Side Hustle Hero

Here's a side hustle for all you animal lovers out there…pet sitting! If you live in an environment where you can't have pets you don't have to let that stop you. Maybe you live with someone who is allergic or as is the case of today's guest Lucy Slater, you live in a building that doesn't allow pets. Lucy stays at the pet owner's residence when they're away, so the pet is looked after in their own environment. It's a double win for Lucy since her full-time work is 100% remote. While she's getting paid to stay in someone else's home to pet sit, she's also getting paid from her regular job. Nice! Through our conversation, you'll discover, once she decides to accept a gig, why she feels relatively secure in overnighting there, tips for getting your first pet sitting or dog walking gigs what it's like using the platform rover.com, and we discuss earnings and the various ways to make money. Thanks for checking out this episode! What You'll Hear: 03:49 Why Lucy continues to keep doing and loving this side hustle 04:47 Team Dog or Team Cat? 05:10 Discovering rover.com 06:04 Main frustration with rover.com 06:55 Feels relatively safe due to the background checks that are done 08:00 Lucy's initial pricing strategy and why she's been able to raise her rates 09:08 You can say, no! 10:21 Dog walking, drop-in visits, host dogs in your home, and/or dog boarding 13:00 Pet sitting fees and dog walking - what Lucy charges 13:28 Rover takes 20% and it also adds a fee to the buyer of the services 13:55 Why Lucy landed her first gig within a month - include a lot of detail 14:51 Earnings 17:23 Repeat clients can mean watching the animals grow up 18:43 Let the client know when the pet is not comfortable with you 19:12 Strong communication skills are a must for success 21:00 Just because you like dogs, that isn't qualification enough be a dog sitter/walker 23:05 Best advice if you want to become a dog sitter/walker 23:56 Need more experience? Volunteer at the SPCA or a pet shelter, volunteer to walk neighbour's dogs, take training 26:24 Lucy's best tip for you to start or grow your side hustle Bonus Tip 28:13 Checking out the top people in your industry for ideas and inspiration 28:50 Word of caution; they likely have teams of people behind them Joan's Online Masterclass to help you achieve your side hustle goals: Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things: https://courses.joanposivy.com/p/turn-your-thoughts-into-wanted-things Connect with Lucy: https://www.rover.com/members/lucy-s-your-pets-best-friend/ https://www.instagram.com/lucyyslater/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucyslater19/ Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.sidehustlehero.com/about/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/

Are there places in your local community that you think are fun, intriguing, or interesting for a visitor to discover? Locals are offering tours to all kinds of their favourite things; from historic sites and museums, to breweries and food outlets, to edible wild plant nature walks. Ed Moser is leveraging his love of history and politics to run a side hustle business as a tour operator based in Washington DC. Plus, he's taken his knowledge and vast storehouse of stories about the area, and has written multiple books providing him a nice compliment to the tours while providing additional income streams. In this episode you'll learn, the best ways to market a tour, pros and cons of the various platforms (AirBnB, Paypal, Eventbrite, MeetUp) from fees to the marketing opportunities, potential earnings and workload, how he put a positive spin on things when in the early days few people showed up for his tours, and how he's earned a TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award for 2023 What You'll Hear: 02:21 From an article, to a book, to the guided tours side hustle 05:16 How Ed's tours are different from the rest 06:21 He cross-promotes his books with his tours 08:29 Marketing through MeetUp 09:09 Eventbrite has been the best to receive bookings and prepayment 10:34 AirBnb Experiences also provides bookings and prepayment 11:59 What Ed charges for tours and his earnings 13:24 You can customize tours for the seasons, specific groups, and create speciality tours 18:45 Earnings will really vary depending on number of hours worked, part-time or full-time 21:45 Using the MeetUp platform and dealing with payment 23:44 A discussion of platform fees - AirBnB, PayPal, Eventbrite 25:09 The silver lining of small groups in the early days 26:22 Pros and cons of using Tripadvisor 27:24 Ed has earned a Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Award for 2023 28:16 The rise of scooters, small vans, e-bikes affecting traditional walking tours 30:29 Tips for ranking well and getting noticed on Tripadvisor 31:31 Tips for starting a tour guide business 33:44 One of Ed's most memorable moments during a tour 37:02 Ed's best tip WrapUp 37:44 Asking customers how they heard of you, how did they find you? 38:14 How did you discover Side Hustle Hero? Joan's Online Masterclass to help you achieve your side hustle goals: Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things: https://courses.joanposivy.com/p/turn-your-thoughts-into-wanted-things Connect with Ed: https://www.meetup.com/lafayette-sq-tours-of-scandal-assassination-spies-meetup/ One of Ed's books: The White House's Unruly Neighborhood https://amzn.to/40nCbpJ Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.sidehustlehero.com/about/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/

Do you have a knack for being organized in your space? Or in helping others be organized in theirs? Then maybe becoming a professional organizer is the side hustle for you! Today's guest Laurie Palau is a pro at this! In this episode she describes; how to get started, multiple ways to make money at it, start up costs (and they're pretty minimal), ways to go about setting your pricing, how to expand your customer base by partnering with people in complementary industries, creative marketing ideas, and best places to find clients Enjoy this conversation with professional organizer and the author of Hot Mess: A Practical Guide To Getting Organized, Laurie Palau What You'll Hear: 01:57 Definition of a professional organizer 04:47 From doing a favour for a friend grew a side hustle 07:48 You don't need to know everything about running a business before you start 09:45 Low barrier to entry for becoming a professional organizer 12:04 Ways to make money at this 13:01 "DIY" consulting 14:50 Cautions and alternatives to offering free consultations 16:28 Figuring out what to charge 19:56 Laurie advises when starting out, not to charge less that $50 per hour 22:37 Additional income streams as your experience grows 23:15 Partnering with people in complementary industries to grow any business 26:44 Start up costs that might be overlooked, i.e. why you need business insurance 27:27 What not to spend money on in the beginning 28:50 Getting involved (or not) with affiliate marketing 30:51 Best ways and places to find clients 32:57 Remember your "why" and don't get hung up on the results others are getting 37:13 Laurie's best tip for starting or growing your side hustle Added Takeaway: 38:06 Examples from Joan's businesses of partnering with people in complementary industries Connect with Laurie: https://simplyborganized.com/ https://simplyborganized.com/this-organized-life/ Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.sidehustlehero.com/about/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/

Do people think you're funny? Do you like to make others laugh? Maybe there's a side hustle opportunity in there for you. Today's guest makes a very good living - by being funny. While Jan McInnis started her side hustle as a stand-up comic, over the years she's expanded her offerings to include being a comedy writer, selling material to everything from The Tonight Show monologues and hundreds of radio stations, to greeting cards, and syndicated cartoon strips. She also does a lot of corporate work and keynote presentations. In today's episode, Jan describes multiple ways to make money being funny, where to find these gigs, how to make yourself memorable, what advice she would give young Jan if she were starting over today, and tips, tricks, and stories from the stage What You'll Hear: 02:29 In the beginning, her marketing materials were better than her act! 04:45 The open mic night that was an epiphany 05:58 2 ½ years as a side hustle 06:16 Writing her 6-month plan and "throwing your hat over the fence" 08:20 Rocked a gig despite attempts to sabotage her performance 09:27 From stand up to corporate work 10:12 How Jan got her first corporate testimonials 11:20 Income streams to get paid for being funny 14:00 Really keep your eyes and ears open for new opportunities 16:16 Jan now provides "business advice from a comedian" in her corporate presentations 20:37 How about all the competition out there? 23:32 How to find gigs 27:25 Tips for learning the craft 30:19 The hard knocks are hugely beneficial down the road 31:03 In the early days, focus on getting good vs what you're getting paid 32:41 What Jan should have done early on that she didn't 36:46 Opportunities to be paid to be funny: comedy clubs, writing jokes, corporate work, keynotes 37:01 Tips on how to get into writing for others 38:15 Going rates for getting paid to write jokes 39:44 No matter how good you are, you can't compete with a chocolate fondue fountain! 40:23 Advice Jan would give her younger self 41:28 Jan's best tip to start or grow your side hustle Final thoughts: 43:43 Differentiate yourself by being you, put your spin on it, and be professional 44:53 "A pro is at their best, always" Connect With Jan: https://theworklady.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jan.mcinnis/ https://www.facebook.com/ComedianJanMcInnis https://www.linkedin.com/in/janmcinnis/ Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.sidehustlehero.com/about/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/

Can you create a side hustle for yourself in the esports industry without being a skilled gamer? We'll hear about that from Titus Walker in today's episode. He's the creator and CEO of the Ultimate Endgamers League (UEL) and according to Titus, it's a type of league that doesn't exist anywhere else in the gaming world. He was building up this side hustle, until his then employer gave him an ultimatum - ditch the hustle, or lose your job. He describes what he's doing for esports, to what the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has done with martial arts and other fighting disciplines. Titus has taken what was a seed on an idea, and built it out to having 200 active gamers competing for the $100,000 team prize in this season's tournament. What makes this league unique in the esports industry, is that its success is NOT dependent on any one single game. What You'll Hear: 02:50 Titus's backstory 05:11 Not fulfilling his purpose, and being in a cyclical industry pushed him to find another income source 07:07 Buying a VR unit was a turning point 07:54 Past failed attempts have provided great learnings for future ventures 08:40 A new concept in the esports industry - focus on the skill set, not a specific game 10:36 Rather than "pigeonhole" himself to one game/developer/fan base, he found a way to speak to all competitive gamers - by creating UEL, the Ultimate Endgamers League 11:21 An Endgamer is "a master in the artform of gaming" 12:20 The five major genres in gaming 12:58 Titus's major inspiration - the UFC 14:34 There are 2.5 billion gamers, providing a much larger audience than any major sport 15:00 Titus explains there is no other league that is doing what the UEL is doing 15:28 A 'spin' of a large roulette-type wheel determines which of the 33 games will be played 16:30 His league doesn't depend on any specific games, and the games on the wheel can and do change 18:36 Titus never wanted to do this online 20:36 Gave up the revenue from doing birthday parties to focus solely on gaming and the UEL 21:42 Current revenue sources: team sales, merchandising, sponsors, advertising, tournament entry fees 24:05 Season 7 provides a $100,000 team prize giving other locations big prize money to market as they run tournaments as qualifiers for the UEL 25:40 From player to pro 26:29 Titus is given ultimatum by employer - shut down the UEL or leave 27:40 That gave him the push to go all in and focus 29:18 Getting interest from ROC Nation (JZ's company), the New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Commanders 30:49 From The Innovator's Dilemma, if Henry Ford had asked customers what they wanted, they would have said, "a faster horse" 31:57 Story of Michelangelo, the little boy, and the Statue of David - "how did you know he was in there?" 34:03 Every bit of money coming in that is not spend on marketing, advertising, is being put back into the players including seeking sponsors 34:27 UEL promotes diversity, especially between "strategy" players and "sports" players who historically don't mix 35:43 The community determines some of the 33 game titles 36:34 Sponsorship can be in the form of dollars for advertising, headsets, controllers, seats, etc 37:00 Age demographic is typically between 25-35, but as young as 12 and as old as 50 37:50 Community consists of over 10,000 on social, 400 gamers, 40-50 helping with productions 38:40 Why the UEL is growing 39:18 Side hustle opportunities in the esports industry 41:16 Titus suggests you can find a local community of gamers, and connect with him to host qualifying tournaments to work towards competing for the UEL grand prize 42:22 Titus describes how this could be a side hustle 43:08 30% of the entry fees would go to the UEL 43:39 Potential revenue sources might include; teaching, training and coaching fees, local qualifying tournament fees 44:58 Best tip from Titus to start or build your side hustle 46:08 His "why" - creating opportunities for others 40:00 For Season 7: 5-10,000 viewers per match, over 200 active gamers competing, and $100,000 prize! Wrap Up: 47:36 Look outside your industry for ideas and inspiration 48:38 Leverage your "learning experiences" to be smarter, wiser, better prepared to handle challenges, and enjoy the increased confidence Connect with Titus and the UEL: https://ultimateendgamersleague.com/ https://www.instagram.com/uelesports/ https://www.tiktok.com/@UELesports https://www.youtube.com/@UELesports https://www.facebook.com/UELesports Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.sidehustlehero.com/about/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/

Whatever product or service you're offering to the world, you want it to get noticed, to stand out from the rest. That's what this episode is going to help you to do. Sierra Janisse is a brand, website, and funnel designer. In this episode, you'll learn more than just how to do your own brand audit! You'll also discover, no-cost DIY tips for polishing your brand, making your website more "hospitable" to potential clients, leveraging your website through 5 ways to boost client conversion (that DON'T require hiring a designer), actionable tips for email marketing and growing your list in the "age of inbox overwhelm," and clear guidance on where to start with all the above! What You'll Hear: 04:59 "Elementor," a long-time favourite 06:23 Balancing full-time teaching with a growing side hustle 07:43 The decision to leave teaching 08:32 The mistake Sierra made that cost her money 08:49 Offering free services to build your portfolio is fine….to a point 09:43 How to raise your rates 10:36 The feeling of getting paid from the first client 11:05 First contract hires - accountant and lawyer 13:16 The importance of clear, thorough contracts - it avoids "scope creep" 14:38 What "holistic" branding is 15:45 How to do your own "brand audit" 18:35 Overcoming decision fatigue 19:20 5 ways to boost client conversion…that don't require hiring a designer!!! 19:50 Your website should be making you money 20:06 What is your website goal? (yes, you need to have one!) 21:17 Have a call to action - and the best place to put it 22:04 Client/Website hospitality - how not to be annoying 23:33 When and how to use popups on your website 25:40 How and why to use the "3-step marketing method" on your website 27:15 Consider the traffic sources of your website 29:26 Breaking through email overwhelm - building your email list 30:59 What not to do in your emails 31:30 What (and how) to adjust if people are unsubscribing from your list 33:05 The value of storytelling in your emails…and guidance on how to do it 34:49 Where do I start??? It's not on improving your weaknesses 36:30 Sierra's best tip to inspire you to action Takeaway 38:18 Life is happening now - not when the goal is achieved 39:06 The secret sauce of life Joan's Online Masterclass to help you achieve your side hustle goals: Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things: https://courses.joanposivy.com/p/turn-your-thoughts-into-wanted-things Connect with Sierra: https://www.sierralindesign.com/ https://www.instagram.com/sierralindesign/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/sierralindesign Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.sidehustlehero.com/about/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/

Frustrated by years of not finding work that was a fit and perpetually being short of funds, Mellisa Mills took the $500 she received from selling a painting, and started her side hustle…making and selling dips! Not being able to afford a car, she began making deliveries by bicycle and even public transit. Through a lot of hard work, tenacity, and a passion for good food, today Mellisa's company Spread'Em operates out of a 20,000 square foot facility, boasts revenues of over $3 million dollars, and her products are available in over 2,000 stores. You'll hear honest conversation about, what it took to grow the company, what she sees as fatal mistakes made by aspiring entrepreneurs, what keeps her up at night, how she plans to double revenues You'll learn from, her stories of times when things didn't go as planned, her experience of dealing with the 3 tiers of grocery store ecosystems you can get into, why striving to get your product into the big chain stores may not always be your wisest move Be sure to catch the end of episode takeaway for inspiration to do the tough stuff you know needs to be done for your side hustle. What You'll Hear: 05:08 Maybe "cardiac technician" isn't the best career choice for an artist 06:52 The birth of a side hustle 09:26 Melissa's new company drew on her top talents and passions 10:58 One of her paintings sells unexpectedly and funds her new dip venture 12:01 Her product started flying off the shelves 13:25 People have tried but have been unable to recreate her product 14:12 Mellisa is driven by wanting to do good, have fun, and to contribute 14:37 Spend time figuring out what you would truly, deeply, like to do 16:19 First stores were 5 in her neighbourhood 16:55 The reasons they still sell at farmer's markets 18:40 Mellisa didn't know how to start and grow a business, she just took it one step at a time 20:40 Commissary kitchens - how they work 23:22 A discussion of profit margins 26:10 The benefits of starting small and growing as demand grows 26:44 She made their first $1 million while still in the commissary kitchen 27:39 What has kept Mellisa up at night 30:04 How she got her Spread-Em products into Whole Foods (which is now owned by Amazon) 32:04 Fatal mistakes made by aspiring entrepreneurs 36:18 Sometimes what we deem to be a negative event, turns out to be the best thing to happen 36:30 Carrying 50lb bags on the bus to make deliveries - what are you willing to do for the success of your side hustle? 37:42 Ep: 51 Poncho's Tacos is a great example of bootstrapping and not overspending 38:32 Mellisa had 60 stores and was still doing the deliveries herself 39:56 She felt like she had a real product once Save On Foods signed on 40:30 3 tiers in the grocery store ecosystem (independents, small chains, big grocery chains) - differences, pros, and cons 44:34 Advantages and disadvantages of having a distributor (fees 26%-33%) 47:14 Did not hire any help until year 2 or 3 48:09 Growing slow can be the best approach 50:17 Next big growth will come from the USA market 51:04 Dips are now in over 2,000 stores in Canada 53:20 Current revenues are $3 million, with a goal of $6 million in 18 months 53:56 Advice Mellisa would give herself if she could go back to the startup days Takeaway: 56:02 What are you willing to do to ensure your success? 56:36 "If you do what is easy, life will be hard. But if you're willing to do what is hard, life will eventually be easy." Connect with Mellisa: LinkedIn Instagram TikTok Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.sidehustlehero.com/about/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/

Freaked out about the negative implications of AI on your side hustle? Or to your side hustle idea? You're not alone. As a freelance writer and copy editor, Gabrielle Gerbus had huge concerns especially once business started to drop off. But then… She knew she needed to jump onboard and figure out HOW the proliferation of AI could work to her benefit. Then, her business grew. Her agency now brings in over $15,000 a month in revenue. While she is paying out subcontractors, the business expenses are particularly low for this digital nomad. I spoke to her after she had just arrived in Thailand. In addition to hearing how she started her freelancing side hustle, scaled it, and pivoted to profit in this age of AI, you'll also hear about some unexpected benefits of life as a digital nomad. It sounds to me like she's found her tribe. For guidance on how to lead your best life…one that you deem to be wonderful and well-lived, be sure and check out the end of episode Wrap Up! What You'll Hear: 05:10 Job dissatisfaction led Gabrielle to start her side hustle 07:03 Discovered she doesn't need years of corporate experience to start freelancing 07:35 Being encouraged to put up a seller page on Fiverr 08:11 In 2 months she replaced her corporate salary! 09:50 She was thankful to be told not to quit her day job without a backup plan 12:07 Being obsessed with professional and personal development fueled her success 13:54 Her offerings grew in number organically out of client requests 14:24 Gabrielle was counseled by a mentor to say "yes" to every client request, and then figure out the "how" 14:59 That led to scaling early as she had to hire talent in other disciplines 17:40 In life we have our successes and our "learning experiences" 18:54 Learning the art of delegating and managing others 20:10 Sales dropped when AI became more mainstream 22:10 Why someone using AI to write still needs an editor 23:25 Decided she had to get onboard and figure out how to use AI to her advantage 24:11 Gabrielle is part of Fiverr's "Seller Plus Program" 26:39 She charges double when editing AI as it involves much more work than if it was written by a human 27:17 Her AI editing gig gets 250,000 impressions per month - shows the demand 27:48 Websites like https://www.zerogpt.com/ and https://originality.ai/ can detect AI generated content 29:06 She'll take text that's 80%-100% AI written, edit it, and bring that down to being flagged as 10%-15% AI generated 31:36 How Gabrielle uses AI 32:55 Current revenues $20,000-$30,000 per month including passive income 36:52 One challenge spending half the year in Thailand is the different time zones 37:11 The benefits of connecting with like-minded digital nomads overseas 38:49 Gabrielle's best tips for starting and growing your side hustle Wrap Up: 40:36 "Consider the consequences of inaction" 40:45 The "Rocking Chair Test" 41:45 Don't play the "what if" game Joan's Online Masterclass to help you achieve your side hustle goals: Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things: https://courses.joanposivy.com/p/turn-your-thoughts-into-wanted-things Connect With Gabrielle: https://gabriellegerbus.com/ https://incubixbranding.com/ https://www.instagram.com/incubix_branding/ https://www.instagram.com/gabrielle.g.p/ Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.sidehustlehero.com/about/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/

The side hustle that started with buying books for $1 and selling them at a big markup on eBay, morphed into a $5 million dollar brand on Amazon. This happened through the skill and resilience of today's guest, Annalisa DeMarta. While there are 2.7 million sellers on Amazon, her company Ridgeline Insights is in the top 0.0005% of Amazon sellers. If anybody understands selling on Amazon, it's Annalisa. Soak up her insights, tips, and hard-won wisdom. In our interview Annalisa reveals, what it really takes to be a successful seller on Amazon. the sweet spot of how long you should give your product listing a chance what are the most important aspects you need to pay attention to, and so, so much more. This content was too good not to share again in this rebroadcast episode. What You'll Hear: 03:10 Buying books for $1, selling them for $5, $10, $25… 05:48 A lightbulb moment: Shifting to a scalable and dependable model 07:39 BIG lesson learned: Minding cash flow 08:29 From just the two of them, to 25 employees 10:05 If we don't try this, we'll regret it 11:13 Set yourself up for success by being fiscally conservative in your spending 12:08 A shopping trip provides the seed for a winning business idea 14:00 So many things could have gone wrong - The first shipment of boots from China 15:05 Built Lone Cone to a $5 million brand 16:40 Where to start if you want to import products 19:32 "I've literally lost millions of dollars in this business" 20:34 Amazon aggregator picks up Lone Cone 23:30 Ridgeline Insights, an Amazon channel management company 24:47 3 Most common ways to sell on Amazon and pros & cons: arbitrage (a great way to learn Amazon), private labeling/black labeling, contract manufacturing 28:17 Incorrect assumptions people make about selling on Amazon 31:31 Just like MSI's (multiple sources of income), diversification of assets is smart 32:18 A lowball offer - nothing lost if they say "no" 33:22 What it REALLY takes to be successful selling on Amazon 35:42 A "must do" for your top sellers each quarter 36:20 The sweet spot for long you should give a SKU a chance before you give up 40:42 Fear of failure - get over it because you will fail 41:35 Risk a little, learn a lot 42:33 From side hustle to multi-millionaire…you can too! Key Takeaways: 42:48 Don't play the "what-if" game 44:13 Work towards the first tier of financial success - having your base expenses covered 45:18 You're not losing, you're trading for a future payoff Joan's Online Masterclass to help you achieve your side hustle goals: Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things How to connect with Annalisa & Ridgeline Insights: https://www.ridgelineinsights.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/annalisad... https://www.tiktok.com/@annalisademarta Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.sidehustlehero.com/about/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/ 46

About 4 years ago, Brittany Sampson was a partner in a side hustle that she, her sister, and her mom started. It was an online kids clothing business known as Sugar Dumplin' Kids. After buying out her two partners, she doubled-down on growing the business and grow it she did, hitting 7-figure revenues. Brittany talks about; What it took to scale the business How she grew her fanbase from 0 to over 100,000 followers A smart and cost-effective way to know exactly what your customers really want Smart steps to take when placing an order with an overseas manufacturer to avoid costly mistakes, and Creative ways to move inventory when something is not selling Psst: If you're enjoying this podcast and finding it helpful, I wouldn't object if you'd like to "buy me a coffee." What You'll Hear: 03:46 Why an online clothing brand? 05:03 None of them had experience with an online business or kids clothes 06:09 You're typically not paying yourself much in the first year 07:05 Really big mindset shift going from employee to self-employed 10:32 The why behind Brittany buying out her partners 12:07 First steps from idea, to action 13:09 A "small batch" manufacturer will work with smaller quantities 13:33 Brittany often used a "pre-order" model to presell the collection 16:03 Platforms like Pietra do the sourcing for you 16:40 If using a platform like Alibaba you must highly vet your manufacturer 17:55 Examples of manufacturer's "bait and switch" 19:30 What to look for when vetting a manufacturer 21:51 Using creativity and honesty to sell slow-moving or not-what-was-ordered product 26:13 Careful planning or fly by the seat of your pants? 27:20 Brittany's annual review and planning sessions, including her "sales calendar" 29:00 A gross revenue number (7-figures) can sound impressive, but what's the net profit? 31:41 $360,000 profit on sales of $1.7 m in sales 32:20 What drove the growth of Sugar Dumplin' Kids 36:17 Can delegate through VA's, Fiverr, Upwork 37:10 It is particularly tough in Year 1 38:50 The real wealth lies in people willing to start a side hustle 39:54 The decision to sell the business 42:23 Brittany's Top Tip to help you start or grow your side hustle Takeaway: 44:00 Maybe it's time for you to launch or scale 44:30 "Go as far as you can see, and when you get there, you'll see how to go further" 44:35 Check out Episode 61: Best Productivity Hack to Skyrocket Your Results Joan's Online Masterclass to help you achieve your side hustle goals: Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things Connect With Brittany: https://www.instagram.com/digitalbrittsampson/ https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalbrittsampson https://www.brittsampson.com/ Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.sidehustlehero.com/about/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/ Websites mentioned in this episode: https://www.pietrastudio.com/ https://www.alibaba.com/ https://www.fiverr.com/ https://www.upwork.com/ https://www.sidehustlehero.com/61-best-productivity-hack-to-skyrocket-your-results-with-joan-posivy/