Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope you’re having an amazing holiday with friends and family, and taking a moment to reflect and recharge. Even though it’s an American holiday, the idea behind giving thanks for what we have is universal.
What’s your Turkey Day tradition?
I’m behind the mic solo this week, talking about 6 habits I believe have made me a better entrepreneur, and how you can implement them in your own life.
This is a tough post to write.
This summer I pulled the plug on ShoeSniper, my original side hustle and my longest running and most successful business.
A moment of silence.
It wasn’t an easy decision, but I was confident it was time to move on. I think this is an important story to share because most of what you read in the entrepreneurship world is about perseverance and “never giving up.”
Jasper Ribbers is one of the leading experts on building an Airbnb side hustle, having done it himself with his Amsterdam apartment and having co-authored the bestselling book on the topic, Get Paid for Your Pad.
(He also runs a blog and podcast by the same name.)
I was introduced to Jasper by Jesse Krieger (Episode 62, Generating Lifestyle Business Ideas That Work), and grew fascinated by his story. He gets to travel the world while his asset back at home earns roughly $60,000 a year from short-term Airbnb rentals.
Like I’ve mentioned, I’ve got a soft spot for cold callers, and a warm place in my heart for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts (since scouting was good to me), so combine the two and I’m already pulling out my wallet.
The other night our neighbor’s grandson came by in his Cub Scout uniform, almost too shy to even speak, to sell some popcorn products as a fundraiser.
The whole thing got me thinking about how the Girl Scouts are a million times better at this fundraising hustle.
J. Massey discovered real estate as a business out of necessity. He and his wife were both in poor health, and as he explains, had a 398 credit score and $75 to their name.
Then, introduced to real estate wholesaling, the picture began to turn around. This strategy allowed J. to develop some cash flow without risking his own limited assets, and he says he got started by dedicating just 2 hours a day, or 10 hours a week to this new side hustle.
Carrie Smith’s CarefulCents blog is one of my personal favorites.
Why? Because she’s a side hustler who’s been there, done that.
She’s built her part-time freelancing business to the point where she was able to quit her job and become a full-time entrepreneur. In the process, she’s built up a popular blog and personal brand, paid off $14k in debt, and commands significantly above-market rates for her work.
Today, Alexis Grant runs a social media, content marketing, and blog management agency and manages a team of 10 people to get it all done.
But like many of us, she started off as a side hustler, working her way up and adding clients until it was time to make the leap.
She took some very strategic steps along the way, including setting up clients on a retainer model instead of a one-off project basis, and building a “personal brand” and audience of her own through her blog.
Time is our most valuable commodity, and it’s uniquely egalitarian; we’re all dealt the same 24-hours each day.
But it’s also a non-renewable resource — once it’s used up it’s used up.
That means we have to be conscious of how we use our time, of how we invest it.
And I’ll use the word “invest” rather than the word “spend” because I believe side hustling time, business-building time, is an investment — an investment in your future that will, with any luck, result in MORE time down the road.
One of the surprising bright spots in my side hustle portfolio (my strategy of building multiple income streams) has been Fiverr.
After hearing the incredible story of AnarchoFighter last year, I knew I had to give the platform a shot!
While I haven’t exactly earned house-buying money, it has turned into a nice little revenue source. I’m up $7490 through 14 months, or a little over $500 a month on average.
Everybody’s an expert in something, right?
Well this week’s guest, Matt Giovanisci, is an expert in pool care. He describes it as the most boring industry that serves such a fun product.
He’s taken an innovative approach to rank his site, SwimUniversity.com, in Google and monetize it with affiliate relationships and private advertising.
I feel like Matt’s process is proven and repeatable — but takes real work.
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