Notes from Chris

Episode 3098

In today’s story…

…We’re going to go back in time to a side hustle that started 15 years ago, was immediately profitable, has grown considerably ever since, is now a 7-figure project… and is still operated as a side hustle by a regular guy with a regular full-time job.

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3097

If you’ve ever fallen down a rabbit hole researching the perfect pillow or trying to optimize your sleep routine, you’re not alone. But what if your passion for sleep became more than a personal quest? That’s what Theo from Salt Lake City is thinking about.

He’s spent years testing mattresses, sleep gadgets, and other bedtime accessories just for fun—and now he’s wondering if there’s a way to turn that interest into income. Could he become a reviewer, build a business around it, or even get products for free?

It’s a great example of a passion with potential—but also one that might need to evolve into something else if the traditional route doesn’t pan out. Let’s look at what’s possible here—and what might be a smarter direction if the straightforward path is too crowded.

“Hello, my name is Theo and I’m calling from Salt Lake City. I’ve always been obsessed with sleep—pillows, mattresses, white noise machines, weird new sleep trackers… you name it, I’ve tried it. I spend way too much time researching and testing products, and some friends joked that I should turn it into a business. That got me wondering—could I actually make money testing or reviewing sleep products? I don’t have a big platform or any formal experience, but I genuinely love the topic. Is this a viable side hustle, or just one of those things that sounds good but isn’t really sustainable?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3096

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. 

 

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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 3095

It’s Weekend Workshop, and it’s new!

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3094

Email overload is a silent productivity killer. Some people have 5,000 unread messages. Others are too busy to even delete promotions. But what if someone could swoop in, tidy it all up, and set you on a path to digital peace?

That’s what Natalie from Sacramento is wondering. She’s super organized and actually enjoys cleaning up other people’s inboxes—labeling, archiving, filtering, and making sense of the chaos. She’s considering turning this into a paid service, either as a one-time fix or a subscription model. But she’s not sure if it’s a real business or just a digital chore that people don’t value.

This is actually something we’ve seen work before. It’s essentially a specialized version of virtual assistance, and the key—like with many premium services—is finding the right clients.

“Hello team, this is Eva from Fresno, California. I’m the kind of person who actually enjoys organizing things—especially digital clutter. A few friends have asked me to help sort their email inboxes, and I realized this might be something more than just a favor. I’m thinking about offering a paid inbox cleanup service: archiving old emails, setting up labels and filters, maybe even ongoing maintenance as a subscription. Is this a legit side hustle idea? I know it’s kind of niche, but I feel like busy people would pay for it. If so, how do I find the right clients and price something like this?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3093

Most people don’t think about home inventories until it’s too late—after a fire, flood, or break-in when they have to list everything they lost for an insurance claim. That’s where a home inventory business comes in: a service that helps homeowners, renters, and families document their belongings in advance.

Laura from St. Louis is considering launching a business doing exactly this. She’d provide a professional service to photograph and record valuables for insurance and estate planning purposes. But she’s unsure if there’s a market for it or how to get paying clients.

So, is this a real opportunity? Could this be a profitable side hustle, or is it just something that sounds useful but isn’t in high demand? Let’s break down the market, potential challenges, and how to approach it strategically.

“Hey Chris, this is Laura from St. Louis. I’ve been thinking about starting a home inventory service where I document and photograph people’s belongings for insurance and estate planning purposes. The idea is to help homeowners, renters, and families create detailed records in case of theft, damage, or legal issues. It sounds like something people might need, but I’m not sure if there’s actually a market for it—or how to find paying clients. Is this a viable side hustle, and if so, how would I go about turning it into a business?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3092

Welcome to Throwback Thursday / “Where are they now?” 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 builds a thriving print-on-demand business by tapping into ultra-specific niches—like “retired paramedic” mugs—without ever spending on ads.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from a graphic designer who turns her digital sticker packs for note-taking apps into a thriving, $500K eCommerce empire. Learn about her multi-platform expansion, new physical products, and key strategies that helped her keep growing without losing her creative spark.

Listen to today’s episode to hear more…

 

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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 3091

In today’s story…

…What happens when a PETA-supporting, animal loving woman falls in love with a gun-owning, animal-hunting man and they decide to start a business together that somehow merges these values?

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3090

These days, you don’t need to own a whole fleet of rental cars to make money in the car-sharing space. Platforms like Turo allow regular people to rent out their personal vehicles, turning an everyday expense into a potential income stream. But how easy is it really? Can you actually make a decent profit, or do the costs—wear and tear, insurance, unexpected repairs—outweigh the earnings?

That’s exactly what Jordan from Atlanta wants to know. Jordan is considering listing his car on Turo but is unsure if it’s worth the effort, especially since he only has one vehicle. He’s wondering how much money he can realistically make, what the hidden risks are, and whether this is a smart side hustle or more trouble than it’s worth.

Let’s dive into the numbers, the risks, and the best strategies to make car-sharing work as a profitable side hustle. Whether you’ve thought about renting your car or just want to know how this business model plays out in real life, this episode will help you decide if it’s a worthwhile opportunity—or just another gig that sounds good on paper but falls apart in practice.

“I’ve been looking into the idea of renting out my car as a side hustle, using platforms like Turo. It seems like a great way to make passive income, but I have some concerns. How profitable is it really with just one vehicle? What kind of risks should I be aware of, and how do I make sure I’m actually making money instead of just covering wear and tear? I’d love to hear your take on whether this is a smart side hustle or if I should look for something else.”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

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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 3089

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,