
Side Hustle Pro
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.
Latest episodes

Nov 1, 2023 • 1h 5min
376: Student Spotlight: She Quit Her Job To Move To Spain And Launch A Ghost Writing Business And Podcast REWIND
In this week's rewind episode we have a very special episode featuring a real-life Podcast Moguls student of mine, Lori Tharps. She is the founder of the platform and podcast Read, Write & Create, which offers bite-sized, creative pep talks for BIPOC writers. She is also the author of critically-acclaimed books like Hair Story and Kinky Gazpacho. In this episode she shares: How she knew it was the right time to leave her tenured teaching job at Temple to pursue writing full time Why moving to Spain allowed her to have clarity in her financial and personal goals How she diversified her offered writing services through coaching, ghost writing and podcasting, and the clients that brought in Check out episode 376 of Side Hustle Pro Podcast and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube This episode is brought to you by: HubSpot Podcast Network- The audio destination for business professionals with content designed to help you listen, learn, and grow. Listen to Side Hustle Pro and more shows on the HubSpot Podcast Network, at https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork. This is Small Business Podcast Learn more about how to start and grow your small business, check out This Is Small Business, an original podcast from Amazon on your favorite podcast app. Links mentioned in this episode Podcast Moguls: https://sidehustlepro.lpages.co/your-first-1000-downloads/ Read, Write, Create Website: https://www.readwriteandcreate.com/ Lori’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loriltharps/ Lori’s Books: https://www.readwriteandcreate.com/books-lori-tharps 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 Guest Social Media Info Lori’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loriltharps/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 25, 2023 • 54min
375: How Brown Toy Box Founder Went From Side Hustle To Every Target Store REWIND
Terri-Nichelle Bradley, Founder of Brown Toy Box, shares her journey from side hustle to being sold in every Target nationwide. She discusses how she pivoted the business from a subscription box to direct-to-consumer. She also talks about using her network and winning investors to fund toy production.

Oct 20, 2023 • 48min
Special Bonus Episode: How Comcast RISE Grant Winner Cassandra Williams Is Building Her Business, Love by the Slice
This week we have a very special bonus episode with fellow Comcast RISE recipient Cassandra Williams. Cassandra is the founder of Love By The Slice, a Tacoma-based cake and treats company that is beloved by her community. In this episode she shares: How she started as a side hustler and has remained in business for more than 20 years How she was able to scale and grow as a small business with little funding How she has navigated the challenges of post-pandemic business What she was able to do with the support of Comcast RISE Check out this bonus episode of Side Hustle Pro podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube This episode is brought to you by: Comcast RISE. Now in its third year, Comcast RISE celebrates having provided 13,500 businesses nationwide with more than $125 million in monetary, marketing, and technology grants to date. Business applicants have been selected to receive comprehensive grant packages, which include business consultation services, educational resources, a $5,000 monetary grant, creative production, media schedule, and a technology makeover. Comcast RISE is committed to supporting the growth of all small businesses, while advancing the objectives of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as community investment. Join us in celebrating grant recipients in your community! Find your local RISE-supported businesses and show your support today: http://sidehustlepro.co/comcastrisewinners Links mentioned in this episode Love By The Slice Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovebytheslice/ Love By The Slice Website: https://www.lovebytheslice.com 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 Guest Social Media Info Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovebytheslice/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 18, 2023 • 59min
374: How This Attorney Created Two Thriving Online Businesses As Side Hustles (w/ Kunbi Odubogun)
This week in the guest chair we have Kunbi Odubogun, an industry leading Business Attorney and entrepreneur. She is Partner at Oduberg, a boutique business law firm that provides legal services to creative entrepreneurs. Kunbi also founded two online businesses: Legally Set, a contract template shop offering ready-made contract templates for creative entrepreneurs; and Perfete - a renowned luxury events and lifestyle resource. In this episode she shares: How she created passive income by empowering small business owners and equipping them with ready-made contract templates How she went from side hustling Perfete to growing it to over 240K followers- large enough to where she can confidently sell the platform What she teaches her clients to ensure their legal protections in business partnerships Check out episode 374 of Side Hustle Pro podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube This episode is brought to you by: HubSpot Podcast Network- The audio destination for business professionals with content designed to help you listen, learn, and grow. Listen to Side Hustle Pro and more shows on the HubSpot Podcast Network, at https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork Links mentioned in this episode Kunbi’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kunbiesq/ Kunbi’s Website: https://www.kunbio.com/ Legally Set’s Website: https://legallyset.com/ Oduberg’s Website: https://www.oduberg.com/ Perfete’s Website: https://perfete.com/ Small Business Association: https://www.sba.gov/ 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 Guest Social Media Info Kunbi’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kunbiesq/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 11, 2023 • 1h 2min
373: How To Achieve The Career of Your Dreams And The Salary You Deserve w/ Mandi Woodruff-Santos
This week in the guest chair we have Mandi Woodruff-Santos, a globally recognized career expert, founder of the MandiMoney Makers, and co-host of the three-time WEBBY award winning podcast, Brown Ambition. With 6 million podcast downloads, and over 80,000 followers across socials, Mandi is on a mission to help women of color achieve their wildest financial ambitions. In this episode she shares: How to be professionally selfish and achieve your dream salary The risks she’s taken by pivoting often in her career, and how they’ve paid off Her journey from corporate, to coaching as a side hustle, to launching her podcast and expanding her empire Check out episode 373 of Side Hustle Pro podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube This episode is brought to you by: HubSpot Podcast Network- The audio destination for business professionals with content designed to help you listen, learn, and grow. Listen to Side Hustle Pro and more shows on the HubSpot Podcast Network, at https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork. Links mentioned in this episode Mandi Money Website: http://Mandimoney.com Mandi’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandimoney/?hl=en Brown Ambition Podcast: https://brownambitionpodcast.com/ Brown Ambition Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownambitionpodcast/ The Budgetnista’s Website: https://thebudgetnista.com/ Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/news Zapier Automation: https://zapier.com/ Trello: https://trello.com/home 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 Guest Social Media Info Mandi’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandimoney/?hl=en Brown Ambition Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownambitionpodcast/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 4, 2023 • 53min
372: Afro Unicorn Creator April Showers’ Journey To Becoming The First Black Woman-Owned Fully Licensed Brand
This week in the guest chair we have visionary creator April Showers, the entrepreneurial expert behind Afro Unicorn. April became the first Black woman to own a fully licensed character brand, putting her with the likes of Disney. Afro Unicorn has rapidly expanded its footprint, being stocked in over 3,500 stores. In this episode she shares: How she established a presence in seven major retailers across the U.S. and Canada including Walmart and Target The ins and outs to becoming a licensed character brand, and the major benefits that come along with it Why she doesn’t solely rely on social media for marketing and what really helped put her on the map Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube This episode is brought to you by: HubSpot Podcast Network- The audio destination for business professionals with content designed to help you listen, learn, and grow. Listen to Side Hustle Pro and more shows on the HubSpot Podcast Network, at https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork. Links mentioned in this episode Afro Unicorn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afrounicorn_official/ April Showers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gotaprilshowers/ Afro Unicorn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afrounicornofficial Afro Unicorn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afro-unicorn/ April Showers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilshowers/ Afro Unicorn Website: https://afrounicorns.com/ 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 Guest Social Media Info April Showers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gotaprilshowers/ April Showers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilshowers/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 27, 2023 • 59min
371: How Clever Girl Finance Went From Side Hustle To Worldwide Platform
This week we are getting a masterclass in content-based business with Bola Sokunbi. Bola is a finance expert, 4-time bestselling author, and founder of Clever Girl Finance, one of the largest personal finance media/education platforms for women in the U.S. In this episode she shares: Her start as a financial advisor while side hustling Clever Girl Finance How she expanded past 1 to 1 business by creating courses and repeatable content How she was able to financially thrive while making her platforms free and accessible Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube This episode is brought to you by: HubSpot Podcast Network- The audio destination for business professionals with content designed to help you listen, learn, and grow. Listen to Side Hustle Pro and more shows on the HubSpot Podcast Network, at https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork. Links mentioned in this episode Clever Girl Finance Website: https://www.clevergirlfinance.com/ Clever Girl Finance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clevergirlfinance/ Bola’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clevergirlfinance/ Bola’s Website: https://www.bolasokunbi.com/ 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 Guest Social Media Info Bola’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clevergirlfinance/ Bola’s Website: https://www.bolasokunbi.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 20, 2023 • 49min
370: How Denise Woodard Got Jay-Z, Rihanna, and HER To Partake In Her Packaged Foods Company
This week we’re back for a very exciting update episode with Denise Woodard is the Founder and CEO of Partake Foods, the allergy-friendly company inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Created in 2016, Denise started the business by self-distributing cookies around NYC, this year it became a Certified B Corporation, and launched a collab with Ben & Jerry’s. In this episode she shares: Her strategies to getting investors interested, including big names like HER and Rihanna How she became the first Black woman to raise more than $1 Million publicly for a CPG food startup, accumulating more than $20M How she is continuing to inspire other entrepreneurs while growing her own business Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube This episode is brought to you by: HubSpot Podcast Network- The audio destination for business professionals with content designed to help you listen, learn, and grow. Listen to Side Hustle Pro and more shows on the HubSpot Podcast Network, at https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork. Links mentioned in this episode Partake’s Website: www.partakefoods.com Partake’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/partakefoods/ Denise’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisegwoodard/ Desnise’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisegwoodard/ Marcy Venture Partners: https://www.marcyvp.com/ 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 Guest Social Media Info Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 13, 2023 • 1h 1min
369: Hoop Mobb Is Becoming A Household Name By Making Jewelry For The Culture
This week in the guest chair we have Donyale Walton, founder of Hoop Mobb, Home of the Hoop Earring. Coming from Flint, Michigan, Donyale made her way to New York to learn the business ropes and was inspired to pursue her own ventures. In this episode she shares: How she went outside of the box of where she’s from and gained unique skills by working in fashion Her process of finding and working with the best manufacturers How she’s able to build the best team and balance hiring family and friends Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube This episode is brought to you by: HubSpot Podcast Network- The audio destination for business professionals with content designed to help you listen, learn, and grow. Listen to Side Hustle Pro and more shows on the HubSpot Podcast Network, at https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork. Links mentioned in this episode The Hoop Mob Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehoopmobb/ Hoop Mobb’s Website: https://hoopmobb.com/ Hoop Mobb’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/685105618951748 Donyale’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donyalewalton/ 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 Guest Social Media Info The Hoop Mob Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehoopmobb/ Donyale’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donyalewalton/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 6, 2023 • 49min
368: How Khadijah Polly Perfected Popcorn And Philanthropy With Her Side Hustles
This week I invited back Khadijah “Kay” Polly, who I first spoke to in 2019. Khadijah is the owner of Kay’s Kettle Corn, a gourmet popcorn company in Houston. In addition to her popcorn company, Khadijah is the founder of Ankara Beauty, a social enterprise that sources fair trade all natural ingredients for beauty products from women owned cooperatives and solo entrepreneurs in African countries. In this episode she shares: How she scaled her popcorn side hustle large enough to fund other ventures Why she prioritizes living a life of ease and how she does it while running multiple enterprises How supporting women entrepreneurs in African countries has wildly grown her business Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube This episode is brought to you by: HubSpot Podcast Network- The audio destination for business professionals with content designed to help you listen, learn, and grow. Listen to Side Hustle Pro and more shows on the HubSpot Podcast Network, at https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork. Links mentioned in this episode Khadijah Original SHP Ep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVQQ302-U_4 Kay’s Kettle Corn’s Website: http://kayskettlecorn.com/ Kay’s Kettle Corn’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayskettlecorn_ceo/ Ankara Beauty’s Website: https://www.ankarabeauty.com/ Ankara Beauty’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ankarabeautygh/ 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 Guest Social Media Info Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.