Notes from Chris

Episode 2599

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.

One thing I’ve learned is that once you begin to earn real money, the steps required to go to the next level—whether it’s $1,000 to $2,000, or even to $5,000 or $10,000 are often easier than that first real paycheck.

With that in mind, today’s feature comes from Samuel in Hampton, Virginia. 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 it from Samuel. 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 2598

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School takes us into the great outdoors, at least virtually. We’re joined by Gavin from Bend, Oregon, who’s gearing up to start a YouTube channel centered around outdoor adventures. But before he jumps into the wild world of YouTube, Gavin’s got some practical questions about the financial side of content creation.

He’s particularly curious about how much creators typically earn per video and what factors might influence these earnings. This insight is crucial for him to strategically plan his time and resources.

“I’m Gavin from Bend, Oregon, and I’m in the early stages of planning a YouTube channel focused on outdoor adventures. Before diving in, I’m curious about the financial aspect of content creation on YouTube. Specifically, how much do creators typically earn per video, and what factors influence these earnings? Understanding this could help me in budgeting my time and resources for content production.”

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 2597

Today on Side Hustle School, we’re diving into the world of newsletter monetization with Chloe from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

She’s dedicated the past two years to building a newsletter focused on sustainable living, which has now garnered a substantial and loyal readership. With this success, she’s exploring monetization options, specifically selling ad space.

However, Chloe faces a common challenge: how to attract advertisers and incorporate ads without compromising the trust of her readers and the integrity of her sustainable living content.

“Hi, I’m Chloe from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I’ve been nurturing a newsletter centered on sustainable living for the past two years, and it’s amassed a loyal following. Seeing its growth, I’m now considering monetizing it by selling ad space. What’s the best way to approach potential advertisers, and how can I integrate ads into my newsletter in a way that maintains the trust of my readers and the integrity of my content?”

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 2596

I believe we can learn as much from failure as we can from success, if not more. It’s with this principle in mind that I offer you a weekly segment called Failure Friday: a collection of short stories all about mistakes, missteps, disasters, and of course, failure.

Just like our Throwback Thursday segment, you’ll hear directly from side hustlers who have struggled to get something off the ground. They’ll tell you a short story of something that went very wrong.

Today’s short story features Ben from La Jolla, California. As you might guess, his business has had a couple of challenges.

Let’s hear from them about one of those struggles… I’ll be back at the end to wrap us up.

SEE ALSO:

• Marketer Creates Six-Figure Subscription Box Success: He looked for a simple solution for a client, and didn’t find one—so he spent the next year building it.
• Comic Book Curator Creates Custom Crate Subscription: A Sacramento-based comic and collectibles owner sparks an interest in reading with a monthly comic book subscription box service.
• A Packed Closet Leads to Secondhand Subscription Boxes: A professional organizer finds a way to stitch her passion for thrift shopping into profits.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Notes from Chris

Episode 2595

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 freelance grant writer who stands out in the complex world of grant proposals. Since we last heard from her, she’s expanded her services and is making an impact in the non-profit sector.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from a virtual personal assistant who carved a unique niche between individual freelancing and comprehensive services like Remote Year, offering tailored assistance to digital nomads.

What’s happened since? Let’s hear directly from them. I’ll be back at the end to wrap us up.

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 2594

Welcome back to the podcast! Our caller today hails from Mumbai, India. He has an interesting business idea—creating and selling unique, hand-crafted musical instruments made from recycled materials.

I’m excited to hear how he plans to source and build these instruments and how he plans to market them to potential customers … or actually, does he know? Maybe that’s part of what he’s looking for help with.

“My name is Sagar, and I’m calling from Mumbai, India. I’m interested in starting a company that creates and sells unique, hand-crafted musical instruments made from recycled materials. As someone who is passionate about music and environmental sustainability, I believe this idea could resonate with a wide audience in both India and the west. That said, I have no idea how to market these products. Exporting also seems like a big difficulty in getting started. What would you suggest?”

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 2593

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School brings us Maya from Fargo, North Dakota. Maya has a flair for creating natural skincare products and is ready to transition her passion into an online business. However, she faces a common hurdle many entrepreneurs encounter: starting from ground zero with no audience or customer base.

Having found our podcast in her search for marketing strategies for startups, Maya is now looking for actionable steps to build her audience from the ground up and effectively market her homemade skincare line.

“I’m Maya from Fargo, North Dakota. I have a passion for creating natural skincare products and want to turn this into an online business. However, I’m starting with no audience or customer base. How do I build an audience from scratch and effectively market my homemade products? I came across your podcast while searching for marketing strategies for startups.”

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 2592

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.

One thing I’ve learned is that once you begin to earn real money, the steps required to go to the next level—whether it’s $1,000 to $2,000, or even to $5,000 or $10,000 are often easier than that first real paycheck.

With that in mind, today’s feature comes from Chris in Long Island, New York. He’s a financial enthusiast who launched a stock market analysis blog and vlog, emphasizing the importance of responsible investing and treating the stock market as a hobby rather than a get-rich-quick scheme.

Let’s hear it from Chris. 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 2591

Hello and welcome back to Side Hustle School. Today’s question comes from Tyler in Flagstaff, Arizona. Tyler has been using Facebook Marketplace to sell items but has recently run into a series of scam attempts, which have understandably made him cautious.

He’s looking for strategies to protect himself and his buyers from such scams and wants to know how to ensure a secure transaction process on the platform.

“This is Tyler from Flagstaff, Arizona. I’ve started selling stuff on Facebook Marketplace but recently encountered a bunch of scam attempts. For example, when I tried to sell a couch, I had from three different people who said they wanted to buy it sight unseen. They each said they’d be sending someone to pick it up, but it all seemed sketchy and of course no one ever arrived.

These experiences have made me cautious. What strategies can I employ to safeguard against scams, and how can I ensure a secure transaction process for both myself and my buyers on this platform?”

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 2590

In this episode of Side Hustle School, we’re tackling a pressing issue in the podcasting world: recent changes by Apple that have left many podcasters, including show hosts and producers, grappling with new challenges.

Apple’s shift in download analytics and the decision to stop automatic episode downloads have significantly impacted how podcasters like our listener, Noah, understand and measure their audience engagement and growth. This episode is dedicated to exploring alternative metrics and tools, as well as adapting content strategies in response to these industry changes.

“I’m Noah from Duluth, Minnesota, and I’ve been publishing my history of religion podcast for nearly two years. I was relying heavily on Apple’s download analytics to understand my audience, but recent changes have thrown me off. This shift is making it difficult to measure listener engagement and growth accurately.

In addition, the company also stopped automatically downloading episodes to people’s phones, which caused a big drop in my numbers. What alternative metrics or tools can I use to effectively track my podcast’s performance, and how can I adapt my content strategy to the new world of podcasting?”

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,