Tag: Health & Wellness

Zen Master Makes Mindful Moola

What It’s About

Meditate on this story 6-figure health and wellness blog that started last year.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Matt shares some great advice for those looking for a hustle idea, “If you can’t think of anything you’re passionate about, consider being a bit more lax on your definition of “passion”. Do you like spending your nights lying in bed watching anime? Well, I bet there’s something there. With any niche community, there are a world of opportunities to build something cool – whether it’s a website, a Youtube channel or even just a spreadsheet of data.”

Fun Fact

One day, Matt’s former boss and mentor spoke to him about a site that was doing such a good job, that it outranked his own for certain keywords Low and behold, he’d taught Matt so well that it was actually his site outranking them.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1625
Matt Oney has worn every digital marketing hat there is over the last six years in his day job as an online marketer for a startup in San Francisco.

After working hard for his employer, he started to question why he wasn’t putting that sort of effort into something of his own. He’d heard about affiliate marketing and thought it could be something that played to his strengths. On top of that, Matt had an old boss with a successful affiliate website, so he called on him to ask for advice.

The old boss ran through how to pick a good niche and said to make sure it was something he actually cared about. It didn’t take long for Matt to settle on health and wellness, with a particular focus on mental health products.

In February 2020 he registered the domain name ZenmasterWellness.com. It was a little different, but Matt felt it was exactly the type of branding and image he wanted to set for his new website.

As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, his employer cut his hours and salary by twenty percent. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Matt figured that with a little more time on his hands, and a little less money, he now had both the space and the necessary incentive to work on his site more seriously.

He continued learning, identifying keywords and writing articles on an occasional basis. By July, this method had his site generating around twenty five visits per day.

Within those articles, he began placing affiliate links to the products website. These tracked users’ clicks and he’d receive a commission for every sale he generated.

The strategy worked, and over the next year he added content that would often succeed—not always as successfully as his smart gyms article—but that generated revenue nonetheless. How much? Well, just over a year into Zenmaster Wellness the site generates an average of ten thousand per month in commissions.

With that sort of money, you’d be forgiven for thinking Matt has quit his full time job, but that hasn’t happened yet. Instead, he looks at Zenmaster Wellness as a way to increase his wealth building efforts. It’s definitely a healthy complement to meditation.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Want more zen in your life? Check out Matt’s website, ZenMasterWellness.com.
  • Looking to monetize your own blog through affiliate marketing? Check out Shareasale and Impact, the two companies Matt used for his blog.

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
"With any niche community, there are a world of opportunities to build something cool – whether it’s a website, a Youtube channel or even just a spreadsheet of data."
—Matt Oney #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

“Ordinary Dude” Creates Meditation Books for Men

What It’s About

Take a breath and listen to this “ordinary dude’s” story.

Words of Wisdom

John offers some advice when it comes to expanding and focusing your business. He says it’s important to, “Diversify, but not too much. It’s easy as entrepreneurs to fall for ‘shiny object syndrome’ where you want to just try everything. But if you try too many things too fast, then you’ll spread yourself too thin and end up accomplishing nothing. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you zone in too much on one thing you could really hurt yourself… So diversify. Do not put all your eggs in one basket but also don’t spread yourself too thin.”

Fun Fact

An estimated 200 million to 500 million people meditate across the world. The number of people who meditate has tripled since 2012, with the rates of children meditating increasing by 800% since then. [Source]

Notes from Chris

Episode 1501
John Weiler has been meditating since he was seventeen years old. He says that it has helped him overcome anxiety, panic attacks and even save his relationship with his now-wife, who was actually his girlfriend at the time.

But unlike a lot of meditators, John doesn’t completely buy into the “hippie culture” surrounding meditation. Although he says that there is nothing wrong with that, he found himself wanting to connect to people outside that space. He especially hoped to encourage men who had previously written off the idea.

That’s what sparked his desire to write An Ordinary Dude’s Guide to Meditation. Not only that, but one of his mentors encouraged him to start writing about topics he knew well. With that, John decided to dispel the myths and preconceived notions about meditation and connecting with his community.

Between October 2018 and September 2019, John published four more titles. Like the meditation guide, the new books also centered around themes of enlightenment and mindfulness, and were all directed towards his target audience of “ordinary dudes.” Sales didn’t really pick up until his sixth, called A Dude’s Guide to the Couch. It was an unexpected hit, regularly bringing in $500 a month on its own.

Moving forward, he currently has six more titles that he’s in the middle of writing, but he also really wants to spend more time freelancing, which is his main source of income. Not only that, but he wants to do this while still expanding his knowledge on marketing.

For a while, he was penciling in way too much work and his health began to suffer. Since then, he has decreased his workload and taken care of himself more, and his business has thrived in response. John is confident that he will continue to rise to the challenge, spreading the word about meditation one ordinary dude at a time.

 

 

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

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
"It’s easy as entrepreneurs to fall for ‘shiny object syndrome’ where you want to just try everything. But if you try too many things too fast, then you’ll spread yourself too thin and end up accomplishing nothing. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you zone in too much on one thing you could really hurt yourself… So diversify."
—John Weiler #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

College Student Pays Off Loans With “Fitnancial” Blog

What It’s About

A student climbs out of debt by sharing her personal story of transformation.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Alexis says that she waited so long to start a side hustle because she was afraid of what could go wrong. She encourages others who hope to have a side hustle to consider what could go right. “Think about the positives, the opportunities, and how anything is possible, as cliche as that sounds.”

Fun Fact

Alexis used the extra cash that she made from her blog to take her mom on her dream vacation, an Alaskan cruise. One of their favorite memories from the trip was from the very last night. Along with a few other passengers, they were watching the sunset from the back of the boat when a whale came up over the water.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1008

The year was 2011. The first Thor movie had just come out, Adele’s Rolling in the Deep was at the top of the charts, and Alexis Shroeder had just graduated from high school.

As is the case for many students, those four years were rough. But Alexis had to deal with issues far worse than failed tests and friend drama. She lost her father to cancer, struggled with family issues, and was in an abusive relationship.

As time went on, Alexis developed depression. She turned to alcohol and cigarettes to cope, but ended up feeling even worse than she did before. As a consequence, she ended up gaining a lot of weight.

She hit a tipping point when her family’s house was being foreclosed. Alexis needed something in her life to change for the better. So, she decided to work with a personal trainer. With regular exercise and a change in her diet, she felt much better than she ever had. She had the strength, energy, and dedication to be active. She started to kickbox, hike, rollerblade and go for walks.

Her friends were amazed at the 180-degree change they saw with her health. They soon began encouraging her to start a blog about her journey.

Alexis thought about it for a while, then eventually decided to launch Fitnancials.com in 2013. She didn’t just want to talk about health, she also wanted to talk about managing money. The combination was important.

Over the next few years, Alexis casually posted on Fitnancials a couple of times a month. She only spent an hour or two a month working on it, but she enjoyed the process. It felt like a personal journal, just one that other people could read and draw encouragement from.

Soon, however, something else would change. The blog started to pick up a decent amount of traffic. Companies began to ask if they could advertise on the sidebars of her website—or if she would be willing to do sponsored posts.

As a college student looking to pay the bills, Alexis jumped at the opportunity to make some extra cash from her hobby. At first she earned a few hundred dollars a month from Fitnancials, which went a long way for someone with a low income.

After gaining some traction, she started talking to other bloggers. She made new friends, both offline and virtually. Through this process, Alexis realized that people really could make a living from blogging. Real life examples were all around her!

So in 2017, four years after she first started Fitnancials, Alexis committed to treating her blog like a business. She wanted it to grow, and she knew that only spending a couple of hours on it a month would not get her to the level she hoped for.

It turns out, Alexis’s ideas to improve her blog were right on the money. She began to make $1,000 a month, then $3,000. She even climbed up to making $5,000 a month.

In her first year of committing to her blog, she made $35,000. This was while she was still attending college.

Then, in her second year, between her junior and senior years of college, Alexis made $80,000. This is more money than she ever expected to make in a year in her life. Since then, she’s graduated with a degree in psychology and has been able to pay off all of her student loan debt, buy a car, and start maxing out her retirement accounts.

Her biggest and most important life transformation was for herself, overcoming those major challenges she experienced in adolescence. But her second transformation is helping others make their own positive changes … in both fitness and financials.

 

 

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
"Think about the positives, the opportunities, and how anything is possible, as cliche as that sounds."
—Alexis Schroeder #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

Maine Couple Bootstraps Boutique Fitness Studio

What It’s About

Embracing the value of self-reliance, this couple refuses to give up on their fitness studio dream.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Stacey and Jesse has some important advice for getting into competitive service industries, “Get in the door. Whatever the trade, or service you want to sell, get a job in the business. Learn as much as you can. Not just fun parts. Learn the really hard parts, the complicated parts, the “clean the toilets” parts.”

Fun Fact

Stacey and Jesse lived in a zoo for five years! The Maine Wildlife Park provided a small apartment with Jesse’s job. Every day, they’d walk through the zoo with their kids to visit the animals.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1007

Stacey and Jesse Coleman met in college, where they were both dedicated athletes: Stacey as a soccer player and Jesse as a wrestler. The list of sports and extreme adventures each of them has done reads like a call sheet for a movie starring The Rock. And while helping people improve their health would eventually become their business, they had to navigate an obstacle course to get there.

After college, they jumped right into work and family life. Jesse took a job as a Fish Culturist for Maine’s Fish & Wildlife Department and Stacey was hired as the director of Parks and Recreation for a nearby town. They had two kids and an idyllic life.

Those early jobs came with an interesting perk. The Maine Wildlife Park provided a small apartment with Jesse’s job, so for five years they literally lived in a zoo. It was a good time for the young family, but Stacey and Jesse also knew they wanted to build a business together.

Being secure and happy meant a lot, but there came a point when they decided they weren’t living up to their full potential. They wanted to help other people find the same level of joy in life that they had. That became the foundation of their mission, and eventually their business.

Stacey left her job with the town and worked part-time as a personal trainer, while also raising the kids. Jesse continued his wildlife work, which provided the main income for the family, but he couldn’t wait to follow his true calling.

When they started their boutique fitness business, it was mostly Stacey, their minivan, and a personal training service that went to clients’ homes. Jesse helped out when and where he could. They began with hand-me-down dumbbells and medicine balls that they already owned. Their first “big” investment was a Bosu balance device, which set them back $130 and seemed like a crazy amount of money.

Speaking of money, at one point, they tried to get a bank loan to buy better gear. That’s what people do when they’re starting a business, right? But when they sat down at the bank with kids in tow, the conversation didn’t go well. Their response was to say “Screw it, we’ll do this on our own.”

They decided that it was their personalities and individual attention that would bring in customers, not fancy equipment. As long as they were paying their bills, they kept going.

But then one day, Stacey was sitting in traffic, hating that she had to drive so much for work. In a perfect bit of serendipity, she looked over and saw a For Lease sign. They called the number on the sign, and ended up converting an old office space into their first brick and mortar gym, again spending their own money to make it work.

After four years, they gave up the smaller side hustles and went all-in. The following year, they expanded, taking over a second space in their building.

Today, the business supports the family in full, providing a solid household income, which to Stacey and Jesse means they’ve met their important goals. They’re now getting ready to launch a new online health and wellness business. The goal is to take the Coleman Method global, while maintaining their gym and continuing to focus on the life they’ve built for themselves.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • My-FIT-24 Learn more about Stacey, Jesse, and their gym from their website.
  • Danielle LaPorte “With Love” Podcast A one woman show about self-realization, Rock and Roll Spirituality // Live more deeply … but lighten up. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

 

SEE ALSO:

    • The 10-Minute Workout Gym: A Nashville insurance executive who hates exercising opens a gym modeled on working out for only 10 minutes at a time.

      • <li

Chronic Illness Inspires Mobile-Friendly Yoga Biz:

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
"Our first major financial commitment to the business was two years into it, where we worked out an arrangement with the landlord of the space we were expanding into.  Since the banks were literally laughing at us still at this point, our renovation expenses were worked into a customized lease arrangement."
—Stacey and Jesse Coleman #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

“Fun Guy” Becomes Spore-Adic Mushroom Farmer

What It’s About

A carpenter and his partner find a way to level-up their hustle using mushrooms.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you’re thinking about getting in on the “fun”-gi business, David and Shannon suggest, “begin with learning how to grow mushrooms for yourself. Learn as much on the front-end as possible, and focus on a simple process and focus on one area.”

Fun Fact

The first Flow Hood they shipped to a customer arrived damaged. Since the item was so large, it wasn’t cost-effective for the customer to ship it back. The insurance claim was denied, which was very disappointing. They knew they had to make it right for the customer and in the end, the best solution was for David to fly to Ohio with his tools and fix it. Using frequent flyer miles, David flew to the customer’s house and fixed the equipment in person. It ended up being a relatively easy repair and the customer was thrilled. David got to make a new friend while building goodwill.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1003

Daavid Eberhardt is a man of many trades. A master carpenter by day and a forager of fungi by weekend, David enjoys learning about the process of creating, building, and discovering how things work. Through all of his studies, wild mushrooms have remained his favorite subject.

A few years ago, he and his partner Shannon moved to Asheville, North Carolina. They were drawn to the nature of the area and soon learned that there is a large community of foragers and even a local Mushroom Club. David excitedly began learning more about the local mushrooms and even started growing them in bags all over the house. Soon, he and Shannon had more than they knew what to do with … and his stock was taking up “mush”-room in their house.

He began making various extracts to share with family and friends. Friends loved that they could use the extracts for medical benefit without having to eat a whole pile of mushrooms. The friends encouraged David and Shannon to sell them, so they took their advice and began bottling and labeling extracts. They didn’t have a plan to do much besides offer these organic treats organically—but soon they began receiving repeat orders and decided there was something bigger growing under the surface.

It was also around that time that the term “functional mushroom” began showing up in mainstream media. People were catching on to the health benefits. Whole Foods released an article about medicinal mushrooms being a top food trend in 2018. That article mentioned that the only limitation was supply.

It was all Shannon needed to hear. She immediately showed it to David and encouraged him to expand his mushroom farm. Together they were able to forage a side hustle, naming it Phenomenal Fungi. David handles all things mushroom while Shannon handles the website and sales.

They began by selling edible mushrooms to restaurants and the extracts at local farmers markets. The extracts became a big hit among locals. They contained health benefits to boost the immune systems and act as a natural antibiotic. Some of the extracts are even being used with cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and people who experience dementia. David has also been playing around with a mushroom that can be used as a natural pest control.

Sales have been a bit spore-adic since launching Phenomenal Fungi in September 2018. In January they decided to create an Etsy store to reach a wider audience, where David began selling equipment like flow hoods (a piece of equipment that allows mycologists (people who study fungi) to work with cultures in sterile airflow).

Their advice for anyone wanting to forage a similar side hustle is to start simple and focus on one sales channel. When they launched Phenomenal Fungi they created a Shopify store and Etsy shop. While this works for them today, it was a lot to keep up with two different sites in the beginning—it was more than a little truffle. If they could go back, they would have started with one site, refined it, and expanded when that one was running smoothly.

In the future, David plans to share his knowledge through online courses for others wanting to learn about growing mushrooms. They’re also looking to expand their production to include more species of mushrooms and a larger variety of extracts.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Phenomenal Fungi: Whether you’re looking to grown your own or try their mushroom extracts, check out Shannon and David’s website.
  • Etsy Store – Phenomenal Fungi: You can find and learn more about the flow hood that they sale at their Etsy store.
  • UShip: Have a big product you need help shipping? This is the company that David and Shannon use for their larger orders.

 

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
"Learn as much on the front-end as possible, and focus on a simple process and focus on one area."
—David Eberhardt and Shannon Barrett #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

Active “Type 1” Lifestyle Inspires Sticky, Successful Side Hustle

What It’s About

A brother latches on to an idea to help with Type 1 Diabetes management.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Find a problem that people want a solution for. Ask your dream customer probing questions and learn what they really want. And then don’t spend too much time thinking about it, take action! When you’re moving forward, you learn and grow and things will fall into place.

Fun Fact

Some 1.25 million Americans are living with T1D, including about 200,000 youth (less than 20 years old) and more than 1 million adults (20 years old and older).

Notes from Chris

Episode 992

Many Type 1 Diabetics need to wear glucose monitors in order to keep track of their blood sugar levels throughout the day. This is critical, because those levels are impacted by everything they eat and every activity they do. While necessary, the monitors can be hard to keep on, especially for people who like to be physically active.

Isaac Parkinson’s brother was one of those people. After being diagnosed with Type 1 in 2013, he struggled with adjusting to his 24-hour a day monitor. It tended to become detached when he did things like swim, work out at the gym, or even just shower. Diabetes is already tough to manage and having to restrict regular activities made life even harder. Furthermore, there is no cure, so dealing with the required equipment is a life-long endeavor.

Wanting to do something to help his brother and other people in the same position, Isaac hit on a sticky idea: adhesive patches that protect the monitors during all kinds of intense activities.

In fact, when he started telling people about his idea, he quickly learned that there were more Type 1 Diabetics among his family and friends than he realized. So in 2017, Isaac started Skin Grip, a brand that makes patches to help keep glucose monitors in place.

The patches are made of waterproof, non-latex, medical-grade adhesive materials that will last more than ten days even when the wearer swims, works out, and showers… just what his brother needed.

Within two years, Isaac’s business had begun offering five different products for insulin pumps and glucose monitors used by diabetics. He had started it for $2,000— and the company is consistently hitting $23,000 in sales every month.

He regularly gets messages from happy customers and dozens of glowing reviews thanking him and Skin Grip for helping them carry on with their everyday lives and activities with one less thing to worry about.

This wasn’t his first side hustle: Isaac had tried flipping liquidated goods on eBay, making wedding videos, and even selling baby toothbrushes. But Skin Grip is the idea that really stuck.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • theskingrip.com: See how Isaac’s product is helping people with T1D live active lifestyles at the Sking Grip 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
"Type One Diabetes can be life-threatening, and it never goes away. T1D is affected by everything you eat and every activity you do. Despite this, people with T1D serve as an inspiration by facing the disease’s challenges with courage and perseverance, and they don’t let it stand in the way of achieving their goals."
—Isaac Parkinson #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

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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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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Graphic Designer Runs Intervals in Wellness Industry

What It’s About

A freelancer hits her target zone designing for health and wellness professionals.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Jess has some great advice for freelancers starting out, “I would say, do all types of projects. Work with lots of different people, on different types of projects. Figure out what you like and don’t like. Then zero in and niche down on what you love.”

Fun Fact

Jess is a self-claimed health and wellness fanatic. She loves learning from her clients. Jess was diagnosed a Type 1 diabetic since she was 3 years old, so her health has always been at the forefront of her mind.

Notes from Chris

Episode 985

During college, Jess Freeman designed a t-shirt for a group on campus. In return, she earned a grand total of $10 and a free t-shirt. This was the humble beginning of her side hustle journey! When she finished her degree in graphic design, she worked as an intern and a communications manager at a few local churches. After a couple years, she moved on to full-time at a creative agency.

Throughout her time working a day job, Jess often had a steady stream of freelance work. One time, a friend-of-a-friend recommended her to some local moms who wanted to start a science subscription box for kids. Jess designed the instruction cards and booklet that came with the box. Getting this job was especially helpful because she had just moved to a new city and didn’t know many people.

She began working with other freelancers to create their online presence and branding. Soon, this graphic design and website building side hustle was bringing in more than DOUBLE her salary. So one Friday night when she came home from work she told her husband she was not happy at her job. They talked it over and decided it was time to jump wholeheartedly into Jess Creatives. She gave notice to her job on Monday. After only three weeks, Jess had a waitlist of interested clients.

One thing that helped was to try as many types of projects as she could. This way she could build her business and start zeroing in on what she was particularly good at. Jess says that finding her niche was a long process—and at first, it wasn’t an intentional one. Jess would make small tweaks to her website, gently signaling to others (and perhaps herself) who her ideal clients were.

In the process, she learned she loved working with female business owners in the health and wellness industry. Jess naturally gravitated to this niche in part because she was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic at the age of three.

She narrowed her focus by sending out an email to her health and wellness clients telling them about her shift. She also asked them to spread the word to their colleagues.

Next, she decided to focus her social media platform toward health and wellness businesses. This includes a YouTube channel, a podcast, Instagram, a blog, and of course, her website.

During this time, she also engaged with as many health and wellness professionals as she could find. Her goal was to get in front of as many people in her field as possible.

With a startup cost of $20 per month for her website and a projected income of $80,000 this year, Jess’s side hustle is in good shape. Additionally, 90% of her clients now come from her desired field of health and wellness.

Jess plans to continue working with clients advancing their side hustles in the health and wellness field. She’ll also continue producing her podcast and YouTube channel. In the future, she may expand into speaking and holding live workshops … this time first making sure she knows what her customers want.

 

 

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
"I would say, do all types of projects. Work with lots of different people, on different types of projects. Figure out what you like and don’t like. Then zero in and niche down on what you love."
—Jess Freeman #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

Jailhouse Medic Turns House Calls Into Healthy Profits

What It’s About

Nurse Practitioner takes his medical act on the road, picking up six-figures along the way.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Not everyone could do this … but what could you do? If you find yourself missing something—some sort of professional void like Brad was experiencing—might there be a way you could use a side hustle to fill that void? Discontent can be a powerful fuel for making changes in your life.

Fun Fact

In the last two years, Brad has seen patients in a number of interesting places. The most unique? Brad says that’s easily the human residents of an area chicken coop. He says they were good people in a bad spot in life, and he was happy that he could help them out.

Notes from Chris

Episode 929

From a young age, Boise, Idaho-based Brad Bigford liked to help people with their problems. He also enjoyed challenges. After his dream of becoming a firefighter like his dad didn’t work out, he changed focus and became a registered nurse.

Being an RN was great, but he wanted to have more autonomy and decision-making authority, so he increased his training to become a nurse practitioner. For those who don’t know, nurse practitioners are advanced-level medical professionals and can prescribe medication, diagnose illnesses, and provide primary treatment, much like physicians do.

After graduation, Brad was hired by his local sheriff’s office. He found no shortage of challenges in this day job. As the sole medical provider responsible for the healthcare needs of roughly 1,000 inmates at his local county jail, Brad encounters all varieties of medical needs. From dealing with the symptoms of opiate or alcohol withdrawal to managing chronic diseases like diabetes to wound, infections, and mental illnesses, he sees it all.

Still, he felt a void in his professional life. He says that unfortunately most of his jailhouse patients don’t leave him feeling like he’s doing a great job. Medical care can be used as a way for an inmate to get extra privileges, which changes the normal provider/client relationship. Though he still believed in the work, the sum of the parts left him feeling mentally drained.

He began to supplement his income by working with a large medical company doing insurance physicals in people’s homes. But he found that boring and wanted something different.

Each year his family and friends arrived at holiday gatherings with a list of ailments and medical questions. One year, Brad said that he was going to send them a bill for all their questions. He was half-joking … but the idea stuck. From his side hustle doing in-home physical exams, he knew that people loved the convenience of having someone come to them. Why couldn’t he do house calls for their other needs?

So, after talking with the relevant licensing boards, he applied for the necessary licenses and waited. He also applied to accept the major insurance carriers. Overall, starting up took about six months, much of it a waiting game.

Six months later, with all of the clearances in, Table Rock Mobile Medicine was born. Brad’s service, at its core, is about making house calls. The majority of his clients are women, many with young children, and his visits mean that they don’t have to drive to the clinic when their kids are sick. They also never have to worry about sitting around in a waiting room.

In the early months, business was slow, with a few happy customers each week. It was bringing in about $1,000 per month but then around fall of 2017, school resumed and suddenly business boomed as kids began to get sick.

He started seeing his business repeatedly tagged in local Facebook posts, and soon his calendar was full. To this day, more than 90% of Brad’s clients find him via word of mouth, and most schedule their own visits on the website without speaking to him until he arrives.

Brad says that house calls aren’t the most efficient business model—which is why they are virtually nonexistent in many areas. While he can’t see the 40+ daily patients that many providers in a brick and mortar location would, his house calls set Brad apart and allow him to compete and thrive. After two years, Brad’s part-time house call hustle earns more than six figures annually.

In short, the mobile health care hustle has not only produced a great second income—it’s also brought him to another population of patients that offsets the work he does at the jail.

Looking ahead, Brad is considering sharing his experiences and offering some type of consulting or tools to help other nurse practitioners set up a similar business in their area. He says that this could be a good fit for anyone else in his field looking for something different.

 

  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

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
"Stick with your vision of what you want your practice to be because everyone else will have an opinion or idea on what they think you should be doing. Obviously, listen to others advice, but stick to your ideals and goals."
—Brad Bigford #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

Mountain Biker Takes B-Line To All-Natural Profits

What It’s About

A mountain biker creates natural-energy gels for those on the go.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

There’s nothing wrong about jumping in and building a plane as you fly it, but why not preserve time (which is also money in this case) and find a company or person you admire in a similar field and meet them—talk with them. Ask them all the questions you think you have and then more. You don’t know what you don’t know. There’s a reason why we all have parents, to grow and be guided safely through the life process and starting a business is no different. I would say go find a business “parent” and ask for help in raising your entrepreneur self.

Fun Fact

Energy gels are very popular with endurance athletes because they give a quick dose of energy. Most are highly processed and the main ingredient in Maltodextrin, a processed sweetener made from corn, rice, and potato starch. While common, a lot of athletes view them as a necessary evil because eating them often leads to a sore tummy and a run to the restroom shortly after a race.

Notes from Chris

Episode 919

Chris Hawks and his friends are avid mountain bikers and endurance athletes. On any given weekend they’d much rather be pedaling their way up a hill than sitting on the couch watching Netflix.

Chris enjoys his day job—he’s Director of Sales for what he calls the best dairy company on earth—but it’s his extracurricular activities that really get his wheels turning.

Mountain biking is hard going. You can burn thousands of calories in a good session and if you want to keep going, you need to replace that lost energy… fast! For Chris and his friends, they typically turned to energy gels, a sweet carbo-loaded jolt of energy that came in a squeezable packet for on the go eating.

The only problem was that these gels were highly processed and often left Chris and his friends feeling a little off in the gut. This isn’t surprising, considering that they are usually full of junk ingredients. But they worked, giving a much-needed carb dose when your body needed a good pumping up.

Chris believed there must be a healthier way. So, together with one of the friends, he asked a nutritionist for a good natural replacement. Turns out, the replacement was very simple.

The nutritionist advised them to mix honey and molasses in a 1:1 ratio. Both are all-natural ingredients and would serve a similar purpose to the processed gels they’d been using.

It worked… and not only was it totally natural and healthy, it was also delicious. They had just created what they called “craft energy food.” The mixture became a staple of their mountain bike sessions. In fact, they loved it so much they wondered if they could turn it into a product.

Chris had had ideas for businesses before but never got past a note on a scrap piece of paper. Something about this idea stuck with him. So, he and another friend decided to crank it up and see if they could make something happen.

Soon enough they had their first pro-quality batch and decided to go on a long mountain bike trip to celebrate. Of course, they’d be powered by their own brand of all-natural energy gels. They called it B-Line Natural Energy. B-Line is a common way to describe an alternate path in mountain biking, what they were all about.

A few years after its inception, B-Line had become a viable brand and product operating in a competitive space. The team believes they’ve found the right market fit and now it’s just a matter of getting the word out through marketing. Over time, they started to make more money too.

They’re not earning a full-time income yet. But, as Chris puts it, last year they made enough that they could have purchased an SUV with the profits, to use for mountain biking adventures of course. That’s tens of thousands of dollars, and hopefully more to come as they grow.

Their end goal is to generate enough revenue to be their only source of income. For their next climb, they’ll be launching another food product line in the near future with funding coming from sales of B-Line.

They’ll never forget the lessons learned from their first side hustle. The next product launch should be just like riding a bike.

 

 

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

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
"If we could go back to day one, we would have sat down with a business mentor before we even got to naming a product to walk through the basics of a business plan, investor pitch deck, legally forming a business entity and various other ABC’s before we even took a product to market."
—Chris Hawks #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

Online Tea Store Becomes Matcha-Made in Heaven

What It’s About

Restaurant manager uses her creativi-tea to brew up a side hustle that’s a matcha made in heaven.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Luciana attributes keeping 3 Leaf Tea as a side hustle early on as a big factor in her success. She was able to keep herself paid and supported while she worked her way up to leaving the restaurant.

This is the way of the side hustle … build a bridge to the future you want. Start where you are, and accept that there will be challenges!

Fun Fact

Matcha tea, while still somewhat obscure in the USA, is extremely popular around the world. What started out as a Japanese tradition has grown into a 3 billion dollar industry. The main consumers of matcha are the US, Canada, Germany, the UK, France, and Australia. [Source]

Notes from Chris

Episode 914
Luciana Torous is a lover of all things tea. This mild obsession started during her high school days, where she often struggled with anxiety and OCD. She had trouble quieting her mind and found it difficult to switch off and become present in the moment.

That all changed the day she visited a tea house with some friends. It was the first time she’d experienced properly brewed tea, and she instantly adored it. The aromas, flavors and ritualistic process of properly brewed tea resonated with her. The experience calmed her down and helped alleviate the symptoms of her anxiety.

Shortly after the trip to the tea house, a childhood friend returned from a student exchange in Japan. As a souvenir, she brought Luciana some matcha tea. Matcha is a traditional Japanese green tea. Taken from tea leaves and ground into a fine powder; it’s commonly used in Japanese tea ceremonies.

For Luciana, it was a matcha-made in heaven, the beginning of a brew-tea-ful friendship. The tea became a part of her daily ritual. After drinking a cup, she felt calm, alert and mentally clear.

She became interested in the health benefits that matcha provided and felt like this relatively unknown tea from Japan needed to hit the mainstream. So, Luciana decided she’d start a business selling matcha tea.

The only issue was, Luciana had no business experience and no idea where to start. On top of that, she already had a full-time job. By now it was 2014, Luciana had graduated high school and was working as a manager at a local Mexican restaurant. Although she was busy working, it was also time to get busy learning.

She read articles and books on starting a business. She asked her mom for a loan of three thousand dollars to get started. The money was spent mostly on importing matcha tea from Japan—as well as other herbs and blends to mix in to create different flavors.

Because the money didn’t go far, Luciana took advantage of the kitchen at the restaurant after hours. There, she used her creativi-tea and ran experiments on different blends of teas, which tasted the best, worked to give clarity of mind and had the nicest aromas. When she was confident in her creations, she tried some of them on her co-workers.

After a few months of positive feedback, she decided to build a website and start selling online. She chose the name 3 Leaf Tea. Namely, because tea often grows in 3 leaf combinations along with the bud. Plus, 3LT incorporated her initials.

Now, a few years later, Luciana is not looking back. Her physical store is doing well, and sales from her online store continue to grow: so much so that she is now profiting thousands of dollars per month, all while only a few years out of high school.

So, when the path to success seems far away, remember that you can start small. With consistent work, your idea will eventually hit the boiling point!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • 3 Leaf Tea: Drink up more about this side hustle over on Luciana’s website!
  • Shopify: Luciana used Shopify to set up her site for 3 Leaf Tea, and they’re offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!

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
"Start small—use the resources you have, and work your way up! There’s always a way to start something, even if you think you don’t have time. I would use my one hour break to work on my business, which doesn’t seem like much, but it added up."
—Luciana Torous #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