Tag: Affiliate

Photographer Visits 30 Countries, Leading Tours & Getting Paid

What It’s About

A snapshot of a photographer’s take on a second income stream.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

According to Darlene, you don’t need to do something big, but do something! Furthermore, she says that you should take an action on whatever your idea or dream is—no matter how stupid it may feel or what others may tell you.

Fun Fact

Darlene barely traveled out of the country before she was 34. Now her side hustle allows her to travel to places like Cuba, Morocco, and India, all while getting paid. Having traveled to 30 countries and counting, Darlene is using photography to get a full snapshot of life.

Notes from Chris

Episode 741

Darlene Hildebrandt has always had a passion for photography. After graduating from a 2-year program in college, she worked with other photographers and did weddings on the side. As she gained experience, she ran a portrait photo studio before working as a rep in the industry for a company.

A few years ago, Darlene longed to make a change. She still enjoyed photography, but she wanted to teach people more. She had seen how writing could influence people and thought that a blog was the best format for her.

The first few posts she published were simple. Although she had almost 20 years of experience in photography at this point, writing about photography was a different ballgame from actually taking photos. Darlene got around this difficulty by sharing an image and how it was created. Not only did this allow her to tap into her personal experience, but it also helped her build a connection with her reads by sharing her views on the subject.

She was also teaching locally, and from those classes, she got a better sense about the type of issues that beginners often struggled with. These classes thus became a source in which Darlene got her ideas from as she targeted beginners and wrote guides that would benefit them the most. The explanations in these posts were then tested in her classroom, and when Darlene saw the “aha” moment on the faces of her students, she knew that she had hit on something.

But to turn her blog, Digital Photo Mentor, into a go-to photography resource on the web, Darlene knew that she needed to do more. She had gone around learning about the best way to build her blog, and one of the methods she had learned was guest blogging. Guest blogging was a way in which a blogger would write a guest post on another site, with links directing readers on that site back to the blogger’s own blog.

This had a huge impact on Darlene’s web traffic and email list as she was put in front of a large audience with the same demographic and target that she wanted to reach. Her email list began to grow by over 1,000 members a month, with one article, in particular, going viral and netting her 1,200 signups in a single day. By the end of that year, she had 9,500 email subscribers, with this number more than doubling to over 20,000 the following year.

Today, Digital Photo Mentor has over 150,000 monthly visitors and a highly engaged email list of over 20,000 subscribers. Aside from the digital course and products that Darlene sells on the sites, Darlene has also been able to offer unique experiences with worldwide photography tours. With locations such as Cuba, Nicaragua, and Morocco, there’s rarely a dull moment when Darlene. This is one of the reasons that in 2018 she decided to go full-time and all-in on her blog.

From the tours to product sales to a whole series of new opportunities, the website and community has given her a complete snapshot of life.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Build a team of supporters. If your partner is not your biggest fan, find an online community of entrepreneurs that are trying to do the same thing."
—Darlene Hildebrandt #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Teacher Flips Sports Gear For $8,000/Month

What It’s About

How a $500 investment turns into $8,000/month.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

To anybody looking to start a similar venture, with their own $500 investment, Matt recommends choosing a topic you’re interested in and knowledgeable about and finding items which you feel an emotional connection towards. You also shouldn’t be worried about getting it right every time. Sometimes, you’ll buy items which don’t sell, and that’s just the nature of the business. But if you get it right even 50% of the time, you could be profitable!

Fun Fact

Babe Ruth memorabilia is no joke! The 1920 Yankees jersey is the earliest known jersey worn by The Great Bambino. The jersey was originally a part of the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum in Baltimore but was bought at an auction by rare sports memorabilia mogul Joshua Leland Evans for a cool $4.145 million!

Notes from Chris

Episode 727

Matt Myers knew the coming months were going to be financially tight. His yearly contract as a PE teacher was coming to an end and he needed money to bridge the indefinite gap between school years.

Back when Matt was a child, his dad had made extra money for the family by buying and reselling items he’d pick up from estate and garage sales. So, naturally, Matt figured it would be the perfect way for him to make some money too.

Taking $500 from his savings account, he decided he would head out to a couple of thrift stores, buy some stuff, and try to sell whatever he found on eBay. If he was lucky, he could make some money. And, if it didn’t work, well … nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? In the worst case scenario, he felt confident that he wouldn’t lose money.

To guide his purchasing decisions, Matt focused only on items he’d once owned or had a strong emotional connection to. If he’d bought it or wanted it, there was a good chance other people out there would have as well.

Matt picked up a few electrical items on his first outing, but he felt really drawn to any sports memorabilia he came across; jerseys, jackets, caps and cards and anything else with a sports motif on it just felt like a good buy. And, after visiting a few stores, Matt came home with around 75 small items for his $500 investment.

Over the course of the next few days, Matt took pictures of the items on his phone and uploaded them to eBay. He set his prices by looking at previously sold listings on eBay and choosing a competitive price based on what he’d personally paid for the item. Matt always set a “Buy Now” price, so people could purchase the item right away, but he also allowed eBay users to pitch a price with the “best offer” feature if they wanted to.

Over the course of the next two years, Matt was able to make enough money from flipping to bridge the gaps in his teaching contract and make a little extra money where it was needed. But, he still mostly saw it is as a hobby. He attended the occasional garage sale and thrift store, but nothing major. That is until he flipped an item which showed him the real potential of his business.

Since starting the business, Matt has made $62,000 from flipping items on eBay, and now averages around $8,000 a month in profit. He invests a lot of this back into the business to buy new items.

Looking to the future, Matt is creating a standalone Kevin’s Clubhouse website and will spend the next year or so looking at how to optimize traffic to get more sales.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"As long as you have your phone with you and a site or way to look up how much an item previously sold for, you’re already ahead of the game."
—Matt Myers #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

London Clerk Hires Ghosts to Visit Boss, Earns Passive Income

What It’s About

Side Hustle School takes on a Christmas classic!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Okay, holiday specials are great and all, but what exactly can we learn from this story?

First, if your morning porridge is the most exciting thing in your life, you definitelyneed to make some changes.

Second, don’t wait on your boss to change … create change yourself!

And third, outsource however you can, even if it includes hiring your friends to dress up as ghosts.

Fun Fact

Charles Dickens started A Christmas Carol in October 1843 and wrote obsessively for six weeks. As Dickens said, he wept, laughed, and wandered around London at night “when all sober folks had gone to bed.” He finished the novella at the end of November so it could be published in time for Christmas. A Christmas Carol hit the shops on December 17, 1843, and sold out in three days!

Notes from Chris

Episode 724

Bob Cratchit, a records clerk from East London, was in trouble. He spent his days—every single day—toiling away for an ungrateful employer. Not only was his work tedious and unfulfilling, he wasn’t getting ahead. All he had to look forward to was the morning bowl of porridge (with extra raisins!) that he picked up from Pret a Manger on his way into work.

Worse of all, his son Tim was seriously ill. In these days before Britain’s National Health Service kicked in, Bob needed funds to care for him.

According to our sources, “Mr. Cratchit worked for 15 shillings a week at a rate of three pence (“thruppence”) an hour.” And according to Wikipedia, “In terms of modern-day purchasing power, this would be approximately £63.00 or about $94 US per week.”

His boss Ebenezer was a miser, and couldn’t be counted on to lift a finger … in fact, Bob had asked Ebenezer for help, only to be rebuffed. “Get back to work,” said the boss. “Be grateful you even have a job.”

There was no way around it: Bob needed a side hustle.

To find the solution he looked within himself, opening up a consultancy he called Cratchit Co. He also leaned on three friends for help. As part of a detailed delegation strategy (or was it early outsourcing?), he would send these friends to visit Ebenezer late at night in an attempt to scare him into paying up. Maybe Ebenezer would learn a moral lesson … but even if not, maybe he’d still cough up the coffers.

Bob did what consultants do best: he sent Ebenezer a bill. The bill was for a lot of money—more than he needed to cover his son’s medical costs. Thinking about the approaching holiday, he also itemized an expense for a large turkey.

When the holiday arrived, Bob was thankful. He looked around at the additional money in his bank account and the free turkey on his table. If he hadn’t taken action and started Cratchit Co., he would have continued to live on $94 a week. But he did, and now he was unstoppable.

One success tends to lead to another. Next, Bob thought he’d write an ebook about his experience. He imagined himself as a motivational speaker, traveling from town to town and turning stock clerks into consultants. Or maybe he’d just start a podcast.

 

 

SEE ALSO:

 

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

Quote of the Day
"I got tired of waiting for my employer to take pity on me. When I sent him three visitors on Christmas Eve, he finally got the message."
—Bob Cratchit #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get Your Logo Today With Logojoy!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Logojoy, an online tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you design a beautiful, custom logo.

Try Logojoy today and get 20% off any logo package when you visit logojoy.com/hustle.


Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

“Middle Class Dad” Earns Passive Income from Parenting Advice

What It’s About

Rest your arms, we won’t leave you hangin’—today’s story is all about a dad who specializes in parenting.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Suggestion: pay close attention to what is working and what isn’t. If something is working and it’s not annoying, great! Do more of that. If it’s not working and it’s annoying, remove it. If it’s working and it’s annoying, then you have a decision to make, and I think it’s okay to push it a little.

Fun Fact

Interestingly, Middle Class Dad readers tend to be about 65% women between ages 25-45, which isn’t always indicative of his popular posts. One of them? Window repairs. Lately, Jeff says that relationship posts, like the ones about rekindling marriage and overcoming infidelity, have started to take over his top ten. But generally? Middle Class Dad’s most popular categories tend to be relationships and do-it-yourself.

Notes from Chris

Episode 718
Jeff Campbell, an Academy Director for a martial arts studio in Austin, spends a lot of time with kids. His days are spent organizing 500 of them, and his nights are dedicated to his three almost-teenage daughters. He also is a self-described handyman around the house and an advocate for healthy eating. Before getting the job at the studio, he spent 25 years working as a manager for Whole Foods. Jeff describes himself as “just your average, Middle Class Dad.”

And now he blogs about it.

He started his blog in August 2016 as an outlet for all things “dad-related,” which includes parenting (obviously), relationships, personal finance, travel, and household things like product reviews and home repairs. Jeff had decades of experience to share, and he knew his wife would only listen to so many of his opinions. But he also set out with the intention of looking for more freedom and flexibility for his family.

As he says, “I was tired of trading my time for money, given that some people can accomplish much more in the same amount of time than others.” Jeff knew that wherever the blog went, his end goal was to monetize it.

How would he do that? Mostly through affiliate commissions.

Since his overarching goal was to monetize his blog so he could have extra money for his family, Jeff began to add affiliate links once his page views began increasing. As he tells us, “I still recall the first few email subscribers I got, as well as the first affiliate commission. Both were quite small, but I knew if I could do that once, I could do it again and again.”

Jeff also knew that, with careful observation, he could pay attention to other people’s blogs and learn from them. And, while it took about two years to see consistent income and growth, it did eventually happen.

Now, two years later, Jeff earns an additional $2,000 a month, which he adds to the family budget to cover the costs of raising a family. The money on Middle Class Dad comes from Adsense ads and Amazon affiliate links. Last year he started to sell an e-book about budgeting for parents, and offers custom budgets and website building. Jeff says that these sales aren’t usually as consistent, but they still bring in a small amount of revenue.

From one faithful reader to 25,000 unique page views in two years, Jeff has built the Middle Class Dad blog into one serious side hustle. With plans to continue growing his blog so that the income can replace his full-time salary, it looks like Jeff won’t be stopping anytime soon.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Middle Class Dad: Do you want to hear a joke about paper? Never mind, it’s tearable. But, since you’re here, and you’ve made it past the dad joke, you probably want to know more about this parenting blog. Head on over to Jeff’s website to learn more!

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"The first step is just to start and remember that done is better than perfect. Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. You can always improve it once you start, but you can’t get back the months or years spent hesitating or procrastinating."
—Jeff Campbell #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Hedge Fund Manager Rocks On with Diamond Algorithm

What It’s About

A diamond algorithm that helps you get the most bling for your buck!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

While he says it took them a considerable amount of time to become fluent in web design, Devin says that they wouldn’t have wanted to learn any other way. To him, it also means that if they have a problem, they can fix it themselves instead of paying a third party to help them out.

And he certainly feels it’s been beneficial. As Devin told us, “The best advice I can give is to learn to be self-sufficient. At the very worst you learn new skills, and at best you understand your business far better than you would have without the technical understanding.”

Fun Fact

Next time you worry about your fine lines, think about this: diamonds are literally billions of years old. They’re formed about 100 miles beneath the earth’s surface and slowly pushed up because of volcanic activity. And, depending on the minerals that are present as they are formed, diamonds can be created in a rainbow of colors. Rock on!

Notes from Chris

Episode 706

Devin Jones, a hedge fund manager from Michigan by day, was a secret algorithm enthusiast by night. You might think there would be other things to be enthused about, but for Devin… patterns of numbers were the other love of his life. Besides his now-wife, of course. Luckily he was able to combine two of his favorite things into one stone cold side hustle.

Shopping for the perfect diamond ring to propose to his future wife proved to be a big challenge. Some diamonds were outrageously priced. Some were the wrong cut. Others were just not ‘the one and only’ for his one and only. Frustrated, he turned to his daytime business partner to help him out. Two heads are better than one, and they put theirs together to download data on diamond inventory from top online jewelers.

Together, they used their trading experience to price each diamond like it was a value stock and figured out how to get the biggest, highest quality diamond within Devin’s budget. They created a model that found the sweet spot between cut, quality, carats, and price to find the perfect stone. According to their diamond algorithm, the diamond that Devin eventually found was underpriced by nearly 30%.

After a successful proposal, Devin told his wife about their search, and her first response was “of course you guys built an algorithm for this.” As their friends got word of his project and asked for his help in their own search, Devin slowly realized he was onto something.

He and his business partner began spending all of their free time teaching themselves how to code, build a website, and aggregate diamond data from online jewelers. They knew that, if they had done it once before, they could do it again to help others find the best cut diamonds and determine which diamonds offered the best “bling for their buck.”

They called their shiny new side hustle, StoneAlgo

It took a few months for sales to catch on after their official launch in July 2018, but their patience eventually paid off. Something shifted in September, and StoneAlgo saw a significant increase in sales, totaling about $50,000 for that month.

In October, they recorded double that. Devin and his partner receive an affiliate fee for the sales, which ends up being substantial because of the cost of the diamond purchase. Users don’t pay anything to use the StoneAlgo site, and the cost of the diamond is the same as it would be at the retailer. The affiliate fee is paid by the online jeweler, and those companies consider it part of their marketing budget.

With just a $12 investment in their domain name, Devin and his business partner are now making a monthly profit of over $5,000, based on over $100,000 in diamond sales.

With StoneAlgo’s growth continuing to be rock solid, they’re working on adding new features to the site. It began with the small goal of finding the perfect engagement ring, but now they want to change the entire diamond industry for the better. They won’t crack under pressure!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • StoneAlgo: Having a hard time trying to find the perfect rock? Head on over to Devin’s website to take advantage of their diamond algorithm!

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"We accelerated our growth process by paying a lot of attention to Reddit. Finding a community of first movers who are looking for the type of advice we offer has helped us quickly get the word out and also figure out what aspects of the product need work and what could be added to improve our user experience."
—Devin Jones #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Art School Model Starts Sexually Stimulating Side Hustle

What It’s About

Let’s talk about… one blogger takes her passion to the next level.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Cy says it’s important to come up with an elevator pitch for why you’re blogging, what your blog will be, and how it will help people. Anybody can get started blogging, but in a broad niche, it helps to be crystal-clear about what will make you stand out.

Fun Fact

Cy’s blog has won some accolades over the years, and was recently named one of Kinkly’s top 10 LGBTQ blogs.

Notes from Chris

Episode 693

Sexual positivity is a crucial part of who Cy is.

She started her first ever sex blog while still in high school; a Tumblr page called Smash Cache where she could reblog all of the erotic content she was reading.

The more she read, the more she felt compelled to tell her story and leave the curated content behind. So, in 2016, alongside studying for her biology degree, Cy evolved her blog into Super Smash Cache and created a free WordPress-hosted website.

This would be a fresh canvas where she could review sex toys, share a body positive message, and discuss taboo subjects which would probably get her banned from Facebook.

Cy posted a lot of content on the blog, but the content she was the most passionate about was sex toy reviews. She loved getting her hands on a new product, testing it, and publishing her findings. It was the perfect synergy of the scientific and person parts of her life.

Problem was, Cy didn’t have a lot of business connections and was reviewing only items she’d bought herself. So in late 2016, Cy decided to put the blog on pause. She’d found work as a life model for art classes—which she still does to this day—bringing in a more immediate income and freeing up time to focus on her studies.

Cy’s first foray into the business side of blogging was to network with other sex bloggers. She’d contact them, make friends, and find out who was offering them sample toys to review. Cy would then reach out to those companies, review their toys, and add an affiliate link in the post to generate income.

Cy found two profitable income streams for Super Smash Cache.

The first was to rent advertising space on the blog to sex toy manufacturers. This allowed her to control the cost of the space, and offer on-brand products, which wasn’t available with advertising programs like Google Adsense.

The second was to offer sponsored posts. These are blog posts which have been paid for by a third-party company to advertise products or brand ideas. For example, a couple’s sex toy shop paid for Cy to write a post about a sexy couple’s night, which included their brand message and a link back to their store in the post. These type of posts take a lot of work, but also the most profitable.

This mixture of income streams has lead to around $600 a month in earning from the newly revised Super Smash Cache.

Cy would like to transition out of modeling and explore more of her creative and artistic passions. She’d like to grow the blog while she explores other options.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Super Smash Cache: Learn more about Cy and her award winning blog (adult content)
  • WordPress.com: The platform Cy used to create her blog. Note that WordPress.com is similar but different than WordPress.org

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"If your ONLY incentive for blogging is to make money and you’re not having fun with the process, you’ll probably lose motivation before the money-making happens."
—Cy #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Luxury for Less! Best Friends Get Paid to Share Design Tips

What It’s About

Two friends discover the best deal ever—getting paid for their love of shopping.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Rachel and Laura suggest that if you are working with someone else, make sure that you trust them wholeheartedly. They are always willing to adjust and split up tasks as they come, and making decisions without consulting each other is often common.

Fun Fact

Without knowing it, both of the women purchased homes of similar ages and layouts at the same time—in completely different cities. They were both 1960s brick ranches—as they say, great minds think alike!

Notes from Chris

Episode 690
Time and time again, Rachel Ingram and Laura Gill would hear their family and friends complain about the cost of decorating their homes. They would set a budget, but always end up blowing past it. The friends felt that with a bit of searching, they could have beautiful statement pieces and stay in budget. They began to scour the internet for the best deals they could find. Their Pinterest boards were unmatchable.

Along the way, they experienced a newfound sense of empowerment: not only were they finding amazing deals, they were making their homes their own. Rather than buying an entire room design out of a magazine, every corner of their living space was intentional.

Then, around the end of 2017, they began chatting about sharing all of their finds and ideas with the world. They knew that what they considered to be a fun hobby was frustrating and difficult for others. Plus, they had already accumulated a database of valuable tips and less expensive “look-alike” items over the years.

Six months later, they were still confident in their idea, so they decided to invest a whopping $46 into making it a reality. They spent $10 to purchase a domain name. Then, they spent another $10 because that first domain name didn’t exactly work out—more on that in a moment. With their official title, Follow the Find, they invested their last $26 into a Squarespace website.

But how would they make money?

They committed to posting on Instagram at least once a day, every day. As their audience grew, they began to consider affiliate partnerships. If people were purchasing items because of their work, they should earn a cut! But Rachel and Laura quickly realized that creating those partnerships was easier said than done.

When they applied to join the programs, they were rejected again and again. Even Amazon (which has very low requirements) removed their associate’s account twice. According to them, Follow the Find didn’t have enough original content on their website. Up until that point, they only included the same images on their website that they had on their Instagram account.

Even though Rachel and Laura knew that the brands could trust them to make sales and continue running Follow the Find, they had to do something to prove it.

To change it up, they added more content, including an About Page, a Tips and Tricks section, and a list of all of their favorite stores to shop for and what kinds of products they buy at each one. As that content and their followers grew, they finally began to score those affiliate partnerships they craved. This August, Follow the Find brought in $127. The next month, they reached $916. Then last month, they pulled in $1200.

This kind of business model probably won’t make you rich, but as an entry point, it’s worth looking at. They’re also gaining a lot of experience—and instead of paying for these lessons, these lessons are paying them.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Follow the Find: Checkout Rachel and Laura’s inspiration turned to action at their new website
  • Follow the Find on Instagram: Follow Rachel and Laura’s journey as they grow their business with the help of Instagram
  • Squarespace: the webplatform Rachel and Laura used to create their website

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"We never considered our shopping and searching a skill, but when talking with peers, we realized that we definitely had a knack for it, as others seemed to struggle with something that we honestly considered a hobby."
—Laura & Rachel #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get Your Logo Today With Logojoy!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Logojoy, an online tool that uses artificial intelligence to help you design a beautiful, custom logo.

Try Logojoy today and get 20% off any logo package when you visit logojoy.com/hustle.


Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Parody Rapper Publishes Educational Music Videos

What It’s About

A musician uses his mad rap skills to help make education more fun and accessible.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If someone wanted to start an educational song library with limited knowledge or experience, Andrew’s first suggestion would be to start singing karaoke songs. Karaoke songs allow amateurs to understand simple tones, catchy melodies, and the structure in which songs are typically written. He says much of his childhood was spent exploring music in his free time and creating songs based on similar structures that he enjoyed.

Fun Fact

Andrew recently received a message from a fan in Mexico. She sent Andrew a video of her daughter singing along to his songs and told him that his songs also helped her learn English. The amazing part—her three-year-old daughter was diagnosed with non-verbal autism. It never occurred to Andrew that his songs could impact children struggling with developmental disabilities.

Notes from Chris

Episode 671

Andrew DeBell has enjoyed music as long as he can remember. In elementary school, he’d get points knocked off for turning in his assignments as limericks. In junior high, he played in a metal band with a few friends from his neighborhood. He also used to sing parody rap songs and hold concerts in his backyard. [Sounds like me…]

Nowadays, he’s a marketing consultant specializing in digital learning and development. His company partners with clients in developing cutting-edge learning programs.

However, just because he didn’t grow up to headline Coachella, doesn’t mean that Andrew can’t pursue his childhood dreams. In 2015, he started an educational YouTube channel called Jam Campus. It served as a creative outlet where he would post parody songs of popular music. One of his first hits was a rap satire about DNA conducted in the style of Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen”. At the time, it was just a fun experiment.

But the DNA video was a smash. It made its way around the internet quicker than a Kanye West tweet about the government. Six months later, it was featured on the internet-themed panel game show, @Midnight with Chris Hardwick of Comedy Central. Andrew’s inbox was flooded with emails from teachers singing his praises.

Andrew began creating more songs to meet the increasing demand from his newfound audience. He tackled all kinds of subjects from math to science to history. What started with parodies quickly evolved into original content. He wrote songs about Newton’s Laws of Motion, Photosynthesis, and the phases of the moon.

Currently, Jam Campus brings in at least $500 a month from Google AdSense, Amazon affiliate links and selling video work directly from his site. It’s a nice passive income stream that doesn’t require much upkeep. But is it enough? Andrew says this side hustle is different as he doesn’t have a viable product to purchase.

However, he would like to change all that and turn this into his full-time hustle. He’s got a new business plan in place now that his concept has proven successful. Set to kick off in January, 2019, he’ll be implementing a paid subscription service for access to his premium library of songs and videos.

He still plans on keeping his YouTube channel in place and using it to showcase his material, but the bulk of his new library will be part of a paid subscription service. His monthly price will run $4.99. He wants to keep it affordable for both teachers and students … but he also wants to get paid.

Dropping it like it’s hot since 2015, Andrew’s videos have reached a global audience. A few months ago, a friend of Andrew’s sent him a Jam Campus video playing in a classroom in Japan. He also heard from a fan in Mexico, who sent him a video of her daughter signing along to his songs. She told him his songs helped her daughter learn English. She also mentioned that her daughter was diagnosed with non-verbal autism. It never occurred to Andrew that his songs could impact children struggling with developmental disabilities.

Talk about beats without borders.

Andrew is excited about launching his subscription service in January. His goal is getting Jam Campus in front of as many students and teachers as possible.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Jam Campus: Learning history and science has never been so much fun—check out some of Andrew’s videos over on his channel!

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"If someone wanted to start an educational song library with limited experience, my suggestion would be to start singing karaoke songs. Karaoke songs allow amateurs to understand simple tones, catchy melodies, and the structure in which songs are typically written. This knowledge for musical structure can quickly translate into recording your own songs."
—Andrew DeBell #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Financial Blog Sprouts into $35,000/Month Money Tree

What It’s About

Two financially savvy guys help millennials keep their minds on their money and their money on their minds.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

When they first started, they invested a lot of man hours digging deeper into SEO best practices and getting their brand out there. Their lesson? “You have to provide the best value for your readers and compete with the websites that are in the top five positions of the Google search engine. You have to look at these higher ranking articles and ask yourself, ‘How can I provide more value than this is already providing?’”

Fun Fact

Think carefully before you get that paper (money). In 2002, a study found that about 94% of the world’s paper money is covered in bacteria. That’s fine, normally, but about 7% of that bacteria is hazardous to your health. Maybe pull out your debit card, next time.

Notes from Chris

Episode 670

Ben Huber, a registered nurse from Virginia, was worried about money. And, like most millennials, he wasn’t the only one. So to ease the worries, he began to invest money into stocks and poured over everything he could learn about assets, liquidity, and other related investment terms in between shifts at the hospital.

It helped that he had friends in high places to help him along the way. More specifically, one friend, Jeff, who also happened to be a private wealth manager. They were always worried about money and knew they weren’t alone. But, contrary to what some opinionated individuals may tell you, it wasn’t just because they liked having avocado toast for breakfast.

As a wise man once said, they knew they needed to keep their mind on their money, and their money on their mind.

What’s the best way to share information about stocks? A blog, of course. So, Ben and Jeff took it upon themselves to create DollarSprout, a blog that gave them a platform to share their analysis and perspective on the stock market in a more accessible way.

They wanted to experiment with monetizing their content, so they set it up as a membership site that readers could pay a monthly fee to access and learn more about specific stocks, stock market commentary, and anything else they decided to put on their website.

Ben realized, pretty quickly, that their site was very niche… which also meant that not a lot of people would pay to access it. They also realized how competitive their chosen space was. They found themselves competing with large banks and advisory services with bigger budgets, so it wasn’t exactly feasible for them to present themselves as competition in the long term. The duo knew they could offer value to their readers, but it would be a real uphill battle to get their side hustle off the ground.

Soon, they began churning out content that appealed to millennials, with posts like “10 ways to make extra money” and “20 ways to save money,” and soon started seeing a consistent, monthly 5-figure traffic count rolling into their website.

Ben and Jeff only started making money in August of 2016, but by the end of the year, they’d made about $4,000. Their breakout month happened in January 2017, conveniently a great time for people to think about their own finances, and they generated $7,000 in revenue that month alone. By the next year, they eclipsed $12,000 in monthly revenue. In September 2018, they made over $36,000 in monthly revenue. And they’re only stacking up paper from there.

Ben says that the key to their success, especially since it took them years, was avoiding “shiny objects” syndrome, which posits that people look for what makes them the most money, rather than looking for something that allows them the luxury of time to scale and reflect on their next steps. They held out for consistency as they put in work to watch their status escalate and make their side hustle a success.

They’re cashing in on that consistency, especially as they’ve both turned their side hustle into their full-time job, and they’re hiring full-time employees to help them keep up with demand. They’ve got to fill an office now, after all. Money trees might be the perfect place for shade, but Ben and Jeff prove that investing time and hard work into a side hustle could be the second best place.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • DollarSprout: Learn more about this financial success over on Ben’s website!

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Rather than chase a large contract or chase larger sources of income, stick with the basics and find something that caters to your strengths. Find a way to build some kind of a base income from there. This gives you more flexibility and less stress when you move to the planning phase of things when you want to scale."
—Ben Huber #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Rent the Chicken! An Egg-Cellent Idea Clucks Into Cash

What It’s About

A henhouse hustle that comes home to roost.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Do your market research! Don’t be afraid to test something out with your friends and family—this can help you develop a stronger product or service and save you from having to scramble a lot once you’ve already launched. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t constantly be looking for ways to improve what you’re offering—you just want to make sure that the foundation is there before you start taking money.

Fun Fact

Chickens were, and still are, a sacred animal in some cultures. The prodigious and ever-watchful hen was a worldwide symbol of nurturance and fertility. Eggs hung in Egyptian temples to ensure a bountiful river flood. The lusty rooster was a universal signifier of virility—but also, in the ancient Persian faith of Zoroastrianism, a benign spirit that crowed at dawn to herald a turning point in the cosmic struggle between darkness and light. Read more about the history of the chicken over on the Smithsonian’s website!

Notes from Chris

Episode 646

Not many people think, “When I grow up, I’ll rent chickens to people.” But that’s what Phil and Jenn Tompkins are doing for their side hustle which now serves hundreds of households from their Pennsylvania headquarters and across the nation.

But let’s go back to the henhouse. Before they made a big lifestyle change, Phil and Jenn lived on the outskirts of Baltimore, MD. Phil was working in IT, and Jenn was working remotely for a research study.

When Phil was laid off, he started doing contract work. Once both of them didn’t have to report to an office, they realized they could live anywhere—and they chose to move to Western Pennsylvania, to be closer to Jenn’s family.

That’s where they had an idea to start what became an egg-cellent side hustle.

The couple had been raising chickens in their own backyard for years—long before urban farming was trendy. They had also seen friends and relatives try the same but with less success. In fact, a host of unwanted chickens from “city dwellers” was becoming a major problem in cities across the country. You know how it is—your kid asks for a pet, and you’re like “As long as you take care of it” … etc.

If hen-curious customers discover after the fact that they’re absolutely terrified of birds (it happens) or if they decide a coop just wouldn’t match the rest of their backyard décor—I suppose you could call it chickening out—it’s not a problem at all as the birds are loaners to be returned, no questions asked and with no penalties.

And if the opposite happens—if customers fall head over heels with Janice or Mikaela or Lady Gaga the chicken … and decide that they’re ready for a lifelong commitment, they can opt to buy the chickens at the conclusion of the rental period. (Think of it as poultry layaway.)

They began Rent The Chicken in 2013 with 1 unpaid rental, 2014 – 50 rentals … four years later, they’re managing rentals of more than 2,000 chickens.

Roosters are also available upon special request, although note that in many cities it’s illegal to own a rooster. The laws are less clear on rental roosters … but better check that out first.

You may be thinking: these aren’t rabbits—how did they multiply so fast? Phil and Jenn began franchising… and this is key! They’ve got their area of PA on lockdown, but they can only be in one place at one time. For a while, they tried their best to fulfill requests to nearby states like New Jersey, Ohio, and Maryland—but they had more business than they could handle.

So they began working with local partners in different cities all across the U.S. and Canada.

With their partners out and about, as well as all the deliveries they manage themselves, it is a moneymaking chicken rental empire. Their coops are filled with stacks of cash (actually they take credit cards) … but they are indeed now making a living renting out chickens throughout North America.

When you’re feeling lonesome and you need someone to keep you company, Rent the Chicken is at your service.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Rent The Chicken: Learn more about this egg-cellent side hustle over on Jenn and Phil’s website!
  • Blogger: The platform that Jenn and Phil used to build and host their website

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"There are so many different kinds of opportunities available with this business model—we’ve heard people talk about doing something similar with goats, bees, and even horses! Sometimes it pays to think outside the box because you never know what is going to appeal and resonate with others."
—Jenn & Phil Tompkins #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau