Tag: Reselling

13-Year-Old Australian Creates Schoolyard Lollipop Fortune

What It’s About

A schoolyard side hustler finds sweet success in lollipop reselling!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

One main thing we can take away from today’s episode is that the principles of reselling apply no matter the cost of the item you’re selling.

If you can learn to do this with lollipops, you can do it with other things too! Lucy’s 120% profit margin is really great but not terribly unusual. And since Lucy has already mastered the candy industry, she’s already thinking about what she can buy and resell next. What if in the future she’s able to purchase something for $10 and sell it for $20? Or for $100, and then resell it for $200. Or better yet, what if you could do that?

Fun Fact

Lucy is very health conscious and rarely eats any of the lollipops herself, and if she does, she always ‘pays’ for it by adding 50¢ from her personal account to her business account. She also makes her younger brother (age 11) and sister (age 4) pay for them. As a matter of fact, she has never given a freebie!

Side note: Way to hold that line, Lucy! You start giving out lollipops one day, and the next day it’s communism.

Notes from Chris

Episode 310

Lucy Maifreddy may only be 13-years old, but she already has a second job in addition to her school duties getting paid $20 a day driving tractors and cleaning equipment on the family farm. Lucy’s family lives in a rural area of North Queensland, and they spend many hours in the car each week listening to podcasts. Side Hustle School just happens to be their favorite.

Because homework and driving tractors are not enough for this enterprising teen, she has decided to make some extra money. Using startup capital from her farm gig, she purchased lollipops in bulk, which she then resells to eager customers—AKA other students—at her school.

Lucy lives on the family farm in a rural area of North Queensland with students traveling by bus up to 50 km away. What could make that long trip home more endurable? Why a delicious candy, of course! Lucy noticed that her school didn’t cater to those with a sweet tooth, so she knew that the market was prime for a business that did. After some deliberation, she decided that she would relieve that transportation boredom by reselling lollipops to her fellow students. She chose lollipops because they last for a long time which means that kids feel like they are getting good value out of their purchase. That and living in the tropics meant that chocolates and most other confections are not feasible investments since they’re prone to melting.

Buying the lollipops in bulk, she can get them for around 19¢ each and then turn around and sell them at school for 50¢ making 31¢ profit on each one, and she sells between 50 and 75 per day with very little effort.

She has around $1,000 saved from the last couple of months of work and her side hustle and is looking at purchasing some products such as pencil cases and earrings that she can sell at school using her Instagram account for advertising.

But the lollipop hustle is not without challenges—I’m not going to sugarcoat it.

The major downside she said is that her pants are always falling down from all the change in her pocket. Perhaps an investment in a belt or change purse might be an appropriate startup expense!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Chupa Chups: The only lollipop that gets Lucy’s highly coveted stamp of reselling approval

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
"As her mother, I have seen a total change in her attitude towards everything; she has become very focused and driven and her school work has improved dramatically. She has struggled in the past, but her newfound confidence has seen her become more involved in class. I couldn’t be more proud of her."
—Melissa Maifredi #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Cook with Blue Apron!

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

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

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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


Here's How

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Florida Man Leads Scooter Tours After Watching Macklemore Video

What It’s About

Texas man rolls his way to a successful tourism based side hustle in Florida.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If anything can be said about Jordan, it’s that he’s incredibly resourceful. He used his knowledge and experience in web development as leverage to get both the Kickbikes he would use for his tours and starting spots that he needed. Everyone has some skill or experience that they can offer, and sometimes that can be something that helps you cut costs when you’re building your side hustle. What kind of skill or experience can you offer?

Fun Fact

20 years ago, Hannu Vierikko, a Finnish doctor and adventure enthusiast, invented the transformative Kicksled, an innovative new dogsled that forever changed the competitive mushing world. Looking for a way to train with his dogs in the summer months, the Kickbike was invented.

Notes from Chris

Episode 305

Jordan Crowder is an independent side hustler who wears tank tops and a pair of boardshorts to work most days, but back in 2013, he was working a typical job as a marketing and art director for a major corporation in Dallas, Texas. Wanting to break free from his golden handcuffs, Jordan worked his way into a full-time remote position with the goal of eventually moving his wife and two young daughters to their dream destination—a little stretch of paradise in the Florida Panhandle called 30A (fun fact: where The Truman Show with Jim Carrey was filmed).

Not knowing a soul on 30A, and having to support his family, he decided to not tell his employer that he was moving (in his words “Hey, I was remote, so what’s the difference?!”). Of course, he still did his job well, but in the back of his mind, he knew the clock was gradually counting down until a more permanent change would be required.

So, being the resourceful person that he is, he looked around his newfound paradise for new opportunities.

One thing he noticed during his research was that—like many beach towns—bikes, skateboards, and walking were the preferred methods of transportation on the 30A. Not one to just stick with the status quo, Jordan started looking into other unique methods and products that he could bring to this newfound adventurous pedestrian market.

Not long after that, Jordan had what he calls his “AHA!” moment…

You might be familiar with the music video for Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop,” in which the artist embracing the values of frugality and bargain-basement shopping, undertakes an anthropological exploration to a number of secondhand stores in search of formerly unwanted items. In that magnum opus, Macklemore famously promised to take your grandpa’s style…

In addition to all of that, in parts of the video the artist Macklemore is seen riding on an old school scooter, Jordan began to wax nostalgic about his early days spent meandering about on his old mongoose scooter. And when he went to find an adult version, he stumbled on KickbikeUS. Jordan was blown away and thought, “THIS IS AMAZING!!!!! It’s like some incredible Scandinavian team of designers and engineers were reading my diary!”

The 30A road ran along an absolutely amazing coastline dotted with a dozen vibrant, little beach communities that each boasted their own unique vibe and flavor, and Jordan thought that Kickbikes would provide the perfect vehicle for a fit and fun tour that would enable people to get ‘off 30A’ and see another side of this incredible place he called home. Thus, Jordan’s Kickbike tour side hustle was born!

He ended up leaving the corporation in Dallas in order to freelance as a web developer and marketing expert full time, and his Kickbike tours and online sales commissions are bringing in around $1,700-2,700 a month!

All in all, Jordan says that starting and running his Kickbike tours has been a fun ride, and he’s thinking about what comes next. Maybe he’ll roll his way into markets where the adult scooter trend hasn’t yet kicked its way down the road.

 

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

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
"Sometimes, to get the job of your dreams, you have to dream up the job, hire yourself, and then quickly prove you belong there."
—Jordan Crowder #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get a FREE Audiobook from Audible!

Audible is offering SHS listeners a free copy of the Born For This audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. 📚

Just go to aonc.co/bftaudible and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs and start listening.
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

Sneaker Fan Flips Shoes For $1,000 A Month

What It’s About

Sneaker enthusiast flips sweet kicks for profit!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

For anyone looking to enter a similar industry, Chris says it’s paramount to know your product and what your buyer is looking for. You won’t be able to resell all products and you have to be flexible to what the market is looking for, not just your own tastes.

Fun Fact

It’s not unusual for sneakers to sell for well into the five-figure range, with signed Air Jordans retailing for up to $60,000 a pair!

Notes from Chris

Episode 290

Chris Casseday has been obsessed with sneakers since he was 10 years old. When the rest of his peers were playing video games, trading baseball cards or watching cartoons, he’d be pestering his dad to take him to the mall to look at shoes.

But even then, he wasn’t looking for the hottest kicks to stand out in the schoolyard, instead, he’d found a way to turn a profit. Stumbling across a rare pair of shoes in his local mall, Chris used $125 of money he’d saved up to buy the shoes, and then put them on eBay as soon as he got home. Within five minutes he’d sold them for $325 and was looking to repeat his success.

Chris still employs much the same business model. And this year he decided to take that business model into 2017 and beyond by starting his own e-commerce website, 513 Kicks (referencing his area code in Cincinnati).

His goal with a pair of sneakers is always to double his profits. If he’s going to invest in a pair for $50, he needs to be confident he can make $100 when it comes time to sell them. It would be possible to work at lower profit margins, but it’s not always worth the time and effort that goes into it. Still, he’s averaging around $1000 per month in profit.

Looking to the future, Chris wants to increase awareness of the brand through social media, and use the money he’s making to invest in new pairs so he can update his stock daily.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • 513 Kicks: See what kind of kicks Chris is hustling today on his website
  • One.com & WordPress: The web hosting service combo that Chris used for 513 Kicks

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
"It is important to find the right products and then know the selling market. Supply and demand is obviously crucial to all markets, and this definitely applies to selling sneakers online."
—Chris Casseday #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

Couple Turn Unwanted Furniture Into $1,000 Per Month

What It’s About

One man’s trash is another man’s side hustle—couple refurbishes unwanted furniture and turn it around for profit!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you’re looking to start a similar business, Jamie says there are two practices you’ll need to have:

1) You should never sell a piece at a loss, even though it’s tempting to take lower prices when you’re first starting out. You should keep in mind the time, effort and money to put into the piece and sell it for what it’s worth.

2) You should set up a pricing system for buying pieces should you not be able to find them for free. For example, Lindsay will never pay more than $60 for a dresser, even though she knows she could sell it for a $300-$400 when it’s complete. This helps to regulate the costs and invest in the pieces that are most worth your time.

Fun Fact

Did you know furniture accounts for over 9.8 million tons of household waste in the US each year? If you’re handy and interest in DIY, upcycling these unwanted items could be your next big side hustle [source].

Notes from Chris

Episode 287

Have you ever heard the old saying, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure? Well for furniture upcyclers Lindsay and Jamie Larue in Ottawa, it’s helped form the basis of their side hustle.

The couple have been finding unwanted pieces of wooden furniture in their local Ottawa area and breathing new life into them for close to a decade. Partly as a hobby, partly to help affordably decorate their home with unique pieces of furniture. And with so many years practice under their belts, they began to get pretty good at it.

When it came time for Jamie to reduce his hours at the bank he worked for and “carve” out more time at home with his pre-school aged children, it was the perfect side hustle option. Jamie could work from home during the day while Lindsay was at her day job, and Lindsay could work from home in the evenings when Jamie went back to the bank. This allowed them to increase their household income, save on childcare costs and pick and choose how much work they took on each month.

It was also a cheap side hustle to start. Most of the unwanted furniture they work with can be found for free using classified ads, websites and garage sales, meaning the only real investment the pair would have to make would be around $40 on paint and parts. All of which can be factored into the final price of the piece!

But before they began Casa Azul Ottawa, the business they named after their bright blue family home, they wanted to test their idea to see if it was profitable.

The logistics of working out of a family home can be quite challenging, but they discovered an easy and fun way for them to bring in an additional $500-$1,000/month with Casa Azul Ottawa. It also gave them a chance to connect and work together to build something, and the Larues show no sign of slowing down.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Casa Azul Ottawa: Check out some of the pieces Lindsey and Jamie have flipped in their spare time on their website
  • Kijiji: The online classified advertising service that Lindsey and Jamie used to promote their finished products in order to generate sales

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
"Take action. If you have an idea, and the start up cost is $0 to minimal, go for it!"
—Lindsay & Jamie Larue #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Cook with Blue Apron!

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

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

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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


Here's How

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Boring Desk Job Leads to $14,000/month Coffee Pod Biz

What It’s About

A unique spin on coffee pods leads to six-figure side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

With a few Google searches, Jack and Mike learned that a company in Australia was making Nespresso-compatible pods in a variety of flavors, and offering them for sale at a much lower price than the official ones. Jack requested samples, and when they arrived, they fit the machines perfectly—and they also tasted good.

Research, research, research! And ask for multiple samples so that you get a feel for the quality of the product. It’s always better to research and test before putting in an order with a manufacturer.

Fun Fact

In addition to basic coffee pods in various flavors, you can also get decaffeinated hot chocolate mint, hot chocolate hazelnut, hot chocolate caramel, and the list goes on. And yes, there’s even a milkshake flavor.

Notes from Chris

Episode 280

In 2015, Jack Bramhall was living in Greater Manchester, England, working in an office in a job he described as “not worth talking about it because it was boring.” Like many of his colleagues, every day he’d visit the coffee machine, which at his office was a Nespresso machine—one of the kinds that required little pods to make coffee. He knew that his office manager sometimes had a hard time ordering the pods since the manufacturer required a very large minimum order to get wholesale pricing.

In addition to that annoyance, Jack also wondered why you could only make coffee from the pods. Why couldn’t you make hot chocolate or even something like a milkshake?

He’d always wanted to have a business. He left school at age 16 to work full-time and had tried several different ideas before, but none had taken off. Maybe this idea would stick.

Exactly two years in, mugpods is generating multiple six-figures in annual income and were recently featured as the Business of the Week by their local paper in Manchester, England. The partners have reinvested in the business to make sure it can continue to be successful, but Mike now works on the business full-time. Jack focuses his time on automating more parts of the business so they can grow, but both founders still continue to pack pods every day.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • mugpods: Interested in how you can make milkshakes with a coffee pod machine? Head on over to Jack and Mike’s website!

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

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
"I’m proud of what we have been able to achieve in such a small space of time. When a customer hears our story they are always impressed—thinking we are a huge corporation with millions of pounds behind us! The truth is we are small business of coffee and hot chocolate lovers."
—Jack Bramhall #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get a FREE Audiobook from Audible!

Audible is offering SHS listeners a free copy of the Born For This audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. 📚

Just go to aonc.co/bftaudible and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs and start listening.
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

16-Year-Old Earns $10,000+ Selling Watches

What It’s About

A trip to Aruba leads two high schoolers to an unlikely (and lucrative) side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Doug advises several young entrepreneurs and always recommends two things: that they carry a notebook with them at all times to jot down their thoughts or ideas, and that they talk about their idea or side hustle as much as possible before diving into it so they can get important feedback on whether their idea is actually needed and can generate a profit.

Fun Fact

Doug was barely 18 when he began promoting events, and he discovered that nightclubs were the perfect setting for promoting and selling his budding watch brand. They’d sell a few hundred watches a night in addition to what they made at the event: they’d charge a cover at the door and receive a percentage of the bar from the owner. So we’re talking $25 ticket sales for 500 to 600 people who typically spend between $25 to $150 at the bar each night, as well as a few hundred watch sales. Doug said he was making more than any college kid he knew!

Notes from Chris

Episode 275

Doug started his side hustle in an unlikely place—while on vacation in Aruba with his best friend Brendan. The security guard at their hotel was wearing a brightly colored watch with a silicone band. Doug had never seen a watch like at in the U.S. before, so he asked the guy wearing the watch how much it cost. The security guard told him he could have it for $5. Doug and Brendan thought it would cost around $20 and told him they’d be happy to pay the full retail price. The security guard told them the watches were only $3 in the shop down the street. When Doug went to the store, he found dozens of interchangeable bands and faces—and sure enough, they were $3.

The watch had the website ss.com imprinted on it, so when Doug and Brendan went home, they contacted ss.com and learned that they were not planning to enter the U.S. market. They offered to provide them the licensing rights to manufacture the product and sell it under their own name at no cost, so long as they used them as a manufacturer.

They got started by marketing and selling them at the high school they were enrolled at, but what started as a modest school side hustle for Doug and Brendan quickly developed into something so much more. After getting celebrity endorsements through YouTube influencers, the DBFLY Watches brand grew. Doug even got the watches distributed in Shop-rite and Urban Outfitters using connections he had with people in the retailing industry.

Doug and his cofounder made about $20,000 in profit from the watch company before they decided to switch their attention to their new startup, University Beyond. Not a bad little side hustle—especially for a couple of teenagers!

Don’t you think it’s time for you to start your new side hustle?

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • DBFLY Watches: While Doug and Brendan are no longer in the watch selling biz, you can still check out the watch brand they started on this website
  • University Beyond: The startup that Doug and Brendan run now that serves as a marketplace for students and brands to connect and collaborate
  • ss.com: The manufacturer for the DBFLY watches that allowed Doug and Brendan the option to sell the watches under their own name free of charge
  • ShopRite & Urban Outfitters: Two of the retail stores that Doug and Brendan sold their watches out of

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
"From my advisors to clients, to other “hustlers” I’ve met along the way, it’s inspiring to be surrounded by equally as motivated and often times more successful people every day. You are also learning every day from those peers which adds value to your day job, as well as your general business acumen."
—Doug Messer #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get a FREE Audiobook from Audible!

Audible is offering SHS listeners a free copy of the Born For This audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. 📚

Just go to aonc.co/bftaudible and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs and start listening.
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

Brother-and-Sister Turn Dad’s Medical Practice Into Online Store

What It’s About

A family comes together to create and run a profitable ecommerce site selling dermatology products.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Even if you’re not very tech savvy, there’s something to be said about expanding your side hustle online. Jason’s father’s practice was doing just fine on its own, but his product line was able to jump from 10 brands to over 50 within the first year! When you expand your audience, you expand your sales, and there’s no greater market than the internet.

Fun Fact

Jason isn’t the first to turn a profit from a dermatology side hustle. Dr. Kathy Fields and Dr. Katie Rodan also started a side hustle, Rodan + Fields, which is now worth over $1 billion.

Notes from Chris

Episode 251

For ten years Jason Parks watched his father sell physician-strength dermatological products from his practice. Stocking ten brands, his father capitalized on a small audience and grew his own income by helping pair the right patient with the right product for their problem.

Jason has always felt there was more of a market for the products and when he decided he wanted to start a side hustle around his day job as the owner of a digital agency, he felt it was time to find the true potential of these products.

Because of the nature of the products they can only be sold by dermatologists and not at your local CVS or Target. And Jason knew that limited supply meant there would be a high level of demand.

Bringing his father in as a business partner, Jason spent a year investing his early mornings and weekends into building an e-commerce store he called DermWarehouse.

He enlisted the help of his sister, who helped create relationships with brands and vendors, expanding the original ten brands her father had worked with to a whopping 54 brands by end of the first year. And, to complete the family tree, Jason’s mother joined the team to help with the shipping, warehousing and logistical sides of the business. Working with the family, Jason says, has been one of the best parts of the entire undertaking.

The hard work of everyone paid off eventually and DermWarehouse went on to make $30,000 in its eighth month of business. Going forward Jason is looking to capitalize on DermWarehouse’s early growth, expand their awareness through social media and help pair more people with the right solution for their skin.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • DermWarehouse: Check out the Parks family’s full skincare lineup on 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
"Regardless of what business you are starting, you need a professional website. Make sure your website is great and everything else will follow."
—Jason Parks #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get a FREE Audiobook from Audible!

Audible is offering SHS listeners a free copy of the Born For This audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. 📚

Just go to aonc.co/bftaudible and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs and start listening.
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

Woman Uses Language Skills to Import Moroccan Jewelry

What It’s About

A Moroccan jewelry import business in the United States.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Moroccan culture is very relationship oriented, as opposed to the United States which is very transactional. Moroccans rely on personal connections to facilitate business, and they often want to know that you’re a good person with strong values so they can trust you in the business dealings. So building new relationships with craftspeople took some time.

It’s important to understand that culture and language are not the same thing when you’re working with other countries. In order to conduct business successfully, you have to have a thorough understanding and acceptance of their unique values and business methods, and in my opinion, these skills are more valuable than hard business skills for a side hustle like Erica’s.

Fun Fact

Since Erica has red hair and looks very Northern European, when she first meets people in Morocco they assume she speaks French. When she starts speaking not just Arabic, but Moroccan Arabic people are usually pleasantly surprised.

Notes from Chris

Episode 238

Erica El Hilali’s Moroccan journey started back in 2006 when she studied abroad there as a college student. She loved the country, especially the style, but as a political science major, she never thought of starting her own Moroccan-inspired business.

If you do have an MBA or studied marketing as an undergrad, that’s fine, here you are. But I actually think some other subjects are more interesting to prepare you for learning all the things I talk about: the power of observation, choosing between different ideas, turning your idea into an offer, and getting your offer out into the world.

But Morocco called to her and she made many trips back and forth over the years, eventually falling in love and marrying a Moroccan man in 2008. She soon learned that she had actually married into an entire Moroccan family and that she needed to learn Arabic so that she could communicate with her in-laws and entire extended family. Which is how she’s spent a big part of the last ten years of her life to learning Moroccan Arabic, as well as immersing herself in the culture, cuisine, and fashion. With one foot in America—Minnesota to be specific—and one foot in Morocco, Erica realized that she was perfectly situated to facilitate cultural exchange, in the form of bringing Moroccan style and fashion to the U.S.

And that’s how Casablanca Exchange was born!

With the help of her sister-in-law, who lives in Morocco, Erica set about sourcing jewelry that would be in the Moroccan tradition, but that any western woman would feel comfortable wearing. Erica decided on the styles that she liked and provided this information to her sister-in-law who went out and found different suppliers.

So far, the first few months have been a great success! The first month she brought in just under $1,000 in revenue and the second month she surpassed that by bringing in $1,300.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Casablanca Exchange: See some of Erica’s Moroccan wares on her website!
  • GoDaddy: The online platform that Erica used to host 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

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

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

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

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

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

Quote of the Day
"The hardest part was starting. Once started, it’s been really rewarding. All the tools to do this kind of international business are easy and readily available for the average person to use now. Anyone can do this."
—Erica El Hilali #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

Bedridden Marketing Director Pops Tags at Thrift Shop

What It’s About

A Connecticut woman perseveres and creates a side hustle reselling unique vintage items.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Jillian’s startup costs were minimal and mainly included a small investment in inventory of maybe $50, but the vast majority of her inventory comes from her friends and family. When she was getting started, she put the word out that she was on the hunt for vintage. People were happy to have Jillian clean out their attics or that they could drop stuff off, that they would just give it to her.

As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Is there something that you could use that others are looking to get rid of? Find a way that you both can win!

Fun Fact

About two months after launch, Valley Vintage received an order from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon for a pair of men’s platform shoes, leopard print with an acrylic heel that featured a pair of dice inside.

Jillian’s not sure if the shoes were featured on the show. “I didn’t want to be a total fangirl about it, even though in my heart I was dying to know! So I sent a message politely thanking him for his purchase and mentioned I was a fan if they needed anything in the future to not hesitate to contact me. I left it at that. So if anyone remembers seeing any crazy shoes on the Tonight Show…”

Notes from Chris

Episode 234

Jillian Lyons is an early adopter. She was selling her crafts and jewelry on Etsy shortly after it launched way back in 2005. As a marketing director by day, that original hustle grew out of need, when after being diagnosed with Stage 3 Cancer in three places, she had to get a less stressful job.

She took a position selling women’s shoes at Macy’s—and hated it—and also started selling her handmade crafts and jewelry on the site. Before she knew it, she was running a little side business from her bedroom—quite literally from her sickbed.

The first official sale with her new side hustle was almost immediate. Through her original Etsy shop, she learned a definite formula to selling online, which included planning and consistency.

Now, several months in, Valley Vintage sees an average monthly profit that ranges between $500 and $1,200. While there is an ebb and flow typical of fashion retail, sales get better every year and business is more predictable, Jillian said.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Valley Vintage LLC: Trip back in time and take a gander at Jillian’s unique vintage finds on her Etsy page
  • The Freecycle Network: A grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns
  • The Vintage Fashion Guild: The website Jillian utilized for its resources on fabric and labels and the tips and tricks she picked up from fellow thrifters

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
"Every time I want to learn something, I go out and experience it and research it. I learned that a traditional boutique was not for me, lol, but the point is—I learned! Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to get hands-on!"
—Jillian Lyons #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

Man Buys 100 Animal Skulls from Bali; Turns $10,000 Into $60,000

What It’s About

A San Francisco man ships a unique item from Bali to the U.S. so that others can enjoy their art and culture minus the the steep customs fee.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Upon his return from Bali and after a few Google searches, Michael found that the skulls were retailing for over $300 in the USA—a whole $220 more than he’d seen in Bali—and immediately he was struck with an idea for his next side hustle. He knew he couldn’t be the only traveler in the world who’d wanted to bring a skull back and been unable to, and if he could make a good profit helping people solve that problem, why not try and turn it into a business?

Fun Fact

Research in the Academy Of Management Journal reports a high correlation between time spent abroad and new, more creative, ideas (1). So maybe you should head on vacation for your next Side Hustle idea!

Notes from Chris

Episode 222

What if you could go to Bali or somewhere else in the world…and come back with something to sell? Well, in today’s episode, Michael Sindicich goes on vacation to Bali in order to take a break from his stressful 70 hour San Francisco work weeks and find a little corner of the world where he could relax. And one night, taking a stroll amongst the Indonesian markets and boutiques, he happened upon a stall filled with Balinese carved skulls and instantly fell in love with their unique and intricate designs.

At $80 a piece, these high-quality skulls were a real bargain. But they came with a lot of their own problems. Because of their size and their delicateness you couldn’t just pop them into your suitcase and head home with them, and after doing some further research, he found people who had tried had been stopped at customs and had the items removed.

He knew he couldn’t be the only traveler in the world who’d wanted to bring a skull back and been unable to, and if he could make a good profit helping people solve that problem, why not try and turn it into a business?

Michael spent the next few weeks around his job trying to find a company or manufacturer in Bali to help him import the skulls.

He scoured the internet…but to no avail. He couldn’t find anyone to help him. So, in one last ditch effort, he turned to YouTube to watch videos of the artist carving the skulls. In the descriptions of one of the videos he found a blog, which led him to a company and using a little bit of LinkedIn ‘know how’ he found the owner of the company and sent him a message to propose a new partnership.

After a few messages back and forth, and agreeing to donate 5% of the profits to the family who carved the skulls to put their son through college, Michael ordered 100 hand carved skulls for $10,000 dollars—saving himself at least $200/each by buying them in the USA.

After just a few weeks of getting his first batch, Michael had made his first sale for $300 and sent the first 10% to the family via Paypal. Since that first sale Michael has gone on to make over $3,000 in sales of the skulls in one week and although there is still a little while to go until he recoups his first investment, he predicts that he’ll make around $60,000 in total over the next 12 months.

It looks like this side hustle has already got a good head start!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Bali Skulls: View some more of Michael’s intricately carved Bali Skulls on his website!
  • Rapportive & ZoomInfo: Two of the industry leading tools that Michael used to try to find a company or manufacturer in Bali to help him import the skulls

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
"Find a good product you can make margins on, assess the market need and want, find a reliable supplier and speak with them on video call, order small to start, and stay lean."
—Michael Sindicich #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Unlock Your Wifi's Potential With eero!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by eero! The eero system is a fast and reliable blanket WiFi system that works with the internet service provider you already have to unlock the full potential of your connection. 💻

For free overnight shipping visit eero.com and at checkout select overnight shipping then enter HUSTLE to make it free!
Get Yours Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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


Here's How

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau