Notes from Chris

Episode 3230

Organic SEO is the slow cooker of marketing: reliable, inexpensive, but rarely explosive. Paid social ads are the microwave—fast results, quick to burn cash. Andrew’s list already hits 3,000 subscribers without spending a dime, so the bar for ads is high: they must beat organic on cost per quality lead. We’ll build a lean experiment—short, cheap, and data-driven—so he knows within fourteen days whether to scale or shut it down.

” I’ve built an email list of 3,000 using nothing but organic SEO posts. Zero ad spend so far. Part of me thinks, ‘Great—why should I ever pay for ads?’ The other part wonders if I’m leaving money on the table by not testing Facebook or TikTok ads. What’s a smart, small-budget experiment to prove that ads accelerate growth or are a waste of money, and which numbers should decide the verdict?”

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 3229

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 3228

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 3227

Short-form platforms are like rocket fuel: huge reach, zero ownership. One algorithm tweak and the rocket sputters. Our listener Bella’s sewing channel exploded to 200k followers, yet her “free pattern” email opt-in barely cracks 0.3 %.

Should she fight harder for inbox real estate or keep riding the For-You wave? We’ll unpack conversion benchmarks for TikTok, the psychology of why followers resist off-platform moves, and a staging plan that turns video views into a list—and ultimately into buyers.

“In the past nine months my how-to sewing clips have blown up on TikTok—I have 200,000 followers and counting. The problem? Every mentor talks about ‘own your audience—start an email list now!’ I stuck a link in my bio, offered a free pattern, and… crickets: only 600 sign-ups so far. TikTok fans just don’t seem eager to leave the app. Am I pushing too soon, offering the wrong incentive, or do short-form audiences just not convert? At what stage does it truly make sense to pour energy into email when my growth engine lives on TikTok?”

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 3226

Salvaged wood is catnip for DIYers and boutique builders: think $12-a-square-foot shiplap, coffee tables with 1890s nail holes, and that “farmhouse” aesthetic HGTV made famous. But nobody mentions the spiders, tetanus nails, and township inspectors who can shut you down. Alec’s eyeing those roadside relics for cash, but he’s worried a county official—or worse, a falling beam—will ruin the dream. Let’s turn that barn-yard fantasy into a safe, profitable workflow.

“Whenever I drive the back roads out here, I see half-collapsed barns with gorgeous old oak and chestnut boards. I’ve asked a couple of property owners if I could take the wood and they basically shrugged and said ‘sure, it’s trash to us.’ Could salvaging that lumber be a legit side hustle? I’ve heard some horror stories about permits and liability. If I get written permission from the owners, is it legal—and can it actually make money once I factor in hauling and cleanup?”

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 3225

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 a side hustler built a trustworthy supplement guide from one TikTok video, turning it into a $40,000 affiliate business.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear how a creative project for a friend in recovery became a business, eventually leading to a partnership with a Washington, DC nonprofit.

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 3224

In today’s story…

… a chef who sets out to reinvent the humble apron, growing it to a multi-million-dollar company while still working in restaurants at night

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 3223

Nothing feels more real than seeing your future company in gorgeous typefaces and colors—but glossy branding can also mask the fact that no buyer has tasted, touched, or tested the item you plan to sell. The question isn’t “brand vs. product,” it’s sequence: what bits of branding genuinely speed up validation, and what parts can wait until purchase orders loom?

“I’m developing a pet-care line but haven’t finalized a single product. Meanwhile, I keep sketching logos and choosing color palettes because I enjoy the creative side. Friends tell me branding is pointless until the product exists; others say a polished brand attracts early followers and retailers. At what point does investing in a logo and visual identity help, and when is it just an excuse to delay product validation? I want to avoid wasting effort but also look credible when I do launch.”

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 3222

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 3221

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,