Archives: Podcast

Host a Birthday Party, Drink Wine, Make $2,000

What It’s About

A birthday “paint and sip” celebration combined with a Facebook post becomes an accidental side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Here we have the right balance in art as a social activity, and one that removes inhibitions through the wine and casual nature of it. Add the clever name like “Proof in Painting” and it’s a low-risk commitment for someone to sign up for one of these events. The people who sign up are different than those who take art classes—and this is key to Chelsea’s success.

Fun Fact

A month after arriving in Oregon, Chelsea was talking to someone who asked the very common question: “what were you doing before you moved here?” She listed her endeavors and included the painting.

He said “I work at the country club and we had a meeting 3 days ago that we want to start offering these. Could you do them for us?” And just like that, she had a monthly gig!

Notes from Chris

Episode 467

Chelsea Gittle was trying to do something nice for her mother’s birthday. The former environmental consultant and life-long painter wanted to throw an artistic birthday celebration. She rounded up a few of her mom’s friends and invited them over for what she called a “paint and sip” party. They drank wine, ate food, and Chelsea led the group through an interactive painting experience. Much to her delight, everyone loved it!

When she got home, Chelsea uploaded a few pictures of the event to Facebook as a way to mark the occasion. But when she looked back a few hours later, she found lots of her friends were interested in the experience as well. So, she set up an event for the next week, and all of her friends loved it as well!

Over the next few months, Chelsea ran a couple more of these paint and sip parties for her friends, but never really thought of them as a business opportunity. It wasn’t until one whole year later, when her dog injured its knee and needed surgery, that she saw the potential as a moneymaking venture.

Instead of starting a GoFundMe page to raise the money for her dog’s surgery, she decided she would generate the income herself. She felt she didn’t want to take people’s charity if she had the skills to earn money on her own. So, she created an event called “Paint Party for Good Paws” and posted about it on Facebook.

A few people came along and helped her earn a good chunk of the money for the surgery. While she was hosting the event, a few of the attendees asked if she would host a monthly event for them and their colleagues. Chelsea agreed and set the price per event at $35 per person. This was enough to cover all of the supplies, from the wine through to the paints, and give her some profit to put towards the rest of the surgery. Which, after a few months, she was able to pay off in full.

With the surgery paid for, Chelsea felt she would keep the project going to cover her income while she was between jobs. To give the business a professional feel, she gave it the name Proof in Painting.

Chelsea spends between four and forty hours a month on her side hustle and earns up to $2,000 a month, depending on the demand.

She’s currently looking for a full-time job. She wants to keep Proof in Painting as her side hustle and continue to host events. But the stability of a full-time job would be refreshing and allow her to keep a more stable income. It just goes to show you that it is possible to paint and sip your way to a sustainable second income.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Proof in Painting: Art in front of others is always better with a glass of wine (or two)—learn more about Chelsea’s sip and painting project over on her website!
  • Wix: The online website building platform that Chelsea used to set up her website for Proof in Painting

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
"Sometimes you get such a great idea that you have to just go for it. Don’t get caught up in the details or bogged down with overhead costs—there are always alternatives!"
—Chelsea Gittle #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

Turkish Student Turns Teacher, Starts $14,000 Tutoring Gig

What It’s About

A straight-A student applies his smarts to a customized tutoring program.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Cihan puts his success down to his dedication to simplicity. He teaches complex ideas in really simple ways, avoiding the jargon and complicated language that his professors always seemed to use.

Being a peer, rather than a professor, definitely gives his teaching style an added edge—in particular, he has a knack for keeping his material light, funny and engaging.

Fun Fact

Even though Cihan’s business is completely above board, when he first started out, he was worried about his college finding him out. He set up a new email address to use, with an alias name of ‘Ali Veli.’ These are the two most common male names in Turkey—equivalent to ‘Jack John’ in the States. The perfect disguise!

Notes from Chris

Episode 466

Back in 2015, Cihan Oklap was a student at Koc University in Istanbul. While he admits to not being the best student, he was a natural when it came to learning. His super-curious little brother, aged just 10 at the time, would hound Cihan with questions about everything from what makes the Earth turn, to how technology works. He was particularly interested in his big brother’s university classes, and Cihan enjoyed spending time breaking down the information to explain it more simply.

In Spring 2015, Cihan heard that a few students were really struggling with the Information Systems class at his University. Having already taken this class, he knew he could simplify the information and help these students pass their exams. He decided to turn the classroom on its head and go from student to teacher.

Here was his action plan. Step one was to email the 120 students taking the class, whose contact details he got from the school database. He sent them an email offering a 2-hour lecture on the key topics, as well as a 25-page set of thorough—but easy to understand—notes. The email outlined the specific topics he would be covering in his lecture and included a sample one-page preview of the full notes.

The price he offered was based on what he felt would be fair compensation for his time. He wanted to get at least $150 for running the lecture and predicted that 3 people would sign up. Based on this, he set the price at $60.

He was surprised to find that 21 people replied to his email—and, perhaps even more surprisingly, all 21 of them then turned up to his first lecture! The demand was clear—Cihan’s hustle idea had passed the first test with flying colors.

Since this first class, Cihan has expanded into other subjects that he knows well. He chooses ones that students might be finding difficult and runs up to three at a time in subjects like Information Systems, E-commerce Management, and Marketing and Advertising. Depending on how difficult the class is, students pay between $60 and $90.

Cihan’s numbers really add up. Running each class brings in an average of $3,600 every semester, and he has no outgoing costs whatsoever. He runs an average of two classes each semester, so with two semesters each year, his income is just over $14,000.

Cihan has now left college and started working at an educational gaming startup. His job has taught him a few lessons of its own, particularly when it comes to email marketing. He’s been able to streamline the email marketing for his tutoring work by using some of the same systems and programs for sending bulk email.

Later this year, Cihan will be starting a Master’s program at Duke University. He plans to bring his tried and tested technique from Turkey to the U.S., to expand into new classes on a new campus. We’ll watch for this new challenge and see if he passes the test.

 

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
"Be as brief and funny as you can. Students are mostly afraid of difficult, esoteric, scary-looking terms which the university lecturers tend to use without explaining in detail. Not-so-good students are more likely to listen to their peers teaching them."
—Cihan Oklap #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
Get Started Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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


Here's How

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Exercise App Encourages Fitness While Helping Sick Kids

What It’s About

Forget the expensive trainer—here’s an app that will help you hold yourself accountable!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you’re looking to start a side hustle involving an app, Justin and his brother recommend that you try and build an initial version yourself so that you can prove the concept before investing more for a more polished version. As he says, there is a lot you can learn from the initial version that will enable you to make precise improvements on the polished version.

Fun Fact

Asked if he’d thought about using a reverse incentive for Lazy Jar, where users have to pay some organization they disagree with if they don’t make their workouts, Justin said, “Yes, and we refused to do that. We felt that there was nothing to gain by donating money to organizations we generally don’t believe in, even if it was as a form of negative reinforcement. We prefer knowing that even when the user fails, some good comes from it.”

Notes from Chris

Episode 465

Our resolutions to get fit sometimes fizzle. Those twice-weekly trips to the gym can slow to twice-monthly slogs. For some people, they turn into an occasional walk to the corner store for beer. In North Carolina, Justin Anyanwu saw that the shine of his successive new routines—yoga, kickboxing, CrossFit—started out well, but fell away when he couldn’t maintain his commitment to the workouts.

The initial weight loss he achieved didn’t inspire him enough to establish an unbreakable fitness habit. He knew that the problem wasn’t the workouts themselves, but his lack of consistency in committing to them regularly. Multiple canceled gym memberships frustrated him to act: he designed an app to hold himself—and later others—accountable.

Justin is a full-time software engineer, so he knows that technology can solve problems. His Lazy Jar app comes out swinging: Miss your weekly fitness goals and you’ll lose weight—in your wallet. Lazy Jar works by tracking a user’s steps, calories, miles, and minutes of physical activity via a Fitbit device. Users set a weekly goal for those metrics and a financial penalty they must pay if they fail to meet the goals.

He and his business-partner brother sped up the initial work on the look and feel of the app by using a pre-made app theme from UI8, a design platform. Then he found a developer on Fiverr to code the program, which cost him a bit more than five dollars: $7,000, to be precise.

Since the app was launched publicly in October of last year, the company has been making $500 a month from users who head back to the couch rather than the exercise bike. Their user base has been growing with further publicity, like the boost given from being mentioned on places like TechCrunch, LifeHacker and Product Hunt.

Learning about how the human psyche processes interest and desire has been one of the product’s side benefits for Justin. He’s seen how it takes a fair amount of social proof from other user’s experiences to bring new people into the Lazy Jar fold. New, unusual ideas get resistance, but influencers can sway a skeptical audience.

So, the big question: is Justin missing his workouts? Has the app worked for him, or has he programmed in a cheat code? We’re not certain how much Justin is paying back to Lazy Jar these days from missing his regular workouts, but according to him, he’s feeling stronger and healthier than ever.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Lazy Jar: Fire your trainer and hold yourself accountable—learn more about this app over on Justin’s website!
  • Fiverr: The freelancing platform that Justin used to find the developer to make Lazy Jar a reality
  • UI8: The design platform that Justin found a pre-made app theme from
  • Ionic & React Native: Two of the app design platforms that Justin would likely use the next time he builds an app
  • TechCrunch, LifeHacker, & Product Hunt: Three of the tech-related media outlets that did write ups on Lazy Jar and brought it more exposure

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
"See if you can build an initial version that you can use to prove the concept before investing more for a more polished version. There is a lot you can learn from the initial version that will enable you to make precise improvements on the polished version."
—Justin Anyanwu #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
Get Started Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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


Here's How

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

College Student Starts Historic Letter Subscription Service

What It’s About

A letter subscription service for history buffs!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Like all good historians, Michael has learned a lot from the past. His experience of running a business selling physical products on subscription has taught him a few lessons that he’ll be taking into the future.

The first is to do a test run of the product before you start selling gifts or subscriptions that lock you in. The second is to pause before you scale, just as Michael did. The third is to choose suppliers who can scale at the same pace as you do. And finally, ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid, from the Start’ (or KISSS)! Simplicity is king.

Fun Fact

Michael previously ran a daily newsletter called Morning Short, for people who wanted to read more. It was pretty successful, with 8000 subscribers. But while his audience raved about the free version, trying to make money from a digital-only product like this was a massive challenge.

It taught him that he definitely wanted to work with selling physical products in the future, which was part of the inspiration for Letterjoy being a snail-mail rather than e-mail service.

Notes from Chris

Episode 464

Michael Sitver is a college student and self-confessed history nerd from Chicago, IL. He’s always loved learning about the past and studying the great historical events and people of times gone by.

While standing at his mailbox one day, an idea struck him that would change the course of his own history. He thought how much he would enjoy receiving a letter written by a legendary figure from the past—like Einstein, Kennedy, Gandhi, or Churchill. He wondered if others would too, and set out to find out in the form of a project that he hoped would make money.

First, he crunched a few numbers—just ballpark calculations of price, profit margin, and estimated market size. Everything added up, so he knew this was an idea worth playing around with. He chose a name—Letterjoy—and bought the domain.

He used a service called Strikingly to quickly build a free landing page, which helped him to visualize the business and think through what the product and pricing would look like. Michael says that he does this with a lot of ideas that he has, as it’s a really quick and easy way to figure out whether an idea comes together. It’s also a good test to see if he still has the “Wow, this is cool” feeling after spending two hours thinking about an idea.

In this case, the feeling endured.

He was then ready to start seeking out customers, he turned to his favorite niche history podcast as a place to advertise. He spent $80 on a month’s worth of ads, and the orders started to trickle in. Within in a month, he had his first 7 to 8 customers and was mailing them weekly letters that he designed and printed himself.

The number of subscribers increases every month and is now at around 300. Growth has been fast, and revenue doubles every couple of months. Letterjoy brought in more than $10,000 last month alone! Is it destined for greatness, to be recorded in history? Even if not, it’s a most notable side hustle success.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Letterjoy: See our history in a new light—learn more about Michael’s subscription service over on his website
  • Strikingly: The website building platform that Michael used to setup Letterjoy

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
"Don’t build your product until you find your market. Know exactly who you’re going to market to, and know why they want your product. If they won’t pay for it, don’t build it."
—Michael Sitver #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: How NOT to Add People to Your Email List

Notes from Chris

Episode 463

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

Last week, we looked at launching crowdfunding campaigns. This week, let’s consider email lists.

In this episode, I share a personal experience where I was added to someone’s email list without my permission. The lesson is that you should definitely have an email list, but don’t randomly add people to it. Nobody likes spam!

And if you don’t have an email list yet, check out ConvertKit. It’s the email marketing platform I use for the show—plus, all Side Hustle School listeners get their first month absolutely free!

Listener Shoutouts

Last but not least, I’d like to give a shoutout to Paul who forwarded me a new project that he’s working on called My Value Manifesto. Listen to the recap to hear more about this project, and check it out for yourself!

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. 457 – A New Zealand-based software developer puts her digital skills to artistic use by creating virtual lettering brushes for budding digital calligraphers
  • Ep. 458 – Frustrated with snobby and overly-serious triathletes, a man creates a Facebook group for more casual and fun discussion. It then transforms into a $30,000 side hustle with tens of thousands of members
  • Ep. 459 – When she left her job, she found herself longing to reconnect with a favorite hobby. So she grabbed some paints and brushes—and within an hour, found her first client
  • Ep. 460 – A new mom helps party hosts plan their events. After hiring college students to do the work, she parties her way to a European vacation, complete with Beyoncé tour tickets
  • Ep. 461 – An emergency medical technical builds iPhone apps on the side, landing gigs with Buzzfeed and the University of Massachusetts
  • Ep. 462 – An adjunct community college professor uploads his final course to YouTube, then converts it to a Udemy course. In just sixteen months, he reaches almost 35,000 students and makes over $100,000 in profits

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 student cashes in on his love of history by mailing beautifully designed letters to monthly subscribers
  • A North Carolina man’s software app forces users to make donations when they slack off their fitness routines
  • 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 should definitely have an email list, but make sure you’re inviting the right people to join."
—#SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
Get Started Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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


Here's How

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Adjunct Professor Puts Course on YouTube for $100k Profit

What It’s About

A college professor hacks Udemy and makes more than he does at his day job.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

One of the things Jason confessed was that he has to be careful not to neglect his family by focusing too much on his side hustle. That’s easy to do when your project takes off, because as he says, “You want to throw yourself into it more.”

So what does he do to prevent this from happening? He’s found that setting clear boundaries help and recommends that other side hustlers hustling from home create clear divisions between their home and work lives.

Fun Fact

Even though Jason earns more per month in his side hustle than he does in his day job, he has no immediate plans to quit. He’s a couple years away from being fully-vested in his retirement plan….a great reason to stay.

Notes from Chris

Episode 462

Jason Dion is a Cyber Security Planner working for the government in the greater Washington D.C. area. In November of 2016, he uploaded his first online course on Udemy to help people pass their IT certification exam. Sixteen months later, he has fourteen courses and earns more in his side hustle than he does in his day job. We’ll get to the exact figure later.

So how did Jason go from being a cybersecurity expert in his day job to running a successful library of online courses? Well, teaching online courses on Udemy was not Jason’s first side hustle. His first was as an adjunct professor at a local community college.

While teaching as an adjunct professor, his “day job” switched to one that required extensive travel, often at the last-minute. So teaching in the classroom was no longer an option. During his final in-person course, he recorded the audio of lectures, converted that audio to video by pairing it with a slide deck, and posted those videos on YouTube. The videos were something his students could go back and use as they studied, but he also signed up for a free program that allowed him to earn ad revenue when people watched them.

Those videos sat on YouTube for about a year, and he made a whopping $25-50 per month in ad revenue. A friend suggested he turn it into an “online video course” on a platform like Udemy. So, during Thanksgiving weekend of 2016, he took that course from YouTube and converted it to Udemy’s format. Within a month, he made almost $60. The next month $277, the next $582. He realized he was on to something, so he started making more courses.

In less than a year and a half since starting—and without quitting his day job—Jason now has 14 different courses on Udemy, and he releases a new course every 1-2 months. So far he’s taught almost 35,000 students in 171 countries. Since that first course in 2016, he has made over $100,000 in profits. That’s $100,000 after Udemy takes their cut. In the last six months, his monthly sales have increased, and he averages between $10,000-$15,000 per month. More than what he makes in his day job!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

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

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

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

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

Quote of the Day
"I may spend 100 hours to build a course, but the sales keep coming month after month. I’m creating an asset that works for me while I sleep, and I loved waking up in the morning and seeing I earned money."
—Jason Dion #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Travel the Globe With Cards For Travel!

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

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

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Chris Guillebeau

EMT Moonlights as App Builder, Earns $15,000 a Month

What It’s About

When he’s not out saving lives, this paramedic flexes quite a different skillset—app development.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

It’s not always easy to stay on the cusp of the fast-paced smartphone app world, but Phil has a tip for those looking to make their way into the field. He believes that pre-launch day hype, like creating waitlists based on referrals, finding a public influencer in your target market to endorse your app, and having a solid marketing plan can all help move you up in the app rankings.

Fun Fact

You might think you have a ton of apps on your phone, but it’s hard to beat 57. That’s the average number of applications your average South Korean smartphone owner has downloaded onto their smartphones! But that’s nothing in comparison to 149.3 billion—the total number of apps downloaded, worldwide.

Notes from Chris

Episode 461

Phone apps aren’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “Emergency Medical Technicians” (or EMTs) but Phil Scarfi in NYC has always looked beyond the ambulance for inspiration. Whenever he went to work, he would spend any downtime dreaming of ways he could make his life easier.

He wasn’t looking for an easy way out, by any means. Just ways he could simplify an already hectic life. One day Phil might focus on looking for the latest gadgets, the next, he could spend searching for productivity hacks. But, no matter what, his attention always wandered back to phone applications.

App development had been an interest of Phil’s, ever since he studied computer science during his freshman year of college. Eager to take his classroom learning into the real world, he created an app that showed what the dining halls were serving for meals each day. Word slowly trickled out and eventually reached the dean of students, who notified the college… who then bought all rights to the app in one lump sum payment.

That success showed him the draw of coming up with app ideas. He eventually decided to become an EMT so he could help people facing their worst situations, but he never really let go of his love of computer science and app development… and especially creating solutions to make his day-to-day life easier.

After he’d spent years quietly developing apps for his own personal use, Phil’s friends started to make suggestions. And, eventually, they made some “friendly” requests of what they would like to see on their own phones. It was at this point that Phil started to come up with ideas to make other people’s lives easier. This led to a new side hustle, Pioneer Applications.

These days, Phil is bringing in around $15,000/month—he’s come quite a long way from his cafeteria days! Phil also says that his app-building side hustle has been one of the best experiences in his life. While he’s happy with Pioneer’s success for now, at some point he may want to go full-time and take the business to the next level. In the meantime, he’ll continue to balance his day job with building apps that make people’s lives easier. It’s not a competition; it’s not a Game of Phones where a different character dies every week. Everyone can have a h-App-y ending.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Pioneer Applications: From dapper men’s attire to Buzzfeed, Phil makes apps for it all! Learn more about the apps Phil is creating over on his website

SEE ALSO:

  • A 12-Step Guide to Building Your Very First Mobile App – Part 1 & Part 2: A Chicago-based plastic recycling sales rep overcomes her fears and doubts to transform her love for DIY lamp shades and $10 in supplies into a multi-million dollar business
  • Flight Instructor’s App Takes Flight, Earns $30,000: Urs Camenish wanted to create an app to help him grow his income. But, he’d never owned a smartphone or used an app in his life
  • Spanish-Language Bible App Generates 1 Million Downloads: Opportunity knocks for a Utah accountant and leads to a fortuitous side hustle making $70,000 in one year with a $0.99 app

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 cannot begin to tell you how many apps I’ve seen have so much potential, but their owners stopped pushing them because ‘the going got tough.’ Some might take weeks, others might take a year or so. Keep pushing forward!"
—Phil Scarfi #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
Get Started Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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


Here's How

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Stay-at-Home-Mom Hires Army of College Students

What It’s About

A new mom finds some much-needed release in the form of a party organization service!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Kristen’s target market ended up being affluent professionals with limited time, so she started by asking them two things: 1) what they would most want someone to help them with if they were throwing a party, and 2) what they would be willing to pay to not have to do those things themselves?

She then used this information to determine the services she’d offer and the rate that she’d offer it at. When in doubt, ask!

Fun Fact

Kristen had a friend who got married in Europe, and a combination of her PartyEase income plus her husband’s airlines miles and hotel points allowed for her and her husband to take a two-week vacation to London, Paris, and Barcelona.

Notes from Chris

Episode 460

Kristen Blanks is a Midwesterner who grew up in Akron, Ohio—a place whose claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of NBA All-Star Lebron James. While many of her schoolmates were signing up for French Club or the Debate Team in high school, Kristen set her sights on something different: The Kitchen Libby Organization. If you’ve never heard of this organization, don’t worry—you’re not alone.

For those who are not in the know, a “kitchen libby” is someone who provides services like washing dishes and serving at parties. As President of this esteemed organization, Kristen was in charge of selecting students from her roster of available kitchen libbies to work the parties. It looked great on her college application and provided her with some applicable management and organizational skills. Little did she know at the time that this would go on to be the inspiration for her side hustle.

A few years later and a whole Bachelor’s degree away from her Kitchen Libby days, Kristen was toiling away in grad school so that she could be a counselor. Since her day-to-day schedule was so demanding, she often had to rely on her parents and student loans for support. But Kristen had always had a bit of an independent streak. Not content to rely on mom and dad or loan institutions with outrageous interest rates, she started brainstorming ways that she could bring in some extra cash.

It needed to be something that would allow her to have control over her hours and provide the flexibility that her school schedule severely lacked. That’s when she started reminiscing about her high school days as part of the Kitchen Libby Organization. It definitely fit her criteria and didn’t hurt that it was something that she already had experience in.

She marketed PartyEase on Craigslist and advertised it as the solution to a host’s party-throwing woes. She’d take care of the details and allow hosts to actually ENJOY their parties instead of working them. While not hugely successful, she did end up with around 5-6 gigs a year which lined her otherwise empty pocketbook. In 2012, Kristen hung up her apron for good when she and her husband moved to Pittsburgh while he attended graduate school.

Four years later, Kristen and her husband were officially settled into their new home in Columbus, OH following the birth of their first child 2014. Life was getting back to normal.

Kristen loved being a full-time mother to her young son and was an avid volunteer through her church and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She had always wanted to be a stay-at-home Mom, but the reality was that, well, she was bored. She missed being able to use her adult brain to contribute financially to the family.

As Kristen said to us, “After singing the ABCs for about the 100th time, I poured myself a glass of wine at noon and set out to find a way to not only save my sanity but serve my community while working from home.”

She knew she wanted to depart from her formal training as a school counselor and do something more light-hearted and above all, FUN. So, midway through 2016 she relaunched PartyEase, and started offering her party organizing services to her community in Columbus. Since this was the digital age, she launched her website with Weebly, ordered some stunning business cards, and started reaching out to friends and family for leads on upcoming events.

While this is definitely a seasonal business, Kristen says that she’ll do anywhere from 2-6 gigs a month during the party deprived periods of January and February, and upwards of 15 gigs a month during the busy wedding and holiday seasons. On average, most of her gigs end up bringing in anywhere from $200-1,500 depending on the length of the party and the number of people needed to help run it.

By the end of 2017, Kristen took home about $7,500 after paying all of her contractors and deducting any costs along the way. Not bad for a mom who had been living in sweatpants!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • PartyEase: Let someone else handle the details for a change—learn more about Kristen’s side hustle on her website!
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: The non-profit organization that Kristen spent her time volunteering for
  • Weebly: The platform that Kristen used to create her website for PartyEase

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
"While you might be able to do it alone, it’s better to have people in your corner. Set a meeting with someone who’s successfully started a similar business and pick their brain. You’d be surprised at how helpful people are willing to be!"
—Kristen Blanks #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
Get Started Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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


Here's How

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Aussie Woman Earns Up to $4,000/Month Painting Faces

What It’s About

A little face paint and creativity put this Australian woman on a slide to side hustle success!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

One great part of her marketing that I noticed on her website is that Ainslie warns against the dangers of acrylic paints and craft glitters, and provides guidelines for customers to follow if they’re getting quotes from other face painters. This helps build trust between the potential buyer and Ainslie and shows she cares about her customer’s wellbeing. A great touch if you’re going to be working with someone’s children.

Fun Fact

Ainslie says the only downside to the job is watching parents squash their kid’s creativity. If a boy asks for a butterfly, or a girl asks for a skull, a parent will often step in and decide for them. She says it’s hard to bite her tongue and not give the parents a mouthful, but because she’s got her business head on, she avoids arguments.

But it’s all worth it when she sees just how many people appreciate her favorite hobby as a paid service. And she’s not only paid in money— she also loves seeing the joy in a kid’s (or parent’s) eyes when they look in the mirror.

Notes from Chris

Episode 459

After leaving a job working full-time with children in Northern Australia’s beautiful Gold Coast region, Ainslie Deverson began to miss some parts of her old day-to-day life. The games, the stories, and most of all, painting children’s faces. She found it was a great way to be creative and express herself, while bringing joy to the children and parents she worked on. People had often told her she had a talent for it, and it seemed a shame to let her skills get rusty.

So, one weekend, Ainslie decided she’d attend a local market and offer her services to some of the passers-by. It was something to do, and a way to keep her skills sharp. She bought some paints and brushes and made her way to set up a stall.

After minutes of offering her services, kids were flocking to her to get all different kinds of designs on their faces. They’d all come along with parents who, when they saw their kids were happy, would ask if she offered her services privately for birthdays and events. Within an hour, she’d penciled in her first birthday party for a few weeks in the future. She kept her cool while making the booking, acting like she’d been doing this for a long time, but on the inside, she was squealing and couldn’t believe someone had booked her.

The speed of this first sale gave Ainsley the idea to turn this into a real side hustle. She saw an opportunity to make money from a hobby she loved, and if the parents at this market wanted her services, there must be other people who need this as well.

Since starting Faces by Ainslie, Ainslie has been able to make anywhere between $800 on a slow month, to $4,000 on a good month. Not bad for a $250 investment and a simple website!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Faces by Ainslie: Learn more about Ainslie and her awesome face painting service over on her website!
  • Wix: The online website building platform that Ainslie used to set up 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
"So many face painters have ‘mom’ hats on instead of business or work hats. So they people please and self sacrifice. You will stunt yourself and not be able to give your all to clients therefore have lower paying clients, clients who are difficult and it will suck the joy and creativity from you."
—Ainslie Deverson #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
Get Started Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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


Here's How

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Pathetic Triathlete Creates $30,000 Facebook Group

What It’s About

A man builds a safe space for Oreo consuming triathletes!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Zach describes his marketing approach as guerrilla marketing. He joined every single relevant group—triathlons, marathons, cycling races, swimming meets, you name it—and browsed for goofy for fun posts. When he found one, he would comment saying: “Nice! This post belongs in the Pathetic Triathletes Group!”

Fun Fact

To nearly eliminate financial risk, Zach created his first shirt using a Teespring campaign, set up a free Etsy store instead of Shopify and dropships most of his products. Sales and fulfillment are mostly hands-off and free!

Notes from Chris

Episode 458

Swimming. Cycling. Running. The three sequences of a triathlon. They’re difficult, strenuous, and people train for years to prepare for them. And, according to Zachary Rose, “For some reason, many people turn into total jerks once they learn how to swim, bike, and run long distances.”

Zach, a triathlete himself, was fed up with seeing those jerks dominating the triathlon Facebook groups. He thought they were condescending, way too serious, and just generally sucked all the fun out of the community. Surely he wasn’t the only person to think so.

There needed to be a place where goofy, fun, and newcomer posts could be celebrated and enjoyed—not shot down by elitists. On a bit of a whim, Zach decided to create his own Facebook group.

He called it The Pathetic Triathletes Group.

He created a quick logo, wrote a description that outlined the restrictions on elitism, and shared his group in other triathlon groups. Just a couple hours later, over 100 people had joined.

Fun posts started showing up organically. As Zach had suspected, people were holding back in the other groups, afraid to ask fun or basic questions. But here they could thrive, they could be silly, and even better, they could be honest.

In the group’s second week of existence, it hit 500 members—and it didn’t show any signs of stalling anytime soon. More and more people were posting and declaring how great it was to finally have a judgment-free zone.

Zach, a side hustler at heart, started to explore ways to monetize this group. He came to the conclusion that since the group was a source of fun and silliness, his products should be too.

And then the idea for his first product arrived. It was simple, easy, and vanilla: a t-shirt.

Not wanting to risk any of his own money on printing shirts (and not really sure how well the idea would go over), Zach created a Teespring campaign. This would allow him to effectively take pre-orders and drop ship his shirt without ever having to lay hands on one. He knew his profits would be a lot lower this way, but it was also virtually risk-free.

He set up his account and started designing his shirt. On the front, he simply wrote “PATHETIC” in big bold letters. On the back, he attached the logo for the Facebook group. Looking back, it was, according to Zach… “really bad!”

But despite the poor design, the shirt sold—30 shirts, actually. When the campaign ended, Teespring fulfilled the orders and Zach was sent a check. It was a small amount of money, less than $150, but it proved that he didn’t just have a growing group, but a group filled with at least a few people that were committed financially to the idea.

Then, like any celebrating triathlete, Zach ate a package of Oreos.

Over the last couple years, The Pathetic Triathletes Group has grown rapidly. When I looked on March 20th, the group had 45,999 members. With the exception of a few targeted Facebook ads here and there and Zach’s initial guerrilla marketing, growth’s been pretty organic. He has a good team of volunteer moderators, an automated sales and fulfillment funnel, and he’s constantly making new designs.

And all those members? They’ve made just over 3,000 purchases, all of which were somewhere between $5 and $25 each. Zach didn’t want to give away the exact number, but that likely puts The Pathetic Triathletes Group in the $30,000 lifetime sales club.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Etsy | Pathetic Triathlete: Gear up for your first triathlon with some of Zach’s gear
  • The Pathetic Triathletes Group: Do you celebrate most physical feats of strength and endurance with a package of Oreos? Zach’s Facebook community might just be a good fit for you!
  • Teespring: Zach used Teespring to upload his designs and sell shirts although he was still responsible for driving prospective buyers to his shirts
  • Shopify: Jesse used Shopify to set up his store for Kindness & 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

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 try to keep things laid back because I started this not as a primary source of income but as something that is FUN. The second it stops being fun is when I know I need to reconsider the strategy."
—Zachary Rose #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
Get Started Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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


Here's How

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau