

Side Hustle Pro
Nicaila Matthews Okome | Side Hustle Pro Media
Side Hustle Pro spotlights bold black women entrepreneurs who have scaled from side hustle to profitable business. Join Chief Side Hustler turned full-time entrepreneur Nicaila Matthews Okome for your weekly installment of Side Hustle Pro and learn actionable strategies to start small and get going–wherever and whoever you are. Side Hustle Pro features interviews with inspiring Black women entrepreneurs who started out as side hustlers, including interviews with Myleik Teele, Morgan DeBaun, Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Jun 17, 2020 • 1h 7min
205: From Obama Secret Service to Her Own Firm: How Holli Draines Transitioned to Entrepreneurship
An entrepreneur knows what it is to have a heart of a servant. Holli Draines had a desire to protect the vulnerable, which led to her career in law enforcement with 13 years as a secret service agent. For her, entrepreneurship came as a “blessing in disguise,” one she didn’t know she needed. In 2014, Holli lost her mother and sister, which led to a shift, not only in her personal life, but her professional life as well. This unfortunate event led her to step down from her role as an agent and become a full-time guardian to her beloved sister’s son, which she felt was her calling. Although she had left her position, people were still reaching out to her for advice and wisdom. With an impressive resume and reputable relationships, Holli was able to organically launch her own security consulting firm: Elite Strategy Global. Her services include personal security, data privacy, cybersecurity, investigation vetting, and more. Get to know more about Holli and how she fell into entrepreneurship in this episode! Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. This episode is brought to you by: Gusto As a Side Hustle Pro listener, you’ll get three months free when you roll your first payroll. Sign up, and give it a try at gusto.com/shp. Skillshare Get two free months of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/sidehustlepro. Links mentioned in this episode Faith, Focus, Flow by TC Cooper Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook Send questions to “Ask Nicaila” You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email hi@sidehustlepro.co and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. Social Media Info Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 10, 2020 • 1h 5min
204: From Her Garage to Target Shelves: How CEO Monique Rodriguez Built Mielle Organics From the Ground Up
“There’s so much more to being a boss than what’s on Instagram,” and Mielle Organics CEO Monique Rodriguez knows that all too well. Monique founded the company in 2014 after her healthy, hair care regimen for her tailbone-length hair became somewhat of a craze among her social media followers. From living out her mother’s dream of being a nurse to pushing her own aspirations to the side, Monique decided that there had to be more than living paycheck-to-paycheck. After making it to the top of her payscale in nursing with no room for growth, she knew that the entrepreneurial spirit that began in her at the age of seven had to make its debut. Combining her love for hair, science, health, and taking time to sit still and ask God for direction, Monique received a vision to create a hair product. Little by little, she began to see what’s set in motion, now, come into play. The boss lady was already talking about hair care, hair health and her own mane journey on social media, which led to creating hair mixtures, to receiving a confirmation through DM that would propel her life purpose. Listen to this amazing story, and see how her popular natural hair care line came to be, just six short years ago. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. This episode is brought to you by: Gusto As a Side Hustle Pro listener, you’ll get three months free when you roll your first payroll. Sign up, and give it a try at gusto.com/shp. ACUITY For a limited time, only, you can get 45 days of Acuity Scheduling free by going to acuityscheduling.com/hustlepro. No credit card required. Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook Send questions to “Ask Nicaila” You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email hi@sidehustlepro.co and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. Guest Social Media Info Mielle Organics // Michelle Rodriguez (Instagram) – @mielleorganics // @exquisitemo Mielle Organics (Facebook) – @mielleorganicsllc Mielle Organics (Twitter) – @mielleorganics Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 3, 2020 • 1h 9min
203: How Uncharted Power Founder Jessica O. Matthews Is Bringing Energy Solutions to Underserved Populations
Jessica O. Matthews has covered every part of the side hustle sphere. She is the Founder & CEO of Uncharted Power, an award-winning, full-service power and data infrastructure company. At the age of 19, Jessica invented the SOCCKET ball, an energy generating soccer ball that provides off-grid power for the developing world. At the age of 22, she founded Uncharted Power (previously Uncharted Play), a global full-service power technology company that builds, owns, and operates renewable power infrastructure. Growing up, Jessica loved the idea of tinkering, science and invention. That, paired with seeing her family in Nigeria affected by not having access to reliable, cost-effective power inspired her to do something about it and make an impact, even if it wasn’t linear. After side hustling for five years before running her business full time, Jessica shows that you don’t have to have the roadmap before you start. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. This episode is brought to you by: Skillshare Get two free months of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/sidehustlepro. Links mentioned in this episode “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook Send questions to “Ask Nicaila” You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email hi@sidehustlepro.co and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. Guest Social Media Info Jessica O. Matthews (Instagram) – @jessomatt Uncharted Power (Facebook) – @unchartedpower Jessica O. Matthews // Uncharted Power (Twitter) – @jessomatt // @upowerco Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 27, 2020 • 32min
202: How To Make Money Podcasting: The Guide To Having A Profitable Podcast (REWIND)
Questions, questions, questions! I know you’re probably wondering, ‘Should I start a podcast? Should I turn my blog into a podcast? Should I start a podcast to support my business or personal brand?’ Well, I’m here to answer all those questions and more, today! I’ll dig into how to actually make money from your podcast and how to make an informed decision about the idea you might have. Trust me, I launched Side Hustle Pro in June 2016, and made zero dollars in the first few months. I had no idea my podcast itself would turn into my business, a six-figure business! I had no blueprint and had to learn by trial and error. That’s why I’m sharing everything I’ve learned to help you start making money podcasting as well. Grab your free recap and sponsorship calculator for this episode, here: sidehustlepro.co/183 Listen to this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. This episode is brought to you by: Acuity For a limited time only, you can get 45 days of Acuity Scheduling absolutely free - no credit card required - by going to acuityscheduling.com/hustlepro. Links mentioned in this episode FREEBIE: RECAP For This Episode Podcast Moguls Should You Start A Podcast Episode Opening My LLC and Business Bank Account Side Hustle Pro Episode Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook Send questions to “Ask Nicaila” You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email hi@sidehustlepro.co and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. Social Media Info Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 20, 2020 • 38min
201: I QUIT my Job! (REWIND)
Some of you might not know that I was an MBA intern for a summer at Google when I was working towards my business degree at the University of Michigan. And usually, the summer before your second year in business school is when most people receive job offers from their temporary employer to come back after graduation and work full-time. But, plot twist, I didn’t receive an offer. That rejection, eventually, led me on the path to side hustling. I side hustled for over a year and a half until I was able to quit my full-time job, and pursue Side Hustle Pro full time. In this episode, I get honest about how I went from rejection to running my own six-figure business. Let’s rewind the tape! Listen to this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. This episode is brought to you by: Skillshare Get 2 free months of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/sidehustlepro. Gusto Gusto offers modern, easy payroll, benefits, and HR to small businesses across the country. Sign up and give it a try at gusto.com/shp. Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook Send questions to “Ask Nicaila” You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email hi@sidehustlepro.co and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. Social Media Info Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 13, 2020 • 36min
200: Opening my LLC and my Business Bank Account + Landing My First Sponsor (REWIND)
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my entrepreneurship journey, it’s that “no one is going to ride harder for you than you will for yourself.” That’s a fact. In this episode, I’m giving you the real on Side Hustle Pro becoming an LLC after months of side hustling and landing my first podcast sponsor. We’ll also take an inside look into my business process for goal setting and accomplishing tasks, step-by-step. Get your pen and paper ready because you’re going to want to take notes! Click here to grab your 12-Week Goal Getter Worksheet (as I mentioned in this episode). Listen to this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. This episode is brought to you by: Gusto Gusto offers modern, easy payroll, benefits, and HR to small businesses across the country. Sign up and give it a try at gusto.com/shp. Acuity For a limited time only, you can get 45 days of Acuity Scheduling absolutely free - no credit card required - by going to acuityscheduling.com/hustlepro. Links mentioned in this episode Courtney Sanders Side Hustle Pro episode Goal Getter Action Plan MASTER THE GRAM Maya Elious Side Hustle Pro Episode 42 Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook Send questions to “Ask Nicaila” You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email hi@sidehustlepro.co and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. Guest Social Media Info Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 6, 2020 • 44min
199: How to Lay the Foundation of Your Business (REWIND)
It’s May! And that means it’s time for a rewind. Every week this month, I’m resharing an episode that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how I turned my side hustle into my main hustle. In this first episode, I talk about how when I started my side hustle, I didn’t read business plan books or follow a business plan template. I just started. Shocking, I know! I share the six steps you can take, now, to start building your business as a side hustle. Let’s jump in! Click here to grab your recap (as I mentioned in this episode). Listen to this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. This episode is brought to you by: Skillshare Get 2 free months of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/sidehustlepro. Gusto Gusto offers modern, easy payroll, benefits, and HR to small businesses across the country. Sign up and give it a try at gusto.com/shp. Causebox Go to causebox.com/hustlepro and use the code HUSTLEPRO to get your first box for 30% off. Links mentioned in this episode SideHustlePro.co PodcastMoguls.com Maya Elious's Side Hustle Pro episode Emmelie de la Cruz’s Side Hustle Pro episode Catherine Soliz Reys Side Hustle Pro episode Courtney Sanders’s Side Hustle Pro episode USTPO.gov (United States Patent and Trademark Office) Canva 99 Designs Upwork Fiverr Wordpress SquareSpace Skillshare BuiltWith WordPress Theme Detector Amy Poterfield ConvertKit Art Steele’s Side Hustle Pro podcast InkSecure Podcast Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email hi@sidehustlepro.co and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. Social Media Info Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 29, 2020 • 47min
198: How Two Friends Started A Greeting Card Line For the Culture
Imagine being neighbors with the same person in multiple cities for the majority of your life. Well, that’s the story of the women behind Neighborly Paper—Robin Beck and Carmelle Kendall. Neighborly Paper is a paper goods brand dedicated to, in the founders’ own words, serving all the realness for all the occasions. Carmelle is an art director, illustrator, and filmmaker. She now resides in Atlanta where she’s working as an art director and growing the Neighborly business. And Robin is the writer behind Neighborly Paper cards. In the daytime, she creates content for Salesforce and at night, it’s all about Neighborly. These ladies took their experience in the workplace and used it to create a business together that is successful and thriving. Take a listen to how these lifelong friends became business partners, and are taking over the greeting card business in such a #BlackGirlMagic way! Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. This episode is brought to you by: ACUITY For a limited time, only, you can get 45 days of Acuity Scheduling free by going to acuityscheduling.com/hustlepro. No credit card required. Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook Send questions to “Ask Nicaila” You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email hi@sidehustlepro.co and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. Social Media Info Neighborly Paper (Instagram) – @neighborlypaper Neighborly Paper (Facebook) – @neighborlypaper Neighborly Paper (Twitter) – @neighborlypaper Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Did you like this episode? If you did give it a 5 star rating and share it with your friends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 22, 2020 • 53min
197- How Monique Greenwood Grew the Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns Empire
Today in the Side Hustle Pro guest chair, we welcome Monique Greenwood, owner and CEO (Chief Enjoyment Officer) of Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, a collection of upscale B&Bs in Brooklyn, NY; Washington, DC; Cape May, NJ; Philadelphia, PA and a boutique resort in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. After graduating from Howard University, Greenwood became a fashion journalist, eventually becoming an intrapreneur while working for Women’s Wear Daily by launching her own magazine about children’s fashion. And after a six-year stretch at Essence, leading her to Editor-in-Chief, Monique took on her side hustle, Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, and made it her main source of income. After 25 years, she’s expanded, now, with five locations, and hasn’t looked back since. In addition to talking about her journey to being a successful entrepreneur, we also talk about her journey from experiencing early professional success in magazine publishing and overcoming difficult moments like opening a Bed & Breakfast property in New Orleans right before Hurricane Katrina hit, how she’s tackling the COVID-19 crisis of 2020, and more. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. This episode is brought to you by: CAUSEBOX Go to causebox.com/hustlepro and use the code HUSTLEPRO to get your first box for 30% off. Links Mentioned In This Episode Shop Akwaaba Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program “The E Myth” Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook Send questions to “Ask Nicaila” You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email hi@sidehustlepro.co and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. Social Media Info Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns (Instagram) – @akwaabainns Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns (Facebook) – @akwaabainns Monique Greenwood (Twitter) – @moniqueakwaaba Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Did you like this episode? If you did give it a 5 star rating and share it with your friends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 15, 2020 • 53min
196: From Lay-Off to Comeback: How Designer Dionna Dorsey Created Her Own Thriving Design Boutique and Apparel Line
Today in the Side Hustle Pro guest chair is Dionna M. Dorsey, a gifted designer and brand development strategist and the creator of apparel line DISTRICT of CLOTHING. After graduating from Villanova University in 2002, Dionna moved to Italy to study fashion design and pursue a job in the fashion industry. She ended up relocating to New York City and designed outerwear for Oscar de la Renta and men's apparel for several other licenses. After rocky times hit the retail industry, she was eventually laid off from her job. She applied for job after job, but no one would hire her, so she made a decision to hire herself. She went on to open Dionna Dorsey Design, a design boutique that specializes in being creative – from graphic design to art direction, brand strategy, and website development. Then, she launched DISTRICT of CLOTHING, a signature apparel line developed with the conventional and avant-garde dreamers and doers in mind. The rest is HERstory. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. This episode is brought to you by: Acuity For a limited time only, you can get 45 days of Acuity Scheduling absolutely free - no credit card required - by going to acuityscheduling.com/hustlepro. Skillshare Get 2 free months of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/sidehustlepro Links mentioned in this episode DionnaDorsey.com DISTRICTofCLOTHING.com Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook Send questions to “Ask Nicaila” You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email hi@sidehustlepro.co and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. Social Media Info Dionna Dorsey (Instagram) - @dionnadorsey Dionna Dorsey (Twitter) - @dionnadorsey DISTRICT of CLOTHING (Instagram) - @districtofclothing DISTRICT of CLOTHING (Facebook) - @districtofclothingco Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


