Tag: Service

Six-Figure Beekeeping Biz Buzzes for Minnesota Couple

What It’s About

A Minnesota couple creates a buzzworthy new income!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

According to Chiara and Travis, beekeeping is a rather tricky business to get into because the struggles that you have one year may not be the struggles that you have the next. When you’re working with elements that you can’t control like climate and weather, you have to think on your feet and be flexible.

Fun Fact

Last year, Chiara and Travis started putting their hives up around pollinator-friendly solar arrays and partnering with solar developers who are being intentional about their land use. This has really taken off, and they discovered that there are a lot of farmers eager to develop the land into something more bee-friendly! This led to the launch of a new side hustle called the Solar Honey Company where they extract and sell their trademarked “Solar Honey.” Check it out!

Notes from Chris

Episode 597

Neither Chiara nor Travis grew up around bees. (Who does, really?) And they certainly didn’t have any childhood fantasies about becoming beekeepers. To see where it all began, let’s buzz back to 2005 where Chiara, still in college, moved to China to further her education in international relations. She ended up staying several years. While there, she was invited to help on a sustainability project in a mountain side town in the Himalayas. The project was all about bee hives.

Fast forward to 2008 when Chiara returned home with a lot more than a cultural experience. In her years away, she developed a passion for what would become her life’s work… beekeeping! Like a true worker bee, she didn’t waste any time turning this passion into a real hobby. She bought her very first hive and convinced her grandfather to let her house it in his yard. It was a hobby that would soon consume not only her life but that of her future honey-bee and husband… Enter Travis Bolton!

At first, Travis didn’t really have an interest in bees, but that didn’t bother Chiara… because beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder. That was until Chiara decided to buzz off to Texas to visit an apiary—a kind of bee city—leaving Travis in charge of her beehive! Turns out, the responsibility didn’t sting Travis at all. You could even say he was bee-witched.

The absence of his “Queen Bee” had the positive effect of kickstarting his own passion for beekeeping. When Chiara returned, he had dozens of questions for her about the hive. And it wasn’t just lip service, a week later they returned to Texas together to work at the apiary. Travis took a day job in construction to pay their bills, and instead of accepting payment for the beekeeping services, they asked to be paid in bees. Bee-lieve it!

When they returned to Minnesota, they had 20 bee-hives in tow, quite the colony for an amateur operation. They hoped to turn these Southern bees into Northern bees, but the initial results were not exactly promising. They learned quickly that bees bred in southern climates simply couldn’t handle the brutal northern winters. They forgot to bring their winter coats, and nearly half the bees didn’t survive their first winter. This was a stinger in their plans!

To combat the problem, they began to breed the bees using a survival of the fittest. The bees that produced more honey and showed they could survive the cold were breed with others who did the same. This resulted in what can only be described as super-deluxe, casserole-eating, wood-chopping Northern bees. The bees were so hardy that in 2015 only 7% of the bees didn’t survive the winter. An improvement of over 40%!

It was in this same year that they felt more confident in their breeding operation. They started selling some of their hives to other aspiring beekeepers in Minnesota. They figured this could be a nice little side business to supplement their incomes.

While conducting all this breeding, they were producing a lot of honey. So much so that they needed 55-gallon drums to store it in. While the original plan was to sell queens and hives they quickly realized they could make more income from selling honey. They started with a few niche gift shops and the turnover was fast.

2016 was the year they finally decided to go all in on Bolton Bees. Both Travis and Chiara quit their full-time jobs and became full-time beekeepers. It was the culmination of years of work and passion. But things weren’t slowing down, Bolton Bees was becoming a hive of activity.

Last year was the first six figures year for Bolton Bees. They brought in a total income of $150,000! That’s a lot of honey! The additional income came about mostly through sales of honey and being featured in several high-end grocery stores throughout the state. What are they doing with this influx of income? Naturally, they are buying more hives…. Stay tuned for a future episode titled, “Minnesota Couple Makes Seven Figures From Bees.”

Travis and Chiara’s success is proof that fantastic things can happen if you stick to your passion and bee-positive!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Bolton Bees: See what all the buzz is about—beeline to Chiara and Travis’ website to learn more about their bees and new solar honey project!

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

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Quote of the Day
"We’re constantly trying to tweak things and find ways to adjust our operations so that they are more profitable. There are always going to be struggles in a market like this, so it’s good to remember the ‘why’ of why you got into it in the first place."
—Chiara & Travis Bolton #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Move Forward With Uber!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Uber—the company determined to improve the ridesharing experience for both riders and drivers.

I've seen a lot of these improvements firsthand, but don't just take my word on it! Read more about all of the ways Uber is moving forward—head on over to Uber.com.🚘 Learn More

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

Ohio State Students Make Big Moves Storing Items

What It’s About

A rideshare-esque storage solution service.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Running this side hustle helped Brandon to learn a valuable lesson: everything breaks at one point or another. They had to come to terms with the fact that not everything was going to be perfect all the time. But each day it gets better, and he thinks that it’s definitely taught them patience and (perhaps more importantly) the ability to step back and not freak out about small issues.

Fun Fact

The average American moves about 11.7 times in their life, with most of those moves happening between May and September. Planning your next move? Re-use those cardboard boxes! They’ll last for three uses, or 25% of your lifetime moves.

Notes from Chris

Episode 588

In 1967, Ringo Starr sang the classic line “I get by with a little help from my friends.” That adage is never more true than when it comes to moving! As any college student, past or present, knows, moving is an annual and time-honored tradition. So is the clear-out of empty bottles and the seasonal “where-will-I-put-all-this-stuff-until-next-semester” challenge.

While Mike Gargasz and Brandon Gotlieb were able to solve their annual storage crisis, they had lots of friends at Ohio State University who struggle. And what better way to help your friends get by than to start a side hustle dedicated to it?

Brandon, a finance student, and Mike, an engineering student, knew that there had to be a better solution than “hope and pray something works out” when it comes to finding willing family members or friends to store furniture and other items during summer holidays… or any other occasion people have to move.

They pitched the idea of NXTSTOR as a peer-to-peer marketplace that would help connect people with extra space in their home or garage to rent it out to people who have things they need to store. It was a simple process that would allow users to register as a host, list how much space they have available to rent out, and are paid around $1 per rented square foot.

Users upload images of their space and Brandon and Mike speak with the hosts during the in-depth sign-up process. This helps them get an idea of who is trustworthy. Usually, the owner’s insurance covers the contents, but Brandon and Mike are also working to provide an extra set of insurance for the renters which they say should launch fairly soon.

Brandon and Mike’s side hustle is only about a few months old, so they’ve been heavily focused on adding hosts and expanding their network. They’ve used everything from Facebook ads, printed flyers, and they’ve even sponsored a theatre troupe. Results are still waiting to be seen from that last one…

One small move for friends could be a giant leap for… the storage industry as Brandon and Mike look to scale their side hustle and continue their push into new states and grow NXTSTOR, one host at a time. It helps that they’re still friends and roommates, and can weather any storms as they come up. And next time they’re moving, they’ll know exactly where to store their stuff!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • NXTSTOR: Make some space in your schedule to head over to Brandon and Mike’s website to learn more!

 

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
"We knew that storing things could be risky, so we helped 30 people move their items to make sure we understood how the process worked. It really helped us learn the inner workings of our side hustle and made it easier to sell to those who might be on the fence."
—Mike Gargasz #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
Get Started 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

If At First You Don’t Succeed, Make DIY Journals

What It’s About

Decorative journals for those who want something pretty but don’t have time to beautifully portray what we ate this week in pen and watercolors…

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

To prepare for launching, the duo set up social media accounts and started engaging with the bullet journal and lifestyle community by commenting on pictures of journal designs, particularly on Instagram. Some of the more influential people ended up sharing Silk and Sonder’s designs with their own followers, which helped gain some pre-launch traction.

Fun Fact

Silk + Sonder’s first “line” of journals is tea-themed. Each journal is inspired by a different tea blend, with little hints of that blend and its origin country present throughout the journal.

Notes from Chris

Episode 585
Meha Agrawal and Joe Yao go way back to a friendship in college. When they graduated, the two friends went separate ways, but that separation didn’t last long. A few years into their careers, Meha decided to start a side hustle in the form of a luxury wedding platform that would connect brides with vendors online, and it made perfect sense to partner with her friend who had just finished a coding boot camp nearby.

Launching that project took quite a bit of planning, and they figured bullet journaling would be a great way to organize their thoughts and next steps. The idea is to buy a journal with dotted paper and sketch beautiful designs that you can use to track things like your weekly calendar, to-do lists, and gratitude list. Taking the time to hand-draw your planner is supposed to be soothing, mindful, and clarifying.

The only thing was, they were both terrible at it…

They just couldn’t recreate the gorgeous page designs that were trending on Instagram, and the time they spent trying over and over again to make everything look nice and pretty was actually destroying their productivity. In Meha’s words, it was “deflating”.

There had to be a way to capture the personal wellness and productivity side of bullet journaling without having to suffer through the dull, uninspired designs of monthly planners—and at the same time, not have to be an expert artist.

But Meha and Joe couldn’t find any pre-made journals that really hit the nail on the head. The limited options were too boring, one-dimensional, and just bland overall—like they weren’t actually made by creative people, but by corporate execs.

So in July of 2017, they tabled their wedding platform idea and immediately got to work on a new hustle, Silk + Sonder. The goal was to blend the best bullet journal concepts, lifestyle and productivity thought pieces, and planner designs to create a monthly themed journal that would inspire self-care for the less-artistic.

In September, the two launched Silk and Sonder in preparation for their first monthly journal in October. Thanks to that early social media traction, they actually got their first sale that same day on their website. A few weeks later, they successfully fulfilled that first month’s few dozen orders, finished up the journal for November, and started to ramp up marketing.

The June journal of Silk and Sonder shipped to 25 states—a first for the company. They also recently broke $3,000 in monthly, have over 300 monthly subscribers, and are seeing 30% growth month after month. They know they’re doing something right, because gift subscriptions make up 25% of all orders—and those recipients almost always subscribe on their own after the gift.

But the side income is really only half the fun. For Meha, the ability to facilitate self-care and personal growth for hundreds of people around the country is a whole reward in its own—and more than anything, that’s the part she’s most excited about growing.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Silk + Sonder: Tired of everyone else showcasing their fab artistic skills on Instagram? Share some photos of your own—learn more over on Meha and Joe’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
"Ultimately, we wanted to curate our learnings and synthesize it in a way so that it would resonate in a product and consumer experience that felt like you had a ‘life coach’ in your back pocket."
—Meha Agrawal #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
Get Started 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

Oil & Gas Worker Becomes Sports Videographer for Polo Games

What It’s About

A photography side hustle that specializes in getting players noticed.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

One lesson learned: During a game in which he’s being paid by both teams, he always collects full payment upfront from both of those teams before the game. If not, the loser might not pay at the end of the game. He learned this the hard way.

Fun Fact

Alvaro is not just a long-time listener of the Side Hustle School podcast, he also watches Your Business by MSNBC where it features business submitted by the public in a section called #YOURBIZSELFIE. Alvaro sent MSNBC a photo and explained what he does without any expectation. One day, he saw his business appeared on national TV and was surprised by it.

Notes from Chris

Episode 581

Alvaro Plaza is a project planner at an oil and gas service company in Houston, Texas. While he’s doing well in his job now, he always wanted to start a side hustle. He used to work as an Uber driver part-time, but he wanted something that was more within his own control.

Like many of our listeners, Alvaro had many business ideas. He thought about starting an espresso van, building a digital marketing agency, working in real estate, and more. While having a lot of ideas is great, it’s crucial to take action. Alvaro didn’t move on with any idea he had until January 2016. At the time he had been laid off by his company, and everything changed.

At that time, his son was playing soccer in 9th grade. Alvaro always loved photography and filming as a form to preserve memories. He thought if he could film the game, create some highlights, and send those to coaches, his son would have more opportunities to get a soccer scholarship. Besides, these highlights can one day become great sports memories for his son too. That was when a brilliant idea flashed across his mind.

He called his new project Champions Sports Films.

Athletes need services like this if they want to increase recruiting opportunities. Besides, they could also use these replays for self and team improvement. Alvaro thought he could package it as a service targeting coaches and families with athletes. Furthermore, it was a weekend side hustle so that even when he found another full-time job, he would still be able to continue growing it on the side.

After Alvaro filmed his son’s game, the opposing team’s coach came over to talk with him. He wanted Alvaro to film their game so they could learn from the replays and highlights. That was when Alvaro got his first customer. With the quick success, he knew that there were more opportunities to make more money. He didn’t celebrate getting the first sale because all he was thinking about was how to get more clients.

Champions Sports Films had a humble beginning. Alvaro made only $6,000 in profit in 2016. It wasn’t a big paycheck, but it was growing. Then, he made $15,000 in profit in 2017. Halfway through July, he had made $17,000 in 2018 up to July. Alvaro’s goal is to make a total $30,000 in profit this year and expand the business to other cities in the future.

By our math, Alvaro’s $4,000 investment has turned into $38,000 and counting. It’s also brought him a wealth of experiences, the confidence to think about one day doing this full-time, and the passion to try out new projects.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Champions Sports Films: Learn more about Alvaro and his photography/videography service over on his website
  • WordPress: Alvaro used WordPress to setup Champions Sports Films, and here you can learn how to install your own WordPress site in 5 minutes
  • Adobe Premiere Pro, YouTube, & Dropbox: Three of the programs and platforms that Alvaro used for his videos

 

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
"While photography and videography may be a saturated market, there are lots of different methods you can use to stand out. Always be on the lookout for ways to adapt your service to fit the needs of others."
—Alvaro Plaza #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Move Forward With Uber!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Uber—the company determined to improve the ridesharing experience for both riders and drivers.

I've seen a lot of these improvements firsthand, but don't just take my word on it! Read more about all of the ways Uber is moving forward—head on over to Uber.com.🚘 Learn More

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

Global Supply Chain Adventures: American Ships Brazilian Hair to Liberia

What It’s About

A service that helps people in other countries get the American goods they want.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

To market his business, Randy has relied mainly on Facebook advertising. It’s been a great way to reach people in hard-to-reach places, like rural towns and villages. He can select locations within a radius of his franchised location or delivery drop-off point, and target the people who live there.

Fun Fact

Randy had the bittersweet experience of being forced to go full time with his side hustle because of a car accident. However, the extra time invested allowed him to finally break the seven-figure mark.

Notes from Chris

Episode 578

Have you ever ordered an item online and felt there was far too much packaging? You know, when you buy something tiny, like a USB stick or set of batteries, and it comes in a box big enough to contain a car tire?

For most of us, it’s just an annoyance—a clear sign of waste. But for many people living outside of America, the land of free shipping, it can be a costly problem that stops them from getting the products they want.

Which is where today’s side hustler, Randy Robida, found his new side hustle.

While working as an executive of a home delivery company, Randy spent a lot of time in different countries all around the world. Everywhere he went, he felt that he stood out as, “The American,” and people often commented on what he was wearing. From his sneakers to his laptop cover, the items he traveled with were often the hot topic of conversation.

One conversation he had in Budapest really stuck with Randy. Waiting for a meeting to start, one of his clients asked Randy, “How long have you had your shirt for?” Randy found the question to be a little odd. He’d been asked where and how much, but never how long he had something. Randy told him the shirt was about three years old, and the client laughed and said, “Shirts in Hungary barely last us a year.”

This was one of many similar conversations, and Randy began to feel an idea percolating in the back of his mind. He could tell there was a high demand for American items, but what was the problem with supply? Many of the people he spoke with were middle-class or high-income individuals from relatively affluent backgrounds—what was stopping them from getting the products they wanted?

He began to ask everyone on his travels where they were getting stuck, and he found two significant problems.

The first was that payments were often rejected. Although people had money, they were ruled out based on their location, and legitimate credit cards would be denied. In particular, people in Nigeria suffered from this, which you’ll understand if you’ve ever received an email from a generous faux-prince offering to send you a hundred million dollars if only you’ll advance him a few thousand up front.

The second was the cost of shipping. Products were affordable to buy in America, but sending them abroad could quickly turn a $40 pair of shorts into a $150 investment, sometimes more when you factor in import taxes.

These two points of friction and the hundreds of people struggling with them gave Randy the confidence to start his new endeavor. If he could fix these two problems, he could help people in these countries, and earn a profit for himself. So, he founded the company USA2Everywhere.

USA2Everywhere uses a simple system of consolidating packages. Customers submit their desired orders through their website. They’re then bought and delivered to Randy’s garage. There the products are re-packaged in more appropriate boxes—and sent to a pick-up location close to the customer. This offers incredible savings to the customer and allows most shipment to most places for around $25.00. Much less than any of his global competitors can provide.

Six years after its initial creation USA2Everywhere is on-track to generate several million dollars in revenue for 2018. Randy is still running the business from his house and currently employs his family members to help him out. However, he’s also expanding to a warehouse space to deal with the volume of orders coming through.

He’d eventually like to expand beyond developing countries and look towards higher-income places like Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom… so that everyone can get those cheap laptop cases and shirts that last for more than one year.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • USA2Everywhere: Learn more about the side hustle Randy is building over on his 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 how I make my money and I love doing it. Not everybody can say that."
—Randy Robida #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

Super Fan Scores Big in the Football Community

What It’s About

A side hustle that brings sports fans together.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Rhett had some great advice for someone looking to start a side hustle: 1) learn how to work with less than what you think you need, 2) expect everyone to tell you why it won’t work, and 3) have the fortitude to move on and achieve your goals.

Fun Fact

During the 2011 Super Bowl, Rhett and his team were about to be let into the locker room of the Packers right before the game started, but someone caught on that they weren’t actually members of the media. Better luck next time, Rhett!

Notes from Chris

Episode 573

Rhett Grametbauer can’t remember a day in his life without sports. As a child, he decorated his room with Sports Illustrated covers. He had an NFL lunchbox. He even wore his Dallas Cowboys jersey for school pictures, especially when the dress code was “formal wear.”

So, when a sponsorship sales person from his favorite football team called him later in life, he was thrilled. Rhett was working for the Texas Department of Transportation as a marketing manager at the time, and the Dallas Cowboys were interested in getting him more involved.

From then on, Rhett was invited to attend games, cheerleading parties, and other events. It was there that he expanded his network. He got to give Mark Cuban a fist bump and explain how to throw out the first pitch at a World Series game to the famous Cowboys quarterback, Roger Staubach.

The more Rhett was involved in the sports world, the more he was reminded of a problem he had discovered years before. He realized that there was no simple service to help fans in faraway cities watch their hometown team play. Fans could either buy an expensive TV subscription or hope that they happened to pick the one bar in town showing the game for their team. Rhett knew there could be a better way of watching dislocated teams… so he took a shot at creating his own community, Foam Finger Nation.

Members of Foam Finger Nation can simply log-in and find the closest location to where their team is being viewed. They can also create an alumni group and invite other fans to watch parties. For now, it’s free—but it won’t always be. After the next football season, Rhett is planning a redesign along with a transition to operating the site as a paid membership service.

Foam Finger Nation is growing into the umbrella brand for everything Rhett wants to do. For example, he began and completed a quest to visit every NFL stadium in just 16 weeks, while driving a 1967 VW Bus from town to town. That project turned into a book he sells on Amazon called 25,000 Miles to Glory.

Then the people from NFL Films came calling. They were interested in an interview he’d done with their co-founder, who had died in the year since Rhett had interviewed him. Rhett used the chance to talk with them about 25,000 Miles to Glory (film version), and they helped get the film version off the ground.

He now earns royalties of at least $500/month from that project, in addition to sales from the book on Amazon. He’s currently raising money from his day job to pay for the next film he wants to make.

This is definitely a side hustle in the works, but there are a lot of ways that Rhett can take this to the next level. If you have some ideas that Rhett can add to his playbook for Foam Finger Nation, record a voice clip (or put together a simple email) and send it to podcast@sidehustleschool.com. We’d love to share your thoughts and ideas on the show!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Foam Finger Nation: Learn more about the community Rhett is building over on his 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 would advise anyone starting a side hustle to 1) learn how to work with less than what they think they need, 2) expect everyone to tell them why it won’t work, and 3) have the fortitude to move on and achieve their dreams."
—Rhett Grametbrauer #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

Bartender Earns Extra Income With “Revenge By Mail” Postcards

What It’s About

Postcards for your enemies, and you know, your frenemies.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Kelly had some really great advice: when you find an idea you like—“Don’t say, ‘I wish I’d thought of that!’ Rather, ask yourself, ‘How can I put my own spin on that?’ It can seem like every good business idea is already taken, but learning about existing, profitable side hustles can be the most valuable brainstorming tool.”

Fun Fact

When postcards were first invented, many people saw them as an unacceptable invasion of privacy. Over time, they become much more acceptable—though not usually for the kinds of things that Revenge By Mail features!

Notes from Chris

Episode 563

Kelly M. is a bartender, yoga teacher, and mobile notary in San Diego, California. She’s always had a few different things going on, but until this year she’s never had a side hustle in the form of an online business.

Her new project, Revenge By Mail, came about when she heard about a guy who offers shipments of glitter to someone you don’t like or just want to play a joke on. It was such a simple (and low-cost) product. Kelly thought it was brilliant, but she didn’t think it was something she would pay for as a consumer. She would, however, pay money to harmlessly embarrass her “frenemies.” So she took the glitter idea and made it her own.

The concept of Revenge by Mail isn’t really about taking revenge on someone. It’s more about playing a prank or joke on someone. Kelly used her rudimentary design skills to create a series of fake promotional postcards. They came from made-up companies and congratulated the recipient in an embarrassing way.

For example:

  • —From BargainBrides.com: “Congratulations on your mail-order bride, Jim!”
  • —From the My Little Pony Friendship Club: “Welcome to our newest member!”
  • —From XXL Male Enhancement: “Congratulations, you’ve reached Gold level status. Your package is on the way!”

These are a few of the tamer ones. For her most popular postcard, you’ll have to check out the notes. I’ll just say it congratulates the recipient on being a frequent buyer of a personal product.

These days, she’s bringing in around 10 orders a day at $10 each, making an average of $100 a day. The time commitment is about 10 minutes a day—not a bad wage!

This experiment has got her thinking about what’s next. She’s already working on her second online project, hoping to build more passive income. If you ever need to take Revenge By Mail, or just play a prank on someone, maybe you should order a postcard.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Revenge By Mail: Don’t get mad—get even! Send your frenemies one of Kelly’s quirky and embarassing postcards
  • Reddit | Funny Subreddit: The subreddit that Kelly posted a picture of her postcard in that lead to an increase in traffic and sales
  • Shopify: Kelly used Shopify to set up her site for Revenge By Mail, and they’re offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!
  • Vistaprint: The platform that Kelly uses to print out all of her postcards

 

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
"Don’t say, ‘I wish I’d thought of that!’ Rather, ask yourself, ‘How can I put my own spin on that?’ Learning about existing, profitable side hustles can be the most valuable brainstorming tool."
—Kelly M #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Move Forward With Uber!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Uber—the company determined to improve the ridesharing experience for both riders and drivers.

I've seen a lot of these improvements firsthand, but don't just take my word on it! Read more about all of the ways Uber is moving forward—head on over to Uber.com.🚘 Learn More

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

Pre-Made Meals Bring In $5,500/Month After Layoff

What It’s About

After cooking for a family member in need, a woman learns to sell “mostly made” meals.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Worried about crowdfunding? Here are some fantastic words of wisdom from Jillian:

“Spend at least two months prior to launching your Kickstarter collecting email addresses and leads through social media and other ad campaigns because you’ll have to bring in most of your own backers. In most campaigns, 80% will come from your personal network, so don’t launch until you have collected at least 15x more email leads than backers needed.

For example, if you want to raise $5,000 and anticipate needing 50 backers to meet your goal, collect at least 750 email leads (assume only a fraction of people will covert).”

Fun Fact

The recipe development for Mostly Made took a year, and it was really challenging at times. Jillian even said that for a while, it felt like things weren’t going to make it.

She felt that she needed to become a badass, so she cut off all of her hair. No more girlish French braids or ponytails! She’d had long hair since she was born, so this was sort of impulsive and drastic. She gave her 14″ ponytail to a charity that makes wigs for kids with cancer, and that’s how she justified the haircut: charitable. Jillian just needed to prove to herself that she was capable of taking risks!

Notes from Chris

Episode 555

Two years ago Jillian McGary was working as a digital marketer and affiliate manager. She didn’t enjoy the job so much and was often on the lookout for opportunities to make money elsewhere. Ten years ago, she and her brother launched SnowProfessor.com, a site of learn-to-snowboard videos. While the site received significant traffic and over nine million Youtube views, it never made much money. However, Jillian loved the process and had a yearning to try again.

Fast forward eight years and Jillian was working a day job when her family received some tragic news. Her sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer. The whole family pulled together to do anything they could to help. For Jillian, that meant making the family pre-cooked meals they could reheat whenever they wanted without having to worry about cooking.

Although she was no culinary mastermind—by her own admission—she developed a knack for creating meals that were easy to produce en masse and still delicious after re-heating. She also began exploring the idea of creating her own food brand while still employed…

At the beginning of 2017, she lost her job… and she says it was the best thing that ever happened to her. She decided to take her time and savings of $18,000 and invest it into creating a side hustle, which now, by default, became her full-time gig. She called the business ‘Mostly Made,’ and it would provide pre-packaged meal kits for people to prepare at home. All they’d have to do was add their favorite vegetables.

In February 2018, a year after her Kickstarter campaign ended, Jillian had the first batch of Mostly Made meals delivered to customers.

Just how much success is that? Well, the current revenue generated by Mostly Made is $5500/month. While that may seem like a lot, the profit margins are rather slim so there is a way to go before this becomes a really profitable exercise.

However, Jillian is up for the challenge and, as she never took on a full-time job after losing her last one, she has plenty of time to dedicate to Mostly Made. It’s true that launching a successful food business can be difficult, but it seems Jillian has mostly made it!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Mostly Made: When you need a little help, Jillian is there to give you a helping hand—learn more over on her website!
  • Kickstarter | Mostly Made: The Kickstarter campaign that started it all!

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
"Prior to launching your side hustle, do a ton of market research. Look for reasons to back out. Be a critic and poke holes in your plan."
—Jillian McGary #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Move Forward With Uber!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Uber—the company determined to improve the ridesharing experience for both riders and drivers.

I've seen a lot of these improvements firsthand, but don't just take my word on it! Read more about all of the ways Uber is moving forward—head on over to Uber.com.🚘 Learn More

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

Editor Creates Book Club For Bad People

What It’s About

A book club for people who like to read and party!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

For anyone looking to start a similar side hustle, Abbey’s advice is to focus on your brand first. Get clear on what your brand is, what you stand for, and who you want to attract. This will help the rest of the pieces fall into place, and ensure you make more informed decisions as you move forward.

Fun Fact

The mixologist reads the book and weaves a similar story through the cocktails based on what she read, saw and felt. For example, she created a “Sisters Whiskey Sour” inspired by the book Homegoing, which she filled with flavors based on the book’s journey through Ghana. Abbey also provides the non-alcoholic ingredients in the box to help people make their cocktail!

Notes from Chris

Episode 553

For content editor Abbey Jones, books have always been important. She loves nothing more than immersing herself in the worlds, ideas, and lives of other people in the books they’ve shared. But, as her career progressed, she found herself reading less and less. Between work commitments, her social life, and the ease of other types of entertainment, reading ended up falling by the wayside.

And Abbey found she wasn’t the only person who felt this way, either. She found herself talking less and less about books with her friends and colleagues who also found it hard to make time to read around their busy lives. It was a part of her life that she missed, and she wanted to find a way to make books a bigger part of people’s lives again.

Abbey realized the younger generation’s biggest problem with reading is that it’s not always considered relevant or exciting. The cool thing to do is to scroll through your news feed or get sucked into a new Netflix series; you’ll find more workplace conversations about the latest season of Stranger Things than the current bestseller.

Trying to reconnect with books, Abbey began to research book clubs and immediately found the same problem. These clubs were almost always targeted at an older generation and focused on books that were (in her opinion) hard to get excited about. None of them felt like they were on the pulse of what was happening in her life.

So Abby resolved to start a book club that was relevant and exciting and had people eagerly awaiting their next read.

She called it the Bad People Book Club. She describes it as, “A book club for people who like to read and party,” and uses vibrant branding to create a feel that goes against the grain of the usual mental images a book club would conjure.

She currently delivers these boxes to 300 subscribers and is making just over $1,000/month. That’s right, Abbey—we see you, you bad!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Bad People Book Club: For the bad people in your life who enjoy a cocktail and a good book—learn more on Abbey’s website!
  • Shopify: Abbey used Shopify to set up her site for Bad People Book Club, and they’re offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!
  • Shippo: The multi-carrier shipping software that Abbey used for her e-commerce shop

 

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’ve started small to manage risks which has made it a lot easier for me. Some people may benefit by diving in 100% right away, but—with my situation—taking the business one step at a time has definitely made it manageable for me."
—Abbey Jones #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

Google Employee Makes $100,000 Using Fiverr

What It’s About

A marketer hacks Fiverr and makes six-figures!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

The key to offering high-priced services on Fiverr is to offer something specialized that’s not a commodity. Remember the Crossfit chalk guy from Ep.542? He was able to sell a commodity and make a real profit, but most people can’t.

Fun Fact

Jon’s other side hustle, Every Vowel, is doing well too! He was just commissioned to create 4 life-sized murals for Zappos at their headquarters in Las Vegas.

Notes from Chris

Episode 548

Platforms like Etsy, Fiverr, and Skillshare are typically recommended for beginners, or for those who just want to dip their toes into the world of side hustling. They’re easy to get started on quickly and they can help to build your business skills, but they don’t tend to be lucrative. Because they’re based around an existing business model, working with one of these services tends to limit your income. It’s a great way to experiment, but not a great way to grow… at least usually.

However, there are exceptions, and in that intersection of exceptions is where we meet Jon Youshaei. In just under a year of using Fiverr, Jon has earned close to $100,000. To be clear, this is uncommon. So, how did he do it? What did he do differently from everyone else making $5 at a time on the site?

Let’s start from the beginning. By day, Jon works at Google as a product marketer helping Youtubers grow their audiences. On the side, he runs a website where he publishes weekly cartoons that poke fun of the common workplace. (It’s aptly named “Every Vowel” since Jon is one of the few people who has every vowel in his last name). He was already heavily involved in those endeavors when he began working with Fiverr.

As a refresher, Fiverr is a platform where freelancers can advertise their services to the public. Buyers can go on the sight and hire writers, editors, marketers, and more to do work for them. Fiverr markets itself as being for the “lean entrepreneur” and has thus built a culture of relatively inexpensive services. Because of this, people usually don’t make very much money as a Fiverr freelancer.

Jon’s story is different. With his background as the Head of Creator Product Marketing at YouTube, he has an impressive resume of past clients and a coveted position in the company.

Fiverr Pro is the highest tier of services that Fiverr offer and costs more because of this. Jon decided to ONLY offer services through the Pro tier, and in his case, he does marketing consultation.

In Jon’s case, he does marketing consultation. This means that most of his sales come from calls with business owners asking for advice about their social media presence, brand, videos, copy, and strategy. Of course, his main specialty is with businesses tied to YouTube. For these video calls, Jon charges $1,080 for one 60 minute session. If the customer wants his copywriting service, he charges $1,500 for a speech, around $1,300 for a blog or article, and about $900 for website copy.

Pricey, right? But remember what he does—he helps these clients gain an audience, which is valuable.

Jon is able to keep these prices and his clients coming by the quality of work he puts out. He prioritizes giving his clients more than what they ask for and always leaves them happy. This, then, breeds a large number of positive reviews, which then gets him more business.

He brought in $60,000 within his first six months, and now, a year later, he’s about to bring in $100,000! Which is pretty impressive for a side hustle working on a starter platform.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Fiverr | Everyvowel: Learn more about the services Jon offers over on his Fiverr profile!
  • Every Vowel: The work centric illustration brand that Jon created in addition to his digital marketing

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
"You need to be willing to keep going with your project, even if you make little to no money at first. Without consistent effort, you’re unlikely to achieve the outcomes you’re looking for."
—Jon Youshaei #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