Archives: Podcast

Music Therapist Writes Custom Lullabies For Restless Children

What It’s About

Customized children’s lullabies earn passive income for a resourceful music therapist.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Stephanie decided on the prices for her products based on earlier recommendations from her friends and by asking herself the question, “If I was to be overcome with orders, would the amount I’m charging justify an entire day working on them?”

If you’re having difficulties landing on prices for your product, this train of thought may help you too!

Fun Fact

When she worked in the hospital, Stephanie had a reputation for being the absolute best at helping kids in pain or distress fall asleep quickly and peacefully. She said that hours and hours of singing and playing the guitar for kids and watching them respond in real-time has had a huge influence on how she writes and records lullabies.

Notes from Chris

Episode 397

For pediatric music therapist Stephanie Leavell, the birth of her child was a huge turning point in her life. Not wanting to spend her days away from her daughter, Stephanie decided to leave her well-paying hospital job and take more casual work booking acts for a music venue.

Although the new job was more flexible around her life and child, the pay just wasn’t the same. So, she began to explore side hustling as a means of making up the difference. This exploration brought her to the Side Hustle School podcast!

Listening from day one, and never missing an episode, Stephanie constantly tuned in to hear people’s stories and get ideas on how she could make money from the skills she already had. After a few months of listening, she was struck with her own idea.

Over the years she’d spent countless hours trawling the internet looking for the best kids music, and what she found was that it took a lot of work to find something good. Stephanie figured if she’d had that problem, other parents might have it too and worked out a way to solve it. She would create a resource, that was backed by her own expertise as a music therapist, and share the best music for different problems kids or parents were facing.

In August of 2017, Stephanie created her website, Music for Kiddos, using Squarespace. With her website in place, Stephanie began to publish blog content and share it on social media.

As more and more of her blog posts went live, Stephanie began to notice a trend. People gravitated towards the music for helping children’s sleep: lullabies and songs that could help the little ones get off to the land of nod that little bit more smoothly. With her years of experience as a music therapist, she’d created and used lots of music for that very purpose.

This gave Stephanie an idea; why didn’t she record the music herself and sell it to these parents? She already had a custom lullaby she’d written for her daughter, which gave her a great place to start from.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Music for Kiddos: If you’re interested in having Stephanie concoct a customized lullaby for one of your kiddos, visit her website!
  • Squarespace: The website building platform that Stephanie used to create Music for Kiddos

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
"Just START. I thought a website was going to be a pain and take me a really long time, but with Squarespace, it took me just a couple of hours to figure out. I had the website up (and looking great) in a weekend!"
—Stephanie Leavell #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Where Life Meets Legal!

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

Visit LegalZoom.com today to get special savings on services to help you launch your side hustle—add "HUSTLE" in the promo box at checkout.
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

Electrical Engineer Becomes Romance Novel Cover Model

What It’s About

An aspiring actor turns a page and finds opportunity in a steamy romance series.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Whether you’re breaking into modeling for romance authors or starting any other side hustle one thing remains the same—there is no straight path to success. Instead, there are an infinite number of paths, which means you never know what door will open. Keep an open mind and try lots of things out.

Fun Fact

Devon has had some pretty interesting requests over the years. An avid fan of the Pierce Securities Series once asked if he could sign his real name, the character’s name, and include a lock of his hair inside the book!

Notes from Chris

Episode 396

Devon Ryan was a dedicated electrical engineering student at the University of Texas. The engineering program took up much of his time, but despite how incredibly “left-brained” such a field was, he had a secret creative desire—to pursue acting.

But unfortunately, he’d never taken an acting or drama class. With a course load full of challenging mathematical and science prerequisites for his engineering degree, his desires to see himself on the silver screen ended up taking the backseat to his “more practical” degree.

Devon graduated with that degree and jumped right into the workforce, taking a job for the federal government. It was a good, stable job, and he felt like he was being challenged. But, as is typical of bureaucracy with lots of red tape to cross, the pace of the work was slower than he preferred, and he found himself with more spare time than expected. The increase in time and resources provided him with a unique opportunity to pursue new projects on his own.

That’s when he decided that it might be time to revisit his interest in acting… but little did he know where he’d end up.

Devon said that that first class was the acting equivalent of falling flat on his face in front of a large group of people. But not being one to throw in the towel easily, Devon kept going to class, and over time, he saw real improvement.

So much so in fact that his acting teacher told him that since he was no longer terrible, he should really consider getting some headshots.

He took the advice, scheduling an appointment with a photographer, and paid about $400 to get a round of traditional headshots taken. Here’s an important detail: Devon had been working out. He was proud of his abs. He threw in an extra $50 and asked the photographer to do some shots of him posing with his shirt off.

Not long after uploading his model shots to Model Mayhem, Devon had a number of photographers reaching out to book him for modeling gigs.

But his biggest break came about from a local Texas romance author named Anne Conley who swore in her first message to him that he was essentially the physical manifestation of the main character in her book series Pierce Securities, featuring attention-grabbing titles such as Bond, Wire, Grab, Hitch, and Murmur.

It opened the door to so many new opportunities for Devon, and these days you can find him on any given day jetting off to Australia for a quick swimsuit shoot or acting in major primetime commercials.

And he’s not just doing it to maintain his washboard abs. This unique side hustle brings him in an additional $20,000-50,000 a year depending on the volatility of the industry. And it all came from being featured on the cover of a romance series.

Here are some of my top romance novel picks:

1. Reckless in Texas by Kari Lynn Dell

2. Fried Chicken and Gravy: A Christian Romance by Sherri Schoenborn Murray

3. Time Anomaly: A Time Travel Romance by Lindsey Fairleigh

4. Beauty and the Mustache: A Philosophical Romance by Penny Reid

5. Bridesmaid for Hire: A Valentine’s Day Romance by Chance Carter

 

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
"Think big, take baby steps, and test all assumptions."
—Devon Ryan #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Where Life Meets Legal!

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

Visit LegalZoom.com today to get special savings on services to help you launch your side hustle—add "HUSTLE" in the promo box at checkout.
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 Employee Starts Relay Series, Quits Job to Produce Races Full-Time

What It’s About

A new side hustle finds itself on the fast track to the finish line.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Kerry attributes the success of their first relay to the format they picked. Instead of the multi-day relay that a lot of races opt for, they decided to make theirs a one-day event. They coined the tagline “one day, one van, one gorgeous relay.” And they emphasized how at the end of the race participants could sleep in their own beds.

They also don’t time the relays. This does two things: it creates a friendlier atmosphere among participants and also keeps the costs down since more organization and infrastructure is needed for official race timings.

Fun Fact

The original Gorgeous Relay had to be canceled in 2017 due to the fire in the Columbia River Gorge. While heartbreaking all around, the reaction of the runners was touching. Instead of being frustrated or upset people just wanted to know how they could help. Entire teams signed over their refund check to Friends of the Columbia Gorge (our beneficiary) to help out.

Notes from Chris

Episode 395

Six years ago avid runner Kerry Loehr was sitting on the beach with a buddy talking about the relay race they had just finished. It hadn’t been a great user experience and Kerry uttered the phrase, “Surely we can do better!”—famous last words!

They talked about it on and off and fantasized about putting on their own race, until one day Kerry was at his day job, at Xerox, in downtown Portland, Oregon. He read about a new section of paved path that was being opened in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. The State Parks and Highway Division were working together to put in a bike path. Kerry thought this was a perfect opportunity to try a race on a new course.

He and his buddy thought that if they could just get 5 teams, they could scope out the course to see if they could put it on for real the following year. So Kerry used MapMyRun to chart out the relay course and then posted the free relay race opportunity to Facebook to get a few teams together to run with them. As an experienced runner with a lot of runner friends, the post quickly circulated and he ended up getting a lot of interest. His hopes of getting 5 teams were quickly surpassed when he had 40 teams express interest. At that point, he realized he needed to shut it down.

The relay was a success! People loved the course and Kerry saw that he had a great route on his hands.

The next year they decided to raise the stakes. They also decided to get all those permits, which was no small task. Because the relay route was 60 miles long it ended up going through 10 different jurisdictions. With that many municipalities involved, Kerry joked that he needed a whole year to just line up the permits. They also gave the race a name based on its beautiful route: they called it the Gorgeous Series.

They used PayPal to collect the $70 per person registration fees, tracked registration manually using a spreadsheet and ended up with around 80 teams. At an approximately 50% profit margin, Kerry and his partner came away with a bit more than $10,000 profit. Not bad for his first official race!

Since then, Kerry has been able to take on this profitable side hustle full-time, and he expects that this is the kind of project with long-distance potential.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Gorgeous Series: Race on over to Kerry’s website to learn more about his gorgeous marathon series!
  • MapMyRun: The platform that Kerry used to chart out the relay course and then posted the free relay race opportunity to Facebook to get a few teams together to run with them
  • PayPal: The online payment platform that Kerry used to accept registration payments

SEE ALSO:

 

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

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

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

Quote of the Day
"Just start—pursue your vision and passion. Don’t worry about the naysayers or the end game, just start with the first tasks you know need to happen. People will recognize your passion and reward it, or they won’t, but the beautiful thing is you put your whole self into it. In the process, you will learn and grow, no matter the results."
—Kerry Loehr #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Where Life Meets Legal!

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

Visit LegalZoom.com today to get special savings on services to help you launch your side hustle—add "HUSTLE" in the promo box at checkout.
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

Fashion Buyer Creates Quirky Comfort Craze

What It’s About

Buzzfeed inspiration leads to comedic, retail sensation!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

While getting an LLC may sound like a tricky process, it’s actually not that difficult of a process! In the US, it can be simple as contacting your state office, requesting a form, giving your name a business, and paying a between $30 and $300 fee depending on your state.

Fun Fact

Kyle attended the Comedy Cellar in New York and took a pair of his Swoveralls with him on the off chance he might bump into a celebrity. As chance would have it, he did and ended up giving a pair to Amy Schumer who then shared them in an Instagram story. Not bad for his first piece of big exposure, right?

Notes from Chris

Episode 394

Kyle Bergman never anticipated that reading Buzzfeed in his downtime would have an impact on his life beyond mere entertainment. But, thanks to the recommendation of a friend, it gave him the idea for today’s side hustle.

Kyle was known around the Bloomingdale’s fashion buying offices as a little bit quirky. He was the guy who would turn up on casual Fridays in a Hawaiian shirt when everyone else wore button-downs and jeans. Because of this quirkiness, one of his colleagues sent him a Buzzfeed article she thought he would love. It was all about a new fashion craze of sweatpants and overalls, and Kyle fell in love as soon as he read it. But Kyle was a bit disappointed; the entire article showed women’s sweatpant overalls, and he really wanted a pair for himself.

When he got home from work, he spent the entire evening scouring the web trying to find a pair of these overalls for men. But, to his utter dismay, there were none.

As a last-ditch effort, he decided to look on Alibaba where he found a factory drawing of male sweatpant overalls. But because this was targeted at retailers, he’d have to order at least 300 units to do so.

Over the next eight months, Kyle kept these overalls at the back of his mind but never did anything about them since there was such a high order requirement. But his curiosity got the best of him. He put in a sample order and a few weeks later, he received a prototype.

He was blown away by.

The quality was good and it looked like a premium product. This gave him the idea, and the resolve, to try and turn this into a proper business. So Kyle founded his business and called it The Great Fantastic Co., after a phrase his mother used. He also created an equally hipster-esque name for his product, calling them Swoveralls.

Kyle has been able to make over $65,000 this year with his product with $24,000 of that being complete profit.

Looking to the future, Kyle wants to make Swoveralls customizable to their buyers, by letting people add their own images or patterns to parts of the fabric. His first choice being the Pizza emoji because they’re perfect pizza-eating clothes.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • The Great Fantastic Co.: Snag a pair of your own Swoveralls, and embrace the funky side of eclectic fashion. Learn more on Kyle’s website!
  • Shopify: Kyle used Shopify to set up his store for The Great Fantastic, and they’re offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!
  • Chubbies: The swimsuit brand whose tongue-in-cheek style branding Kyle tried to imitate when marketing his Swoveralls
  • Thrillist: The media outlet that gave Kyle and his Swoveralls their first big break

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
"Enter a market or industry that allows you to exercise your existing network and skillset. I don’t know if you can ever make starting a business stress-free or easy, BUT if you can pair your resources with white space in a market…you’re going to hit the ground running."
—Kyle Bergman #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Where Life Meets Legal!

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

Visit LegalZoom.com today to get special savings on services to help you launch your side hustle—add "HUSTLE" in the promo box at checkout.
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: How to Identify Side Hustle Ideas in Your Workplace

Notes from Chris

Episode 393

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

We had quite an eclectic mix of stories this week! I’d like to begin today’s recap by addressing something from Sumit Bansal’s story in Ep. 387. Sumit was able to create a lucrative side hustle using skills that he picked up in his day job. Sometimes your hustle idea can be found in your workplace.

In Day 6 of the Side Hustle book, I told the story of Meredith Floyd-Preston, a Waldorf teacher who created her own curriculum and then sold that to other teachers (Ep. 13). She knew that Waldorf teachers were expected to teach in a certain way, and it took a lot of time for them to design their lessons from the ground up each week. She provided templates and ideas they could use, and then, of course, they could further customize them.

Listen to the recap for more on this concept, including my response to the question, “But won’t I get in trouble with my employer??”

LISTENER QUESTIONS & UPDATES:

Today we have a listener email from Emily and a listener update from Faith:

  • Emily: “Hi Chris! Thank you so much for sharing side hustler stories on your podcas—it’s been a big inspiration for me. Currently, I’ve cast a wide net trying to find the right idea. My question is this: when do I need to open a business bank account? And can I have one bank account for multiple potential revenue streams? I haven’t made much money yet, so it doesn’t seem necessary, but I do want to avoid any future complications.”
  • Faith is a local Portland listener who has recently been checking out the show and binge listening. Inspired by the stories she’s heard, she put an ad up on Craigslist to offer a decluttering and organizing service for the new year, and she’s already secured her first client!

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

EPISODES FROM THIS WEEK:

Here’s what we heard this week on Side Hustle School! Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel.

  • Ep. 387 – An IBM employee in India creates a series of Microsoft Excel tutorials, earning hundreds of dollars per sale
  • Ep. 388 – This expat’s local pub quiz night started as a hobby. It turned into an idea to sell his collection of 5,000 trivia questions online, earning passive income month after month
  • Ep. 389 – An architect creates minimalist onesies and t-shirts for his own kids—then turns it into a profitable side hustle
  • Ep. 390 – After struggling with insecurities, a woman takes charge of her life and creates a cosmetic brand designed to boost confidence
  • Ep. 391 – After being told he had a voice for radio, a journalist stumbles into a profitable side hustle appearing in beer and soft drink commercials
  • Ep. 392 – For two decades, she trained sled dogs in the woods of Minnesota—but after a personal transformation, she started a fitness and empowerment program for women ages 45-55

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Weekly Update:

Make a plan to start your hustle in 27 days or less!

You need more than one source of income. You need a side hustle. Side Hustle builds on the lessons from the show and presents a step-by-step, 27-day plan to help you create a new source of income without quitting your day job.

The book is out at a bookstore near you (or purchase it online!)

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:

  • Men’s overalls that double as sweatpants: yes, this is a thing—and an experiment to sell them brings in $64,000
  • Turn up the heat! An electrical engineer becomes the cover model for an indie romance series. This leads to a side gig that pays an additional $20-50,000 a year
  • Tired of look-alike flag patches, this carpenter and frequent traveler creates his own designs based on a modern style with a nod toward 1920s luxury travel

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
"It’s best to open a dedicated bank account right at the start of your side hustle, but you can often use the same account for multiple projects."
—#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

Dog Sled Trainer Becomes Women’s Fitness Coach

What It’s About

A woman in her 50s finds her calling helping other women her age youthfully.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Mary decided to put her focus on women in the 45-55 age group instead of on all women in general which felt scary at first. But it also made a great deal of sense since she could speak specifically to the needs and desires of these women being one of them.

Fun Fact

Mary is planning on competing in a Strong Woman competition for the very first time in February of this year at age 51. Go, Mary!

Notes from Chris

Episode 392

Mary Black and her husband, Mark, trained sled dogs for 22 years in Minnesota. They spent ten of those years living off the grid in the backcountry, 6 miles from the end of the nearest road.

They fed the dogs high special diets for peak performance, massaged them to ease their aches and pains, and loved them on good days and bad. But on one of those days, Mary and Mark looked at themselves and said, “We’re taking better care of the dogs than we are ourselves.” While racing the dogs gave Mary and Mark plenty of exercise, they didn’t eat well, and they constantly felt exhausted.

They wanted to make a big change, so Mary kicked her smoking habit and hit the gym instead. Since they were a team, Mark followed suit and they both got hooked on a new habit—getting healthy and their lives back on track.

They weren’t the only ones to notice the drastic physical and lifestyle transformations that they were making—friends, family, and even strangers at the gym started going up to them to ask them what they had been doing. Not only were they getting fitter, it seemed like they had found the fountain of youth and were reaping the rewards. They felt better than they had in decades, and that’s when they decided that aging gracefully is fine but aging youthfully is even better.

They decided to document their journey and share what they’ve learned with others, so they created a free WordPress blog called “Aging Youthful.”

What she wanted to do more than anything else was to help women like her stop wishing for the youthful days behind them and instead start living a more youthful, vibrant life full of purpose and passion.

She decided to offer a 12-week coaching program that mirrored her own journey with three different elements: the mind, the body, and the soul. She began allocating an hour each weekday on her side hustle and anywhere from four to fifteen hours on the weekends.

That first program just ended, and following its success, she’s already planning on launching signups for her next one this month! When everything is said and done, this new coaching program brings in an additional $500 – $600 a month for Mary after the $200 startup costs for her website, domain registration, mailing list host, and PayPal fees.

The extra money has been great to help Mary out with her aspirations of joining her husband as a Strongman competitor, but more than anything, it’s helped her prove to herself and others that life doesn’t end at 50.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Aging Youthful: Learn more about Mary, her journey, and the coaching program that she’s created on her website!
  • WordPress: Mary used WordPress to form her website for Aging Youthful, and here you can learn how to install your own WordPress site in 5 minutes
  • MailChimp: The email marketing platform that Mary used to connect with those who signed up for her coaching sessions
  • Zoom: The video communications service that Mary used to communicate with her coaching clients

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

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
"‘Small hinges move big doors.’ I’m learning to take small steps and believe they will turn into big results."
—Mary Black #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

South African Writer Launches Accidental Acting Career

What It’s About

A journalist acts out in a new creative medium and discovers a lucrative side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Eugene says filming television ads for major brands is a lot of fun and that it helps him get in touch with a more dynamic and playful side of his personality than his more serious writing and journalism work.

Who says that you can’t have it all? A side hustle can help you get the best of both worlds and satisfy a creative desire that your day job doesn’t fulfill.

Fun Fact

Eugene graduated from the University of Cape Town with distinctions in financial accounting and classical piano. He also spent a couple of years working in branding and communications and three years at an e-learning startup, all while building his writing business. He writes about travel, leisure, food, wine, marketing, media, television, film, music, theatre, art, books, business, personal development, and more.

Notes from Chris

Episode 391

Today’s story comes from Eugene Yiga in Cape Town, South Africa. By day, he’s a writer: he’s done journalism, blogging, copywriting and content marketing across multiple industries. His side hustle is television acting and voice over work… which he stumbled into by accident.

Eugene grew up surrounded by people from all over the world, so he’s always had an accent that people struggled to place. People had also often told him he had a voice for radio, so he decided to give voice-over work a try, in addition to seeing if he could get cast for commercials.

He figured “Why not?” He bought an acting book and took a couple of improv classes, and before long, he found an agent through a friend. Soon afterward, he started getting requests to audition for castings for television commercials.

Learning to audition well was more of a learning process. After seven unsuccessful auditions in a row, Eugene got his first call-back for a national beer commercial for Castle Lager. Eugene was nervous about his first time in front of the camera for a real gig, but it went well. Soon after, he was back for more auditions. Next, he landed work for two other ads: Lunch Bar chocolate and Sprite (the soft drink).

While he can’t discuss his exact earnings due to the terms of his contract, he says that this work accounted for a quarter of his income last year, which more than made up for his low startup costs of buying a book and taking improv classes. In fact, the extra money from his accidental acting career has helped him get a head start on paying off his mortgage early.

Check out one of his commercials for Cadbury’s Lunch Bar below (Eugene is on the left):

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
"It can be disappointing when you perform well in an audition or a call-back but don’t get chosen because it’s mostly about whether or not you look the part. But my work as a writer has taught me not to take rejection personally. Each experience is an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and do better next time."
—Eugene Yiga #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

Michigan Social Worker Creates SexC Cosmetics Line

What It’s About

A mother of two finds purpose in building a cosmetics line dedicated to inspiring confidence in other women.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

When she was putting together her approach for marketing sexC Cosmetics, Camisha decided that her target market was mature, corporate women working steady 9-5 jobs with an annual income between $55,000 and $75,000/year. She chose that market because they’re consistent buyers who constantly brag on products if they’re good—and especially if they discovered it before their friends.

While it may seem counter-intuitive to narrow your market, it can really help you fine-tune your message and get the customers you really want.

Fun Fact

Camisha believes that her business has helped her find speaking gigs. She grew connections with people she never thought she’d meet (like the current and former mayors of Toledo, the chief of police, and an anchor on a major newscast crew). Having these high-profile contacts that know her story has opened the door for speaking opportunities, and she tries to get three a month.

Notes from Chris

Episode 390

Today’s story comes from Camisha Shamaine from Toledo, Ohio. By day, she’s a case worker for the state of Michigan. Her side hustle is sexC Cosmetics, a cosmetics line selling lip products. Camisha is a widowed mother of two kids, currently raising them on her own. The loss of her partner wasn’t the only hardship she’d experienced: as a child, she struggled with her weight, and was working on overcoming various insecurities.

What does this have to do with her side hustle? A lot.

When she thought about starting a new project, her thoughts went to lipstick. It’s the only makeup she wears, and she says it makes her feel confident and sassy. She wants to show women that a simple smile will go a long way.

Camisha had just started feeling good about herself when she decided that she wanted to bring that energy into a makeup line. She wanted a lipstick that was highly pigmented and long-lasting so people wouldn’t need to reapply it ten times a day.

At first, she thought she’d create her own lipsticks from scratch, so she went to the store to buy all sorts of ingredients: coconut butter, beeswax, and anything else she thought she might need. She discovered the ingredients after spending some time on YouTube and Google researching how to create a lipstick line from home.

However, the initial plan didn’t work out so well: she wasn’t able to make the perfect lipstick that met her standards.

So she decided to look for a manufacturer. In addition to wanting that perfect lipstick in the form of a quality product, she also had some clear specifications: she wanted to customize the colors and the logo branding for it, and remember, that lipstick had to have a long wear time. She sampled products from several different manufacturers until she found one she liked.

These days, most of her sales come from these vending events, which currently bring more traffic and sales than the website. Each event usually brings in at least $500-1,000, and it also expands her reach and builds brand awareness. As she gains more understanding of what her target market wants, and how to best reach them with her message, she hopes to ramp up online. She also plans to launch eye products this summer, and then continue launching one cosmetic product at a time until there’s a full line.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • sexC Cosmetics: Check out Camisha’s line of lipsticks on her website and keep an eye out for new additions!
  • Eventbrite: The event platform that Camisha used to search in nearby cities for opportunities to promote her products and introduce them to new markets

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

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
"I built the line based off all the young ladies and women that are still battling with insecurities; I want them to be able to feel great within themselves."
—Camisha Shamaine #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

The Snuggle Is Real: Architect Moonlights by Selling Designer Onesies

What It’s About

An architect discovers cash in minimalist onsies.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

One of the best things about print-on-demand is that there is no inventory since things are printed as people order them. This gave Gerald the ability to expand his designs without any cost. No inventory to buy, just post designs and see what people put in their carts. He added simple, edgy type-face inspired graphics that featured fun and playful messages with a clean aesthetic. More white to dribble on.

Fun Fact

Gerald was inspired by an episode of our podcast featuring a man who provided for his family with five side hustles. Gerald has decided to do that, too, so he’s on the hunt for his next side hustle.

Notes from Chris

Episode 389

By day, Gerald Lau is an architect. He’s a fan of clean lines, lots of white, and simple typography. He also liked the idea of a side hustle. At first, though, he tried a couple projects that didn’t quite work. One was selling designer stationery and homeware online, from his home.

It was hard for him to find time to keep up with the stock, fulfill orders himself, manage customer service, and do the marketing required to run the business alongside his architect work, which often requires long hours.

So then he tried doing interior design gigs on the side, but it felt like overtime. He took on too many projects and burnt out. [Remember: do something different for your side hustle.]

Gerald is a regular listener to Side Hustle School, and an episode about print on demand businesses caught his interest. It inspired him to develop an idea he had to create timeless, minimalist t-shirts for his kids. He named his side hustle The Typo Tees.

Gerald decided to specialized in alphabet onesies (like the letter of a child’s first or last name] and t-shirts. The first results were as promising as his previous attempts: nothing much happened.

As he broadened his designs, a crazy thing happened: people began buying the onesies and shirts… and these customers were happy with the product. They loved dressing their kids in something that was personalized for them, like the first letter of their name. This change in direction ended up bringing Gerald in more than an extra $1,000/month.

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • The Typo Tees: See what all of the cool toddlers are wearing over on Gerald’s website!
  • Shopify: Gerald used Shopify to set up his store for The Typo Tees, 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
"The more you want to earn from a side hustle, the more effort you need to put in. There are no shortcuts."
—Gerald Lau #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

Quiz Master Creates Side Hustle Nobody Can Question

What It’s About

What kind of a side hustle has a low startup cost and brings in passive income for a man in Poland? Trivia quizzes!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

John went to local bars with a simple pitch: he’d take one of their quietest weeknights and bring more people to the bar, starting with 40 regulars from his current slot. He would keep the entry fee for the quiz, and the bar would keep whatever was spent in drink. Because this was such a plus for the bar, it was just a few days before he found a location.

There’s a lesson in pitching there for all of you side hustlers out there. When you pitch, be sure to come with a high-value proposition—like John’s offer of increased patrons—and try to keep the downside minimal. In this case, the bar didn’t have anything to lose and everything to gain.

Fun Fact

John’s quiz night is paid for in cash, and instead of depositing them in the bank, they go into a big change jar in his house to pay for groceries or random daily outgoings.

Notes from Chris

Episode 388

Over the last ten years, pub quizzes have become a staple of expat life for a guy named John also known as Mr. Know It All. In his adopted Polish home of Krakow, John and a few of his fellow expat friends took it upon themselves to help write questions and host a trivia night at their new local bar. For them it wasn’t just some trivia-l task, it was a labor of love.

As the years went by, John’s friends slowly began to move away from the job of writing the weekly quiz fell to him. But this wasn’t a problem. He felt his years of experience had given him a knack for writing questions, and the work was enjoyable.

Over time, however, John began to feel the strain of not having his friends to help out. He could write the questions easily enough, but he was beginning to feel the strain financially. Although he’d receive free beer whilst hosting, this wasn’t enough to cover the six hours he spent preparing and hosting.

The contestants paid to participate in the quiz, but that money went directly to the bar. John saw this as unfair, but also an opportunity. If he could take his quiz night elsewhere, he could charge the entry fee and get paid for his time, while helping another bar to grow its custom. A win/win … as it’s known in side hustle circles.

He’s not sure how the idea came to him, but John decided that he would try and sell the questions on Amazon. He had more than enough content to fill multiple books of questions, and he knew that most of the quiz-based books out there weren’t that great. This was his opportunity to do create something unique.

Taking 500 of his favorite questions, he uploaded them to Kindle Direct Publishing and formatted them through their own in-house tools. John wanted to do this without spending any money at all, so he created a cover in Canva that looked acceptable. In order to keep his privacy, John published his books under the nom-de-plume Mr. Know It All and priced them at $9.75, which he felt was competitive with other books in his market.

With the combined income of his book and his in-person quiz night, John makes between $800 and $900 per month from his side hustle, for about seven hours of work each week. This level of income even prompted John to write and publish a second book of 500 more questions.

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
"Don’t try to win over everyone—focus on making the people who already like you, happier. They will become your evangelists and bring new customers into the fold."
—John Random #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