogs, graphic design, the job, her side hustle, and the financial freedom that comes with it, are now rolling over into one great package. That one life she loves is looking quite fetching.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Dox Designs: It’s a dog eat dog world out there—make sure that your web design has you standing out from the pack. Learn more on Kaila’s website!

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

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

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

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

Quote of the Day
"If you don’t know where to start, think about what you love doing—what you enjoy doing in your spare time. That’s the market you can target to help make your side hustle special. Even (especially!) if it’s super niche."
—Kaila Piepkow #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get a Free Audit on Your 401k!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blooom. If you're still working a 9-5, make getting a 401k your side hustle!

Blooom is the simple and smart way to grow your 401k. Go online to Blooom401k.com and get your truly FREE 401k audit when you use promo code "HUSTLE" at checkout.💸 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: How to Go from $1,000 to $5,000/Month

Notes from Chris

Episode 484

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

In today’s recap, I talk about going from $1,000 to $5,000/month.

Growing your business is easier than starting your business. Once something works a little, it’s not nearly as hard (most of the time) to make it work more. And by “work” I mean make more money. It also doesn’t mean you need to expend twice as much (or five times as much) effort.

In today’s recap, we discuss the two best ways to grow—listen to the Weekly Recap to learn more!

LISTENER UPDATES + QUESTIONS:

This week, we received a listener email from a side hustler named Terri:

  • Terri: “I just listened to your Side Hustle School weekly recap where you answered a question from Houston in Nashville about his student loan debt idea. Every podcast I listen to I try to write down what nugget of wisdom I get from it. Today my nugget was that it’s not enough to want to help someone in the same situation as me—but in order to monetize it, I need to provide something more tangible like an answer to the problem.I wrote a blog through my breast cancer treatment, which led me to wanting to create a program to help survivors to find their joy again. I’ve been trying to figure out what that looks like but getting stuck at the implementation stage. This past week I redid my blog and formatted it for when I have a program to sell, but what I realized today after your podcast is that my story isn’t enough. It’s valid, and it’s good background for my plan, and it validates my “expertness” but it’s not what I need to sell and market.

    Thanks for the spin that helped point my compass in a better direction!”

If you find yourself stuck at the implementation phase, listen to today’s Weekly Recap to hear my thoughts on how to add more value to your offerings.

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. 478 – After looking for a way to send mass emails by Gmail, this web developer stumbles on more than a million dollars a year in recurring revenue
  • Ep. 479 – After getting fit with a customized training program, this enterprising college student now provides coaching services, using a popular fitness app to generate leads
  • Ep. 480 – After visiting 50 countries, a flight attendant and her pilot husband create an income-generating project to teach kids about the world
  • Ep. 481 – A man in Australia spends a year eating nothing but potatoes to conquer his food addiction. Along the way, he loses 121 pounds and gains a $1,500 a month side hustle
  • Ep. 482 – This New York DJ wants to rock and roll all night… and party every day. After he mixes recordings from classic rock and roll songs, he sells the packaged shows to international music markets
  • Ep. 483 – A former engineer turns a 3-month backpacking trip into three side hustles that make exploring Kenya more accessible for travelers

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:

  • A graphic designer and pet lover unleashes a side hustle that earns $84,000 a year. You’ll want to dog-ear this episode!
  • A doctor with a voice worth listening to teaches himself the art of voiceover, then goes on to earn thousands of dollars working for some of the world’s biggest brands
  • 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 can’t just relate to someone’s pain, you need to help alleviate their pain. There’s a difference!"
—#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

Seismic Explorer Shakes Up Backpacking in Kenya

What It’s About

An oil and gas industry job leads to global travel—and travelers need backpacks.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Between blogging, gear hunting, train ticket selling, and his full-time job, Leo started to feel a bit stretched. Gear sourcing at local markets began to take up too much time, and after a bit of online searching, he realized that he could order items on demand and have them shipped to his customers. And he didn’t even need to go to the market to get it.

As Leo says, “Nowadays the demand is high because there are almost no players in this niche. And that is what I want to capitalize on and use to grow my side hustle.”

Fun Fact

Kenya has over 54 national parks and wildlife reserves, which are home to lions, buffalo, rhinoceroses, leopards, giraffes, and elephants. The elephants that live in Tsavo National Park are distinguishable by their red-brown (not gray) color, which is from the red volcanic soil in the park.

Notes from Chris

Episode 483

When you think of classic backpacking destinations, the first places that tend to come to mind might include: Thailand, Australia, Europe, or Central America. But, as Leo Gichuki discovered, sometimes it’s the journeys off the beaten path that are the most rewarding.

After graduating from college in Kenya with a degree in electrical engineering, Leo found the opportunity to begin a career in seismic exploration for an oil and gas company. His new job gave him the chance to spend two years visiting countries across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East as he worked in oil rigs across the world. He had blocks of time he needed to spend at work, but that also left him with long weeks of free time—almost like a paid vacation. He took this as the perfect opportunity to discover new areas and dive into different cultures.

Traveling outside of Africa was relatively new for Leo, but it opened his mind to new perspectives and sparked a passion for exploration.

But in the oil industry, with ups there must be downs. When the price of oil began to plummet, Leo was laid off from his job. He was initially at a loss. His skills in seismic exploration weren’t applicable in Kenya’s job market, and he had no practical experience as an electrical engineer.

The one thing he did know? He was still passionate about traveling. So he took out a map of Africa, looked at the vast expanse and decided to set off on three months of travel. He’d worry about the details later.

It was during this three month trip of discovering both his home country and continent that he decided to blog about his journey, in the hope that other people might be inspired to explore it too. He began to write posts so that he’d remember all the key details and saved them so he could set up a website and publish them when he got home.

Kenyan Backpacker began slowly as Leo used a process of trial and error to get his website built and optimized for search engines. Start-up costs were minimal because he was determined to learn as much about blog set-up as he could on his own, but he invested about $40 to cover his domain name and hosting. Now, Leo averages more than $550 a month from revenue streams like advertising, train ticket, and gear sales on Kenyan Backpacker. This is seasonal, with traffic tending to spike in the spring as people begin searching for their summer travel plans.

After one side hustle and two side, side hustles, Leo is still motivated by the simple idea of earning additional income to do, and talk about something he loves. Using his website and side hustles to connect with people from different countries and giving them valuable advice is something that Leo says he never wants to take for granted. He hopes to turn Kenyan Backpacker into his full-time job, and see where the adventure takes him… it sounds like a future worth exploring!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Kenyan Backpacker: Adventure is on the horizon, and Kenya is waiting—learn more about traveling the African landscape over on Leo’s blog!
  • WordPress: Leo used WordPress to setup Kenyan Backpacker, and here you can learn how to install your own WordPress site in 5 minutes

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"The day I made my first sale of backpacks, I decided that I needed to celebrate. I had nine jackets from a side hustle that didn’t pan out, so I put them in a bag and delivered them to a local orphanage. I was so happy and excited, and this seemed like the perfect way to share that feeling with other people."
—Leo Gichuki #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

Turn It Up to 11! Musical Mash-Ups Provide Passive Income for New York DJ

What It’s About

The walls were shaking, the earth was quaking, and Rockmixx shook this NYC DJ all night long!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

For those looking to follow in his footsteps, Rafe feels that Rockmixx is a one-of-a-kind product and that there’s only room for one iteration of it on the market.

However, he does see a lesson—and one that can be applied to any industry—in how it came to be successful: research what people in a field are doing, and find the “whitespace,” the gaps that the market is overlooking or ignoring. Then be able to explain the monetary benefits of what your offering can provide to prospective customers.

Fun Fact

Musical mash-ups first came to prominence in the 1980s, mostly through sampling of older soul and R&B music added to hip-hop tracks. Those efforts were often called “remixes,” “blends,” or even “collages.” A famous precursor was produced in 1956, when producers spliced musical snippets that comically dramatized the heavy proclamations of Orson Welles in his “War of the Worlds” broadcast. Frank Zappa extracted his guitar solos for entirely different songs in the 70s.

Mash-ups aren’t confined to music: the art world sees many satirical mash-ups, where artists might, say, put an Andy Warhol soup can in a gloomy Dutch Masters painting.

Notes from Chris

Episode 482

As a guy whose day job is supplying sales support and PR services to organizations around the globe, Rafe Gomez has mastered the powers of persuasion. But even he was surprised when Rockmixx, his side gig of making mash-up recordings of classic rock songs, blossomed from contests to identify all the mashed-up tracks to syndication on radio stations all over the world.

Rockmixx was born of a collaboration between Rafe and John Mullen, a former New York city radio executive. Rafe’s years of experience as a top-rated mix show DJ on a New York station prompted John to suggest producing mash-ups of classic rock hits and invite show listeners to guess which bands were in the mix.

That gambit gained momentum on American radio stations, and when Mullen suggested Rafe try international syndication, the volume of success was turned up to 11.

His syndicator now sells recorded show packages to stations in countries like Finland, Sweden, Mexico, Russia and many more. Rafe’s background in live events, where he would mash recorded rock tracks enhanced by his live disc spin and live electronic percussion gave him the chops to produce the shows.

Rockmixx offers both hosted shows, where Rafe introduces the show and then names the tracks at the completion of sets, and shows for non-English-speaking areas where the hosting duties are handled locally by station on-air personalities.

To get this going, Rafe spent around $1,000 for a computer upgrade with DJ and audio-production software, as well as lots of music downloads. But he uses the same tech tools for Rockmixx as he used in his radio mix-show days from 2003 to 2008. Aside from the occasional purchase of music to add to his library, his expenses are fixed. With a monthly profit of between $2,000 and $4,000, you can say the rock gods have smiled on him.

For those about to rock, we salute you!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Rockmixx: Rock out with Rafe’s unique musical mash-ups here!
  • Ep. 471, Ep. 474, & Ep. 481: Some of the episodes that also center around finding the “whitespace” in various markets

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 love to combine familiar (and overplayed) rock hits in a fun and creative way, and also to give listeners around the world a new way to enjoy these anthems. Also, it’s fun to have this alter ego that totally rocks the house and allows me to present and share my unusual DJ skills."
—Rafe Gomez #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

Aussie Man Eats Only Potatoes for 365 Days

What It’s About

A man goes viral after eating nothing but potatoes for a year to lose weight and gains a side hustle along the way!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you’re thinking of creating a video business yourself, Andrew’s videos are a testament to the fact that people will watch simple and basic videos if the content is good and interesting enough. Don’t wait to start documenting!

Fun Fact

Actor and director Kevin Smith, the creator of Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob, used Spud Fit to lose 17 lbs in nine days after his recent heart attack!

Notes from Chris

Episode 481

For Melbourne native Andrew Taylor, food addiction was a real problem. At 36 years old, the former junior Australian Champion marathon kayaker and physical education/health high-school teacher found himself at his heaviest and unhealthiest and wanted to make a drastic change to his life.

So, he decided to make a New Year’s resolution that would transform his health. But he didn’t adopt the fad diets and hectic gym sessions most of us make on January 1st. He opted for something a little more…drastic.

Andrew wanted to treat his transformation not as a weight-loss problem, but as an addiction problem. So, he decided to remove food as a stimulus altogether and, instead, focused on one food only—potatoes.

Armed with a degree in Applied Science (Human Movement) and a fascination with all things nutrition-related, Andrew spent six weeks researching ‘the perfect food’ before he settled on the humble spud. Despite the shunning potatoes have received over the years as a result of their high carbohydrate count, they pack quite a punch nutritionally. Andrew could get all of the fat, protein, vitamin C, and iron that he needed, and the high fiber content kept him full and sated.

Between January 2nd, 2016 and January 2nd, 2017 Andrew started what he called the “Potato-Only Diet,” which would later go on to become Spud Fit. 99.9% of his caloric intake would come from potatoes and the other 0.1% from seasoning. If you saw the film The Martian with Matt Damon, you know just how vital those seasonings are to maintain this kind of diet.

To hold himself accountable and document his progress, Andrew kept a video diary on YouTube. He uploaded daily videos he’d recorded through his mobile phone and uploaded straight to his channel. There was no editing involved, and it was as raw and basic as possible. This reduced any barriers to him posting his videos and made the process simplistic.

It’s important to note that Andrew never planned on turning Spud Fit into a business. He just wanted a way to share his message with anyone who cared. Which, surprisingly, turned out to be a lot of people.

His YouTube channel started to attract attention, and after just a few months, Andrew had developed an audience of devoted “Spuddies” who tuned into his channel to watch his progress. They were amazed by his results—losing 121 lbs over the course of the year—and the thick skin he’d developed through his discipline. Andrew was also never afraid to dig deep into the emotional aspects of his life and the challenge, like dealing with depression, anxiety, and addiction. This provided a lot of value and solace to his fans.

These products have taken Andrew and Spud Fit to around $1,500 a month. Which is a great amount of money for a business that was never meant to be a business!

Although the press coverage has died down, Andrew keeps growing his business through social media. He regularly uploads content to his blog + podcast, Facebook and YouTube. And he’s always overwhelmed by the response his products get, and the hundreds of people he’s able to help through his story and Spud Fit challenges. It’s a true story, a life transformation and a side hustle success—definitely not small potatoes.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Spud Fit: This side hustle is anything but small potatoes—learn more about Andrew’s journey over on his website!
  • YouTube | Spud Fit: Watch Andrew’s journey from beginning to end over on his YouTube channel

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
"Try your best to keep improving yourself as a person and when people ask you why/what/how you did it then provide them with answers, be open to the possibilities for helping others achieve what you have."
—Andrew Taylor #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 #13: When to Let Go of Good Ideas

Notes from Chris

Episode x13
“Ideas are like buses—there’s always another one coming.” -Richard Branson

Scarcity thinking is human nature. The fear of missing out (FOMO) can overtake all of us. This is not good because it prevents us from following up on what we already know is important, and also from being present and appreciating what we have.

It happens to me too. I’m getting better but it’s all-too-easy for me to hold on to something just because it’s familiar to me or because I don’t want to admit defeat or I’m just not able to see the forest for the trees.

I want to introduce you to a new way of thinking about this. If you can learn to take joy in letting go of opportunities, even good ones, what you’ll gain is far greater than whatever it is you’ll pass up.

You want to be able to jump on opportunities … but you also need to match an opportunity to your situation in life. You have limited capacity, especially if you’re like most of our listeners who have jobs and no shortage of other responsibilities.

You probably already know that this is a good idea, but because most of us have that FOMO ingrained in us, we’re still afraid to embrace it.

That’s why you need a reward! The benefits of letting go of good ideas include:

  • – You’ll gain more experience
  • – You’ll feel better

  • – You’ll likely be more successful

    • Even if two out of three: that’s a victory! Letting go of good ideas is a good exercise in thinking bigger and working smarter.

    With that in mind, listen to this Extended Cut to discover 7 ways to know when you should let a good idea go!

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

    Yours in the revolution,

    cg-sig-newsletter

    Flight Attendant Gets Paid to Help Kids Learn About the World

    What It’s About

    A flight attendant uses her day job to take the Tooth Fairy international!

    [podcast_details]

    Words of Wisdom

    Tiffany recommends that other first-time side hustlers be as active as possible in local meet-ups and networking events. These have helped her both in brainstorming product enhancements and in getting the word out with limited marketing.

    Passport4Change’s products are currently only sold online; they won’t work in the ultra-competitive retail space just yet, as she’d need a much larger budget to occupy the shelf space and marketing required to garner enough attention to make it worthwhile.

    Fun Fact

    While the specific concept of a fairy is recent, cultures around the world have been commemorating lost baby teeth for hundreds of years.

    In the 13th century, Islamic scholar Ibn Abi el-Hadid referenced the Middle Eastern tradition of throwing a baby tooth into the sky (or “to the sun”) and praying for a better tooth to replace it.

    Notes from Chris

    Episode 480

    Tiffany Reimer is a globetrotting flight attendant, with a side hustle featuring a character well known to many of us: the Tooth Fairy. Except hers is likely a much more well-traveled version than the one you and I grew up with.

    Tiffany explains that the inspiration for her side hustle, Passport4Change, arose when she asked her niece a simple question. “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” –and the then five-year-old enthusiastically responded, “Target!” (Yep, she was referring to the big-box department store.)

    This wasn’t just a red flag; it was a sign that there are likely a lot of other kids out there whose worlds could be bigger, and who could benefit from learning a thing or two about other cultures. So she decided to create a product that parents and kids both love: the concept of a passport-bearing Tooth Fairy who leaves coins from all over the world. Kids get a map that they use to check off countries where their Tooth Fairy has traveled and a passport for their special coins.

    Every time Tiffany travels to a new country—and she’s so far logged an impressive catalog of 50 of them—she goes out of her way to collect more coins. She’s not alone in her quest, though: Tiffany’s husband, a pilot, is her biggest supporter, and a more than willing travel partner. It’s been an adventure for them both that has involved a lot of fascinating research along the way.

    Tiffany says that Passport4Change is delivering more than cash; each coin sparks kids’ interest in different parts of the world, potentially opening a dialogue about different cultures, time zones, languages, superstitions, inventions, indigenous animals, and traditions. Or, you know, what the best airline lounge is!

    For Passport4Change, Tiffany sourced product names from her day job in the airline industry. Currently, the best-selling kit is The First Class Kit. It comes with a random assortment of 20 coins that typically include currencies from countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Tiffany has also had a few parents request coins from countries that are special to them, like where they honeymooned, or where their relatives or ancestors came from.

    In 2016, the U.S. national average that the Tooth Fairy left kids was $4.66. (Too bad adults don’t have baby teeth, am I right?) At Passport4Change, Tiffany sells individual coins for $4.95 each in addition to the expanded kits. Naturally, the coins do not cost nearly that much to acquire, in fact, they cost very little. With a solid margin, this already sounds like a lucrative venture, but Tiffany’s startup costs to produce the maps, passports, and a website were $5,000.

    Still, she’s been able to grow the business primarily through word-of-mouth and is now bringing in $2,500 in monthly profit.

    It’s pocket change that creates real change in the hearts and minds of families. Tiffany understands this intimately; before becoming a flight attendant, she was working a 9-to-5 job at a bank. After leaving, she hasn’t looked back, and her world has definitely expanded.

    When Tiffany looks at the map she and her husband have at home that has pins for every country they’ve visited, she’s excited to fill in the spaces. And she’s betting that because of Passport4Change, there will be a new generation excited to do the same.

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

    • Passport4Change: Take your child’s imagination on an adventure around our world. Learn more about what Tiffany is doing over on her website!

    SEE ALSO:

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

    Yours in the revolution,

    cg-sig-newsletter

    Resources

    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 grew up being told we are all equal and the same, but my travels showed me that we should celebrate our differences! Something like this could really change the way kids view others who may look different than themselves."
    —Tiffany Reimer #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

    23-Year-Old College Student Uses “Sweatcoin” App to Earn $2,000/Month

    What It’s About

    After finding success on his own, a student in the U.K. launches a side hustle as a fitness coach showing his tried and true methods to others.

    [podcast_details]

    Words of Wisdom

    If you’re looking to start a side hustle as a fitness coach, you will want to start by making sure that you know what you’re doing. Sometimes it’s helpful when you’re first getting started out by offering your services for free before you start charging. If you learn first, you most definitely will earn later.

    Fun Fact

    Oliver’s strategy has been based on giving. He was the first to give away a free training program on the popular health and fitness app, Sweatcoin. He also regularly gives free information and content on his Instagram page. He has never asked for anything, but he has received more than his fair share in return.

    Notes from Chris

    Episode 479

    After making several mistakes working out in the gym, 23-year-old Oliver Anwar realized that the training plans provided by professional fitness competitors were unsuited for the average person. He would train in the gym with high reps and low weights but found that he wasn’t building enough muscle.

    The mediocre results were discouraging, but they forced Oliver to conduct his own research and learn more about the science behind nutrition and training. Oliver saw better results in the next year than he ever did in the past three chasing fads. This led him to realized that even though the fitness and nutrition world was crowded, he had something unique to offer—after all, he had proven that his plans worked.

    With the encouragement of some friends, Oliver decided to start an online fitness coaching business and called it Ro Anwar Fitness.

    Considering that Oliver’s startup costs were just web hosting and a website theme which set him back by only $100, it’s an understatement to say that Oliver has made his investment back several times over. Today, Oliver makes up to $2,000/month, which is a comfortable amount for a university student. He’s also been featured by his university for his entrepreneurship and has managed to land public speaking gigs. The side hustle has also helped him land a part-time job at a startup.

    There’s no doubt that the skills he’s building are valuable, and so are the 17 pounds of muscle and the $2,000 a month.

    It paid off almost right away. Within two hours of launching his website using Shopify, Oliver received a Paypal email notifying him that someone had bought one of his coaching packages. He hadn’t done any marketing or promotion at that point in time, but only shared his website on social media, so this was a true shocker. Oliver recalls that he was so overcome with joy that he rushed downstairs immediately to tell his Mom about his first sale. This moment of validation told Oliver that his business could actually work.

    Oliver never stopped working on his business after that. Besides offering coaching, he also published a range of meal plans. Due to his bad experience following generic plans previously, Oliver decided that he would offer only personalized plans. This was something that most trainers were unwilling to do since it didn’t necessarily scale well. But to Oliver, this was a chance to stand out in that crowded health and fitness niche.

    Today, Oliver makes up to $2,000/month, which is a comfortable amount for a university student. He’s also been featured by his university for his entrepreneurship and has managed to land public speaking gigs. The side hustle has also helped him land a part-time job at a startup.

    There’s no doubt that the skills he’s building are valuable, and so are the 17 pounds of muscle and the $2,000 a month.

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

    • Ro Anwar Fitness: If you’re interested in learning more about Oliver’s success, check out his website
    • Sweatcoin: The fitness app that helped to put Oliver on the map
    • Shopify: Oliver used Shopify to set up his store for Ro Anwar Fitness, 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

    CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

    Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

    Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

    Quote of the Day
    "I’ve found that the key to success is to persist and persevere. Once people start to recognize you and see the potential in your side hustle, opportunities begin to open up and it becomes clear why you started the business in the first place."
    —Oliver Anwar #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

    Gmail Tool Generates $1 Million a Year

    What It’s About

    A web developer builds a Gmail extension to help businesses reach their audience.

    [podcast_details]

    Words of Wisdom

    Ajay was smart in the way that he set up his recurring revenue pricing. I’ve used another tool that I like, but it has a one-off license fee. Assuming that most people continue to use the tool, obviously, it’s better for them to continue paying for it—which is what happens the way he’s set it up.

    And if you really want to up the ante, provide your customers or clients with options at differing rates!

    Fun Fact

    Last year, GMass became one of the first email marketing service providers, and one of the first SaaS companies in existence, to accept Bitcoin. When we asked Ajay about it, he said there are several factors that went into their decision:

    First, they believe in the concept behind Bitcoin and want to support the Bitcoin movement. Secondly, users in certain countries have lamented that neither credit cards nor PayPal were available to them to pay for software services. And finally, the transaction fees for accepting Bitcoin are far less than the transaction fees for accepting credit cards and PayPal payments, allowing Ajay to keep a greater portion of the customer payment.

    Notes from Chris

    Episode 478

    Web developer Ajay Goel was working a new business, but he hit a major roadblock. He was creating a service called Wordzen where people could get their emails proofread and edited, and Ajay wanted to build a team of editors. But he found keeping in touch with them and sending email “blasts” to people in his contacts was hard.

    When he needed to create a new email chain in Gmail, he’d have to search through his database every time. Which, for someone who had spent the last fifteen years of his career building email marketing software, was quite tedious and frustrating.

    Ajay felt there had to be a better way to do this. So, using his experience as a web developer, he decided he would create something to make life easier for himself and just maybe others as well.

    Ajay admits the timing was fortuitous. As he became aware of this problem, Google had just released the API for Gmail, which is a fancy way of saying developers could now access the right code and build third-party apps to integrate with their email service. This made the job of creating the tool much, much easier.

    While creating the tool, Ajay focused on keeping everything as simple as possible. He just wanted to be able to send mass email through Gmail, so he didn’t aim to add any extra features that would add time to the creation of the tool. He knew what his problem was, and he knew how to solve it. This clarity of vision allowed him to use his time wisely and efficiently.

    When his tool was complete, Ajay called it GMass and sent it out to some of his friends. He didn’t think much about the commercial value of the tool a first. That is until everyone came back to him with really positive feedback. All of his friends loved the GMass tool and wanted to know if they could pass it on to their friends.

    Some smart choices regarding price points and marketing tactics came together to help GMass generate extremely high levels of revenue. How high? As of 2018, GMass now makes over $1 million in annual revenue. This is all from a simple Google plugin that initially began with only one feature.

    And he’s not the only one experiencing great results—a lot of his users have written in to tell Ajay how his extension has helped them succeed in their goals as well. One user credits it with helping him not only fully fund his Kickstarter campaign, but with getting him to almost 3x his initial goal amount. Another user used GMass to get more than 100 Amazon reviews as a first-time author!

    Looking to the future, Ajay wants to keep creating more and developing the tool. Although he makes such great revenue from this, Ajay will continue to work on his main project, Wordzen and run GMass on the side. Of course, if he ever wants to do something different, he has the freedom and the opportunity to do so.

    MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

    • GMass: Check out Ajay’s website if you’re looking to soup up your email marketing strategy!
    • Wordzen: The service that Ajay created that helps people get their emails proofread and edited
    • Amazon Web Services: The platform that Ajay used to create his website for GMass
    • Gmail’s API: The “available to the public” API that Gmail released prior to Ajay starting GMass

    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
    "When in doubt, solve a problem that you’re experiencing yourself."
    —Ajay Goel #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