Notes from Chris

Episode 3247

Social advice can read like nutritional labels—confusing and contradictory. A bootstrapped maker doesn’t have the bandwidth to film TikToks, design carousels, and craft LinkedIn think-pieces all at once. The solution isn’t “work harder”; it’s “work where the payoff is highest.”

We’ll give this side hustler a simple litmus test—Market, Medium, Monetization—to choose a home base that matches his brand and buyer behavior.

“I’m launching a custom-leather wallet brand on a shoestring budget. Conventional wisdom says ‘be everywhere’—Instagram reels, TikTok trends, LinkedIn founder posts—but trying to post daily on three platforms already feels like a full-time job. How do I choose the single best channel to pour my limited time into, and what criteria—audience demographics, algorithm reach, content style—should drive that choice?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3246

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, where we take an in-depth look at someone who’s story has evolved considerably since we first featured them.

Last week, we heard from a side hustler who built a simple browser-based spreadsheet tool. It earns enough to cover his rent each month!

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear how one copy-savvy side hustler turned a collection of recruiter emails into a paid “swipe file,” and then built a monthly subscription around it.

Listen to today’s episode to hear more…

SEE ALSO:

• Raver Turns LED-Powered Gloves Into Bright Future: When a raver-turned-salesperson falls in love with an underground art form, he turns it into a successful side business.
• Bright Idea Leads Chicago Woman to Million-Dollar Hustle: A Chicago-based plastic recycling sales rep overcomes her fears and doubts to transform her love for DIY lamp shades and $10 in supplies into a multi-million dollar business.
• 3D Printing Brings Cosplay Into 21st Century: With a 3D printer and sense of imagination, a California natural gas industry worker takes superhero DIY cosplay to a whole new level.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3245

In today’s story…

… Let’s go on a buzz worthy adventure.

I’m here to tell you about the stinging side hustle of a Minnesota couple. This couple makes a sweet six-figures for keeping bees.

There’s gold in them bees!

Minnesota hardy bees … they are eating hot dish, … for fun they go dogsledding in the middle of winter before shopping at Target … bred to survive … and bred to make $150,000 last year for their keepers …

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3244

Finishing a project can be like pulling drywall: patch one hole and you see three more. For service pros, the dilemma is real—do you point out those holes (and offer to fix them) or stay silent to avoid the whiff of upsell desperation? Done with care, offering additional help isn’t pushy; it’s responsible. The trick is timing, evidence, and clear outcomes.

“I write site copy, clients love it, then I notice their funnel is a huge problem I could fix for a fee. Every time I inch toward offering the necessary audit, I feel like a pushy used-car salesperson. Any tips on framing an upsell so it lands as genuine help and not ‘my contractor is trying to wring more money’?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3243

Today’s episode is part of a feature we call ‘Your First $1,000.’ As you might surmise from the title, this is all about how someone made their first $1,000.

How did they get to that point? Not their first $100,000—that’s cool, but it would probably be a long story.

But what about their first $1,000—how did they make that happen, what did it feel like, and what did they learn?

Let’s hear today’s story. I’ll be back at the end to wrap us up. 

SEE ALSO:

• Military Spouse Starts Subscription Box Mission:When an HR Director’s husband is away on military deployment, she uses the alone time to march toward a subscription box.
• Think Inside the Subscription Box:Looking for more community, a North Carolina web agency owner starts a subscription box for female entrepreneurs. It’s supposed to be a referral tool for her agency, but it ends up becoming a full-time business of its own.
• Nature-Loving Neighbors Create Kids Subscription Box: When two couples can’t figure out how to get their kids outdoors and away from electronics in the winter, a personal challenge blossoms into an unbeLEAFable side hustle.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3242

It’s Weekend Workshop, and it’s new!

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3241

Since 2020, more than sixty countries—from Portugal to Dubai—have launched digital-nomad visas. Each one promises “easy residency,” yet applicants quickly discover embassy email black holes and forms in six languages.

Swen survived the gauntlet and became the friend-in-the-know; now he wonders if that know-how can pay real money. Let’s chart three things: what clients will actually pay for, how to protect yourself if immigration officials say no, and whether the customer pool is deep enough to make this a business—not just free advice.

“I moved here from Sweden on Portugal’s digital-nomad visa, and the process was a maze of paperwork, translations, and unanswered embassy emails. Now friends keep asking for help with visas in Portugal, Estonia, Barbados—you name it. I’m considering turning that knowledge into a paid ‘remote-worker visa concierge’ service. But what would I actually charge for filling out paperwork and guiding people through confusing websites? Are there liability issues if someone’s visa gets denied? And is this niche big enough to become a meaningful side hustle rather than a favor for friends?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3240

Writers have always used tools: spell-check, Grammarly, headline generators. ChatGPT just happens to be the power tool of 2025. Rob’s real question isn’t about software—it’s about trust and positioning. Do clients pay for keystrokes or for results? And does transparency risk spooking them or actually showcase a modern, efficient service?

Let’s draw a practical disclosure line that protects credibility, honors ethics, and still lets AI shave hours off the workday.

“I’m a marketer writing posts and social captions for small businesses. I’ve started drafting outlines with ChatGPT to save time, then I polish everything by hand. The work is better and faster, but a few clients have strong feelings about ‘AI content.’ Do I come clean and risk them thinking it’s low-quality work, or keep quiet because they’re paying for finished results, not my workflow? Where’s the ethical—and profitable—line on transparency about AI assistance?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3239

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, where we take an in-depth look at someone who’s story has evolved considerably since we first featured them.

Last week, we heard how one fitness fan turned flipping gym equipment into a small media business—now selling setup guides and curating weekly home gym deals for thousands of subscribers.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from a side hustler who built a simple browser-based CSV cleaning tool—and ended up licensing it out to consultants and earning enough to cover his rent.

Listen to today’s episode to hear more…

SEE ALSO:

• Raver Turns LED-Powered Gloves Into Bright Future: When a raver-turned-salesperson falls in love with an underground art form, he turns it into a successful side business.
• Bright Idea Leads Chicago Woman to Million-Dollar Hustle: A Chicago-based plastic recycling sales rep overcomes her fears and doubts to transform her love for DIY lamp shades and $10 in supplies into a multi-million dollar business.
• 3D Printing Brings Cosplay Into 21st Century: With a 3D printer and sense of imagination, a California natural gas industry worker takes superhero DIY cosplay to a whole new level.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 3238

In today’s story…

… after creating course materials for a forgotten group of educators, this agricultural teacher now earns a significant income from a growing business.

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

SEE ALSO:

• Catholic Designer Creates Stylish Apparel Line: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but not sell any t-shirts? This designer cast his bread upon the waters and ended up with a profitable fashion line.
• Seattle Couple Creates New “Income LiveStream”: When a married couple runs into logistical problems at their wedding, it leads to an innovative service that other engaged couples need during the pandemic.
• Role-Playing Pastor Rolls The Dice On $2800/Month Hustle: Listener success story! This Presbyterian minister turns to his lifelong interest in role-playing games to set up a sustainable second income source.

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

Yours in the revolution,