Tag: Coaching

Freelance Illustrator Helps Other Artists Sell Their Work

What It’s About

A successful artist finds a way to help other artists be successful as well.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

To get artists to sign up for his newsletter, Chris offers a free 10-day email series, with nine free lessons on how to use story to sell art. Then on the tenth day he tells them about his paid workshop. Regardless whether they sign up or not, he makes sure that the weekly article and newsletter he send out contains valuable content.

This free series generates the most sales for him, and it’s a great example of offering a soft sell for additional services.

Fun Fact

One of Chris’s favorite things about his side hustle is getting to interact with people from all over the world. He’s helped artists from over 30 countries—from Zimbabwe to Croatia—sell their art online, all from the comfort of his home in San Diego, or from a hotel balcony when he’s out traveling the world.

Notes from Chris

Episode 81

There are a lot of artists out there, and the majority of them don’t make much money off of their art. Today’s side hustle story features a successful California illustrator named Chris Wilson who makes more than $25,000 a year on the site by helping artists accomplish their business goals.

This is not a unique business model—it’s a textbook example of “Information Marketing.” Chris shares a lot of valuable information and resources with his subscribers, and then offers premium (paid) content for those who are willing to invest more time and effort into mastering the material.

This model has been changing though with the rise of technology. It’s a lot like art itself, or music, or any form of publishing in the fact that it won’t ever go away completely. Instead, it evolves.

If this is something you’re interested in and want to create a hustle in this field, here are few tips:

1. Provide a real unique selling point (USP), and make sure that it appeals to a specific need of your audience. 2. Make sure that your content is results-focused. 3. Be a legit authority in the field. In other words, actually do what you’re claiming to show people how to do. 4. Provide high-quality content and include some kind of wow factor or hook to reel them in.

It definitely is an attractive business model with a lot of benefits—you just need to be able to work hard at it.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

  • Art Biz Coach: Alyson Stanfield is an art business consultant and author of I’d Rather Be in the Studio: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion
  • The Abundant Artist: Cory Huff offers hundreds of free blog posts, podcast episodes, and instructional videos on selling art online

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

Yours in the revolution,

Chris Guillebeau

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
"A driving force in my teaching is getting an excited email from a student who made their first sale online. I’m so stoked I can help artists turn their art into a business. It makes everything worth it."
—Chris Wilson #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
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It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.


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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

College Lecturer Makes Money by Helping Other Instructors Teach Better

What It’s About

A college lecturer discovers a knack for building curriculum.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals not only inspires you, it also allows you to make strong connections in your field and promote both yourself and what you do. It’s important to have a small group of people that you can bounce ideas off of and grow with professionally.

Fun Fact

One day, Megan stopped into the San Antonio Museum of Art and discovered the French modern sculptor, Rodin. She was entranced by a short video detailing the painstaking wax bronze casting process Rodin used in order to create his beautiful sculptures. It takes many steps, expertise in several modalities, and the talented eye of the sculptor to complete one of those masterpieces.

She doesn’t claim to be a world-class artist, but she realized that the process was similar to that of what she was beginning to embark on with her side hustle.

Notes from Chris

Episode 72

Megan’s story follows an old, tried and true business model: “Teach what you know.” By teaching what you already know, whether it’s related to your profession or a hobby, you gain a built-in advantage: not only do you have the right knowledge, it’s also probably something you care about.

You don’t necessarily have to be an “expert” on the subject, because there’s always going to be someone out there who doesn’t know as much as you do on a given topic.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • San Antonio Museum of Art: The museum where Megan first discovered Rodin.
  • Rodin: If you’d like to learn more about Rodin and his particular style of art, check out his Wikipedia page.

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

Chris Guillebeau

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
"Find as many opportunities as possible, to be involved in the things you are passionate about. Meet people who do it, learn from them, congregate in places where it occurs. Find your tribe, people who are interested in what you are interested in. They will inspire and invigorate you."
—Megan Pope #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get a premium Indochino Suit for just $389!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Indochino, the company that’s reinventing men’s fashion.

Go to Indochino.com to get any premium Indochino suit for just $389, plus free shipping, when you use promo code HUSTLE at checkout. 🤵 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

Marketing Consultant Creates Private Retreats

What It’s About

A curious marketing consultant creates a unique and private retreat experience for interesting people

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Austin deliberately wants to keep his retreat series operating at the manageable level of four retreats a year. By doing so, he doesn’t get burned out, and he’s able to keep it fresh and interesting for all of the attendees.

Additionally, he’s able to ensure that there is a real demand for them. If he did one a month, for example, he might not be able to fill them as quickly as he does now.

As you’re starting your side hustle, ask yourself what kind of limits you might encounter, especially in regards to the amount of time and energy you’re able to put into it. Knowing your limits can help you plan and keep yourself on track—even if you push past them later.

Fun Fact

The success Austin has been able to find with Space Retreat also reflects the very real need that people have for connection and belonging. By creating a space that facilitates that within the context of a weekend where everything is provided for, he’s created a lot of value that is attractive to the people who are signing up.

And of course, there’s plenty of value in this for Austin as well. He says he’s still surprised that people will pay $1,000 to go on a retreat where he gets to be himself, a host and a friend, for a weekend and somehow magic happens.

Although this is technically his event, Austin takes a stand-off approach asking occasional questions, but for the most part, he doesn’t really do any serious business development. He sets the table and then gets to watch as real friendships and breakthroughs occur.

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
"Watching people I’ve brought together experience breakthroughs together is a great joy for me. I love participating in other people’s transformation, and SPACE Retreat has given me an opportunity to do that and so much more."
—Austin Church #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Cook with Blue Apron!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blue Apron. 👩‍🍳

Check out this week’s menu and get your first three meals FREE, with free shipping. Get ready to say mmmmmm.
Get Yours 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

Gallup Coach Creates StrengthsFinder Mugs

What It’s About

How a Gallup-certified coach learns to make and ship personalized mugs, earning over $25,000 in less than a year.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

StrengthsFinder and other training courses create self-identifying personas where people find a source of recognition and affirmation. Consider the Myers Briggs test, for example. If you’ve never taken the test, it’s totally free (they have a paid version too), and people often put their type results in their social media profiles.

StrengthFinder is especially interesting because it’s so personalized. Every mug order is different because there is only a 1 in 33 million chance someone has the exact same five strengths in the same order as someone else. So if you’re into this culture, it’s fun to have a mug on your desk or in your car that reminds you what you’re good at.

Fun Fact

The rebel in me can’t help but respect Scott’s decisions to ask forgiveness rather than permission from Gallup when creating the mugs. If he did it the other way around, this story may never have been written.

Corporate structures often default to saying “NO” to strange requests, so you want to make it easy for them to say “YES”. It’s best to show them that it’s already happening and it will be a net win for them too.

To learn more about Scott’s personalized StrengthFinder mugs, visit his store page.

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
"The best part has been the satisfaction of creating something that people really want. People take pictures of their mugs and share on social media. They are so excited when they get their mugs!"
—Scott Mackes #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Cook with Blue Apron!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blue Apron. 👩‍🍳

Check out this week’s menu and get your first three meals FREE, with free shipping. Get ready to say mmmmmm.
Get Yours 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

Miserable Day Job Turns Into $100,000 Side Income

What It’s About

School district employee becomes a writing ninja and earns more than $100,000.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

The great thing about online projects like Shaunta’s is that there are usually a number of ways to read or research someone’s story. Probably the easiest and quickest one is to look at their About page. In fact, the About page may be the most important page on your website because it gives you an opportunity to communicate your mission and tell your story the way you want it to be told.

On Shaunta’s page, she speaks directly to the needs of a large group of people. Her way of speaking is welcoming and personal. Like Shannon Mattern in Ep. 30, Shaunta uses insider language that creates a kind of personal relationship with her subscribers and lets them know that she’s one of them. She wants to help them succeed.

Fun Fact

After publishing her first novel, Shaunta got the idea to create a new, online journal project focusing on writing and publishing to help others figure out what it takes to write a novel.

She knew that she was onto something after getting more than 800+ subscribers in the first month of having that online journal. For a long time, she’d had the idea for a year-long novel writing course, and she thought that this might be a good time to test it out. She made a sales page on Gumroad and sent out an email to those 800+ subscribers. After that, she decided to go see a movie with her husband so that she wasn’t checking her computer constantly.

When she looked at her email upon leaving the theater, she noticed that two people had bought the course! During that two-hour movie, Shaunta had earned $700, which was close to an entire month’s pay at her day job in the school district.

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
"By far the best part of this experience has been the community. I set out to build the kind of community I wanted to belong to, and it worked."
—Shaunta Grimes #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

Fitness Pole Dance Studio Grows to 4 Locations

What It’s About

A graphic designer starts a pole dancing fitness studio, expands it to multiple locations, and helps thousands of women get fit and feel better.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you have a successful side hustle, you’ll eventually reach a point where you have to make a choice. For Sarah, that time took several years. By year 6, Studio 9 had developed into a very healthy, six-figure hustle. As she approached that mark, Sarah decided to make a big change to quit her job and to grow the studio full-time.

Finding that point can be difficult to do, but a good rule of thumb is that it’s time to leave when you realize that you’re no longer able to give 100% at your day job.

Fun Fact

When Sarah was getting started, she had many people RSVP for her first class, but when it came time for the class to start, not a single person who RSVPed showed up. Despite the rocky start, Sarah kept trying and ultimately created a really successful hustle.

Simply put, she believed in the mission. When you have a mission that you believe in, that’s when you persevere… perhaps all the way to a six-figure, multiple-location studio practice that serves thousands of clients.

Follow Sarah on Instagram and Facebook.

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
"I knew it was time to leave when I couldn’t give 100% to my day job anymore, as the studio had grown too much. I also knew that working for myself was where I wanted to be—not to mention that the long-term payoff would be worth it!"
—Sarah Jacoby #SideHustleSchool

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

Ohio IT Director Earns $31,000 Setting Up WordPress Sites

What It’s About

An Ohio IT director earns more than $31,000 helping people set up their websites.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

When Shannon was first getting started, she felt like a fraud and that at any moment, someone would come up to her and tell her that she wasn’t qualified to help others. But, to her surprise, this never happened. In fact, more and more people started signing up for her daily courses and purchasing the products she recommended.

You don’t need a degree in coaching in order to be able to give people good feedback and support. What you do need is a voice and something that people need. And just as you are qualified, here’s the other side of it—no one is going to come along and give you permission. A lot of people in life are waiting for permission, and that’s never going to come. You have to take it! You are qualified, you have permission, and the next steps are yours. Your hustle is waiting for you to take action.

Fun Fact

When Shannon was getting started with her side hustle, she created and customized websites for her clients. But as anyone who has tried to break into web development knows, it’s a lot of hard work and at times challenging to do when you have a demanding, full-time job like Shannon did. She noticed that she was getting burned out, so she started to explore other options.

She realized how much better it would be if she could provide others with the resources they needed in order to create their own websites. It was then that WP+BFF was born! Not only was she able to save herself some much needed time, but she was still able to do the work she loves to do. Better yet, with this new format, she’s been able to empower others along the way. It’s win-win!

Resources

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $5/MONTH

-Special discount for Side Hustle School listeners-

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. You can get support 24 hours a day. Don't overpay: get your own hosting plan for just $5 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"The very first day I put a link to my free course in a Facebook group, someone signed up for my mailing list and bought the products I recommended. That’s when I knew this was something people needed and it was POSSIBLE."
—Shannon Mattern #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Cook with Blue Apron!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blue Apron. 👩‍🍳

Check out this week’s menu and get your first three meals FREE, with free shipping. Get ready to say mmmmmm.
Get Yours 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

Engineer Creates “Inertia Project” for Women

What It’s About

Engineer empowers other women to take control of their lives and habits in order to live more healthy and fulfilling lives.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

When putting together The Inertia Project, Genevieve showed great business savvy by taking advantage of all of the resources available to her and learning for herself how to build a business from the ground up.

If you combine passion and expertise with some knowledge about how to price, how to market, and how to best serve your new customers, that’s when your hustle can really take off.

Fun Fact

From the very beginning, Genevieve had a clear WHY for herself as well as a specific pathway for all of her potential clients.

Consider the project’s mission statement: “to take women who feel vulnerable, lost, unhappy, or uncomfortable and gives them a realistic way to improve.” Her personal story reinforces this message—you clearly know who she is and why she’s qualified to help.

Resources

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $5/MONTH

-Special discount for Side Hustle School listeners-

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. You can get support 24 hours a day. Don't overpay: get your own hosting plan for just $5 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"I was excited about someone paying me for something I’d previously done for fun and for free. But more than that, someone was paying me to help them solve a problem—I had an obligation to provide the best solution."
—Genevieve Malone #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Cook with Blue Apron!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blue Apron. 👩‍🍳

Check out this week’s menu and get your first three meals FREE, with free shipping. Get ready to say mmmmmm.
Get Yours 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