Notes from Chris

Episode 3210

In today’s story…

… a man in Toronto, Canada who decides to “bring in the bidets” and sell them primarily to immigrant families who are accustomed to using them. Is he flushing away his startup costs? Not at all! He’s keeping clean and banking sales of more than $10,000 a month.

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 3209

For listeners who haven’t seen one: an exit-intent pop-up is the box that jumps onto your screen the moment your cursor drifts toward the back button. It’s the digital equivalent of a store clerk saying, “Before you go, here’s 10 % off.”

Done poorly, it trains buyers to walk out until the discount appears. Done well, it catches fence-sitters who simply got distracted. Omar wants to capture the second group without encouraging the first.

“My Shopify shop sells niche board-game accessories at healthy margins. I’m considering an exit-intent pop-up—10 % off if a shopper starts to leave. People say it boosts conversions, but I fear it’ll train customers to abandon carts just to get a coupon and drive my average order value into the basement. Is there a smart way to use exit offers without creating bargain hunters, or should I skip this tactic altogether?”

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 3208

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 3207

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 3206

Digital creators walk a tightrope: protect the work, but don’t punish the people who pay you. This caller’s products fund her creative life—until they surface on shady forums. She tried using watermarks and download caps; both hurt honest buyers more than thieves.

The mission: craft a piracy speed-bump that’s cheap, friendly, and effective enough to keep revenue flowing.

“I sell premium Lightroom presets for photographers at $39 each. Sales are decent, but I keep finding my files posted on free-download forums within days. Watermark overlays ruin the user experience, and restrictive download limits create angry emails when buyers switch computers. Is there a middle ground that discourages piracy yet keeps legitimate customers happy? I don’t want to spend more on tech than I earn on presets, but I’m tired of seeing my work shared for free.”

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 3205

Adult coloring isn’t a fad; it’s clinically studied anxiety relief. Wellness apps scramble for daily “engagement loops”—breathing timers, journaling prompts, and yes, coloring screens.

Today’s guest’s ornate mandalas already sell retail, but B2B licensing could 10× her revenue in one transaction. The leap from Etsy vendor to content partner means thinking like a media studio: bundles, usage rights, and ROI metrics. Let’s craft that bridge.

“During pandemic lockdowns I started drawing intricate mandalas, scanned them, and opened an Etsy shop selling printable coloring pages. They sell steadily at two or three bucks each, but it takes a lot of $2 sales to pay rent. I’ve noticed meditation and mental-health apps adding coloring features for user engagement, and that gave me an idea: instead of retail PDFs, could I license entire bundles to those platforms? I have no clue how to price that, what usage rights to offer, or even who to pitch. How does bulk licensing actually work?”

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 3204

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 how one former apartment manager turned their real estate experience into a profitable template shop for landlords—helping them boost revenue without buying new properties.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from the secret writer behind bestselling romance novels. She isn’t on the cover—but she’s cashing the checks

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 3203

In today’s story…

… Despite having no background in fashion, two women set out to make underwear for different sizes and body shapes.

When their project “hits,” they go all-in.

It now brings in half a million dollars a month and employs 15 people. But remember, it all started as a side hustle.

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 3202

Software nerds love a bargain: AppSumo, StackSocial, limited-time lifetime deals. But scrolling Twitter threads isn’t a business. Miguel already curates the good stuff for free; now he wonders if curation can bankroll itself.

The big hurdles? (1) Building an email list large enough to move affiliate links, (2) convincing skeptical subscribers he’s not shilling junk, and (3) deciding when to introduce a paid tier without tanking growth. Let’s design a runway from “fun tweets” to four-figure months.

“I’m the friend in every group chat who drops last-minute coupon links when a new software launches. Over the past year I’ve tweeted hundreds of ‘lifetime deals,’ and the threads get decent traction—but they earn me zero dollars. A buddy keeps saying, ‘Turn this into a newsletter and add affiliate links—you’ll be printing money!’ Trouble is, I’m not sure how big a list I need, what commission rates actually look like, or how to keep readers from thinking I’m just spamming junk. Can a curated SaaS-discount newsletter cover more than coffee 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 3201

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,