Side Hustle Pro

A bold decision to pitch myself for an opportunity landed me right next to my business idol. In early 2016, the Signature CEO conference landed on my radar as it was on the list of appearances CurlBox Founder and CEO Myleik Teele had on her website and it was right in my neck of the woods. Initially, I thought a conference specifically tailored to wedding and event planners would not be relevant to me. But when I took a closer look at the agenda, I realized the knowledge that would be shared would be both valuable and applicable to my own brand. I brainstormed ways that I could contribute value to the conference organizer and pitched myself to cover the conference as press. On today’s episode, I get into: Why you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take Myleik Teele’s social media strategy gems to take your business to the next level Why Shea Radiance Founder Funlayo Alabi wants us to dare to be different How Personal Finance Coach Dominique Broadway leads entrepreneurs to financial greatness Wedding Planner Tiffany Chalk’s strategy for selling your value not your price   Listen on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and Google Play Links and people mentioned in this episode: Signature CEO conference Perfect Planning Myleik Teele 1000 True Fans Dominique Broadway Funlayo Alabi Tiffany Chalk Dan Kennedy   Show notes from this week's episode: SideHustlePro.co Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss   Important Announcements: I’m updating my Mastering The Cold Email templates. These are the exact emails I used to land even the most hard to reach guests plus pitch myself as press. Be the first to get it when you subscribe to the Side Hustle Pro newsletter here: SideHustlePro.co/SideHustleCorner   Side Hustle Pro is now 500 members strong. 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/mastermind Connect with me on Instagram:Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro#SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joymarie had always been a web and design junkie. Since the age of 13 she was building website and blogs. But after flunking out of design school, she went through an eight year journey to finish her undergrad degree and land her dream job. Now Joymarie is determined to help other young professionals navigate their career journey. As the co-host of Joblogues podcast, a weekly podcast that highlights candid career conversations with young professionals around the world, Joymarie is also breaking down the doors of podcasting and making waves as a featured iTunes podcast. In this episode, we talk about: Her turbulent journey to finding her dream job and discovering that she could be a resource for others Why you should treat your day job as an investor in your side hustle The BUSINESS of podcasting Simple ways to raise the visibility of your podcast Why you shouldn’t start a podcast to make money How to use podcasts as a platform to expand your brand Inspired to start your own podcast? Check out this step-by-step guide to starting your own podcast with no experience. Links mentioned in this episode: Joblogues Your First 10K Downloads John Lee Dumas Podcast course   Show notes from this week's episode: SideHustlePro.co Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss   Important Announcements:   Side Hustle Pro has a buzzing Facebook group! Get the support you need to create and grow your side hustle in the welcoming Side Hustle Pro Community on Facebook. I’m continually impressed by the level of support and candid conversation happening in our community. Join us here: SideHustlePro.co/Mastermind More from Nicaila:SideHustlePro.co Side Hustle Pro Community Connect with us on Instagram:Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustleproJoymarie Parker –  @heymissparker Joblogues - @Joblogues #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evelyn Ngugi is a Kenyan-American YouTube sensation literally blowing up the internet right now, and she can even count Beyoncé (yes, Queen Bey) among her fans (but we’ll get into that story on the episode). What’s it like to amass a huge following on YouTube and Facebook organically while you’re still figuring out your long term plan? On today’s episode, Evelyn shares how she balances being a popular YouTube and social media sensation with a regular 9to5 just like you and me. She is an example that even with a growing side hustle, we're all still just figuring it out as we go, and that’s OK. On this episode we discuss: Evelyn's “system” for developing and publishing content How she’s grown her brand organically, without actively trying What it’s like to have your work singled out by Beyoncé herself! Why monetizing content on the internet is easy, but monetizing in a way that is sustainable is a different ball game Why it’s important to differentiate what you enjoy doing and want to make money from, and what you actually want to do for a full-time job Why you should get out there and explore your gift, even when you don’t have it all figured out  Links mentioned in this episode: Evelyn’s YouTube Channel Beyoncé Played My #Lemonade Video On Tour & You Can #StayMad  Austin While Black Show notes from this week's episode: SideHustlePro.co Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss   Important Announcements: Side Hustle Pro has a buzzing Facebook group! Get the support you need to create and grow your side hustle in the welcoming Side Hustle Pro Community on Facebook. I’m continually impressed by the level of support and candid conversation happening in our community. Join us here: SideHustlePro.co/Mastermind More from Evelyn Twitter Facebook Instagram More from Nicaila:SideHustlePro.co Side Hustle Pro Community Connect with us on Instagram:Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustleproEvelyn from The Internets –  @evelynfromtheinternets #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A rejection from Google was the best thing that ever happened to me. Two years ago I was an MBA intern at Google. I didn’t get the offer. Dejected, I refused to talk about it, unsure of how to unpack the experience. On today’s episode I’m sharing why that experience, along with other “rejections” were really blessings that positively fueled my side hustle mission. Here are just a few nuggets from this episode: Google’s ‘No’ led me to my ultimate purpose: inspiring people to live unboxed and without apologies Failure is an event, not a personality trait Failure taught me to stop waiting to be chosen and instead choose myself Everyone should start a side hustle, even if you don’t want to be a full-time entrepreneur Links mentioned in this episode: The Beginner's Guide To Being Awesome by Brandon Carter Side Hustle Pro Facebook Group   Show notes from this week's episode: SideHustlePro.co Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss   Important Announcements:If you listened to last week’s episodes, you know I’m gearing up to release the exact email templates I used to land even the most hard to reach guests. Be the first to get it when you subscribe to the Side Hustle Pro newsletter here: SideHustlePro.co/SideHustleCorner Connect with me on Instagram:Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro#SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s featured guest Emmelie De La Cruz is best known for her ability to empower entrepreneurs, college students and young professionals to become more competitive in the market. Emmelie will be the first to tell you: “Entrepreneurship isn’t cute. It’s not an exit strategy or an alternative to a job you hate.” As a personal branding strategist and brand auditor, Emmelie is here to empower us all to gain clarity around our personal brands, build a credible brand from scratch and make money on our own terms. Her insights have been featured in Refinery 29, Black Enterprise, Cosmo for Latinas, The Miami Herald, PR Daily, and The Huffington Post. Most notably, Forbes named her site one of the top career websites in 2013.   On this episode we discuss: Why having a side hustle is one of the most empowering things you can do How she streamlined her business processes to provide value while saving time How she cultivated her unique voice and set herself apart as a personal brand strategist The importance of preparing for seasons of drought as an entrepreneur What it takes to make a VALUABLE digital product (not just get rich quick schemes) Why it’s so important to validate your ideas before you create a product Links mentioned in this episode: How to Automate Your Business with $5 and 2 Apps Make Yourself Marketable   Show notes from this week's episode: SideHustlePro.co Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss   Important Announcements:If you listened to last week’s episode, you know I’m gearing up to release the exact email templates I used to land even the most hard to reach guests. Be the first to get it when you subscribe to the Side Hustle Pro newsletter here: SideHustlePro.co/SideHustleCorner   Side Hustle Pro has a buzzing Facebook group! Get the support you need to create and grow your side hustle in the welcoming Side Hustle Pro Community on Facebook. I’m continually impressed by the level of support and candid conversation happening in our community. Join us here: SideHustlePro.co/Mastermind More from Emmelie: http://www.emmeliedelacruz.com/ More from Nicaila:SideHustlePro.co Side Hustle Pro Community Connect with us on Instagram:Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustleproEmmelie De La Cruz – @emmeliedelacruz #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, I'm sharing the art of reaching out to potential collaborators, customers and clients via the cold email. While many of many of my guests are people I know or have met, 50% of the women I interview on my podcast were complete strangers before I reached out to them via email. In this episode I’m sharing the art of writing enticing cold emails that get responses. Here are some of my key tips:   Preparation Do your research - Google, social media Consider what’s in it for them Eliminate words like, “pick your brain” from your vocabulary Keep a Google doc with your email templates and tweak for each individual outreach Revise as you learn what works Start a Template Document Make sure every person you reach out to knows why you appreciate their work and the value  the collab would bring Be prepared to GIVE before you get Make it EASY for them to collaborate. Propose dates and times (hello, Calendly!) and offer to work around their schedule. The outreach   If you want my exact email templates that I’ve used to reach out to the likes of Luvvie and Courtney Sanders of Think and Grow Chick, sign up for my email list at sidehustlepro.co/sidehustlecorner.   Links mentioned in this episode: Side Hustle Pro Newsletter Her Movement Calendly Doodle   Show notes from this week's episode: http://sidehustlepro.co/ Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the age of 5, Denise Sarkor escaped the Liberian Civil War with family and lived as a refugee in Ivory Coast. Raised in a rough part of NJ by a determined mother, she would go on to graduate from The Wharton School on a full scholarship and obtain her Masters in International Finance and Economic Policy from Columbia University. Although entrepreneurship tugged at her heart, she took a safer path, working as an international banker and development consultant at Goldman Sachs and the World Bank. But after a devastating divorce rocked her to the core, she became fearless. Realizing that Corporate America had led her to yet another glass ceiling, she finally made the leap. On this episode, you’ll learn how she hit the ground running after quitting unexpectedly and how she’s navigating the twists and turns of starting her own business. Topics discussed: How she honed in on what services she should offer in her business and how she’s managing cash flow The surprising move she’s willing to make to sustain her business Self-publishing her first book and successfully fundraising on Kickstarter Why Poet and Activist Nikki Giovanni wrote her a personal note of congratulations Links Mentioned: Wave Accounting Clean Closet The Year I Got In Formation - The New Roots Story Rich Dads, Before You Quit Your Job New Roots Development, LLC Ingram Spark 10 Things I Learned Fundraising Via Kickstarter 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth Four Hour Work Week Nikki Giovanni’s Hand-Written Note The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing: Everything You Need to Know to Write, Publish, Promote and Sell Your Own Book, Edition 5 International Coaching Federation   Important Announcements:If you’re not subscribed to the Side Hustle Pro newsletter, you’re missing ALL the #goalgetter tea, OK?? Subscribe here: SideHustlePro.co/SideHustleCorner Side Hustle Pro has a buzzing Facebook group! Get the support you need to create and grow your side hustle in the welcoming Side Hustle Pro Community on Facebook. I’m continually impressed by the level of support and candid conversation happening in our community. Join us here: SideHustlePro.co/Mastermind More from Denise: DeniseSarkor.com New Roots Development, LLC More from Nicaila: SideHustlePro.co Side Hustle Pro Community Connect with us on Instagram: Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro Denise Sarkor – @denisesarkor #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did a former wedding planner turn her side hustle into a million dollar business? Today’s guest has the answer. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “bias for action” she is the epitome of that. When she thinks of an idea, she doesn’t just sit on it, she acts on it. She’s founded two successful businesses in her lifetime with no business degree and only education from the school of hard knocks. I’m talking about Vivian Kaye, the Founder and CEO of KinkyCurlyYaki, a successful natural hair extensions brand. Known by fans as The Queen of Kank, Vivian founded KinkyCurlyYaki in 2012 to provide natural hair solutions for women who wanted the ease and flexibility of kinky curly hair extensions. On this episode, you’ll learn how she got the idea and started her business from her living room and is now at the head of a soon to be million dollar brand. Topics discussed: How her Ghanaian upbringing influenced her entrepreneurial fire Why she never felt the pressure to complete school to start a business How getting laid off gave her the final push to dive into entrepreneurship full time How she started two successful businesses from scratch Balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood Important Announcements: Side Hustle Pro has a buzzing Facebook group! Get the support you need to create and grow your side hustle in the welcoming Side Hustle Pro Community on Facebook.SideHustlePro.co/Mastermind So much great convo and connection is already happening in there. More from Vivian Kaye: KinkyCurlyYaki More from Nicaila: SideHustlePro.co Side Hustle Pro Community Connect with us on Instagram: Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro KinkyCurlyYaki – @KinkyCurlyYaki Vivian Kaye – @queenofkank #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What’s it like to be a 13-year seasoned blogger in the age of Instagram and Snapchat Influencers? On this episode I sit down for a conversation with Luvvie Ajayi to talk Branding 101. Luvvie is is a writer, digital strategist and creator of entertainment and humor blog AwesomelyLuvvie.com. As a fellow writer and avid blogger, I’ve always been inspired by Luvvie’s journey to full-time entrepreneur. She started her blog after peer pressure from friends who recognized her talent. After starting as a casual blogger, she slowly increased to blogging more than once a week. Three years in, she was working a 9 to 5 then blogging from 7 to 9 like a true side hustler. Though she was getting paid zero dollars, her first blogging award in 2009 made her realize maybe she was on to something. The rest, as they say, is history. Now Luvvie is getting ready to debut her first book, called I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do Better Manual, which is available on September 16 (or earlier if you pre-order). FYI, I talked to Luvvie a few months ago for a Q&A before I launched my podcast. There we covered more of her background and how she got started. Check out part one here: then tune in to the episode. On this episode we discuss: Why you shouldn’t be so consumed with the idea of you being a brand Why you need to be so good they can’t ignore you How to make sure you’re prioritizing solid content over marketing How to negotiate with brands once you get to that level The real deal with how she approaches brand partnerships and her certified deal breakers MORE FROM LUVVIE: I’m Judging You AwesomelyLuvvie Awesomely Techie MORE FROM NICAILA: SideHustlePro.co Side Hustle Pro Community CONNECT WITH US ON INSTAGRAM: Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro Luvvie – @luvvie #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we are welcoming back Meiko Drew, the Side Hustle Pro Entrepreneur-in-Residence. We’re following Meiko for an entire year to chronicle her journey from Corporate America retiree to the Founder of Food and Lifestyle brand MeikoAndTheDish. For those of you who don’t know, Meiko walked away from a six-figure salary at Target to focus on Meiko And The Dish full time. Though it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, her brand is steadily rising and so it’s time to check in with her again to see how it’s all going. On this episode we talk about: The financial sacrifices she’s had to make to pursue her dream The marketing steps she’s taking to grow the Meiko And The Dish brand on social media How she’s building relationships and partnerships in her niche The upcoming launch of the Black Food Network Find out how Meiko is making it work despite the twists and turns life throws at her. Podcast Details Click here to subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.