Tag: Niche Ideas

Breast Cancer Survivor Creates Seatbelt Covers for Patients

What It’s About

A tech consultant and cancer survivor sews a supportive hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Rachel has some advice for people looking to launch a side hustle: “Just start! I meet so many “wantrepreneurs” with so many ideas…but they can get stuck in analysis paralysis. I always tell them to just get your product/service out there already! You’ll figure out the details later — execution is what’s important.”

Fun Fact

The ParkPuff is not Rachel’s first side hustle. After she graduated from design school, Rachel started Rachel Park Designs where she created customizable, made-to-order, fashionable ties. She recently had one of her ties worn by a celebrity to the Emmys!

Notes from Chris

Episode 1032
In September 2014, Rachel Park found a small lump in her breast. She took proper action and went to the doctor to have it checked out. Her fears came true when the doctors confirmed that she had breast cancer. The good news is, after a long process of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, Rachel was eventually declared cancer-free.

But while she was undergoing treatments, she wasn’t able to work full-time in her job as a tech consultant. She also found it difficult to just sit around and do nothing—so her mind drifted back to a project she’d started after college: selling fashionable made-to-order ties. She’d already put that project on hold after her diagnosis, and she certainly had no intention of starting another side hustle during this time.

Yet, she found herself struck with inspiration and a desire to take her mind off her treatments. Her aunt (who is also a cancer survivor) had made Rachel a padded seat belt pillow as a gift. It was a nice gesture and provided comfort, both physical and emotional.

Rachel thought this would be something she could make for other cancer patients. She had always loved fashion and learned to sew at a young age. She was able to take her sewing skills and eye for design to fill the void of not working. So much of having cancer is spent feeling helpless, so this also created a healthy distraction from the treatments.

Using the skills from her career background in tech to approach her product development like a larger project, she made a small sample batch of seat belt pillows and worked with her surgeon to beta test it.

Her surgeon offered it to various patients, with the understanding that Rachel would receive feedback in return. She then took the feedback and adjusted. Once she found a design she was satisfied with, she launched a website and started selling the pillow, which she called the ParkPuff.

Startup costs were minimal. She was able to find nice fabric and supplies at an affordable price. She registered the domain SURVIVORModa.com to highlight being a cancer survivor and her love for fashion. She also registered theparkpuff.com and redirected it to better help people find her.

Rachel currently makes and sells about twenty ParkPuffs per month, which makes it very manageable to keep up with once she started working full-time again.

Thanks to that beta testing effort, a majority of sales come from referrals. She also had a fellow cancer survivor and friend feature her product in a cancer gift guide. Finally, Rachel had the opportunity to partner with a foundation. All of these efforts have allowed her to bring in at least several hundred extra dollars each month.

As for Rachel, her biggest challenge has been learning how to manage her time and energy. She constantly reminds herself to grow with her business rather than trying to create more work or spend more money than necessary.

She still hand sews each product and provides handwritten notes to accompany each purchase. In the future, Rachel may look at manufacturing options to provide the ParkPuff to even more patients. For now, however, she likes doing it all herself.

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
"Creating a product that provides comfort to cancer patients undergoing treatment has been so rewarding. So many people have told me they didn’t even know they needed this."
—Rachel Park #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

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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.
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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

The Cultic Coffee Shop in Aberdeen, Scotland

What It’s About

One couple goes against the coffee culture grind and creates a cult following.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Louise has some great words of encouragement for those with niche ideas, “It takes courage and time to build a niche business; but in the long run that’s what leads to a cool, diverse market. The race to be all things to all people is supermarket economics, and it should be shunned by the independent business scene.”

Fun Fact

The Cult of Coffee’s first customer was in Scotland for a business trip. His home? Seattle.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1029

Not everyone starts a side hustle with dreams of endless riches and quitting their day job. Sometimes it’s just a matter of filling a need. That’s what led Louise and Paul Robertson to open The Cult of Coffee nearly three years ago.

Louise and Paul were frustrated with the difficulty of finding good coffee in their city of Aberdeen, Scotland. The few spots that did have finer roasts also had a bit of an elitist attitude in their service that left them feeling lukewarm. It was from that frustration that their own coffee shop was born, built from the ground up.

To begin, they needed a space. A search brought them to the corner of an old antique store in a busy area. They loved it, but the location needed some serious TLC. Thankfully, renovating a property from top-to-bottom was something they were quite familiar with … because just a year earlier they had completely redone a 17th-century cottage.

But they were busy! Paul and Louise were both working full-time. Plus they were also renting out that refurbished 17th-century cottage, and raising two small children.

In the end, they landed on the industrial interior design that works well for so many cafes, but opted to keep it light with bright colors, white tiling, and pale woods. They ended up stripping down nearly everything, keeping only the original windows, floors, and doors.

On those windows, and throughout the shop, they applied graphics with their logo, a mix of mysterious, almost occult-like, symbols — playing off their shop’s name, the Cult of Coffee. By the time the Cult was ready to open a year later, people passing by found themselves wandering in more with curiosity for what the shop was than for finding a place to buy coffee.

That uninformed curiosity might help explain what happened next. The plan from the beginning was to have The Cult of Coffee only serve coffee and cake. Louise and Paul wanted to be the best, and to do this as a small shop they needed to specialize. However, customers didn’t immediately see it that way. Coming in at lunchtime, they’d be surprised to learn that the shop didn’t serve meals, and that led to the occasional bad review online. Some insisted that The Cult of Coffee would have to expand its menu if it was going to stick around.

But Louise and Paul stuck to their principles. They weren’t about to sacrifice their shop’s identity just to cater to a handful of unsatisfied customers.

This dedication to their vision paid off. In May of 2019, The Cult of Coffee won The Scottish Cafe’s Best Coffee Shop in Scotland award, edging out other well-known and established coffee shops.

The shop’s strong community vibe helps drive people to return again and again. Customers get a real buzz out of being the ones who introduce their friends to “this place they’ve found.” And while The Cult of Coffee has a strong social media presence, they’ve done only minimal paid advertising or marketing. It’s nearly all been through word of mouth and connections.

Louise and Paul never intended to replace their day job income by opening a coffee shop. They wanted the additional source of income, but their vision was mostly built on their desire to see a shop like The Cult of Coffee in their area. Despite the slower growth, the cafe now generates what Louise used to make at her full-time job in 2016. While Paul still works full time, Louise now works just part-time in education, and handles the cafe’s managerial tasks. Thankfully, The Cult of Coffee has a strong team that can handle most of the shop’s daily operations.

The Cult of Coffee is not the story of a side-hustle turned multi-million mega-corporation. Instead, it’s about throwing yourself into a project you believe in, to fill a need yourself when no one else is stepping up. It’s about creating something that brings people together, giving them a place to sit back, relax, and sip on some fantastic coffee.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Sticking true to doing things their own way, Louise and Paul use social media but do not have a website. Learn more and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

 

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
"The race to be all things to all people is supermarket economics, and it should be shunned by the independent business scene."
—Louise and Paul Robertson #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

Unplanned, Plus-Sized Modeling Career Takes Off

What It’s About

Destiny calls when a Craigslist couch purchase launches a six-figure modeling career.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Catherine says that modeling, like many careers, has deal-breakers that some people can’t handle. She suggests to become aware of the less than ideal aspects of a job and ask yourself if you can handle them. In her case, Catherine has to fly alone, be touched by people, and having an inconsistent schedule. Although modeling sounds like a dream job, there are also comfortability factors to consider.

Fun Fact

The first modern model was Marie Worth, the wife of Charles Worth. Charles is commonly known as “the father of haute couture.” He took over the world of fashion in France during the 1800s and would sometimes ask his wife to model the clothes he designed.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1028

Six years ago, Catherine Li had just graduated from college. Right after she finished her degree, she scored a job in LA as a publicist and moved there to kickstart her career.

Unfortunately, that entry-level job paid less than what she needed. Among other things, Catherine had to start paying off her student loans, so she began to look for extra ways to make money.

One day, in the midst of her side hustle search, she and her roommate went to pick up a couch from someone they’d found on Craigslist.

When they got to this person’s home (her name is Danika), Catherine began chatting with her about why she was getting rid of the couch. Danika told her that she was moving to New York to pursue a career in plus-size modeling. Catherine was amazed. Danika had the same body type as her, and she had never seen models that looked like that before.

Catherine’s publicist tendencies took over and she began asking Danika all kinds of questions about modeling, including the all-important money question: can you really get paid to do that? Catherine was blown away with Danika’s response: she said, candidly, that she earned six figures a year.

That chance encounter led Catherine to try her hand at modeling. She quickly had pictures taken and started to apply to model agencies. For a while she didn’t hear anything back, but then Danika’s agency gave her a call and brought her onto the team. (Again, what a great chance encounter!)

From there, she began doing modeling jobs … and these were good gigs. Every day that she modeled, she made somewhere between $800-$1500. Most of these jobs were for modeling clothing to be sold online. Catherine calls this “econ modeling” and says that it is the bread and butter of a modeling career these days.

Now, Catherine herself makes six figures a year from her modeling work (just like Danika) … and she’s used her agency work to create another stream of income in the form of social media posts. Her Instagram account, @catieli, has over 120K followers. For any prospective models, Catherine says that growing your Instagram following is vital… any offers you receive will be proportional to your number of followers.

She has no idea how long she will continue to get modeling jobs as she gets older, so she understands the importance of having other streams of income and skills can be very valuable in the long run.

Of course, she still loves to model and is planning on doing it for as long as she can.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • @catieli: Follow Catherine’s journey through life and modeling on her Instagram account.

 

SEE ALSO:

Fashionista Blogs Her Way to Career Success:

    A thirty-four-year-old fashionista in New York City finds a way to turn the economic crisis into an opportunity promoting affordable fashion while bringing in a profit to keep her flush in designer looks.
  • Electrical Engineer Becomes Romance Novel Cover Model: Turn up the heat! An electrical engineer becomes the cover model for an indie romance series. This leads to a side gig that pays an additional $20-50,000 a year.

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
"There were no mixed-race people, and there were no plus-size people. There was nobody. Throughout the years, I had to learn to accept myself."
—Catherine Li #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

New Mom Recruits 3,000 Chinese Caregivers

What It’s About

Hoping to avoid getting lost in translation, an operations manager creates a site to find Mandarin-speaking caregivers.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Wen faced challenges with her site and working with clients. She has these words of advice and encouragement for those facing issues, “sometimes you need to know when to let go…and learn not to take it too personal.”

Fun Fact

Because many caregivers are immigrants whose degrees are not recognized in the US, many of them are unable to get higher-paying jobs. Amazingly, AyiConnection has been able to help caregivers earn 30-50% more than if they were trying to find caregiving work on their own.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1026

Wen Sav [when sav] was going through a lot of changes. She had just moved to a new state with her family, which included an eight-month-old baby. Still trying to develop a community and thrive at her new job as an operations manager, the transition was rough.

The thing that made everything seem so much harder was that she couldn’t find a Mandarin-speaking caregiver for her baby.

Finally, Wen found the caregiver she’d been searching for—and her new friends, many of them facing the same challenge, were envious. And that’s when Wen got her first big idea: what if she created an agency that could connect families with caregivers for the Chinese community?

Wen started emailing her friends, as well as people on local forums and Facebook groups complaining about not being able to find caregivers. Her offer was simple: the family would pay an application fee, Wen would find a local caregiver she believed would be a good fit, and then the family would pay another fee once there was a successful connection. In total, each connection would earn her a couple of hundred dollars.

To her surprise, without even having a website, she landed nearly ten clients within a couple of weeks just from these cold emails—a clear sign that the demand was there.

She then found a freelancer to help build a simple website for her agency: AyiConnection.com [AH-YEE, which means caregiver or nanny in Chinese]. It only cost her $200, but then came the real investment: tons of time.

She met with every family, learning about their needs, concerns, and preferences. Did their child have special needs? Were they looking for specific cooking skills? and so on.

Then she continued her search for caregivers through local meetups and church groups and got to know them: their skills, availability, and personality. She did background checks. She called references. She confirmed immunizations.

It was exhausting at first—talking to so many people—but once she found patterns in the kinds of questions she was asking, she created checklists and systems to help streamline the research process.

And it paid off. She continually got messages from both families and caregivers thanking her for helping them connect with the right people. Within three months, she had generated over $5,000 in revenue.

It’s now been two years since Wen launched AyiConnection … and it’s working. She now has over 3,000 caregivers and 2,000 families on the platform, with more signing up every day.

And though the website is profitable, Wen is still reinvesting everything back into the platform. She hopes to be able to expand the technology backend to serve other languages and cultures.

She’s now preparing to go full-time in the next year or so (and finally take out more of a salary). But the most rewarding part is the notification she gets on her phone with every new connection made.

 

 

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
"Knowing that I have helped the customer find the right fit, and that the caregiver has been connected with a wonderful family—that joy of fulfilling a purpose outweighed everything else. "
—Wen Sav #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

Mom Finds Love As Dating App Ghostwriter

What It’s About

A stay-at-home mom transforms into an online dating fairy godmother.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Meredith has some encouraging words for those who struggle with fear, “I was nervous about doing something new and had common fears like “what if it fails!” but at the end of the day, I knew fear of failure wasn’t a reason not to try. So my advice is to try it. Worst case it doesn’t work out! Better to try than not and have regrets later.”

Fun Fact

According to research conducted by eHarmony, more than 1 in 5 people have had someone help with their online dating profile. It’s clearly working because the same research shows that 20% of all current committed relationships began online.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1024

In 2015, Meredith Golden was a stay at home mom living in New York City. With two young sons to take care of, her life was quite busy—and living in a bustling city didn’t make things any easier.

Meredith’s friends, however, had problems of a different kind—the dating kind. Meredith herself had been married for over ten years so was out of the scene. In fact, smartphones and dating apps weren’t even a thing last time she was single. Even so, she had her own way of communicating and her flirting skills were on point. These were talents her friends loved to tap in to.

They’d often found themselves asking for advice on how to proceed with someone they’d matched with on a dating app. Meredith always seemed to have the right banter or flirty comment at the ready. By following her advice, her friends often found dating success.

After receiving a lot of praise, Meredith wondered if this specialized skill of hers could be useful outside her circle of friends. Luckily, she was about to enter a period of her life where she could test the idea. Her youngest son had just started preschool which freed up a few hours everyday … so she decided to try offering dating app ghostwriting.

On a whim she made a Facebook post about it. Within three days, Meredith felt like the belle of the ball. The response was tremendous! She received eight thousand, seven hundred likes and comments. The post had gone semi-viral and spread well beyond the people she knew. It seemed like a lot of people out there needed help navigating the treacherous world of dating apps.

She launched her service and called it Spoon Meet Spoon. She already had her first client through the viral Facebook post so she started working on what she’d actually do. At first, Meredith would merely try to replicate what she did for her friends. It went a little something like this…

She’d review the client’s dating app profile and offer advice on improving it. That might be by updating their bio or improving the photos. Then, Meredith would take control of the clients dating profile and handle all the back and forth messaging with their matches.

Soon enough, that first client was going on more dates and having a great time.

Word of mouth spread, and before she knew it she had too many clients to handle and was often working up to twelve hours a day. That was awesome at first, until she realized she wasn’t valuing her time enough and charging too little for the time taken.

So, she came up with a system of pricing packages to maximize her time and offer the best possible service. Her top tier clients would be charged two thousand per month for an initial face to face meeting and daily communication about the engagement and success of their profiles.

Meredith has been featured in several media publications like CNBC and The New York Times. This exposure continues to bring in clients on a regular basis. By only taking on ten to twelve clients at any one time, she’s able to remain focused and provide the best possible ghost writing quality.

Meredith is still incredibly busy, sometimes still working all day and into the evening. On the bright side though, this romantic side hustle has proven to be quite lucrative. Merdith is on track to easily clear six figures in revenue this year.

What started as a hobby helping friends has become a moneymaking project she’s fallen in love with.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Spoon Meet Spoon: Need a little help with your online dating game? Learn more about Meredith and her services at her 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
"I knew the fear of failure wasn’t a reason not to try. So my advice is to try it. Worst case it doesn’t work out! Better to try than not and have regrets later."
—Meredith Golden #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

Father and Son Duo Produce Traveling Play

What It’s About

A father and son turn their separated past into a side hustle, bringing them closer together.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

The first step in getting started would be to just get started. Ahmarr and Coley had no clue how this would pan out when they first began. If they spent too much time overthinking it, they would never have started.

Fun Fact

Ahmarr and Coley enough money from the ticket sales of their first event that it allowed them to cover their costs to perform at a conference in Los Angeles. They were so popular at the conference that the conference allowed them to perform multiple times.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1015

One in twelve American children, or more than 5.7 million kids under the age of eighteen, has had a parent in jail or prison at some point in their lives.

Ahmarr Melton was one of those children. His father, Coley Harris, went to prison when Ahmarr was just two years old and spent the next 14 years there, missing out on most of his son’s childhood.

When Coley was released, the pair wanted to find a way to rebuild their relationship. Both had responsibilities that made it difficult to find time, so they began to schedule weekly walks where they could spend time catching up. They knew that there were a lot of other people out there dealing with situations like these, but they lacked guidance and a model of how to rebuild a bond that had been damaged.

As part of their rebonding, the two began writing Out of the Ashes, a one-act, spoken-word play detailing their reconciliation process. Coley had some writing experience, having previously authored two books.

The pair called several venues looking for the best space for their performance. When they found one that worked, they had the play and the venue… they just needed an audience. They promoted this first show through Facebook ads—and the response in terms of RSVPs was tremendous… but almost no one showed up.

The father-son duo persisted, putting on other shows wherever they could, but now putting more emphasis on getting people to come out. The good news is that there is typically at least one person in the audience for each performance who wants to book the show for an organization they’re involved with.

In fact, the show was so successful that it turned into a cottage industry. The play is now the basis for speaking engagements, workshops, and even a DVD they’ve produced. In keeping with the theme of family bonds, Ahmarr’s stepmother came on board to help with booking and promotion.

Start-up costs were around $900 which was for setting up the LLC, purchasing their business license, booking the first venue, some graphic design work, and hiring the DJ who is part of the show. Annual profits are around $50,000 and a big chunk of that is from their contract with the state of Delaware for the programs they bring to schools.

This media-based side hustle is ripe for expansion—and Ahmarr and Coley plan to do just that. Next, they’re starting a podcast called Missing Dad, where they’ll interview adult children whose fathers were incarcerated about the impact that had on their lives. They are also working on a movie script.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Out of the Ashes: Learn more about Ahmarr and Coley, their story, and their play at 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

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 of the experience has been being able to work in a business with my father. We’ve spent so much time apart and that makes this venture that much more special."
—Ahmarr Melton #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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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.
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Keep in Touch

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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Loan Officer Increases Income With Signature Move

What It’s About

A loan officer signs onto a notary-worthy side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Jon started this side hustle in 2008 because he knew that having a day job just wasn’t going to cut it. He wasn’t built for a 9-5, and many people aren’t. His parents always had a small business on top of their “jobs”, and starting a side hustle was a way for him to keep that entrepreneurial spirit alive.

Fun Fact

Jon has done signings where there were pigs running around inside the house. He’s done signings where a parrot kept telling him to “shut the #$%@ up”. He’s even gone out in hurricanes to do paperwork and has seen waterspout tornadoes. All in a day’s work for a Notary Signing Agent.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1013

Jon Snedeker had recently graduated college with seventy thousand dollars in student loan debt. The constant burden hanging over his head was awful. His job as a loan officer paid decently, but it was the very definition of the average 9-5 grind. It would take him years to earn enough to both support his lifestyle and pay off the massive bill he’d racked up for his education.

Jon knew that to knock out that debt as quickly as possible he’d need additional income. In other words, he needed a side hustle … so he was on the lookout for the right one.

Although he had the motivation and the goal, he wasn’t sure how to go about achieving it. All he knew for certain was that whatever he did had to fit a few important criteria. First, it would have to be done outside normal working hours. Second, it had to pay well to justify the extra work he’d be doing. Third, it should be interesting and fun.

Knowing what he was looking for helped Jon keep his eyes open for opportunities. And, funny enough, a suitable one walked right through the front door at his office job, during work hours no less.

As a loan officer, Jon helped people sort through and decide which loan and terms were best for them. It was a very bureaucratic process, and one that needed a lot of documents signed and notarized. In the business Jon worked at, there was one gentleman who came in, notarized all the signatures, and then delivered the documents where they needed to go.

Jon got to talking to him one day. He learned that being a notary signing agent could be a pretty lucrative gig, paying anywhere from seventy five to two hundred dollars per signing. On top of that, the work could often be done outside business hours and was very easy. In other words, it checked all the boxes for his dream side hustle. Jon was ready to sign on the dotted line.

At first, he would only commit to notarizing documents in between 6 and 8pm, after his day job was done. But, even with that restriction, it didn’t take long to get his first customer. He remembers it vividly because he was paid one hundred dollars for a half hours’ ‘work’—if you can call it that. He simply sat there and instructed two people on where to sign and date their loan documents. This first customer was a very good sign of things to come.

Over the coming months and years, Jon committed to turning his part-time project into his full-time gig. He figured, if he could earn over forty-five thousand per year it would be enough for him to quit work as a loan officer and become a full-time signing agent.

Depending on how much he works, which is completely up to him, he’s earned up to eighty five thousand dollars per year from his former side hustle, now full-time gig.

That success has produced a desire for Jon to pay it forward. He enjoys the job so much he’s created an online course called Notary Signing Agent Blueprint. It’s his way of helping people who are looking for a flexible side hustle no matter where they are on their journey in life.

Jon, we’re in, where do we sign?

 

 

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
"This side hustle has allowed me to support my parents, become full time, and now pay it forward to others. You serve yourself, through serving others."
—Jon Snedeker #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

RV Nomads Help Fellow Travelers Get Online

What It’s About

On the road for over 13 years, this nomadic couple teaches others how to start their own adventure.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Really assess what your unique ‘thing’ is. What do you enjoy doing that could be turned into an income earning pursuit? In our case, we had stumbled into a niche – all we needed to do was decide to make it a priority. We tapped into an existing and proven demand out of something we were already doing for free.

Fun Fact

It’s estimated that 1 million Americans now live in RVs and call the highways and byways of the USA home. This number should only grow higher as more people turn their back on conventional society for a more simple life. There will be plenty of opportunities for those wanting to enter this market in the coming years.

This nomadic couple are proof that you never know where the road will take you. If you follow it, you might just end up somewhere great that you never expected.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1001

When Chris Dunphy and Cherie Ve Ard packed up an RV in 2006, they traded their homebound lifestyle for the open road. They both worked remotely, and without ties to a traditional office they figured it could be a fun way to live … at least for a while. It turned out that they were embarking on what would become at least a thirteen year adventure.

They took to the lifestyle right away. Without the constraints of a daily commute or office politics, they found themselves with extra time and headspace … so they decided to start a travel blog. They called it Technomadia and they wrote about their road trippin’ ways across the country while working full time. Much of the content centered around RV specific items like solar power, batteries and accessing the internet while on the go.

Over time, Chris and Cherie built up some solid traffic and with it, an audience. That audience loved to ask questions, especially about that last topic, mobile internet. How to access it? Which plans were best? What did they do when something went wrong? The questions often came in so rapidly that responding to them all was a part-time, unpaid job!

This went on for several years until, in 2013 they received some terrible news. Cherie’s father—and business partner—had passed away. It was a trying time for the couple. Cherie found the best recovery was to keep herself busy, so she took on a side project.

She went through their existing blog posts, as well as all the questions they’d received from their visitors, and compiled them into a guide entitled The Mobile Internet Handbook.

Taken on as a pet project, neither Chris nor Cherie expected much from it. They listed it for sale on their site and continued life as RV nomads on the open road. A few sales rolled in … but then their RV stopped rolling shortly thereafter courtesy of an engine break down.

Interestingly, during that time their book began to take on a life of its own and sales revved up. Simultaneously, the questions they received from readers only increased. Many of the questions were the same—which sometimes felt like driving around in circles.

In response, they opened a Facebook group targeting RV nomads who were interested in mobile internet and working from anywhere. The idea being, with a community behind things, it might take the pressure off them to answer questions. The community as a whole could help each other out. But, this plan turned out to be a dead end. The questions kept coming, even faster than before.

Expressing this dismay with members of the group led one of them to make a suggestion. Their idea was for Cherie and Chris to consider a premium membership. Members could pay in exchange for more content and advice. At least then they’d be getting paid for all their efforts.

It seemed like a ridiculous idea, but they decided to give it a try. By now, the handbook needed updating so they put up a crowdsourcing campaign to fund a rewrite. One of the reward tiers included this premium membership. To their surprise, one hundred people signed up and prepaid for The Mobile Internet Resource Center.

At first, they had a modest goal to make a hundred dollars per day. Three thousand per month would be plenty of cash for them to stay afloat, especially with their frugal lifestyle… but they drove past that goal in two months flat! They kept adding content, and memberships kept increasing.

That resource now pays the couple an equivalent salary to working in a major tech hub like San Francisco or New York—but instead of living in those high cost cities, they’re able to earn it while travelling the country in their RV.

 

 

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
"Really assess what your unique ‘thing’ is. What do you enjoy doing that could be turned into an income earning pursuit?"
—Chris Dunphy and Cherie Ve Ard #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

Short Order Cook Turns Pancake Art Into Six-Figure Business

What It’s About

A line cook uses his fun talent and stacks up a six-figure business.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Don’t discredit your talents, especially the ones that bring people joy. It could be the next big side hustle idea.

Fun Fact

Pancakes are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, which is known as “Pancake Day” in Canada, the United Kingdom Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, and “Pancake Tuesday” in Ireland and Scotland. (Shrove Tuesday is better known in the United States, France, and other countries as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.) Historically, pancakes were made on Shrove Tuesday so that the last of the fat or lard was used up before Lent. No meat products should be eaten during Lent. Re: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancake

Notes from Chris

Episode 1000

How does a diner cook on the graveyard shift end up bringing in $450,000 a year as the co-owner of a brand that makes pancake art? It’s a pan-tastic story, and a great example of what happens when weird and wonderful talent comes together.

In the beginning, there was just Dan, a man with a pan–but no plan.

Dan is Daniel Drake, a short-order cook in St. Louis, Missouri who discovered one day that a smiley-face pancake could bring in a $15 tip on an otherwise slow day at the diner. From that first funny flapjack came the revelation that would change everything: pancakes don’t have to be round … and they can take on any kind of design and shape you can pour into a griddle. A few layering tricks later, and Dan was “the man” of the diner, using colored batter to draw and create incredibly detailed characters and logos out of pancakes.

It started when a customer asked if he could create his pancake art at a party. At this point, Dan had never taken his edible art on the road, but he agreed to the gig. Then he turned to his buddy Hank and said – “I just promised to do pancake art at a party. Can you help me figure this out?”

Dan and Hank then did a bunch of house and birthday parties in St. Louis, learning along the way. It was literally a messy process. Hank also had a side hustle as a video producer and created music videos for bands. So it was natural for him to use his skills to make videos of the pancake art creations, which they began to post online.

Images of Dan making a pancake in the shape of a Super Mario Bros Mushroom went viral and hit the front page of Reddit. That’s when the Today Show came calling and Dancakes the company was off and running. By the time they de-planed from their appearance on the show, their phones were filled with requests for events.

Birthday parties, weddings, and trade show appearances were all part of making the Dancakes concept sell like, well, hotcakes. They’ve been asked to create pancake portraits of professional team logos.

Over the past four years, Dancakes has made an estimated 1,500 appearances around the world. Hank says he had to learn how to negotiate with companies like Disney to make sure that Dancakes got full credit for images and the right price for what they produced. He says now, “if you have concerns, voice them. The worst they can say is no.”

As the business grew, the two held back on cashing in on the perks of fame, opting instead to invest back into the business for necessities like a studio for professional kitchen shots and better video equipment.

Eventually, Dancakes was ready to hire additional pancake artists and they hired four others. The team has made pancake art a go-to medium for the MLB and NFL Networks, and partnerships with Hulu and Netflix. They have traveled the world taking their pancake art to countries including Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and Brazil. And in 2019, Dancakes brought in $450,000.

The company anticipates 2020 will be another banner year as a pancake art home kit hits the market, complete with a special pan and batter bottles. They have a licensing deal with a company that will produce and distribute the kit while they maintain creative control. Dan and Hank have flipped over a new way of life.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Dancakes Learn more about Dan, Hank, and their amazing works of edible art at their website
  • Watch how the Dancakes artists make their amazing works of art at their Dancakes Instagram account and Dancakes YouTubepage.

 

SEE ALSO:

Hip Hop Glitter Pendants Sell $60,000 on Instagram:

    A web developer and a faceless artist in Florida team up with celebrities on Instagram to promote hip hop glitter pendants. Thug life has never looked so shiny!
  • It’s No Joke: Prank Musical Greeting Card Earns $36,000/Month: What starts as a silly idea to make a musical greeting card with no off-switch turns into a multiple six-figure, nonstop success for two brothers.

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
"Be in the moment. Everything is temporary and the joy right now is the only joy there is. So soak it up."
—Hank Gustafson & Dan Drake #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