Archives: Podcast

Shopify Employee Sells Enough Apparel to Buy a French Bulldog

What It’s About

A desire for a French Bulldog leads a Shopify employee to a highly profitable side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

When we asked Liz what her best practices for running an e-commerce store are, she said:

“When communicating with customers, respond in a timely matter and be human because no likes speaking with a copy and paste robot.
 Ask for feedback in order confirmation emails, listen, and learn from it.
 Be available by email as well as social accounts and make any contact information easy to find. Nothing drives me crazier than not being able to reach a shop owner. Big red flag right there!”

Fun Fact

Liz didn’t realize that she could have called it quits and bought her long-awaited “batpig” after three months (fun fact: with her revenue from November of 2016, she could have purchased three French Bulldogs), instead she just kept making bigger goals.

According to her estimates, she could have been sharing her household with more than 50 by the end of her first three years (yes, she only ever does mathematics by referring to French Bulldogs now), but she settled for one though, and her name is Olive.

Notes from Chris

Episode 417

In 2014, Liz Bertorelli of Toronto, Canada had pretty much everything she could possibly want in life—a good job with a stable income, a roof over her head, and a loving and supportive friend and family base. But still, something was missing—you could say that there was a French Bulldog shaped hole in her life.

Now, this was nothing new for Liz who had been wanting a French Bulldog since the dawn of time, and anyone who knew her was well aware of her obsession with the adorable little pups. The only problem with this long rooted obsession was that the precious little “batpig” of Liz’s dreams cost more than almost all of her Apple products combined. Since she had already started “adulting” by this point, her days of selling lemonade at a stand on the street corner for extra cash were no longer a viable option anymore.

Determined to find a way to make her French Bulldog dreams a reality, she did what she’d do when faced with many of life’s tough questions—she turned to the internet. But despite having an abundance of information readily available for get-rich “opportunities” or multi-level marketing, her options boiled down to her making pennies answering surveys or possibly selling a kidney and calling it a day.

Unfortunately, this was a hard pass for Liz, but one day, (as she says it) something magical happened—she started working for Shopify as a Social Media Content Producer. This opened her mind to a whole new world of money-making ideas. Plus, it didn’t hurt that starting an e-commerce shop could actually help her be better at her job since it would effectively put her in the shoes of a merchant and help her see things from a customer’s perspective.

As a member of the LGBTQ community, it seemed only natural that she would create apparel that would be right at home in a Pride parade. On the morning of May 1, 2014, her site was built, and Bobo Academy, an LGBTQ apparel shop was born!

She didn’t even realize that she could have called it quits and bought her long-awaited “batpig” after three months (fun fact: with her revenue from November of 2016, she could have purchased three French Bulldogs), instead she just kept making bigger goals. Bobo Academy is still going strong and will be four years old in May of 2018.

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Bobo Academy: Make a statement—head on over to Liz’s website to check out her LGBTQ clothing shop!
  • Printful: The Shopify partner that Liz uses to fullfill and dropship all of her orders
  • Shopify: Liz used Shopify to set up her store for Bobo Academy, 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
"Although bottles of red wine may get those creative juices flowing, an idea is a hard thing to come by. It can take you forever trying to come up with something but once you do, the rest will follow."
—Liz Bertorelli #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
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

Corporate Marketer Plans Worldwide Trips for Women

What It’s About

When the disillusion sinks in, this corporate marketer finds her calling planning trips for other women.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Mary has learned a lot of lessons along the way. When we asked her if she would do anything differently, she said that she would have started Living Big Travel much sooner than she did.

She used to look at successful entrepreneurs as having everything “figured out,” but what she discovered is that despite the outward projection of success, everyone is just figuring it out as they go. In her words, “if there’s something that you’re passionate about and have a general idea of what you’d like to do—just go for it. You’re never going to feel 100% ready, and if you wait for that moment, it may never arrive.”

Fun Fact

In 2015, Mary took nine women to Costa Rica. When her usual chef who hosts an empanada-making lesson said his restaurant was out of action, Cecchini told him how much the ladies had been looking forward to it. “So he said ‘I don’t think my wife would mind,’ and offered us his home kitchen! We ended up having a great time and holding his kids….”

As part of a reunion, the Oregon-based women all came to Cecchini’s house in the spring of 2016 and made empanadas again.

Notes from Chris

Episode 416

Mary Cecchini did all of the things that she thought she was supposed to do. She went to college and earned a degree, and she eagerly jumped into the workforce working for major brands. But after 5-8 years of climbing the corporate ladder and chasing promotions, she wanted something different.

Mary was successful, but she didn’t really feel that she was the one guiding the ship. She felt that she was drifting further and further away from what she wanted her life to look like.

She’d always wanted to travel; she felt that doing so might give her the clarity she needed, but her 60-hour work schedule and limited time off forced her to put that on the back burner. So she made a promise to herself—by 2013 (one year’s time) she would quit her corporate day job and see the world.

And she kept that promise. She traded in her heels and briefcase for a set of comfy set of hiking shoes and a travel pack and spent five months doing a solo trek through Europe, starting in Turkey and heading West.

Over on her blog, there was an overwhelming number of responses from women at all walks of life who wanted to do the same thing but didn’t have the time to plan or were held back by their reservations about traveling solo. And this lit a spark for her.

She thought back to all of the stops she had made along the way and decided that she could plan these trips for other women and make it easier for them to have the life experiences that they wanted without the burden of having to a) plan it themselves, or b) go it alone. She’d put together group travel experiences for women and plan every step of the way from hotel stays and where they’d go to eat to the activities they’d do along the way.

Mary’s mother had always told her, “love big, live big,” so when it came time for her to name her women-only travel company, she decided to call it Living Big Travel as a tribute to her mother.

Since then, Mary has helped plan vacations for around 150 women on 15 different trips to places like Switzerland (which happens to be her favorite destination because she loves the mountains!), Iceland, Croatia, Thailand, and Italy, and she’s even added some domestic trips and options for people who are looking for some assistance for solo vacation planning. Most of her trips fall between $2,000-4,000 depending on whether the trip is domestic or international and they usually include 6-7 full days of jam-packed adventure.

One day, Mary would like to turn Living Big into her full-time passion project, but for the time being, she’s been happy growing her brand slowly and intentionally. She’s also grateful to have the marketing contract work available to her so that she didn’t have to put pressure on Living Big. She feels that if she did, money would have played a bigger part in her decisions. If she didn’t start this as a side hustle, she might not have been able to make decisions based on what was best for the company.

Maybe this is another reason for a side hustle … maybe this is another reason to look at your life and ask yourself, “Am I fulfilled? Is there something missing? If so, what steps should I take next?”

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Living Big Travel: Trek on over to Mary’s website to learn more about the trips she plans for women
  • WordPress: Mary used WordPress to form her website for Living Big Travel, 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

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
"When women make connections with other women who are very different than they are, it’s an invitation to see the world through another woman’s lens, to see all that we have in common, and an opportunity to develop more empathy and compassion for women, and the world around us."
—Mary Cecchini #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
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

Business Student Sticks it to Wall Street with Inspirational Quotes

What It’s About

A side hustle with sticking potential!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

What’s NOT important, Michael says, is worrying about patents. He’s seen people spend thousands of dollars and five years waiting for a patent, only for another company to launch and sell the same idea in half the time. As he says, “a fifty million dollar idea is worth absolutely nothing in your head.”

Fun Fact

Michael’s love of stirring words has led him to write his own. When he’s not selling Sticky Quotes, he’s writing poems and rapping them with his friends. His writing focuses on current affairs and social issues. We hope it sticks!

Notes from Chris

Episode 415

Michael Russo was going to college just outside of New York City where he had his sights firmly set on Wall Street. Beginning with an internship at Morgan Stanley, he set off on his chosen career path with security and prestige—not to mention what he hoped would be a good salary. But things were about to take a different turn…

See, ever since college, he’d had a seriously packed schedule. We’re talking seven classes, three extracurricular activities, and that internship. Time was short, and he needed to keep up the motivation. The answer? For him, it was positive, inspirational quotes. He was scribbling them everywhere, surrounding himself with—you guessed it—sticky notes. Except he couldn’t just call them that… he decided to call them Sticky Quotes. Could this be more than just an inspirational tool for himself?

The first step was to validate his idea. Michael made a test version by putting six sticky notes on a sheet of thick paper and running it through the printer in his dorm room. Using these as a prototype, he got feedback from people around him at college and work.

This information provided him with a strong understanding of the market and a good idea of the ideal price point for this product.

For the first 18 months, Michael didn’t pay himself. It was just what he calls “straight sweat equity.” But now that Sticky Quotes is profitable with annual sales of around $40,000, he takes a modest salary and reinvests the rest.

Meanwhile, he continues to grow Sticky Quotes and hopes to make it a household name. For now, Michael’s career in financial services is on hold. He’s having fun and making money on his own! In the future, he may work towards beginning a more traditional career, or he might start yet another business venture. Still, no matter what he has coming down the road, this looks to be one side hustle that is going to stick around.

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

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
"Being able to take an idea and manifest it into reality is what I believe people were meant to do, whether it’s writing a book, painting a picture, creating a song or a business."
—Michael Russo #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
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

Weekly Recap: What Kind of Profit Margin Should You Have?

Notes from Chris

Episode 414

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

Let’s talk about profit margins! We had an episode (Ep. 412) a couple of days ago about artificial flowers for wedding ceremonies. I mentioned towards the end of the episode how this was really great because once he acquired his inventory he essentially has 100% profit margins—at least compared to a traditional florist who has to acquire these flowers over and over again on a daily basis.

If you’re curious about what your profit margins should be, check out the recap to learn more!

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. 408 – A Chicago-based architect makes access to classical literature easier for readers, raising $50,000 on Kickstarter along the way
  • Ep. 409 – A sales agency manager transforms his frustration with online golf advice into a thriving niche website generating $5,000 in monthly income
  • Ep. 410 – After receiving a “lame” marriage proposal, this former contractor sets up shop helping others create memorable proposal stories. Last year, she made a lot of people happy… and she also made $450,000
  • Ep. 411 – This freelance illustrator did design work for Google and Nickelodeon, but after giving a talk at his church he decides to start a podcast—which now earns up to $70,000 a year on the side
  • Ep. 412 – This project manager was astonished at how expensive a wedding could be. After shelling out a lot of money for his own, he starts a service to help engaged couples save thousands
  • Ep. 413 – In need of cash to pay for a medical emergency, a Utah man experiments with creating and selling online design courses

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Join the Side Hustle Society!

We’ve already launched our first iteration of the Side Hustle Society, and if you missed round one, round two is coming very soon!

This online training program is designed to take you step by step through starting a side hustle project of your own, and it’s also going to be an online community where you can connect with other side hustlers, make introductions, and get peer feedback.

We’ll be opening round two on Tuesday, February 27th, so visit our Society page if you’re interested in being a part of a strong and supportive side hustle community!

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:

  • Frustrated with climbing the corporate ladder, a marketer finds adventure waiting for her at the bottom when she starts a travel planning service for women
  • She only needs to make $3,000. But when she turns to a side hustle to fill the French Bulldog shaped hole in her life, she ends up making six-figures
  • 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
"Your profit margin should probably be higher than you think. Don’t forget that your time is valuable!"
—#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

UX Designer Posts in Facebook Groups to Earn $1,000/Month

What It’s About

A Utah man discovers a way to make money without sacrificing his time.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Try lots of different things but make sure that you abandon the ones that aren’t fruitful.

Remember the principle that better or higher results don’t usually require the same amount of effort as initial results. In other words, Caleb was able to go from $200/month to $1,000/month without working 5x/hard. This is why if you haven’t done this before, you want to get to $200 or $500/month or similar as soon as possible—so that you can then focus on what comes next.

Fun Fact

When Caleb created a course on Figma.com, he was excited because there wasn’t a course on Udemy at the time. About halfway into making the course, he was bummed to find that someone else had already made the course and figured it’d be difficult to reach the top. He released his course a month and a half after the other course was out, and quickly surpassed it, earning the best seller badge in a week. That was because he gave the course away for free in the relevant groups and asked for reviews which brought in paying students. This is his highest income course so far.

Notes from Chris

Episode 413

Today’s story comes from Caleb Kingston in Salt Lake City, Utah. By day, he’s a UX designer. For his side hustle, he created two online design courses. In his first month, his course generated $200, but four months later, his courses are consistently bringing in an extra $1,000/month. What did he learn along the way that made a difference?

Caleb did not have a traditional high school or college education, so he mostly relied on online courses and tutorials to help him learn his trade and skills. And one area that he found that he excelled in was UX web design—basically helping companies design their websites and online stores to be more helpful to their customers. His wife recently had a medical emergency that set them back financially, so he wanted to find a way to pay off the bills and also to save for the future. After attending an event for the Side Hustle book tour, he decided it was time to create and launch his own course.

The course took him about 5 weekends working from his home office, continually telling his wife he’d be finished shortly. The long nights and time away from his wife are the hardest part of Caleb’s side hustle.

By the end of the year, Caleb hopes to get 10,000 students (he’s 20% of the way there), get his site traffic up to 1,000 visitors per day, have five courses, and increase his side hustle earnings to $5,000 a month. He’s thinking about creating a design product he can design and hire a team of developers to bring to market—something small to start out with that he can grow over time.

He’s paying off those medical bills, and even better, he’s building something for his family’s future.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • App Design Tips: Learn more about Caleb’s online design courses on his website, and check out his page at Udemy!
  • Figma: The first platform that Caleb used to create his design courses
  • Lynda: The platform that Caleb used to get inspiration for his courses
  • ScreenFlow & Camtasia: A couple programs that Caleb used to edit his videos

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

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

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

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

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

Quote of the Day
"The best part of my experience is that this is the first time I have created something that I can leave alone while it makes money for me. I’ve always been in the business of selling my time or service and this is the first PRODUCT I have created that is starting to give me a return."
—Caleb Kingston #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

Newlywed Creates Floral Services That Can’t Wilt

What It’s About

A newlywed cuts the stems on wedding costs for couples on a budget.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

As many realize when they first start planning, weddings can be really expensive, and not everyone is going to want to pay for it. If you’re interested in breaking into the wedding industry, it’s not a bad idea to start brainstorming how to prune back the costs from the total budget and looking into filling those needs!

Fun Fact

Jaysin’s first sale came on a Friday evening when he and his wife were at dinner with friends. So, naturally, they indulged in a little too much champagne to celebrate.

Notes from Chris

Episode 412

While planning his own wedding in 2015, Jaysin Anderson realized just how expensive getting married can be. Some studies report that the average person spends around $30,000 on just one day of their lives!

After leaving a dent in his finances, Jaysin began to explore different ways he could make money on the side. He picked up a copy of the $100 Startup which he says pushed him from wanting to start a business, to deciding that he would.

Over the next few weeks, Jaysin spent his evenings and weekends at his kitchen table. He had a legal pad and a pen and spent all of his time brainstorming ideas for the different businesses he could start. And, as time went on, he found himself constantly coming back to one idea—help people save money on their wedding day.

Jaysin started looking at different ways he could help people cut down some expenses. He thought about leasing items, like signs and decorations and banners, that wedding venues wouldn’t usually provide. The closer he looked, the more he began to notice a huge gap in the market—and it wasn’t signs or banners.

Flowers are the third biggest expense for couples. After food and the venue, couples can find themselves paying upwards of $2,000 for bouquets and centerpieces, all of which are thrown in the trash, or left to wilt and die, as soon as the service is over. They create a lot of expense, and equally as much waste.

Jaysin and his wife both felt this was a great way to save people thousands of dollars, and if they did it right, it could prove to be quite profitable for them. It was win/win! So, Jaysin started his side hustle, Compass Rose Floral, and began looking for faux flowers to buy.

With some strong marketing efforts and focusing on the quality of their product, has helped Jaysin to generate over $15,000 of revenue for his side hustle in just a few short months. Look out—this side hustle could become a blooming business!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Compass Rose Floral: While these buds may not smell sweet, they certainly make up for it in cost! Learn more about Jaysin’s flower options on his website
  • Shopify: Jaysin used Shopify to set up his store for Compass Rose Floral, and they’re offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!
  • Indeed.com: The job listings search engine that Jaysin used to find his floral designer
  • The Knot & WeddingWire: Two of the wedding related media platforms that Jaysin registered with in order to make connections with vendors and venues

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 open to changing your business idea as you learn more and have more insights, but don’t just wait around until you think the idea is perfect. The very act of getting started will get where you need to be."
—Jaysin Anderson #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

Creative Illustrator Creates Creative Podcast for Creatives

What It’s About

An illustrator launches a podcast to help others find success with their creative pursuits.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you’re concerned that you have a lot of contradictory paths, consider something that Andy said:

“Whenever I hear someone say they have two contradictory paths, I always remind them that innovation is simply building a connection between two things that seem contradictory. When you find these contradictions, instead of seeing it as an obstacle, see it as an opportunity to do something that’s never been done. Don’t avoid obstacles, sniff them out, they lead to innovation!”

Fun Fact

Andy received a nickname from his listeners—Andy J. Pizza. They call him this because when his podcast reached one million listens, he and his wife created a huge pizza-cookie and posted it on Instagram to celebrate. Check it out here!

Notes from Chris

Episode 411

For Andy J. Miller, it wasn’t the desire for more money or to leave his job that prompted him to start a side hustle. Instead, it was standing in front of 50 members of his church group, giving his first public speech, which sparked a new passion within him.

Walking off stage, Andy realized he’d felt a connection to the work that he’d never felt in his day job. Despite working as a freelance illustrator, creating art for the big brands he’d always dreamed of, like Google, Converse, and Nickelodeon, something about talking to a small room of receptive ears felt more empowering.

Over the next few weeks, Andy explored how he could replicate this experience doing his current work. He even toyed with the idea of quitting illustration altogether. But, instead, he decided he would combine his old work, and his new passion, into an experiment.

He decided he would create a few episodes of a short podcast talking about creativity. If he liked it, he’d carry on. If he didn’t, he’d continue with his illustration work safe in the knowledge he’d at least tried.

Grabbing his iPhone, Andy scribbled down some notes onto a piece of paper and then began talking into his voice memo app. He used his notes as a brief guideline but mostly ad-libbed and improvised his way through the next fifteen minutes. Before he knew it, he’d created his first podcast episode.

He gave the podcast a name, Creative Pep Talk, and uploaded the audio file to his Mac.

Andy loved the project and decided to keep going with it. As time went by, the episodes started to reach an hour in length, and he invested in an outside sound engineer to help him improve the audio quality. The first two years of his podcast, Andy says he was just tweaking, listening to feedback, and trying to find where his product fit into the market.

Andy has been able to monetize his podcast in four different ways—sponsorships, products, donations through Patreon, and speaking engagements. And between these four revenue streams, Andy earns up to $70,000 per year from his podcast, all while he continues to illustrate for clients.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Creative Pep Talk: Andy’s website and podcast hub
  • Patreon: A service that allows artists and creators of all kinds to receive monthly financial support from the people who appreciate their work
  • GarageBand: The digital audio workstation that allowed Andy to create his podcast and keep his expenses low
  • Free Music Archive: An interactive online library of high-quality, legal audio downloads that Andy used to locate jingles for Creative Prep Talk
  • Soundcloud: The music and podcast streaming platform that Andy used to upload the jingles he found in the Free Music Archive
  • Squarespace: The website building platform that Andy used to create Creative Prep Talk

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
"Build a ‘creative bridge’ between what you do now and what you want to be doing in the future."
—Andy J. Miller #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

Government Employee Becomes Flash Mob Marriage Proposal Consultant

What It’s About

Following a somewhat underwhelming proposal, a government employee helps others plan marriage proposals that are bound to yield a “yes!”

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

This is definitely a service with a clear market! Some of our most successful side hustles have been wedding-related, and this is certainly money to be made in the wedding industry.

Also, Michele has a great website—it’s very clear what they do, they have nice visuals, and it’s easy to sign up. No wonder business is booming!

Fun Fact

Since starting 5 years ago, Michele has done thousands—yes, thousands—of proposals. Some of her favorites:

– They turned a major nightclub in Las Vegas into a Flash Mob with a singing choir complete with slideshow, Led gloves, and CO2 cannons. – They recreated Paris by building a 9 foot Eiffel Tower made of moss, hired an accordion player, had a macaron tower, and a Parisian cafe set up.

She makes this happen by coordinating all of the logistics so that the proposer—which is not always a man, by the way—can focus on, well, proposing.

Notes from Chris

Episode 410

For Michele Velazquez, her career and life turned into something she never imagined. This former government contractor started a side hustle helping people create over-the-top marriage proposals. This turned into a business operating in a dozen cities and earning multiple six-figures a year. It’s also spawned two related side businesses that are also profitable.

It’s been quite a journey, but it all started with her own wedding proposal—one that Michele describes as “lame.” Her aspiring fiancee thought she would like going on a cruise at Niagra falls. She hated it. He thought they’d fit right in with the other passengers … but it turned out they were all at least 40 years older than them.

She liked the guy, but thought, “Surely there’s a better way.”

With so much riding on the right marriage proposal, Michele sensed there might be an opportunity.

So what does she actually do? The side hustle is called The Heart Bandits.

The Heart Bandits provides proposal packages—templates, effectively—and complete custom proposals that range from $1,100 on up to the tens of thousands of dollars. The packages are more affordable and begin at a few hundred dollars (although they can go up to $70,000!).

Whether you choose a package or a custom proposal, Michelle will arrange unforgettable experiences that can include a helicopter tour, a picnic in Central Park where a street musician approaches and sings a song just for the two of you, an improv troupe that acts out a scene which ends in your proposal, and much more.

Since starting 5 years ago, Michele has done thousands—yes, thousands—of proposals.

At the end of year 2, she had made $50,000. At the end of year 3, it was $120,000, and she quit her job. Year 4 was $240,000, and last year was $450,000. This is no longer a side hustle, it’s a booming business, and she handles most of it herself with just one employee—I’ll tell you about that person in a moment—and local vendors in all the different cities where The Heart Bandits operates.

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • The Heart Bandits: Follow your heart on over to Michele’s website to learn more about her proposal planning side hustle!

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

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 feeling that I am in charge of my own destiny is the best experience to me. The pride when people ask me what I do and I say I own four businesses and work for myself is the most rewarding thing I can imagine."
—Michele Velazquez #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

Golfer Takes a Swing and Scores $5,000/Month Hustle

What It’s About

A golfing blog scores a hole in one, bringing in a steady second income.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you’re looking to master your SEO, here are three tips to help you get started:

1. Choose a focused topic using something like Google Trends 2. Chose the right keywords—Google Keyword Planner is great for this! 3. Use a simple plugin like Yoast!

Oh, and be consistent!

Fun Fact

Jon basically ignored SEO for his first full year of blogging, but that didn’t stop him from transforming the hustle into a $5,000 per month business later on.

Notes from Chris

Episode 409

As an avid golfer, Jon Sherman spent many hours on golf-related websites and forums. He enjoyed the online community he discovered, but he was disappointed by the advice he found in forums, on blogs, and in videos.

After a couple years of digging through posts, he realized why. The majority of the advice was being given by swing instructors looking to boost their authority—not by actual golfers. Jon wasn’t just a golfer, he was a high-level, amateur player, and he knew he could write better, more valuable content than what he was seeing available online.

So, after being inspired by stories he’s heard of online businesses and niche sites, he started his own WordPress blog, Practical-Golf.com. Since January of 2015, he’s been a sales agency manager by day and a golf writer by night.

In any given month over the next couple years, Jon would see his earnings range from $500 to $6,000, depending on the shopping season and any media coverage he received for his premium membership. It was a very nice side hustle especially when you take into account that he started it for next to nothing (his startup costs were around $100), but Jon wanted it to become more.

Fast forward another year of steady organic growth through intentional SEO. Practical Golf now averages 40-50 thousand unique monthly visitors and generates an incredible $5-8,000 per month of pure profit. Jon is nearing that point where he thinks he’ll be able to quit his job and be a golf writer and consultant full-time within the next two years.

Jon’s thrilled to be earning so much from his passion, but the bigger joy is in the community he’s created and the relationships he’s built over the last few years. “I’ve made tons of friends from around the world,” he says. “The online golf community is great!” He’s hit a hole in one with this project, and his driving ambition has served him well.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

 

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

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

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

Quote of the Day
"There is no way I could have predicted where the site has taken me since I published my first article three years ago. Keep experimenting, failing, and learning!"
—Jon Sherman #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

Architect Changes Commuting, One Pocket-Sized Book at a Time

What It’s About

Inspiration strikes on a public bus, where an architect gets an idea to mobilize classic books.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

When you’re making or marketing a product or service—no matter how practical it may be—you should always be asking yourself “how is this going to connect with people on a deeper level?”

In this case, what’s the emotional need that David pinpointed in pursuing this project, and in particular by choosing the crowdfunding model to start it? Personally, I think it’s a combination of nostalgia and rebellion.

Fun Fact

Mouse Book Club relies on books that are within the public domain. David usually finds the next installment on Project Gutenberg, which digitizes cultural works so more people can access them.

The name Gutenberg comes from Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. We can thank Johannes for starting the Printing Revolution and bringing books to the masses.

Notes from Chris

Episode 408

As a professional architect and journalist, David Dewane has always believed in the unique power of the written word. Then, as a lifelong fan of books, it’s little surprise that his passion for literature became his side hustle.

David spends his work days thinking about how to build ideas and bring them to life in design. But like many good ideas, the inspiration for David’s side hustle came out of nowhere. Or more specifically, it came from a bus ride. His snowy, slow bus commute in south-side Chicago was the one place he could zone out during the day, at least for a few minutes. It was (and still is) a route he takes at least 5 days a week, and this trip was not unlike the rest of them. What was different, though, was that David noticed that everyone on the bus was looking down at their phone, except him.

He was holding a pocket-sized book in his hand, with dog-eared corners and worn out pages from regular reading. He had taken his phone out of his pocket to check a text from a friend when he noticed that his phone and book were pretty much the same size. They were both easy to travel with. And furthermore, they both held worlds of possibility.

The more David thought about it, the more he realized that everyone holding a phone was reading. And if they were already reading while commuting, or waiting in line at the grocery store, then it wouldn’t be hard to read something else if it were within easy reach. He looked around the bus again. Everyone had their eyes glued to their phone. If people had a real book in their pocket, something that gave them a richer and more engaging experience than scrolling through Instagram, David wondered if they be more likely to pick that up instead of their phone.

After printing a limited run of 100 copies for his friends for Christmas, he found the validation he was looking for and thought about how he could get his pocket-sized books in the hands of others. That’s when he turned to crowdfunding; he took the leap and launched Mouse Book Club’s first Kickstarter campaign. It was a huge success and raised his first $50,000 of capital from over 1,000 backers. David used $20,000 to print and ship the first run of Mouse Books.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Mouse Book Club: Turn a new page yourself and head on over to David’s website!
  • Kickstarter: The crowdfunding platform that David used to fund Mouse Book Club
  • Drip: The Kickstarter extension that allows backers to support creators through recurring, monthly donations
  • Project Gutenberg: The volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to “encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks”

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
"This January I sent out about 800 copies of Fredrick Douglass’ autobiography. I cannot imagine a more important book people could be reading right this second. I feel like I am doing something truly worthwhile."
—David Dewane #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