Hustle 101

What do a baby sleep mask, a detail van, and a print-on-demand candle have in common?

They’re all quietly generating serious income for real people — and in this episode, we dig into the numbers behind six of the most interesting side hustle stories making the rounds right now.

Nick is joined by Cody Berman — co-host of The FI Show and author of Retire by 30: How to Build Wealth, Gain Freedom, and Live Life on Your Own Terms — for a roundtable breakdown of the latest Side Hustle Headlines. Each story comes with real numbers, honest reactions, and ideas for how the same model might work in your own life.

What if you could earn $1,500 a month in side income with just an hour of work a week — and do it with a business that practically runs itself?

That’s exactly what Will Butterton has built with five ATMs through his company Viking Vendors LLC.

Will is a full-time engineer, a dad of three, and a multi-side-hustler who got into ATMs when his wife was pregnant and he started looking for something low-risk. (He was also featured in Business Insider on the topic.)

He started the business with a childhood friend, each putting in some cash to buy their first two machines. The pitch was simple: worst case, they couldn’t find locations and sold the machines to someone else.

What does 24 years of hard-won entrepreneurial lessons look like in one place?

Here are the biggest ideas from over a decade of building side hustles, interviewing hundreds of entrepreneurs, and learning what actually works.

This is a collection of honest, practical principles — some learned through success, some through failure — that can help you start smarter, grow faster, and keep going when things get hard.

What does it actually take to build a $250,000 a year independent income stream, and how long will it really take you to get there?

Adriana Tica is a self-described reluctant entrepreneur who now runs two digital marketing and copywriting agencies, works as a strategic marketing consultant, and publishes the Strategic AF newsletter from Adrianatica.com.

She put hard data behind questions most solopreneurs quietly wonder about with her research report, the State of Solopreneurship.

We talked about what the report actually found — from how long it takes to hit six figures, to why email still beats everything else, to the lead magnet and newsletter growth tactics working best right now.

This side hustle model has a lower failure rate than most independent startups. You get to follow a proven playbook for success. But is it the right path for you?

Today we’re exploring the strategy of franchises as a side hustle, buying into somebody else’s brand and system instead of starting completely from scratch.

Done right, today’s guest says it can replace your income in 2 to 3 years on a part-time basis.

Greg Mohr is the author of Real Freedom, Why Franchises Are Worth Considering and How They Can Be Used for Building Wealth. He runs FranchiseMaven.com.

With a ton of ways for people to make money, there’s no wonder why Amazon is at at the center of so many side hustles these days.

The innovative–if not controversial–Seattle company still has its core retail business, but has expanded in many different directions. For entrepreneurs, side hustlers, and everyone else looking to earn some extra cash, Amazon probably has an option for you.

I have several Amazon income streams myself!