Tag: Unique Ideas

Trio of Friends Creates Ergonomic Desk Accessory

What It’s About

Three college friends lean in, creating ergonomic pads for people working at desks.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

The guys have some great advice about working as a team, “Partner with people that each bring a unique and valuable skill set to the project. When you can divide and conquer tasks, it makes everyone feel like they’re an equal contributor to the team, and it also streamlines the process.”

Fun Fact

Kyle and Chris played baseball together in college and have been best friends since. Though they live in separate parts of the country, working on Jelbows has been a way for them to remain close. While they’ve had a few disagreements along the way, they feel their friendship has gotten stronger because of being in business together.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1045

Great ideas are often born out of necessity. This was precisely what led Kyle Kunkel and his two former college roommates, Chris and Brandon, to creating Jelbows—an ergonomic solution for desk workers.

It all started during a brainstorming meeting. The three friends would meet on a call once a week to throw out ideas for potential businesses they could start. This was also a way to stay connected. Most of the ideas never stuck, but during one call in Spring 2015, that changed.

One of them had an idea worth looking into.

Working in a call center, Kyle mentioned that his elbows hurt after leaning on his desk while making calls. To counter the discomfort, he brought in actual Dr. Scholls’ heel inserts to put on the desk and lean on. It worked, and he began to bring in more as gifts for colleagues.

While at first the idea seemed like a stretch, they realized it might just be crazy enough to have merit.

The name would be Jelbows: “Gel for your elbow.” These ergonomic elbow and wrist pads would alleviate stress and tension on joints caused by making calls, leaning on elbows, typing, and other similar desk activities.

Kyle immediately went into product research and development mode. He started by going on Alibaba, a well-known site that lists products from Asian manufacturers, to find suppliers who were producing items similar to the initial concept for Jelbows.

How much did all of this cost? Their initial investment was about $1200 each. In addition to the production costs for testing different sizes and shapes, they also spent money on ad campaigns, their website, and photography. They made a website, set up Shopify, and began advertising on Instagram (which ended up not being as great of a return as they had hoped!). Live and learn.

Sales began during the 2015 holiday season, and they set some ambitious goals, including earning a million dollars in revenue and one day being able to sell the company to retire on a beach. (Start small…)

Four years in, their annual revenue is over $100,000, and Jelbows operates on a 50-60% profit margin. They have no debt and are cash positive every month. Jelbows has close to 300 reviews on Amazon, and they offer options for two sizes and three colors.

And they are still at their day jobs! Kyle is a Senior Manager at Dell working in procurement, while Chris is in Medical Sales. Their third business partner sold his interest in the company to focus on other work.

The two remaining partners now spend time thinking about how to scale and reach their new goal: to triple their sales within the next year. Another future goal for Jelbows is to ship internationally, as they currently only sell within the U.S.

While they’ve seen amazing growth since 2015, Kyle and Chris are firm believers in not getting comfortable with where they are … no matter how comfortable their product may be.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Jelbows: Learn more and get your own set of Jelbows from the Jelbows website.
  • Want to launch your own product and are considering working with a supplier through Alibaba? Listen to Extended Cut Episode #400 and look for the Shopify guide to Alibaba, posted in the notes.

 

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
"Partner with people that each bring a unique and valuable skill set to the project. When you can divide and conquer tasks, it makes everyone feel like they’re an equal contributor to the team."
—Kyle Kunkel #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

Animator Re-Animates His Income Selling Graphic Kits

What It’s About

An animator launches his hustle into action, monetizing his motion graphics.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Peter discovered an unconventional way to market his products, “Funny is Money! I decided to think about an anti-marketing campaign to sort of mock the product. I found that self-deprecation was really fun to work with and as a result, I got some really good reactions from folks on social media and blogs.”

Fun Fact

When Walt Disney created the first animated film in 1928 he did it with only two animators who hand drew cells. In 1995, Toy Story, the first computer animated movie, took 27 animators working exclusively on computers.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1039
Peter Quinn is a proud resident of Los Angeles. While the cost of living is high, the weather and job opportunities more than make up for it. Luckily for him, he was able to grab one of those opportunities a couple of years ago.

He’s currently the director of motion design, animation and photography at Dollar Shave Club. He gets to make funny promotional videos for ads on Facebook and Instagram everyday. He also animates anything else the company needs. Before this role, Peter worked in a range of different animation and design roles for companies, agencies, and sometimes freelance.

By his own admission, his job is pretty cool. But like any job, it has its downsides. Much of Peter’s work is repetitive and he doesn’t have a lot of autonomy over what he works on, when he does it, or how it looks. In fact, often an animation will need to be repeated over and over again in different videos. This can can be demotivating for designers.

Over the years he learned to be as efficient as possible. A big part of this was using predefined animations in Adobe After Effects—a popular software program for animators. These effects are loaded up whenever they’re needed, and can save him minutes or even hours per video.

As he added more and more predefined animations to his repertoire, his workflow sped up significantly. Eventually, Peter even created a huge inventory of effects that replicated the user interfaces on movies like Minority Report and Iron Man.

After a couple of years, he’d built up hundreds of time saving animations. Around the same time, he made the biggest financial commitment of his life: he took out a mortgage to buy a home.

Staring into a thirty-year financial commitment terrified him. He decided to explore ways that he could make money on the side, with the goal of paying down that mortgage faster and getting his freedom back a little sooner.

He instantly thought of his animation toolkit. He figured since it was so useful to him, there must be other animators out there who could benefit from it. So, with the help of a programmer, he packaged up all the animations into a software plugin for Adobe After Effects.

He was already familiar with the site AEScripts.com, a marketplace for people to buy and sell custom After Effects software products. AEScripts had a built-in audience, so it was a no brainer to try and sell his kit there.

In order to stand out from the crowd, Peter made a humorous video to sell the product. In it, he mocked the mundane parts about animating and poked fun at himself. He hoped people browsing the site would enjoy the video and be enticed to purchase.

He called his product pack PQ FUI Toys—pronounced foo-eee! Aside from his time, which he’d already spent on the job, his startup costs were practically zero. Within days, Peter had made his first sale of many.

It would have been easy to stop there, but Peter went back to the drawing board instead.

Once again he looked at the requirements of his day job for another product idea. He realized he spent a lot of time looking and creating textures, something all animators need. For example, to animate wood, a designer doesn’t have to draw every pixel. Instead, they apply a texture file to the animation which adds the effect for them.

Finding good textures was difficult, and almost always expensive. Peter saw another opportunity, and began designing his second product.

Using a high quality camera, he spent months taking pictures of different types of textures: concrete, timber, cardboard and anything that looked interesting. By the end, he had one hundred and sixty unique texture files. He packaged them up into his next product, PQ Grit Kit.

All these strategies have done incredibly well for Peter so far. In 2018 he made $34,000 selling his PQ kits. For 2019 that number is already at $40,000. PQ Grit Kit has sold over fifteen hundred copies and PQ FUI Toys over twelve hundred.

For now, Peter is still working his day job and plowing all his additional income onto his mortgage. He believes he can pay the whole thing off in as little as eight years instead of thirty. When that’s done, Peter can start designing his next act.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • peterqu.in: Checkout Peter’s moving work at his website.
  • Dollar Shave Club: When Peter’s not side hustlin he’s producing content for his main hustle.
  • Learn more about Adobe After Effects, the software Peter uses to create his products and AEScripts.com, a market place to sell these types of digital goods.

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
"Try to solve a real world problem, however niche, and work hard to improve or fix it."
—Peter Quinn #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

Divorce Leads Banker To Boudoir Photography Empire

What It’s About

A single mom and former banker reinvents herself with a photographic focus.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Taking time to think about pricing and goal setting is extremely valuable. Here’s what Tanya suggests: “Do your numbers! You don’t have to do a crazy complicated spreadsheet, but have some goals as to what you want to make and how you will get there.”

Fun Fact

As a firm believer that she didn’t need to heavily invest in her studio props and furniture, Tanya has gotten creative over the years. Recently, she found a pair of Victoria’s Secret angel-esque wings that she wanted … for $3,000! Instead, she went back to her DIY roots, ordering $500 worth of ostrich feathers from Amazon and making them herself.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1035

Tanya Smith found her side hustle as a boudoir photographer in the midst of a divorce. Prior to having children, she worked in the corporate banking world. While this gave her stability, it also stripped her of the freedom she wanted when it came to being there for her kids.

When she quit her job to raise her children, she pursued art in a few different mediums. As a mixed media artist selling paintings at art shows, she began playing around with the DSLR camera she had bought after the birth of her first child. She would take photos of anything she could, and sell prints alongside her paintings.

For years, she combined these two passions as both a hobby and a way to make extra money. Finding herself newly separated after 20 years of marriage and two kids, Tanya felt lost. As a woman, she had struggled being able to view herself as anything other than a mother. With her pending divorce, she was pushed into a new life chapter that required her to find a way to support herself… and she didn’t want to go back to banking.

The first inspiration was personal. Stumbling upon an ad for boudoir photos, she was intrigued. She said yes because she thought it was something that could be good for her while she transitioned to a new time of life. She walked away from her session with a renewed sense of confidence.

Tanya quickly saw the opportunities waiting in boudoir photography as a business. She already had the characteristics that would make someone want to hire her: she was trustworthy, knew her way around a camera, and was able to put herself in the shoes of her ideal clients.

Since she already had a camera and would only shoot “on location,” meaning either in her clients’ homes or in her own bedroom, it didn’t take much to begin. She committed to keeping her initial investments to a bare minimum, only spending money on things she absolutely needed. Her marketing plan was low-maintenance, including a Facebook business page and a free website (tanyalsmith.com).

Tanya did her first three shoots for free before deciding on a price—though one chosen arbitrarily. Her first real client paid her $382, a price she was over the moon about. In fact, she went home and cried out of happiness.

She went back to her experience in corporate banking and began crunching numbers, to figure out how much she would need to make this side hustle profitable. She decided how much she wanted to work each week and how many weeks she wanted to work per year. Then, she came up with how much money she needed to net each year, giving her the average sale per client that she would need.

With those numbers, she knew how many photoshoots she would need to book, helping her create packages at various tiers. She made her target average sale her middle, and most attractive package. Having these packages in place, her three-year side hustle became her full-time job.

Today, Tanya’s business is bringing in a profit in the mid-six-figures. With her average sale being $5,000, she’s able to work less than ever while making more than ever. Her pricing reflects the luxury experience she gives women—including a styling consultation, use of her studio and wardrobe, in-house hair and makeup, and an in-person sales session.

Though none of this happened overnight, she’s proud to look back on how far she has come.

What’s next for Tanya? Helping photographers like her who are dreaming big on their side hustles. With an educational course and podcast, she’ll be teaching students the exact way she built this business for herself. Her journey taught her a lot at a slow and steady pace. With her own course, she’s hoping to help others take the quicker route to success.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • tanyalsmith.com: Learn more about Tanya and her boudoir photgraphy at her website and follow her on Instagram.
  • Free profit calculator for photographers: Tanya provided this free calculator for photographers to figure out what they need their average sale to be to be profitable. (please note an email sign-up is required to accees the calculator)

 

SEE ALSO:

Brooklyn Photographer Gets Paid to Throw Confetti at People:

    A former graphic designer turns a personal thirty-day challenge into a growing photography brand.
  • Famous iPhone Photo Leads to Series of Online Courses: A 365-day photo project transitions to a hustle teaching small business owners how to create videos using their smartphones.

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 been able to show my kids that they can run their own business if they are interested in that, and that they can learn how to do anything if they put their minds to it."
—Tanya Smith #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

Kid Brothers Turn Frozen Treats Into Hot Business

What It’s About

Three brothers get jiggy and create delicious frozen vegan treats.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Stuck trying to find the right idea? The Accius family has a suggestion: “Find a problem that needs a creative solution, come up with a fix, and keep your purpose and intention at the forefront. If you stay true to that and employ good business practices, you can turn almost anything into a successful venture.”

Fun Fact

Jiggy Popp offer a “donation” popp at every event. It’s a randomly chosen and allows kids that don’t have money but want a Popp to get one. The goal? To give them a healthy treat to brighten their day and, hopefully, cause them to make healthier choices going forward.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1031

Some kids spend their summer with a break at the beach, but relaxation wasn’t what the Accius brothers—13 year old Nasi, 11 year old Judah, and 9 year old Shiloh—had in mind for their 2019 break.

The children of a TV and film producer father and an artist mother, the Los Angeles natives decided they wanted to start a business. This wasn’t a surprise. They were taught to think as creators and owners as opposed to employees, and they knew they’d have their own products in the marketplace one day.

Like most kids, the Accius brothers love treats but their diet, first influenced by their parents, is much healthier and more full of “real ingredients” than most of their friends. They wanted to create something they would love, and something that’d be happy to share. Disrupting the normal junk food snacks that were targeted to kids and young adults was also a must.

The brothers soon zeroed in on making a frozen treat. Everyone they knew loved frozen treats and they sell year-round in California. Their brainstorming led to an idea for Jiggy Popps: all-natural, vegan ice pops. The name comes from the term “Jiggy” which in Hip Hop means cool or “fly.”

Working together, they used trial and error to create five original recipes. The process took about three months, and in the meantime they outlined more ideas and began to get their $700 in startup capital together.

They received a couple hundred dollars from their Dad and the rest from Nasi, who invested money from his street performer profits. They used that money for supplies and ingredients, and also on their first small, rolling vending cart.

Soon their home kitchen became the center of Jiggy Popp manufacturing. The boys’ parents didn’t mind as long as the process included cleanup.

In June 2019, the Accius brothers took 100 Jiggy Popps and their vending cart to a street fair in the LA area.

With flavors like BlackBerry Gordy, inspired by the legendary founder of Motown Records, as well as other lyric inspired flavors including “Tropic Like It’s Hot” and “Georgia Peach on My Mind,” their love of music and hip hop culture is evident throughout.

Like a platinum record, the Jiggy Popps were a hit, selling out quickly. The boys were ecstatic and immediately worked to set up their next event. In the first month, the brothers earned a cool $1,600 in profit.

The Jiggy Popp team learned from their early setbacks, and the future looks icy bright. In fact, Jiggy Popp has already earned profits of nearly $7,000 in the first three months of business!

They have big plans for the future, starting with dropping out of middle school—oh, not that, actually—and year-round sales events. The focus is on vending opportunities that connect with their core values, events centered on hip hop, health and wellness, and community building. They also pop up on random inner-city street corners as it’s their goal to make healthy frozen treats accessible to all.

More long term, the brothers want to strategically scale their company with the goal of eventually securing an international partner to take the Jiggy Popp brand global.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Jiggy Popps: Follow the Accius brother’s side hustle journey on their Instagram page.

 

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
"Find a problem that needs a creative solution, come up with a fix, and keep your purpose and intention at the forefront."
—Accius Family #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

Project Manager Discovers a Better Way to Ship Worldwide

What It’s About

If you don’t find a global shipping and fulfillment solution … maybe you should build one!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Working with a team? Kais has some great advice, “Empower the people that surround you and learn to delegate. In no time, your team will be able to take ownership and become subject matter experts.”

Fun Fact

Kais has been the mastermind behind three different side hustles. After moving to Hong Kong eight years ago, Kais started his first business. Being in the perfect place to start a business, Kais saw his location as an opportunity. Since then, he hasn’t stopped hustling!

Notes from Chris

Episode 1024
An IT professional working in Hong Kong, Kais Khadhraoui’s new venture sought to provide a solution for a problem he encountered while building his original side hustle. In 2012, he started a mobile and travel accessories company, based largely on his prime location—close to suppliers in China.

It was then that he experienced the common pain points of small business that the next project would seek to address.

Kais and his business partner kept a small stack of inventory at home, shipping out orders as they were received. But, as the business grew, they quickly saw sales jump from just a handful of orders a day to hundreds per day. Naturally, this called for some re-evaluation around fulfillment.

So, as the story goes, if someone else wouldn’t build it, he would.

Knowing the pain points of his potential customers because he WAS a potential customer, he developed a way to solve the issues they faced. Things like shipping, dealing with providers in different time zones, or being unable to provide consistent service to customers would be a thing of the past.  He’d become a bridge between sellers and providers … so he called his new business Fulfillment Bridge.

It began as a one-man show and nothing more than his time and spreadsheets. But after talking with fellow business owners who needed help, Kais knew he would have to scale the entire system to something that could work across countries, even continents, use one or many warehouses, and still fulfill orders using one single system.

Less than ten months later, Fulfillment Bridge had become a self-sufficient business generating around $40,000 per month. With the rapid interest, Kais decided to shut down his original side hustle, the travel accessories company, so he could focus solely on the new one.

One of his proudest accomplishments is the company culture he’s built. In three years, he has only lost one employee to a different opportunity. With a flexible working environment including video calls and the option to work remotely, his team members are content and connected.

He continues to re-invest most of his company’s revenue to help them grow. Looking ahead, he’s set a goal of arranging a team trip to Thailand when they reach their first million dollars in revenue.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Fulfillment Bridge: Looking to fulfill and ship globally? Learn more about Fulfillment Bridge and their services from their website.

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

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
"Empower the people that surround you and learn to delegate. In no time, your team will be able to take ownership and become subject matter experts."
—Kais Khadhraoui #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

Mystery Trip: The Best Adventure You Know Nothing About

What It’s About

Inspired by childhood memories, a former recruiter coordinates mystery trips for adults.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Dave shares some encouragement for those looking to start a side hustle, “Life is way too short not to be happy. That means following a dream. The worst that can happen is you go back to your old job.”

Fun Fact

The noun “mystery” comes from the Greek mysterion, meaning “secret rite or doctrine.”

Notes from Chris

Episode 1018
Attending summer camp is a childhood rite of passage for many kids. The average camper often heads home with no more than a popsicle art project and some extra sand in their shoes. But former executive recruiter Dave Green came away with something a little different. He turned his summer camp memories of a surprise bus excursion into an experiential event planning company that’s on the road to bringing in $500,000 this year.

This company creates custom-made excursions for clients looking to plan something unscripted for corporate team-builders, bachelorette parties, or family gatherings. The idea started on a not-so-mysterious day long ago. Childhood Dave was at summer camp and boarded a bus with his fellow campers to an unknown destination. The trip ended up with a not-so-exciting conclusion—he says they went to a show or harbor cruise—but the fun was in sharing a mystery destination with a group of friends. That excited, nervous, wonderful feeling stuck with him.

Years later, as a young adult, Dave was successful in his work, but personally feeling a bit blue. He decided to recreate the concept with an annual gathering of friends. They had a great time! Then, when he found himself in the midst of a divorce, he returned once more to the idea of mystery trips and decided that it was time to take a figurative hop back on the bus … this time, as a business venture. He sent out emails to everyone he knew and within a few weeks got his first gig hosting a friend’s 30th birthday. Over the next five years, Dave slowly grew the business, exploring and refining various marketing strategies as he went, and happily doubling profits every year.

To get started, a client contacts Dave with a few ideas and a budget. Then Dave, or a member of his “Mysterious HQ Team,” takes over all the planning. Everyone on the trip signs on to an itinerary known only to Mystery Trip and the group coordinator, allowing the adventure to unfold from there. Trips usually last between four and eight hours and consist of three to four stops. Prices begin at about $175 per person for a 15-person trip.

In the past six years, groups from YouTube, Netflix, Lyft, TOMS, Kaiser Permanente and Airbnb have participated in Mystery Trips. They’ve taken part in music videos, hand-fed animals in a wildlife sanctuary, played basketball on an NBA court, and even recreated the hit We Are the World 1985 single in the same studio where it was originally recorded. It’s all about fun, fantasy, and group bonding. The goal is that having everyone share the same experience creates surprise, delight, and more than a little magic.

Since 2015, Dave has been able to operate Mystery Trip as his main business. He delights in the triumph of being able to do a job that puts him in touch with excited clients and cool experiences on a daily basis. That same sense of childlike enthusiasm and wonder that inspired Mystery Trip in the first place is what Dave hopes to inspire other side hustlers to realize: “Life is way too short not to be happy. That means following a dream. The worst that can happen is you go back to your old job.”

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Mystery Trip: Whether you want to coordinate your own adventure with Dave or just want to learn more, check out his website.
  • For his email campaigns, Dave first started using MailChimp and then moved to G Suites (Google). He was then able to use the compatible plug-in YAMM, “Yet Another Mail Merge” which worked well with Gmail.
  • For his CRM, Dave uses Insightly finding it ideal for a small business with a limited budget and the need for customization.

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!
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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
"Life is way too short not to be happy. That means following a dream. The worst that can happen is you go back to your old job."
—Dave Green #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.
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It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
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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

Newlyweds Operate Campground Booking Biz From RV

What It’s About

A newlywed couple traveling with their RV drive into a helpful solution for booking campsites.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

A few years ago, Heath told his friend Kevin that he was ready to go all-in, but Kevin responded with some advice that Heath has never forgotten. He said, “Companies don’t run out of money, but founders do.” It took 3x longer than they expected to start generating revenue and if they hadn’t had multiple revenue streams outside of the business, they could have run out of funding.

Fun Fact

Although many people associate owning an RV with people well into their 60s and 70s, the average age of an RV owner is 48. In fact, more RVs are owned by people aged from 35 to 54 than any other age group!

Notes from Chris

Episode 1017

As a newly married couple, Heath and Alyssa Padgett were looking for somewhere to call their own. There were many places across the U.S. that they could see themselves living in. Any one of those places might be the perfect spot for their honeymoon. But, when they began to map it out, they noticed that their dream destinations formed a huge zig zag-like pattern all across the country.

The more they thought about it, the more it made sense to take the trip in an RV. If they were going all over the country, why not drive it and get to sightsee along the way? They also had an idea about creating a documentary centered around hourly workers. From there, the idea evolved into Heath working an hourly job in each of the 50 states.

Not only was it the perfect chance to see the country and bring their documentary to life, the couple was also unsatisfied with their current jobs and ready to try something new.

With that, they decided to drive into it head first, only four days after their wedding in May of 2014.

As they moved from campsite to campsite in their RV, they began to notice a problem. At many of the campgrounds, they couldn’t reserve their spot ahead of time. Heath and Alyssa couldn’t believe that in this day and age, there wasn’t some kind of online booking tool available. Instead, they had to drive hours to a campsite and hope that there would be a spot left for them.

For a while, this was just a nuisance. But it turned into an opportunity when Heath met up with a friend he had made through a Facebook group called The RV Entrepreneur. Another member of the group, Bob, just happened to be passing through the town Heath and Alyssa were parked at, so they decided to meet up. They ended up having a long conversation about the difficulties of booking campground spots and the potential to create a solution.

They let the idea sit for six months while they were finishing up the documentary. Then in the Fall of 2016, they decided to really get the wheels turning. Heath and Bob envisioned an app that campgrounds could use to allow customers to book online. They purchased the domain name CampgroundBooking.com and began to draw up some prototype sketches—but they soon ran into some technical challenges.

They knew that they wouldn’t be able to move forward with the design unless they got some help. So, going back to the RV Entrepreneur Facebook group, Heath made a post asking around for people who had strong backgrounds in tech. They got a lot of responses, and they ended up bringing someone named Paul onto the team.

With Paul on board, they were really able to start developing their idea. They spent most of 2017 working on the beta version of the software and performing some test runs. Finally, in January of 2018, they were ready for their first client.

Since the launch of Campground Booking, they have processed over $1.5 million dollars in bookings. Last summer they processed $200,000 worth of bookings per month. You could say it’s the wheel deal.

Heath and Alyssa achieved all this while working on other projects, from starting the RV Entrepreneur Summit, which evolved from the Facebook group, to Alyssa publishing a book, to welcoming their first child, a daughter named Ellie, into the world last May.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

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

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

Quote of the Day
"What we were doing wasn’t for the faint of heart and that if you want to build a great software solution, you will have to go through really challenging moments."
—Heath Padgett #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

Loan Officer Increases Income With Signature Move

What It’s About

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

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

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

Fun Fact

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

Notes from Chris

Episode 1013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jon, we’re in, where do we sign?

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

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

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

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

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

The Hero’s Journal Helps You Make Progress Toward Your Goals

What It’s About

Two friends go on an epic quest to create one journal to rule them all.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Thinking about Kickstarting your next idea/product. Nick has some wise words to share, “Learn EVERYTHING you can about Kickstarter/crowdfunding before you launch. There is a ton of free resources online and good advice from the community. Build that email list, and make it happen.”

Fun Fact

In mythology, the hero’s journey, is the common template of a broad category of tales and lore that involves a hero who goes on an adventure, and in a decisive crisis wins a victory, and then comes home changed or transformed.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1004
A lot of people use goal-setting journals to help them stay on task, and Nick Vitellaro is no different. But he’d always been disappointed that the typical journal was boring and uninspiring. They all looked the same, and always included the same motivational quotes. As a self-described closet nerd, Nick thought that he could spice things up. He was a huge fan of Lord of the Rings, and imagined that he could design a productivity tool that paid homage to the story.

Roping in Kyle, his best friend from college, they decided to produce a “nerdy” version of goal-setting journals. What had once been considered to be the domain of nerds was now popular culture—just look at Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones. The two had always loved great stories, and realized that this could be the opportunity to create a goal-guided template for someone to live their own great story.

This was a concept developed by American Literature Professor Joseph Campbell, who termed this “the Hero’s Journey.” Having been used by screenwriters from superhero movies to childhood classics such as the Lion King, this was a model that definitely connected with people—the only question was whether it could be applied to journals as well.

Thus the idea of the Hero’s Journal was born. Coming up with designs, Nick and Kyle had great fun in bringing their imaginations to life. Nick even consulted his high school English teacher on the idea—the same person who had taught him about the Hero’s Journey. Then, they commissioned the help of a designer they found on Upwork to make sure the artwork lived up to their high standards.

But that was only the first step. With no business experience or any real projection of how this idea would perform, Nick and Kyle decided that they would launch the product on Kickstarter to see if there would be any interest. With the help of an ally—a mutual friend who had experience with digital advertising—their strategy was to build a list of email addresses that they could get to support their launch.

The designer for the artwork, the videographer for the Kickstarter video, advertising and manufacturing costs added up to over $6,500, which was something that the two friends were prepared to spend even if the idea didn’t take off. Obstacles included their first round of journals arriving three months late, and they even had a temporary scare that the shipping company had lost their package. But with their product priced at $40, the two friends have since pulled in $20,000 from this project, and now they’re ready for round two, having reordered 2,000 journals.

In many ways, you could say that Nick and Kyle have embarked on their own Hero’s Journey building their side hustle. They answered the call to adventure, crossed the threshold, overcame trials and tribulations, entered the dragon’s lair, captured the treasure, and returned home to a changed world … ready for the next quest.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Hero’s Journal: Order your very own Hero’s Journal to document your own adventure.
  • Kickstarter: Learn more about the crowdfunding platform that Nick and Kyle used to create the Hero’s Journal campaign.

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
"We made something we’ve been wanting to use. This is our finish line, everything after this is a bonus."
—Nick Vitellaro #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

“Fun Guy” Becomes Spore-Adic Mushroom Farmer

What It’s About

A carpenter and his partner find a way to level-up their hustle using mushrooms.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you’re thinking about getting in on the “fun”-gi business, David and Shannon suggest, “begin with learning how to grow mushrooms for yourself. Learn as much on the front-end as possible, and focus on a simple process and focus on one area.”

Fun Fact

The first Flow Hood they shipped to a customer arrived damaged. Since the item was so large, it wasn’t cost-effective for the customer to ship it back. The insurance claim was denied, which was very disappointing. They knew they had to make it right for the customer and in the end, the best solution was for David to fly to Ohio with his tools and fix it. Using frequent flyer miles, David flew to the customer’s house and fixed the equipment in person. It ended up being a relatively easy repair and the customer was thrilled. David got to make a new friend while building goodwill.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1003

Daavid Eberhardt is a man of many trades. A master carpenter by day and a forager of fungi by weekend, David enjoys learning about the process of creating, building, and discovering how things work. Through all of his studies, wild mushrooms have remained his favorite subject.

A few years ago, he and his partner Shannon moved to Asheville, North Carolina. They were drawn to the nature of the area and soon learned that there is a large community of foragers and even a local Mushroom Club. David excitedly began learning more about the local mushrooms and even started growing them in bags all over the house. Soon, he and Shannon had more than they knew what to do with … and his stock was taking up “mush”-room in their house.

He began making various extracts to share with family and friends. Friends loved that they could use the extracts for medical benefit without having to eat a whole pile of mushrooms. The friends encouraged David and Shannon to sell them, so they took their advice and began bottling and labeling extracts. They didn’t have a plan to do much besides offer these organic treats organically—but soon they began receiving repeat orders and decided there was something bigger growing under the surface.

It was also around that time that the term “functional mushroom” began showing up in mainstream media. People were catching on to the health benefits. Whole Foods released an article about medicinal mushrooms being a top food trend in 2018. That article mentioned that the only limitation was supply.

It was all Shannon needed to hear. She immediately showed it to David and encouraged him to expand his mushroom farm. Together they were able to forage a side hustle, naming it Phenomenal Fungi. David handles all things mushroom while Shannon handles the website and sales.

They began by selling edible mushrooms to restaurants and the extracts at local farmers markets. The extracts became a big hit among locals. They contained health benefits to boost the immune systems and act as a natural antibiotic. Some of the extracts are even being used with cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and people who experience dementia. David has also been playing around with a mushroom that can be used as a natural pest control.

Sales have been a bit spore-adic since launching Phenomenal Fungi in September 2018. In January they decided to create an Etsy store to reach a wider audience, where David began selling equipment like flow hoods (a piece of equipment that allows mycologists (people who study fungi) to work with cultures in sterile airflow).

Their advice for anyone wanting to forage a similar side hustle is to start simple and focus on one sales channel. When they launched Phenomenal Fungi they created a Shopify store and Etsy shop. While this works for them today, it was a lot to keep up with two different sites in the beginning—it was more than a little truffle. If they could go back, they would have started with one site, refined it, and expanded when that one was running smoothly.

In the future, David plans to share his knowledge through online courses for others wanting to learn about growing mushrooms. They’re also looking to expand their production to include more species of mushrooms and a larger variety of extracts.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Phenomenal Fungi: Whether you’re looking to grown your own or try their mushroom extracts, check out Shannon and David’s website.
  • Etsy Store – Phenomenal Fungi: You can find and learn more about the flow hood that they sale at their Etsy store.
  • UShip: Have a big product you need help shipping? This is the company that David and Shannon use for their larger orders.

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

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

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

Quote of the Day
"Learn as much on the front-end as possible, and focus on a simple process and focus on one area."
—David Eberhardt and Shannon Barrett #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

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

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

Keep in Touch

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


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau