Tag: Side Hustle School

WEEKLY RECAP: Tango, Glass Files, and Pork Pies

Notes from Chris

Episode 77

LISTENER Q&A:

Our listener question for this week comes to us from Danielle in Denver:

Danielle’s question relates to Ep. 43, in which an education district employee creates an online side hustle raking in over $100,000 within her first year. She was able to do this by building up a substantial subscriber, list both on her blog and on Facebook, and marketing her online writing course to them. Danielle is working on building her own email list, and asks “How was she able to get 800 subscribers in her first month?”

Note: If you’re looking to build an email list as well, check out the service I use called ConvertKit. From that link you can get an exclusive 30-day free trial where you can test out all of their features.

Listen to the Weekly Recap for a more comprehensive look at this week’s Listener Q&A. Also, if you have a question you’d like answered, send me a voice message. Your question may be featured on the show!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS WEEK:

Here are some quick highlights for each episode this week. Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel.

  • Ep. 71 – Colleen came across the idea for her side hustle at a local market, and her story is proof that the most valuable hustling skill is being able to observe what might be a profitable idea, and then follow-through with it.
  • Ep. 72 – Megan is an instructor at a university in Texas who discovered that she had a gift for constructing curriculum
  • Ep. 73 – Benny’s manufacturing side hustle is a creative example of how you can use Facebook ads in combination with a platform like Teespring, a print-on-demand t-shirt vendor
  • Ep. 74 – A California woman falls in love with Tango and then makes it her side hustle.
  • Ep. 75 – A British pub manager has a creative idea for new pub food that he initially uses to help his boss but then realizes that it might be better for himself.
  • Ep. 76 – An artist uses his love of whimsical drawing to create a side hustle selling everything from autographed prints to coffee mugs with his designs on them with Society6.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Chris Guillebeau

Side Hustle School Live:

Make a plan to start your hustle in 28 days or less.

You need more than one source of income. This in-person workshop (NOT available online) will show you exactly how to set up your first—or your fifth—hustle. We just wrapped up a sold-out workshop in Los Angeles on Thursday, and here’s where I’ll be next:

  • Denver, CO – March 21st (Almost Sold Out!)
  • San Francisco, CA – April 6th
  • Austin, TX – April 8th

Don’t See Your City? Let me know where you live! I’ll use your input to decide on future workshop locations. If we get enough people together in your city, I’ll be there.

Here’s what’s coming up next…

Each week I’ll feature more stories from people who are starting side hustles without quitting their job. Here’s a sneak peek of what’s coming next week:

  • A Colorado bartender makes tens of thousands of dollars after self-publishing a guide about the “budding” cannabis industry.
  • A great social good story about a jewelry side hustle that helps disadvantaged women in Detroit
  • A worm empire that earns around $420 a month—yes, the trend of crazy animal related side hustle stories continues!

Do you have a side hustle story you’d like to share? Fill out the Side Hustle School submission form and your story may be featured on the show!

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
"False starts are normal, missteps are normal, but the destination is success. And that can be your destination too."
—#SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get a premium Indochino Suit for just $389!

Side Hustle School is brought to you by Indochino, the company that’s reinventing men’s fashion.

Go to Indochino.com to get any premium Indochino suit for just $389, plus free shipping, when you use promo code HUSTLE at checkout. 🤵 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

WEEKLY RECAP: Tiny Houses, T-Shirts, and Romance Novels

Notes from Chris

Episode 70

LISTENER Q&A:

Our listener questions for this week come to us from Michael and David:

  • Michael asks what the best way to remove bad habits is and, additionally, how to take on good ones and stay disciplined in order to make your side hustle work. Starting a side hustle can take some adjusting, but it’s wise to implement routines before they become more necessary.
  • David’s question focuses on how to know when to keep at something and when you should give it up to pursue other things. This is a topic I discuss often on my blog, and I’m an advocate for abandoning something if it is no longer working for you. This lesson applies to side hustles as well—know when to keep going and when to change paths or try something new.

Listen to the Weekly Recap for a more comprehensive look at this week’s Listener Q&A. Also, if you have a question you’d like answered, send me a voice message. Your question may be featured on the show!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS WEEK:

Here are some quick highlights for each episode this week. Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel.

  • Ep. 64 – A story of belonging where two men with long hair create a side hustle to serve others like them. I love the tagline of their Hair Ties for Guys: “So cool your girlfriend will steal them.”
  • Ep. 65 – Carey’s story is the first of more stories to come about how it is still possible to make money writing books or publishing a blog or otherwise creating content and sharing it with an audience you build over time.
  • Ep. 66 – The Danger family sets out to travel for 1-2 years. It turns into 5 and they end up making a good living along the way, much to their surprise and counter to their expectations.
  • Ep. 67 – A guy who combines the world of taxes and finance to help clients in the evenings.
  • Ep. 68 – How a night with friends over drinks leads to a unique idea and a successful side hustle selling t-shirts with huge pockets on the front.
  • Ep. 69 – In this episode, Brent proves that it IS possible to make a good living by writing or teaching, especially if it is a form of specialized information.

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

Yours in the revolution,

Chris Guillebeau

Weekly Update:

Make a plan to start your hustle in 28 days or less.

You need more than one source of income. This in-person workshop (NOT available online) will show you exactly how to set up your first—or your fifth—hustle. Here’s where I’ll be next:

  • Los Angeles, CA – March 16th
  • Denver, CO – March 21st
  • San Francisco, CA – April 6th
  • Austin, TX – April 8th

Don’t See Your City? Let me know where you live! I’ll use your input to decide on future workshop locations. If we get enough people together in your city, I’ll be there.

Here’s what’s coming up next…

Each week I’ll feature more stories from people who are starting side hustles without quitting their job. Here’s a sneak peek of what’s coming next week:

  • Another six-figure t-shirt story using a completely different platform from the one we saw in Ep. 55.
  • A story about a woman who creates a tango tour in Argentina.
  • How a British pub manager bakes pork pies for profit

Do you have a side hustle story you’d like to share? Fill out the Side Hustle School submission form and your story may be featured on the show!

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
"Once we started building an audience and they started writing in, we realized there is a very real community out there, they need our help, and they love what we’re doing."
—Chris Healy #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

WEEKLY RECAP: 50 Shades of Hustling

Notes from Chris

Episode 63
Starter platforms are great to help you get the ball rolling and help you bring in that extra money quickly, but usually you should plan to have your own independent website once you’re ready. In the long-term, you want customers to come to you and not to someone else’s platform.

Still, consider taking on the challenge to try out one of these platforms and see it through. There’s little to no risk, and you may learn some valuable lessons along the way.

  • Fiverr.com – Looking for an easy way to experiment with offering services? Testing out your ideas on Fiverr can help you develop your product or service (see Ep. 5)
  • Upwork.com – Upwork is a fantastic resource whether you’re looking to test out your own services or find someone to help you get your side hustle off the ground.
  • Fulfilled by Amazon – You can store your products in Amazon’s fulfillment centers, and they will pick, pack, ship, and provide customer service for all of your products. Best of all, FBA can help you scale your business and reach more customers (see Ep. 19).
  • Etsy – The world’s largest homemade marketplace and ideal to help you get started selling your products today (see Ep. 6)
  • Wyzant.com – Do you possess knowledge that others would pay for? Wyzant is a massive community of tutors that are matched to people looking to learn what you know (see Ep. 29). Helping people one-on-one
  • Clarity.fm – Clarity is another website that is great whether you’re an expert or in need of one. Test your service in platform like Clarity before breaking off on your own.
  • Skillshare – With thousands of videos spanning topics like mastering illustrations to mastering SEO, there’s plenty of ways you can share what you know with others or pick up a new skill.
  • Highbrow – Pick up a new skill or create an online course yourself with this quick and easy service.
  • CreativeMarket.com – Creative Market is a platform for designers and ideal for “mouse-made” design content and assets from independent creatives all around the world.(see Ep. 26)
  • Society6 – If you’re artistically inclined, Society6 may fit the bill. You can sell your designs on a variety of items including laptop sleeves and travel mugs.

Listener Q&A

Our listener questions for this week come to us from Chad and Ellen:  

  • Chad brings up an interesting topic regarding how much he should worry about sharing his ideas with others. Always remember that the value is not just in the idea. It’s in the execution and implementation of the idea.
  • Ellen wonders why customers would order through Jeff in the amazing live cricket story and not go directly to the cricket farms in order to avoid the markup that he adds when he resells. She also asks how you can bring value to your customers in a reselling side hustle.

    Listen to the Weekly Recap for a more comprehensive look at this week’s Listener Q&A. Also, if you have a question you’d like answered, send me a voice message. Your question may be featured on the show!

Highlights From This Week

Here are some quick highlights for each episode this week. Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel!

  • Ep. 57 – Cori uses her hula hooping skills to start a fitness class at a local martial arts studio, which brings in an extra $800/month
  • Ep. 58 – Our first PG-13 side hustle involves a unique adult wellness kit that has gone on to bring in around $70,000 in sales
  • Ep. 59 – Ben is a P.E. teacher who starts a blog that brings in a sustainable revenue through memberships providing tips and resources for other teachers
  • Ep. 60 – A Tennessee-based marketing consultant designs a quarterly, high-end retreat weekend to help attendees take stock of their lives and businesses, earning him an additional $20,000/year
  • Ep. 61 – Lindsey uses a peer-to-peer sharing platform to earn extra money for her family and help visiting parents get all the baby gear they need for their trip
  • Ep. 62 – A great origins story involving an elementary school teacher who ends up making $40,000/year selling his jewelry working mostly on the weekends

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
"Good things come to those who hustle."
—#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

WEEKLY RECAP: Plane Tickets, Punk Art, and Abe Lincoln

Quick Reminder:

Even though it runs contrary to what you may have heard about “starting a business,” you should know that side hustles do not necessarily need to be sustainable.

It would be easy from a traditional business perspective to criticize a side hustle like Elaine’s in Ep. 55 and say, “Oh, well it’s great that she made that money, but is this really sustainable? Other people are going to be entering the market, and it’s something that’s going to evolve.”

In that story, she made over $50,000 last year without having to put in more than a few hours every week. Wouldn’t it have been worth it to you to make that kind of money in a year even if it went away tomorrow?

Remember this when someone asks you if your project is sustainable if you’re going to be able to scale it if you’re going to have an exit plan—these are questions that may not apply to what you’re doing, and that’s okay.

Listener Q&A

Our listener questions for this week come to us from Kathleen and John:  

  • Kathleen has been wanting to start her own side hustle for quite some time, but uncertainties regarding tax forms and filing have been holding her back.
  • John is looking for a way to get his new woodworking side hustle to a larger audience and is considering starting up a website. The only problem is that he’s not certain if he should use a starter site like Etsy which we’ve discussed in the past, or creating his own website complete with a snazzy domain.

    Starter websites are great to help you get the ball rolling, but I usually recommend that you have your own independent website once you’re ready. In the long-term, you want customers to come to you, not to someone else’s platform.

    Listen to the Weekly Recap for a more comprehensive look at this week’s Listener Q&A. Also, if you have a question you’d like answered, send me a voice message. Your question may be featured on the show!

Highlights From This Week

Here are some quick highlights for each episode this week. Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel!

  • Ep. 50 – An American who lived in Belgium for more than a decade who returns home and starts a hustle making fine chocolate
  • Ep. 51 – How Scott was able to turn his obsession for travel hacking and cheap flights into an email list of more than 275,000 subscribers and over $1M in revenue within a year
  • Ep. 52 – How a teacher creates a non-toxic face paint that lands her on the TODAY Show
  • Ep. 53 – We all need personal finance skills but some of us might feel intimidated by this whole industry—so Hadassah is demystifying it for a group of people who identify with her
  • Ep. 54 – Maury found a way to turn pennies into over $40,000 with this unique product, and it’s yet another example of something that you wouldn’t know would work until you tried it
  • Ep. 55 – This high-profit manufacturing side hustle explores the wide world of print-on-demand platforms like Merch by Amazon

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
"A side hustle does not necessarily need to be sustainable in order to be worth your while."
—Chris Guillebeau #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get a FREE Audiobook from Audible!

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

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

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Weekly Recap: Live Crickets, Tarot, and Reinventing the Bra

Action Item:

Here’s a fun exercise: make a list of all the ways you spend your time when you have a choice about it.

 

If the day was completely open and you had no obligations, what would you do?

 

The best way to start your hustle is not usually to “follow your passion.” But it is true that many successful hustles come from digging a bit deeper into something you enjoy, and then finding a way to create value in that for everyone else.

 

Note: We recently announced four more Side Hustle School workshops: Austin, Denver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. I’d love to see you there!

 

Sign Up Here

Listener Q&A

Our listener questions for this week come to us from Robert Lindley and Claire Camp:  

  • Rob and his wife have been exploring the world of network marketing and were curious how it compared to some of the other side hustles we’ve featured on the show.
  • When looking for a gift for her mom who enjoys throwing ceramics, Claire found that there weren’t really any websites devoted to reviewing products. She got the idea to try and start her own, but she’s struggling to find affordable content writing.

    Listen to the Weekly Recap for a more comprehensive look at this week’s Listener Q&A. Also, if you have a question you’d like answered, send me a voice message. Your question may be featured on the show!

Highlights From This Week

Here are some quick highlights for each episode this week. Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel!

  • Ep. 43 – Shaunta identified a deep desire that a lot of people have, and connected with her audience setting herself up as an authority in writing. She was incredibly successful and brought in over $100,000 within her first year!
  • Ep. 44 – Adam increased his income from $1,000 to $2,000 to $3,000 a month not by changing what he offered, but by shifting how he offered it. He did this by split-testing different parts of his offer and CTA, then adjusting to feature the winning results
  • Ep. 45 – Starting an online project is easy compared to working with overseas factories to manufacturing clothing, but this was a mission for Madhavi, the designer featured in this story
  • Ep. 46 – You may not want to replicate this drop-ship reselling experiment yourself, but it is pretty creative.
  • Ep. 47 – Scott decided to make a physical product based off intellectual property that he didn’t even own. He asked for forgiveness rather than permission, and did it in a way that was attractive to the Gallup company
  • Ep. 48 – Tina created a personal challenge to illustrate every day, which turned into a physical product that earned a very significant income that matched what she earned at her job

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
"If you’re listening, you’re the reason I do this. If you make the commitment to make this part of your routine, I commit to supporting you fully in your quest to create that new source of income."
—Chris Guillebeau #SideHustleSchool

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

WEEKLY RECAP: Pole Dancing and the Expat Life

The Vision:

A Side Hustle is a project you create to earn money apart from your day job. Ultimately it’s all about creating more freedom for yourself.  Whether you hate your job and are trying to make a change, or you love your job and have no plans to leave, everyone should have more than one source of income—and that’s what a Side Hustle is all about. 

 

No one will ever care about your career and wellbeing as much as you—you need to create your own security—and that’s what a hustle will allow you to do.

 

The whole point of the show is to guide you along the way of starting that first—or second, or fifth hustle.

Listener Q&A

Our listener questions for this week come to us from Jen McGuire and Ben Kapoor:  

  • Jen is considering starting a side hustle of her very own, but she’s not sure that she’d want to go it alone. A few recent episodes have featured partner hustles (See Ep. 16, for example). If you’re like Jen and are considering starting something up with a friend, there are three things you should do: 1) Have a written agreement, 2) Pick partners with different strengths as you, and 3) Divide areas of responsibility.

  • Way back in Ep. 2, we featured Max Robinson and his side hustle, Fish Tank Bank. This quirky, little blog reviews fish tanks and includes affiliate links to Amazon for each. Despite not having to invest much time in it, Max has been able to consistently bring in $700/month in passive income. After listening to this episode, Ben began to wonder why a site that wasn’t in the top four on Google would be so successful when companies like Ebay and Amazon exist, but a large part of Max’s success is the result of his ability to think like his customers. This is a good rule of thumb no matter which direction you take with your side hustle!

    Listen to the Weekly Recap for a more comprehensive look at this week’s Listener Q&A! Also, if you have a question you’d like answered, send me a voice message. Your question may be featured on the show!

Highlights From This Week

Here are some quick highlights for each episode this week. Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel!

  • Ep. 36 – Sarah was able to grow her pole dancing fitness side hustle to four locations and a six-figure income within six years. Great success story!
  • Ep. 37 – After living for years overseas with his family, Jeff received a lot of question from people looking to do something similar. When he realized there was a need for information, he figured out a way to monetize it.
  • Ep. 38 – Sheila’s side hustle is both a product and a service, and it’s a good example of combining different approaches.
  • Ep. 39 – Ian’s side hustle provides us with an early look at SaaS (software as a service) and recurring revenue.
  • Ep. 40 – A marriage counselor tends to work with couples experiencing difficulty. A wedding officiant tends to work with couples who are very excited about beginning a new life together. Jeffrey, a trained psychotherapist, found a way to experience both roles once he started his officiant hustle.
  • Ep. 41 – A fun story of a physical product: a work of art that is marketed to new parents and expectant parents.

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
"I don’t actually believe everyone should jump off a cliff and quit their job. I do believe that everyone needs more than one source of income."
—Chris Guillebeau #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

WEEKLY RECAP: Observation, Validation, and Leasing 16 Cars

Action Item:

If you’ve been keeping up with the episodes from this week, you’ll notice a few themes throughout. One that stands out the most is the “Power of Observation,” something I talked about in a special episode this week.

 

Many hustles come about not through extensive validation or any kind of qualitative measurement, but rather by paying attention. One of the principles of Side Hustle School is that actionable ideas are everywhere—you just have to use your powers of observation, and that’s a learned skill.

 

As you continue throughout your day, pay attention and be ready to take action when you notice an intriguing opportunity.

 

Remember, inspiration is good, but inspiration combined with action is much better.

Listener Q&A

Our listener questions for this week come to us from Tom in Brooklyn and Jenna in Seattle:  

  • Tom is considering creating an image-based side hustle and isn’t sure whether or not to focus on building his hustle in something like Fiverr or Etsy or something for larger projects like Kickstarter or Indiegogo. He also brought up some good questions about LLC licenses and copyrighting your product with Safe Creative.
  • Jenna is also just getting started with her side hustle, but her questions focused mainly on how you can build a quality website with limited technological capabilities. These days, there are many resources available to you if you’re looking to build a website—regardless of your skill set. You can hire a developer to help you get the customized look you’re looking for on Upwork, or you could even use a simple site builder like Shopify, if your side hustle is product-based. However, if you truly need an advanced solution, you’ll need to get some advanced help one way or another.

    Listen to the Weekly Recap for a more comprehensive look at this week’s Listener Q&A! Also, if you have a question you’d like answered, send me a voice message. Your question may be featured on the show!

Highlights From This Week

  • Ep. 29 – Dan Khadem created a high-end tutoring business on Wyzant.com and has been able to earn up to $125/hour teaching what he knows to others.
  • Ep. 30 – Shannon Mattern’s story shows us that injecting personality into your hustle makes you more relatable and that sometimes it pays to change up your services when things stop working for you.
  • Ep. 31 – Bob Bentz’s side hustle is a true testament to the “Power of Observation.” He never intended to start a manufacturing hustle, but he saw an opportunity and took it.
  • Ep. 32 – Tahsir Ahsan found a way to creatively use a common platform called Turo in order to create a steady and high side income.
  • Ep. 33 – Andrew Church created a lucrative, artistic side hustle using existing skills and found empowerment along the way.
  • Ep. 34 – Sara Everett used her skills as a realtor and her knowledge of art to build a consulting business that goes hand in hand with her day job.

Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel!

Resources

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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
"No one will ever care about your career and well-being as much as you do. You need to create your own security, and that’s what a hustle will allow you to do."
—Chris Guillebeau #SideHustleSchool

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

Hospital Database Programmer Outsources His Skills

What It’s About

Hospital employee makes up to $125 an hour showing people how to work with complex information.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

A key theme of side hustling is using the skills you already have, not going out to learn something new. Sometimes people don’t know what skills of theirs are valuable in the world apart from traditional employment—which is only natural if all they’ve done is work for a company or organization. In this episode, Dan Khadem uses skills he originally learned for his work and transferred it to a hustle that pays him up to $125 an hour.

One of Dan’s most frequently used tools is Microsoft Access, a software program used widely in the healthcare world. His tutoring work helps others use this software more effectively and efficiently. He uses the tutoring site Wyzant.com to find clients.

Fun Fact

After going to school, Dan had accrued over $45,000 in debt and that number climbed over the years following the addition of a new car, a new home, and a new bride. By 2012, his debt had reached an all-time high of over $86,000. Today, Dan has whittled that down to $2,000 and plans on being completely debt-free sometime over the next couple months.

When asked about how he was able to whittle his debt down so substantially, he attributes his success to three things. First, the income from his day job was incrementally increasing by 2-3% each year. Secondly, his expenses went down after his fiancé moved in with him. The biggest factor in his debt reduction, however, was the resulting income from his side hustle.

Resources

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

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RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $5/MONTH

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Learn More

Quote of the Day
"To get started on your way to a successful hustle, think about what skills or knowledge you have, and then determine what people want to know."
—Dan Khadem #SideHustleSchool

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

WEEKLY RECAP: Good Fortune Favors the Prepared

Action Item:

As Richard Branson once said, “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.”

 

The same could be said for side hustles. As you’re listening to these episodes, consider what kind of preparation went into building the side hustles that made them successful and ask yourself:

 

1. How am I preparing for my side hustle?

 

2. What steps can I take to create the foundation for a successful hustle?

 

Remember, inspiration (and luck!) is good, but inspiration combined with action and is much better.

Words of Wisdom

Luck and good fortune can help you along, but hard work and being prepared can take you even further. You may listen to some of these episodes and think that these people just got lucky in finding successful projects—but most of these people worked hard once an opportunity to do something presented itself.

I don’t recommend that you wait for luck to come your way, but I do recommend that you be ready to work and hit the ground running if an opportune moment does show up. Some side hustles may come easily, but for the most part, they still require some work on your part especially in the beginning.

Highlights From This Week

  • Ep. 22 – Brianna got lucky when she found an open space with minimal overhead for her pop-up shop, but she was a success because she was prepared and worked hard for a solid month getting it off the ground.
  • Ep. 23 – Jake was lucky when his listing brought in so many clients, but it was his hard work and dedication that made it sustainable.
  • Ep. 27 – Heather got lucky when she came up with the idea for Stressed Mommy, but she was truly successful because she found the time to make her side hustle work despite her busy schedule.

Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel!

Resources

EARN 80,000 AIRLINE & HOTEL POINTS

If you're going to have a side hustle, you need a small business credit card—and this is the very best. You’ll earn a signup bonus of 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points, which can be transferred to your choice of 11 travel partners. See the world while you’re hustling! Learn More

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $5/MONTH

-Special discount for Side Hustle School listeners-

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. You can get support 24 hours a day. Don't overpay: get your own hosting plan for just $5 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"You might get lucky… but for best results, be ready to work when luck shows up."
—Chris Guillebeau #SideHustleSchool

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

WEEKLY RECAP: Why Some Hustles Are Better than Others

Action Item:

As you listen to the daily episodes, ask yourself a few questions based on the lessons we’ve covered so far with the weekly recaps:

 

1) What am I dissatisfied with? Ask if there’s something missing from the things you enjoy or use all the time.

 

2) How can I make someone’s life better? Focus on what your potential customer really needs, and then focus on catering to that need.

 

3) What kind of Side Hustle is right for me? Draw upon skills you already possess and find ways to make them work for you.

 

All of these questions will help lead you to the right kind of side hustles. Don’t settle for being inspired—take these lessons and implement them in a hustle of your own!

 

Remember, inspiration is good, but inspiration combined with action is much better.

Words of Wisdom

As Joe said in (Ep. 16) “You can’t fake passion, and that’s what really sells the product. You have to channel your passion, whatever that enthusiasm is, into your side hustle.”

When you’re thinking of what kind of side hustle is going to work for you, see if there’s something lacking or in need of improvement in regards to something you’re passionate about.

Highlights From This Week

  • Ep. 16 – Joe’s side hustle shows the power of adaptation and being willing to let your idea evolve
  • Ep. 18 – Daisy built relationships and related to a demographic that does not tend to respond well to traditional marketing. But because she was one of them, and she was consistent, she was able to do very well
  • Ep. 19 – This kind of reselling business is great for people who are logical thinkers and comfortable with working with a lot of data

Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel!

Resources

EARN 80,000 AIRLINE & HOTEL POINTS

If you're going to have a side hustle, you need a small business credit card—and this is the very best. You’ll earn a signup bonus of 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points, which can be transferred to your choice of 11 travel partners. See the world while you’re hustling! Learn More

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $5/MONTH

-Special discount for Side Hustle School listeners-

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. You can get support 24 hours a day. Don't overpay: get your own hosting plan for just $5 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Not everyone should be an entrepreneur, but everyone should learn to think entrepreneurially. "
—Chris Guillebeau #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Cook with Blue Apron!

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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