Tag: Service

Actress Becomes Organizational Director of Organization

What It’s About

A Hollywood actor takes on a new role helping others clean up!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Okay, you’re a highly organized person, and you want to help others organize their spaces. Awesome! But Regina says that you need to recognize that it requires more than just being an organized person.

Can you also be a teacher? Can you recognize where your clients are hooked into chaos and help them detach from that? You have to be a coach, a mom, a therapist, a spiritual guide, and an organizer all wrapped into one. Why? Because when you’re working with people’s stuff, you have to understand that there is an energy associated with all of the things that they accumulate. You’re unearthing all of that.

Fun Fact

To help people get organized, she follows six repeatable steps:

1. Address that the task is overwhelming. 2. Break it down into small, manageable increments. 3. Eliminate what you don’t need by being brutally honest with yourself. 4. Make categories to create order, like different types of clothes or documents. 5. Eliminate within those categories, and maybe get rid of some of them entirely. 6. Realize that maintenance is part of life, and to keep on top of your organization.

These steps can be used to organize anything. Whether it’s a five-year old’s bedroom or your office’s filing cabinet.

Notes from Chris

Episode 793

For Regina Leeds, organizing is more than what you do at the start of a reluctant spring clean. It’s a way of life. It all started with her mother who, she says, could have been a U.S. Marine. Everything in the home simply had to be organized.

As Regina grew up, she realized she loved organizing just as much as her mother did, but for wildly different reasons. For Mom, it was all about what visitors would think when they came to stay. For Regina, it was an expression of self-love and self-care. A well-organized life, in its own way, can be a well-lived one.

When she left home to pursue a career in acting in the 1980s, she used organizing as a way to better understand herself and improve her skills. It didn’t just bring a calming feel to her surroundings, it gave her time and space to explore who she was.

With this deeper understanding of herself, Regina started to pick up roles in shows like Married…With Children and The Young and the Restless, where she was a recurring actress for three years.

But there were constant ebbs and flows in her work, and some months she really struggled to pay her bills. She also began to feel some resentment towards the industry and the way they treated people who weren’t at the top of the pay scale.

Regina decided she needed a second source of income. It would give her the money she needed to pay her bills in the slow periods, and the freedom to avoid “just for the money” roles with people who saw her as expendable.

She wanted to be the director, producer, and actor in this role, with full control over the work she took and how she treated people. So she set about turning her skills into a freelance service.

At the time, organization was a new concept to society. There were only a handful of books on the subject and few people had ever heard of a “professional organizer.” She offered to organize a friend’s house to see if she could really apply this to other people. Regina went in, did her thing, and her friend was stunned. So much so, that she began to refer her services right away.

Regina spent the next ten years growing this business part-time through word-of-mouth referrals, earning enough to supplement her acting work. There were no real startup costs, except for a few business cards her clients could pass on. She also developed a name for the business, The Zen Organizer, after one of her clients referred to the process of getting organized as being “zen-like.”

Regina has now also published a number of books about organization, including a New York Times bestseller called One Year To An Organized Life. She initially started self-publishing, which were eventually picked up by publishing houses. Regina says the process of writing and publishing the first book was the hardest project she’s ever worked on, but it was also a domino which gave her the momentum to write the rest.

The Zen Organizer has also began to build an online presence. Regina created a website using Wix and uses Instagram to show the more visual aspects of the organization process. Pinterest has also played a central role and allows her to start conversations with the community she’s growing.

Looking to the future, Regina wants to focus more on speaking and teaching seminars. Her goal is to spend less time working on projects herself and more time enabling people to organize their own lives. Looking at her track record, she’ll have no problem organizing that for herself!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Regina Leeds | The Zen Organizer: Clean up your act—head on over to Regina’s website to learn more!
  • Wix: The online website building platform that Regina used to set up her website for The Zen Organizer

 

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
"Having a side hustle of my own creation changed my life. I discovered that marketing and business are creative endeavors!"
—Regina Leeds #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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To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

College Student Manages Large Ad Campaigns for Businesses

What It’s About

College student rakes in cash helping organizations rake in huge returns.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

The lack of formal education has never been a limiting factor for Lucas. Clients, for the most part, aren’t interested in training, education, or certifications.

What they are interested in how he’s helped other clients, especially ones in the same industry.

Fun Fact

So, who’s using Facebook these days? The short answer is almost everyone. That being said, it pays to keep an eye on the platform’s shifting popularity among demographics.

68% of Americans are on the platform. Compare that to the 35% of Americans using Instagram, 29% using Pinterest, and 24% using Twitter. Global penetration, however, is at 22.9% and growing!

Notes from Chris

Episode 790

Lucas Lee-Tyson has been making money online since he was a teenager. He first became interested in online business at the age of 15, while trying to figure out how to get more views on his YouTube videos—at the time, he had a channel where he made Photoshop tutorials.

Fast forward four years and Lucas was working part-time for a startup. When he discovered the company had a marketing agency managing their Facebook Ads and Google AdWords, he thought, “Hey, this is something I can learn and offer the service to companies myself”—so he did just that.

This project had zero startup costs—initially, he didn’t even have a website. He began by creating a profile on the freelance job site Upwork, using his digital marketing day job as proof of experience. Within 4 days, Lucas had landed his first job. Within 9 days, he had made his first $1,000.

He was ecstatic—this was validation for his idea. He worked hard and did a great job for his client. This first client’s positive review of Lucas’s work helped to kickstart his reputation on the site and enabled him to get more jobs. Lucas has gone on to have a lot of client work through this site.

Then things changed almost overnight. Lucas was approached by a large eCommerce business, wanting him to manage their campaigns. They had worked with several agencies in a few months’ time, with little success. This company was spending over $50,000 a month on their ad campaigns.

Lucas knew this was a completely different challenge. He really dug in, devouring every bit of information about managing high budget, profitable Facebook campaigns. And it worked! He implemented what he learned, tested techniques, and in his first two months, cut their ad costs by 70%. Soon the company was back to profitability, making more than ever from paid traffic.

Of course, there have been a few struggles along the way. As can be the case with any type of freelance work, he’s encountered clients with unrealistic expectations. If he could go back, he would make his sales pitches much clearer in regards to expected results and time commitments.

Lucas has since transitioned from Upwork to his own website called Growth Cave and now brings in an average monthly profit of about $3,000. This business has not only given him a solid income but is an amazing resume builder—both professionally and personally.

 

  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Growth Cave: Learn advanced Facebook Ad strategies over on Lucas’ website!
  • Upwork: The freelancing platform that Lucas used to get started

 

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
"Get started as quickly as possible. You don’t need a fancy website or even a portfolio. Find someone who needs this sort of service and ask them if you can help them with that. That’s really all you need!"
—Lucas Lee-Tyson #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

Event Planner Puts the “Treat” in Retreat

What It’s About

An event space that helps teams break out of the box.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

The next phase of Denise’s hustle involves a lot of outreach. As she put it, “it’s not like the Field of Dreams, ‘if you build it, they will come.’”

So she’s learning how to be bold and advocate for her business. She’s talking to people about how they can use the space and finding ways to keep the Ranch top of mind for her ideal prospects that need meeting places.

Fun Fact

In the 1940’s, Evelyn Overton used a recipe she found in the paper to craft her own “original” cheesecake. After that, she opened up a small shop in her basement Detroit, MI, which later became the Cheesecake Factory empire.

Notes from Chris

Episode 788
More and more businesses are trying to find ways to keep employees engaged. Getting their teams out of the office and away from the same old conference table is one of their strategies. That’s what led Denise Ransom, a freelance project and event manager, to open up her own retreat space. She wanted to build a space that took people out of the daily grind and into the possibilities.

But it wasn’t a dream she could realize right away.

The concept of her own retreat space came to Denise in an epiphany. She was on a plane and furiously captured a bunch of notes about her new idea. She then met with a mentor to explore what it could look like. Together, they drew out a map of the imaginary space. Denise also started a Vision Board, where she saved images for each of the different elements she wanted to include in her space. She even gave it a code name: The Ranch.

She eventually found a place that exceeded her expectations in Corbett, a small town in Oregon’s beautiful Columbia Gorge. Despite a wildfire scare three months into their move, they settled in nicely.

The new 5.5-acre property was dubbed the Peach Cheesecake Ranch. The grounds are surrounded by woods and beautiful views. The retreat area is in the lower level of Denise’s home. It has a nicely appointed conference room, 15 feet of whiteboard, and a window-filled creative studio with a large stand-up table. She tries to keep the decor as simple and utilitarian as possible so the guest can make it their own.

For almost two years now, Denise has been hosting retreats for creative agencies, education non-profits, and HR teams. Most notable so far was hosting the recruiting team for Lululemon.

Denise typically works 4 or 5 hours per event. This includes communicating with the client before they arrive, cleaning the space, and preparing meals for the group. Sometimes she’ll help facilitate activities for their retreat as well. Gene chips in on cleaning duties and support for larger projects.

On average, each retreat brings in roughly $1,000, with hard expenses of around $250. Denise typically charges a per person rate for groups up to 12. This amounts to a minimum of $300 per half day and $500 for a full day. She asks for an additional $40-$50 per person for meals.

Annual profits from Peach Cheesecake Ranch have reached $15,000, allowing Denise to start reducing the amount of project management work she’s doing. She had hoped her side hustle would be more of a full-time business by now, but this is limited by sales. To work on this aspect, Denise has hired a business coach to help specifically with selling.

Her next phase of the hustle involves a lot of outreach. “It’s not like the Field of Dreams, ‘if you build it, they will come’,” she explains. So she’s learning how to be bold and advocate for her business. She’s talking to people about how they can use the space and finding ways to keep the Ranch top of mind for her ideal prospects that need meeting places.

No doubt Denise will cook up something great, and I’m sure she won’t retreat from this hustle any time soon.

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
"To start, get really clear on your vision. After that create a detailed outreach plan, and then follow through with that plan. It’s not like the Field of Dreams, ‘if you build it, they will come.’ You have to do a lot of outreach to be successful—you have to shout it from the rooftops!"
—Denise Ransome #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

Social Enterprise Project Empowers Middle School Girls

What It’s About

Events that empower the next generation of women.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Knight’s tip for managing a social entrepreneurship model? If you don’t love it anymore, then change it or stop doing it. She thinks that something like this is supposed to nourish your soul. Knight followed her own advice after adjusting Girls To The Moon’s business model.

Fun Fact

At their first annual event, they gave everyone in attendance a single tulip bulb in a box. The box was decorated by their own girls with their names and the ‘Girls to the Moon’ rocket branding emblazoned on it. The idea behind it was to say thank you to everyone with a gift that would represent the beginning of their new business.

Notes from Chris

Episode 782

Knight Stivender is the Director of Marketing and Business Development. Buy other times she’s the CEO of Girls to the Moon, an LLC she started in 2014 with business partners Courtney Seiter and Courtenay Rogers.

Girls to the Moon connects middle school-aged girls between the ages of 10 to 14 with their caregivers while exploring topics like healthy friendships, body image, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), and innovation. The program encourages girls to be their best selves, impact their communities, and create a more inclusive culture.

It started as something that Knight and her partners wished had existed when they were that age. Knight is a single parent raising her daughter. She always thought how great it would be if there was a program out there to help other parents or caregivers connect with their daughters.

Her mind percolated with an assortment of ideas. After brainstorming with her partners, they settled on hosting an event. They modeled it after the many technology and marketing conferences they’d attended or spoken at in their day jobs (Knight and her partners all have backgrounds in business development, marketing, and technology).

They brought in speakers from a variety of fields and had them give TEDx-style talks. They also set up an interactive gallery of booths in the hallways during the downtimes when nobody was speaking on stage.

They named their annual event The Campference: a cross between a camp and a conference. More formal than a camp but less formal than a conference. Or we could call it the Goldilocks of events—the campference was just right.

GTTM raises over $50,000 annually for its girls and has led to smaller events taking place throughout the year.

How did Knight and her team pull this off?

They go about raising money a few different ways. Their annual Campference charges $45 per ticket, or you can purchase a two-pack for $70. They want to make sure they don’t price anyone out because Girls to the Moon is all-inclusive. They also offer scholarships for those who can’t pay.

In their first year, Girls to the Moon raised $40,000. Since then, they’ve managed to bump that number to over $50,000. Again, for now it’s a social enterprise project with all proceeds going back into their work. But they do hope to be able to transition to paying themselves soon.

Something that’s been hard:

“Sometimes I have to remember that we do this for good, for fun, on the side, with our friends and family—and that if we miss a deadline or take longer to get to a goal, etc., it isn’t the end of the world. I am a very goal-oriented and competitive person, which I think is good, but I can be too hard on myself and on others around me if things aren’t working the way my spreadsheets and task lists say they should work.”

For now, Knight says she’s happy with the way things are going. The pressure to hit a revenue goal is gone which has allowed for a more relaxed atmosphere. It’s also left her with more time to focus on what matters most—sending girls to the moon.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Girls to the Moon: Learn more about this growing movement over on Knight’s website!

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

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

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

Quote of the Day
"Build your mission, vision, and values before you do anything else. We did that early on, and they have been our guiding light."
—Knight Stivender #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

Workforce Expert Creates Empowerment Consultancy

What It’s About

An expert in workforce development and empowerment strikes out on her own.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Akilah has built up multiple sources of income within the consultancy, and this is critical. But it can also be a challenge when you’re getting started. In the long run, you want these different sources, but when you’re starting, focus on your flagship service and build from there. Trying to start it all at once is like trying to start three businesses at once.

Fun Fact

The Center for Women Policy Studies found 21% of women of color surveyed did not feel they were free to be “themselves at work.” The same study found more than one-third of women of color—ranging from 28-44%—believed that they must “play down” their race or ethnicity to succeed.

Notes from Chris

Episode 781
For Dr. Akilah Cadet, her dream job had become a nightmare. She had been promoted to a high position at her hospital-sector company and worked tirelessly to secure funding for future projects. But, as soon as the money hit the company’s bank account, Akilah found herself demoted to her old position and never paid for her work.

She felt like she’d been chewed up and spat out by her boss, and couldn’t figure out why it had happened. Was it because she was a woman or color? Had she just been used for her skills?

Akilah spent months searching for answers to these questions and felt a gaping hole in her life. Her sense of purpose and self-worth had been called into question, and she didn’t know where to go.

She tried therapy to overcome the depression but eventually decided to take a two-week trip to Thailand to escape and spent some time connecting with herself. It was here that she would find the answers to her questions, and the side hustle which would change her life.

She was tired of racism, sexism, and invisible glass ceilings in the workplace. It was time for her to create a job where she was calling the shots and could ensure other people never felt the same way she had.

To bring this to life, Akilah came up with the idea for a consulting company, which she called Change Cadet. She wanted to go into workplaces and show people how to create a more diverse workplace environment so that more women and people of color could work their way to the top. She was studying for a doctorate in Leaders and Organizational Behavior at the time and felt like it was the perfect application of her skills.

One decision she made early on was to ensure her branding and services were only targeted to women or people of color. Although she knew this would be cutting out a lot of potential customers she knew this was the demographic she could best serve.

This decision has turned out to be profitable. In 2018, Akilah earned over $240,000!

Change Cadet has already helped plenty of people and businesses overcome these internal barriers, though. By helping introduce more diverse staff structures, creating leadership development programs, and working one on one with clients, she’s seen people take leaps in their career and business results. She says she loves nothing more than seeing the light bulb in someone’s head come on as they make a life-changing realization.

Akilah wants to take Change Cadet national and have an impact on women and people of color all across the country.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Change Cadet: Don’t let a glass or concrete ceiling keep you from reaching your potential—learn more about what Akilah is doing over on 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
"It’s important to put yourself out there, so network. Let people know you are looking to consult. And figure out what they love to do and where their passion is—that is the money maker as it does not feel like work."
—Dr. Akilah Cadet #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

Management Consultant Creates Astute Traveling Videos

What It’s About

YouTube videos for the astute traveler.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Content creation is a very slow process, and a lot of people ditch it because it’s such a grind. However, it’s an investment, and you have to accept that you may not see any money from your effort for a while. Though if you persevere as a content creator, your odds for success and growth are exponentially higher.

Fun Fact

A recent study indicated that 31% of people with credit cards have never redeemed their reward points. The main reasons are that people don’t know they have them, are saving them up or it’s simply too difficult.

Notes from Chris

Episode 777

Ernest Shahbazian loves to travel hack. When off on an adventure he’s always on the lookout for the best deal. To get there, he often uses credit card rewards points to get discounts on flights. In that respect, he isn’t special—there are a lot of people doing the same thing. That’s why, when it came to starting a side hustle, he wasn’t instinctively drawn to something travel related. Why add one more anonymous voice to a crowded marketplace?

But, while working his day job as a management consultant, he was inspired by a co-worker to just try. It was the catalyst to begin the side hustle trip of a lifetime.

One day, Ernest and that colleague were chatting over lunch. The guy was interested in learning more about earning credit card reward points but didn’t have time to read long blog posts to learn. He explained to Ernest that he’d much prefer to watch videos about it, but there were no good ones out there. He suggested Ernest do something about it.

At first, Ernest was skeptical. It was already 2016 at this stage and surely there’d be plenty of video content out there about reward points. But, after searching YouTube, he agreed with his colleague. What was out there wasn’t very good, and he could do much better.

So he packed his bags and decided to get started. His journey? Create a YouTube channel for the astute traveler. Offering travel advice, reviews and of course, tips on earning rewards. He decided to call the project Trip Astute. The mission was to help people maximize their travel experience.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor are YouTube channels.

He committed to posting a new video every week and improved along the way. A few months later, he was more comfortable in front of the camera, the quality of his videos was better, and he became much faster at editing each video.

By the six month point, he’d reached 1,000 subscribers and felt like he’d hit cruising altitude. It was now that Ernest decided to invest more heavily in his own website. For every video he posted, he created a page on his own site. The idea was, he’d pick up more traffic through Google and eventually have more opportunities to monetize.

Currently, Ernest is earning about $1,000/month from his efforts. He has big plans, including a goal to reach 50,000 subscribers. In addition, he hopes to partner with brands to create sponsored videos as a way to attract more revenue.

Most importantly, Ernest plans to put a lot more work into his own website. He understands that YouTube, while amazing, is a platform not under his control. By focusing on his own site, and building an audience there, he won’t be at the whims of any algorithm updates or changes that he can’t control.

Long term, he’s hoping Trip Astute can become his full-time gig. For that to happen he wants to be generating $5,000/month consistently.

Right now, Ernest is continuing to enjoy the journey.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

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

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

Quote of the Day
"As a content creator, you have to produce content regularly. Even though YouTube isn’t like broadcast TV, your audience still expects to see content on a regular basis. Sticking to a schedule really helps with building a community and seems to help in terms of ranking with YouTube’s/Google’s algorithm."
—Ernest Shahbazian #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 Starts Uber Easy Side Hustle Taxiing Kids

What It’s About

An uber easy side hustle a mom finds right in her backseat.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

To anyone interested in starting a mom’s taxi like Steph, she advises the first step is to let your community know you’re available. There are many people who can’t drive or have to walk. If you don’t offer, no one will know you’re providing a service.

Fun Fact

In America, it is estimated that 26 million of the 50 million students who attend school daily ride the school bus. 54 students are transported by each bus, and there are an estimated 480,000 school buses. The total mileage for all buses is 5,760,000,000!

Notes from Chris

Episode 776

People start side hustles for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes they are looking to create something that they have complete autonomy over, sometimes they are looking to leave a full-time job. And sometimes, they’re just looking to make some extra cash…

Steph Holt of sunny Brisbane, Australia fits firmly into this last category. Although she was working and going to school to be a social worker, she found herself once again on maternity leave with kid #5. This meant that she had some extra time on her hands—time that would allow her to do more stuff around the house and drop her kids off at school instead of having them take the bus or walk. And it was during this time that she found more than a few coins and some stale cereal stashed away in her backseat.

In Australia, there is a school bus service, but the stops are often public bus stops. And many parents don’t feel comfortable leaving their young children there alone. Being approximately 5-6 miles from their school, Steph was hesitant to let her kids go off on their own.

After seeing a large number of kids walking unaccompanied on their way to school one day, Steph got the idea to give rides to other kids in her neighborhood. After all, she was already dropping off and picking up her own two school-aged children—why not make some extra cash while doing so? That’s when her version of “Uber for Kids” was born.

The best part is that all the kids she taxis live en route to the school. Some only live about a half mile from the school, but as Steph points out, that is a lot for a young child to walk.

Steph’s “Mom bus” is an Isuzu MU-X, which seats 7. That means Steph can haul six passengers. Depending on how many of her own children she is hauling—of which she has four—the minimum she can charge for is two. Only two of her kids are in school. If her two younger ones are staying home, she can taxi up to four other kids.

Steph wanted it to be something that was feasible for families to do, so she decided to charge $10 per trip. So if she drops off and picks up one kid each day, that’s $20 per day. Right now, Steph’s average side hustle income is $100 per week although there have certainly been weeks when she’s brought in even more. And every penny adds up!

For Steph, this has been a super easy side hustle. She is already going to the school anyway, so it’s also uber-convenient. Steph also shares that it’s very manageable. She had no startup fees and no extra costs except perhaps a small amount of extra fuel. She is making cash in hand for doing something she would be doing regardless.

For Steph, she plans to continue to offer her “Uber for kids” while she’s at home with her youngest child.

 

 

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
"Let the community know you’re available to provide this service. There are so many people who can’t drive or have to walk, and this option helps! But if you don’t offer it, no one will know you’re offering the service."
—Steph Holt #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

MFA Student Trades Pen for Keyboard

What It’s About

A Google Suite alternative that lets you work anywhere without worrying about your data.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Justin says that no one is going to come to you and tell you that it’s ok to build the thing you want to build. If you don’t know how to do it, use your motivation to build it as the thing that drives you to learn. But no matter what, the first step is starting.

Fun Fact

Blockstack runs an App Mining program that aims to distribute 100K monthly to the best apps that use Blockstack integration, with the stated aim of helping to fund the pioneers of the decentralized internet. Makes you wonder—are there any programs in your niche that rewards you for being good at what you do?

Notes from Chris

Episode 775

Justin Hunter didn’t plan on becoming a coder. An account manager by day and writer by night, he was also enrolled in a Master of Fine Arts program pursuing creative writing. As the program was winding down, Justin noticed that he had built up quite a body of work. This made him nervous as he had stored his creative work on Google Docs, and he was worried that he could be locked out one day.

Justin considered going back to Microsoft Office and storing files locally on his computer but decided that wasn’t a great option either.

Like many of us, he’d grown accustomed to the convenience that cloud-based storage offered. He looked around for alternatives to G Suite that would allow him to own his own data but realized that no such software existed. That was when he decided that he would build an app for his own personal use.

Most creative writers don’t set out to do such things, but Justin had been honing his programming skills for a while. Twenty years earlier, he had taken a computer class in middle school. Although he was amazed by the wonders of programming, he never seriously pursued it. Much later, when he decided to build an in-browser game for his son, coding began to make more sense. Justin was motivated by this sudden breakthrough, and he began to experiment by building small apps. He had put himself in a perfect position to start his side hustle.

In the summer of 2017, he created the first version of a product he called Graphite. Justin had chanced upon Blockstack, an app protocol which allows developers the ability to build apps where users own their data. Up till this point, Justin had never entertained the thought of Graphite being used by anyone other than himself. There was no bigger purpose or a grand plan at all.

But as he built Graphite and shared each iteration with the Blockstack community, people in that community noticed. They encouraged him to continue building and to release it publicly. This was the first hint that anyone else would actually be interested in it.

In March 2018, Justin launched Graphite publicly. At this point, the app was free for all to use. A key issue was figuring out how to get customers to pay. Eventually, he designed a form of team-based collaboration into the decentralized app, allowing users to securely and conveniently collaborate across an entire organization. Unlike G Suite, Graphite allowed people to easily encrypt and share files with an entire team.

As his product gained popularity, Graphite gained more paying customers. The revenue generated from these customers were still fairly small, but because of how well the product had been designed, Graphite consistently garnered top ratings and reviews from users. This made the product eligible for the Blockstack App Mining program. Funded by Blockstack, a company which aims to build an open-source and decentralized internet, the App Mining program rewards the best app developers… and for Justin, he’s now earning an average of $12,500 in monthly payouts.

Moving forward, Justin hopes this will eventually become a project he can work full-time on. To those who wish to do something similar, Justin’s advice is to remember that no one is going to tell you that it’s okay to build something, or that you should build something. You just need to decide for yourself—and then, you need to do something about it.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Graphite: Learn more about this G Suite alternative over on Justin’s website!
  • Blockstack: The platform that Justin used that gives users control over their fundamental digital rights
  • App Mining Program: A company that aims to build an open-source and decentralized internet

 

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
"No one is going to come to you and tell you that it’s ok to build the thing you want to build. If you don’t know how to do it, use your motivation to build it as the thing that drives you to learn. But no matter what, the first step is starting."
—Justin Hunter #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

Artistic Wedding Backdrop Offers Updated Photo Alternative

What It’s About

Unexpected light displays to make your big day special and bright.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

The success of Oli’s last side hustle after he stepped away and gave it over to his partner taught him two things:

1. There’s a right time for an obvious solution to a problem. If you’ve identified it and are lucky enough to have the front seat to a problem and the “know-how” to produce a solution, you need to do it—quickly and properly—or someone else will.

2. An idea and an execution aren’t worth anything unless they’re out in the world.

Fun Fact

Oli and Matt often joke about their business model being more about the two of them abusing each other in hilarious ways through their Instagram stories, as they both have access to the account. They take polls and pit their followers against either other.

This has led to the most engagement of any other way they’ve used Insta stories before and has become crucial to their brand. It’s also helped in their efforts to carve out a clear space in an industry where people are afraid to be different. They’re known as much for that as the product they make.

Notes from Chris

Episode 773
Oli Sansom describes himself as a photographer and international lecturer on creative thinking. From what one could see from his website, he does a lot of different things. Among others, last year he was selected to document and create a film on the world’s largest female-only science voyage to Antarctica.

But today we’re looking at something else, which requires another introduction. Oli’s friend and business partner, Matt Hedrich, works as an industrial electrician. He also creates pieces of lighting using found objects such as old kerosene lamps, and parts of sunken ships and other found material.

Their side hustle is called The Arbourists. The Arbourists design and rent out the worlds first day and night arbours, and serve an industry steeped in tradition thats slow-changing: the wedding industry. Definition time: what’s an arbour? These are the centerpieces behind the couple getting married. They’re able to be moved to anywhere at the reception, either indoors and out, to help make some small mark on the language of the day, and a wonderful selfie backdrop for the guests.

The service includes setup, location-moving (from ceremony to reception), and tear down. Their motto is “making you look damn awesome, and raising your grandma’s eyebrow.”

Oli has photographed over 150 weddings worldwide. He points to three observations that led him to start this project:

1. People were, more and more, wanting to inject “more of themselves” into their wedding. This can take many forms. The industry has deep roots in tradition—and there’s a range of differences in how folks are either aligning with or completely rejecting tradition.

2. The wedding industry is full of waste: both in materials, and labor. The Arbour, a token centerpiece that can give a little stylistic personality and frame the couple, is beautifully setup, adorned with florals used for an hour and then deconstructed and packed away.

3. He believes that night weddings, and alternate ceremony times, are going to be the next thing. Why not party first, then have the ceremony at midnight? He wanted to present an option for evening, or at the very least, “Dark” themed weddings.

Let’s talk about the money. Startup costs were $1,800 Australian dollars, and all costs were for materials and labor associated with fabrication: Aluminium lengths, lighting strips, and powder coating.

Oli and Matt divided the labor, with Matt focusing on production and Oli on photography, writing, and web design.

In the first season, they booked about 10 clients. Once they had clients they chose to invest more in the business, with the money coming from the revenue they received.

Clients pay 50% up front, and bookings appear largely around two peak wedding times. They started by charging $800, but once they had some rave reviews, they raised the rate to $1,100, all inclusive of setup and tear-down.

So what’s next? They do have some challenges ahead. Neither of them wants to become a full event-hire company, they just want to have fun with this one thing. So now they need to decide about outsourcing, creating relationships with stylists, or switch to a sale-only model.

Alternatively, they could build the brand to even more of an exclusive item, making it so incredible that the market is more than happy to pay a premium rental fee. There’s no stress, no pressure, and they’re open to either option.

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
"Stop looking for ideas, and start looking for problems. Ask yourself what it would look like if you had a solution to it, and your answer will be somewhere in the answer to that question."
—Oli Sansom & Matt Hedrich #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

Teacher Makes Money Asking Questions Outside the Classroom

What It’s About

A teacher takes on trivia night!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you want to become an entertainer, get comfortable in front of a microphone, work on your delivery, and get good at being in front of a crowd. Only then, do you buy your own equipment. You can always make arrangements to get the equipment you need as you get better (just like the two gentlemen in this story did!).

Fun Fact

There’s a lot we can learn from Brad, whether from his example or from one of his trivia games. Trivia games have been extremely popular, with several mobile trivia game apps consistently having more than 1 million players. Guess we are all a curious bunch!

Notes from Chris

Episode 770

Growing up, Pittsburgh native Brad Bonenberger always liked hosting events. In high school, he co-hosted his own Public Access TV show where he would give a bi-weekly recap of athletic events. When he attended West Virginia University, he joined the college radio station and became the play-by-play announcer for the women basketball team. After graduating, he took his talents to an award-winning radio station, where he worked as a DJ.

While Brad enjoyed his job, he decided to pursue a further degree in secondary education at his alma mater. This would give him the skills and experience to teach high school students, which is what he does now full-time.

But as he started his graduate studies, he needed extra money, so he moonlighted as a club DJ. During one of his gigs, Brad stopped by a club, which was coincidentally hosting a trivia night. Intrigued, Brad spoke to the host. He thought that this line of work could be especially suitable for him given his background. If it worked, it was also something he could count on each week, which was nice since his income at the time was sporadic.

As he left the club, Brad started formulating a plan to land clients who would hire him to host trivia nights. He started by reaching out to his contacts in the bar and restaurant industry. From there, he was able to get recommendations and the first few gigs coming his way.

Before long he’d achieved his goal of hosting trivia three nights a week, so he started wondering what he could do to scale up his business.

He had some good gigs, but as he says, “good is only good until you’ve had better.” He started climbing his way up to more established outfits. At one of these events, Brad started meeting players who wanted to know if they could get involved in trivia game hosting, especially since it looked fun and was profitable. One of them was willing to commit, so Brad thought about what he could do.

They ended up making a simple arrangement—his partner would secure his own gigs as an independent contractor while Brad would loan him all the equipment he needed for half of the revenue he made. Shortly after, Brad came across someone who was interested as well. At this point, not only was Brad making his full share of the 3 shows he hosted weekly, but also half of the revenue that the other two contractors made from their own shows.

As he gained more experience, he was able to gauge the type of questions that his audience would find compelling, and the manner in which they were asked. Becoming a better writer was essential to ensure that these questions were elegant yet witty, and Brad put in the work, researching and writing 60-75 trivia questions weekly. The average game he hosts accommodates about 8 teams and 55 players, but after getting better, Brad quickly found that he could host games with over 100 players easily. Although he had started out hosting the events at casual clubs and restaurants, Brad now has no issue delivering at weddings and corporate events as well.

From mics, mixers, and powered speakers, the list of equipment that one requires to host events can add up. Brad himself spent about $1,000-$2,000 initially to ensure that he could provide a good experience for his clients, and that has certainly paid off. He now charges a bar $150-$175 nightly, and a bit more for corporate events.

He’s proud to say he never cancels no matter how small the crowd is. He also hosts a customer appreciation day twice a year. He puts up a $1,000 prize purse for this game and teams up with local liquor reps to ensure that there would be merchandise for the raffle and prizes.

It’s a no pressure side hustle, and Brad is enjoying himself. As he says, quoting from a Beastie Boys song, “my job ain’t a job, it’s a damn good time.”

 

 

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
"Become comfortable in front of a microphone, work on delivery, and get good at being in front of a crowd. Then, buy your own equipment."
—Brad Bonenberger #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