Side Hustle Hero

Business ramped up for today's guest Jess Herring when an email from Twitch landed in her inbox. A new niche was opening up, and she not only recognized the opportunity, but pounced! Today Jess earns between 7000- $12,000 per month, largely through her freelance work as a video editor. She'll tell you how she did it and how she continues to increase sales. It's an inspiring story of wanting to provide for her son the opportunities that she never had growing up in extreme poverty. Give it a listen and be inspired to "pounce" on your side hustle idea. "There is no dream that is silly. There is no dream that is not worth chasing," says Jess. She's living proof. P.S. 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: 02:03 The motivation for Jess to become a video editor 03:13 A suggestion from a friend prompted her to set up a Fiverr account 03:38 The email from Twitch that opened up an opportunity 06:24 Rather than beat yourself up over a perceived missed opportunity, know that there will be more in the future! 08:13 One small decision can change the entire trajectory of your life 10:33 Biggest surprise in running this business 11:30 The most memorable gig 12:47 The importance of communication with clients 14:29 Best tip for success 15:04 "There is no dream that is silly. There is no dream that is not worth chasing." 16:58 What Jess's schedule looks like 18:48 Jess's motivation to keep going when the going gets tough 20:11 Her first gig ended up being a long-term client 23:53 Jess's best tip to start or grow your side hustle Bonus tips: 26:13 There are a lot of "dream stealers" out there. It can be fatal for your dreams 26:37 A big goal or dream you commit to is like a seed you're planting, and it needs time to grow 27:21 When you die, you want to be "all used up." Joan's Online Masterclass to help you achieve your side hustle goals: Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things Connect With Jess: https://www.fiverr.com/official3seven https://www.youtube.com/@official3seven https://www.instagram.com/official3seven/ 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/

Want to skip the start-up phase and jump right into a business that cash flows? Today's Side Hustle Hero guest Matt Raad will tell us how. With the help of mentors, he and his wife Liz became rock stars in Australia, analyzing the value of bricks and mortar businesses for potential buyers. But then they realized the world was changing, and they could pivot and apply their knowledge and skill to online businesses. Fast forward some years, and today they have an extensive portfolio of "website" businesses and earnings well into 7-figures. And here's a fun fact…having expertise or knowledge of the industry in which you're buying the website business, is not a prerequisite. Matt explains why. You'll also discover, how to test the waters in a relatively inexpensive way, to see if this side hustle is for you, what to look for when buying a website business, red flags to look out for, how to gain access to a website's Google Analytics the importance of keyword research best niches to go after, and the "Fallen Angel Strategy" What You'll Hear: 03:07 Matt's income is from a portfolio of investments and website businesses 05:00 First business was a small manufacturing company 06:05 Coming from a science background trained them to be curious 07:30 Rich Dad Poor Dad - a thought provoking book 07:50 Has only owned one retail business…and never again 08:19 Buying and selling businesses for high net-worth individuals and private equity firms 09:45 First website business they bought on eBay - and what they did to increase its income 12:35 "Passion" niches are Matt's favourite - crafting, pets, golfing sites, etc 13:05 You don't need to be an expert in the industry 14:38 Three good ways to monetize a golfing site 19:00 With "passion" sites, sometimes the seller will stay on to contribute content 19:44 How to determine if a website is a good buy 20:16 If you want to start, buy a "starter" site under $1,000 20:42 Flippa.com is a main site for beginners 22:12 This is not a "get rich quick scheme"...there is a learning curve 23:00 Look at a website's profit and traffic. Not sales! 23:29 How to know the numbers a seller is stating is accurate 24.41 Google Analytics is the #1 tool Matt uses for due diligence and to analyze sites 25:01 The things that look "bad" to people, are often the best opportunities 26:01 How you gain access to a website's Google Analytics 27:47 The importance of SEO in website businesses, and selling out to deep-pocket buyers 29:22 Red flags to look out for when buying a website business 31:06 A main thing to look at is keyword research 31:54 If you stick to these main big industries - health, wealth, happiness - they'll always be around 32:25 People come online to look up answers - that's why keyword research is important 34:36 A primary component of what you need to do for due diligence 36:55 The "Fallen Angel Strategy" 40:31 You can do this part-time and learn 41:33 Matt's best tip to start or grow your side hustle Pro Tip: 42:51 "The things that look bad to people, are often the best opportunities." Platform for buying and selling online businesses: https://flippa.com/ Google Analytics: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/ Connect with Matt: https://www.ebusinessinstitute.com.au/ 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/

I get a lot accomplished in a day. Some say I excel at time management. But that's not true. No one can "manage" time. But all of us can manage our activities. Therein lies the secret. Today I hit "pause" on our lineup of awesome Side Hustle Heroes to jump in and share what I've found to be the Best Productivity Hack. It has the potential to skyrocket your business and your life. But here's something you might find a bit strange…most people have actually already heard of it and they admit it's a great idea, yet they're not doing it. I'll explain why, so you don't make the same mistake. What You'll Hear: 00:46 "I know that!" The difference between "knowing" and "doing" 01:54 Step 1: The last task of your work day 02:23 Step 2: What you need to do with your task list 02:43 Step 3: What you need to do first 03:00 Why this hack helps when you've been interrupted 03:36 How it helps overcome procrastination 04:22 How our habits hold us back 04:40 You've programed your body to drive your vehicle 05:57 Even if you agree this is a great idea, this is why you may not follow through 06:33 To change results, we must take control over our thinking 07:10 Our external world is merely a reflection of our internal reality 07:26 Turn Your Thoughts To Things Joan's Online Masterclass: Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things, Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things 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 problem-solving? Leadership? Do you enjoy tech? Then becoming an Integrator might be just the side hustle for you. Today's guest Mike Dallas-Petersen suggests you could be earning between $3,000 to $5,000 recurring monthly income in just 90 days. Earning well into a mid-6 figure income himself doing this kind of work, Mike now also teaches the business to others. An Integrator is someone who identifies the biggest bottlenecks in an online company's marketing, sales and operations, then sets up automated systems, integrations and workflows to improve profits and efficiencies. Or as Mike puts it, "I glue the internet together, one software at a time." You'll discover things like, what an Integrator actually does, what skill set makes for the best integrators, the premier way to find clients, and the common traits of his most successful students. It's also an inspirational tale of persevering through multiple failures and reinventing oneself. What You'll Hear: 02:00 From tires, to automation and systems specialist 05:00 Mike's first client in his role as an Integrator 07:11 Negotiates receiving profit sharing instead of a retainer (25% of net profit) 08:13 What Mike typically does for a client - case study 10:19 As an Integrator, Mike oversees all the systems 12:27 Typical level of involvement 14:29 Having a couple of big clients vs. having many smaller clients 17:46 Start with a market niche in which you have a background and knowledge 19:11 Mike's (not so secret) secret way to find clients 21:32 Meeting people in person builds trust 22:22 How Mike prices jobs 23:09 Pitching a "maintenance" retainer 24:18 Teaching others to be Integrators grew out of a need 25:23 Income trajectory for someone new to the business 26:01 Within first 3 months, not uncommon to make $3,000 to $5,000 per month 26:14 Skill set of the best Integrators 29:17 The Great Mental Model, General Thinking Concepts 30:14 Biggest challenge people face when launching as an Integrator 32:16 Mike's best tip 33:05 Getting "no's" is just math - you discover that eventually you will get a yes! Pro Tip 35:17 Do you love what you're now doing for work and money? Connect with Mike: https://socialaimsolutions.com/ https://theintegratoracademy.com/ https://www.facebook.com/myke.dp https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelDallasPetersen 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 product dispensed out of these vending machines is something we all need – water! Today's guest is Dan Doromal, co-founder of Everest Ice & Water. He goes beyond the rosy TikTok narrative of the vending machine business to discuss the reality, including; when you can expect sales to really ramp up, and it's not necessarily in the first year. what to look for when choosing a location, how to gain market penetration, who pays for what expenses, the cost of the vending machines, your capital recovery time, and what you need to do to get any vending machine business off to a great start. Be sure to check out my Pro Tip at the end which you can apply to fast track your success in any new side hustle you decide to dive into. What You'll Hear: 05:21 The reality of running a vending machine business 05:58 Working the side hustle business with dad 07:46 The importance of location 09:30 Components of an Everest Ice & Water machine 10:50 Much improved from bags of ice sitting in a merchandiser 12:43 Ways to place a machine, the profit margins, choosing to split profits or monthly fee 14:29 Tracking sales 15:57 Sitting back and waiting for the money to roll in, isn't a recipe for success 17:10 Is vandalism an issue? 17:46 Provide education to deal with objections from property owners 18:30 Looking at a 3–5-year lease with repeat customers in year 2 19:50 To gain market penetration as fast as possible, consider giving the product away as a promotion 21:45 Initial costs of vending machine 23:07 Check out local laws, need concrete foundation, water, drain line and possibly heat depending on the location's climate 25:33 Capital recovery time 1 - 3 years, small towns can do really well 29:22 If the location doesn't work out, it's small enough you can move it to a new location 30:30 Identify your "why!" 31:20 Mistakes made by newcomers to the business 32:10 "Plug and play" doesn't tell the whole story, there's work to be done 33:44 "The Art of The Start" book - how you pre-plan and setup is key 35:20 Dan bases his success on the number of his repeat buyers 36:38 Dan's best tip for success Pro Tip 37:56 Find out who the top earners are, and interview them 39:25 Don't just ask anyone, "What do you think?" Connect with Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dandoromal/ https://everesticeandwater.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/

For the past 8 years, today's guest has been on the inside of Fiverr seeing first hand what separates the top sellers from the rest of the pack. This episode features Trisha Diamond, Global Senior Director of Customer Success for Fiverr. She's in the perfect position to give insider advice on what we need to do to break through and really excel! You'll also discover a lot of her tips and insights apply to success in any business. In the last 12 months, the platform has served over 4 million active buyers Trisha talks about; What's trending Tips for both the newcomer as well as the seasoned seller Best practices of top earners What you can expect for earnings, and Overlooked and underutilized hacks and success tips What You'll Hear: 03:30 There is a lot of competition, but… 04:13 What is currently trending 05:04 Mike Burton a.k.a. Keybeaux makes his living as a rapper through Fiverr 06:39 Best practices for newcomers to the platform 08:37 The snowball analogy describes how your business grows over time 09:40 The "runway" you need to give yourself for success 10:12 The "Fiverr Forum" is an invaluable peer-to-peer resource 12:11 Add value for the end user without additional costs to you 13:57 Tips for the someone who is not experiencing the growth they want 14:37 Different services will trend at different times - what to do about it 15:50 What's trending in the world? It's likely trending on Fiverr too 17:25 The range of earnings 18:10 How long it takes to get to 6-figures 19:17 Overlooked tips and hacks for success 21:22 Working with freelancers who transition to full-time agency 24:11 Resources to help grow your business 24:47 Check out Youtuber Joel Young (JoelTalks) for tips in excelling at Fiverr 25:14 Be Willing To Fail in Public Wrapup: 26:37 Keep pushing that little snowball! 27:14 Stick it out long enough to give your idea a chance 27:27 Success does leave clues 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/

How can we differentiate what we do and what we offer to set ourselves apart from the crowd? You're sure to get inspiration from today's episode. While living and working in London England with her family, Helen McArthur accepted a job in Canada. They packed up, moved, and Helen began applying her background in pensions and communications to her new role. But...she also brought with her, her talent, skill and passion for baking! Helen McArthur is the founder and lead baker of a farm stand known as the Crazy Cookie House. The words "whimsical" and "quirky" come up a lot in this interview. You have never seen a structure like Helen's Crazy Cookie House. Check out the photos for this episode 57 at sidehustlehero.com and you'll see what I mean. Think Harry Potter sorting hat, meets Tolkien's hobbit house. And her cookies are just as quirky and whimsical. When Helen started the Crazy Cookie House as a side hustle, she wanted to offer much more than a cookie. She wanted to offer an experience. The result? You'll hear about a dragon, the mouse, and cookies eating other cookies. What You'll Hear: 03:22 The move to Canada 06:19 Helen knew she needed a USP - unique selling point 07:01 The inspiration for a "big cookie eating a little cookie" 07:55 What you call your offerings is so important 08:54 Describing a "farm stand" 10:29 The Honour system is working well 11:01 Nordstrom example of setting policy for the 98% of their honest customers 13:40 A difficult decision to give up the steady paycheque and benefits 14:31 It doesn't happen without hard work and taking risks 15:48 When making a "sacrifice," rather than look at it as giving up something, view it as a trade for something better 17:56 Media attention, a Tiktok influencer, and 300,000 views later 20:16 Exploring shipping the cookies 21:10 Creating "an experience" not just buying a cookie 21:49 Inspiration from an ice cream museum 23:23 "I love the way you dream" 25:33 Adapting the cookie recipe to Canadian tastes 27:20 Purchase of large floor stand mixer has doubled production capability 28:20 Closed for one week to go run a marathon in the UK 30:13 Helen's husband looks after social media and marketing and kids help too 30:57 Giving the recipe to an employee for the first time 31:26 Describing the building that is the Crazy Cookie House 33:30 The dragon known as "Doug H." 36:26 Engaging her fans: What should we call the mouse? 36:47 Biggest challenges were finding time to launch the side hustle, and choosing what direction to go 39:00 What's next for the Crazy Cookie House 39:11 Franchising? 40:08 Helen's top tip to start your side hustle One more tip: 41:42 Look for ideas when out in your neighbourhood and especially when traveling Connect with Helen: https://morello.ca/crazycookie/ https://www.instagram.com/crazycookiehouse/ 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/

Want tips to help people easily remember your product or service? James I Bond is going to tell us how to trigger the right side, emotional side of the brain to boost the performance of our ads, emails, social media posts, and one-on-one presentations….with the ultimate goal of achieving blockbuster sales. James is one of America's leading behavioral management and business marketing specialists who over the past 30 years has worked with a who's who of American business, including Warren Buffet and Costco founder Sol Price. Drawing from his book Brain Glue, James teaches us the steps to "light the fire of desire in your buyer," with lots of real world examples where these techniques have been used to jaw-dropping success. What You'll Hear: 03:10 The idea for the book, "Brain Glue" 05:04 90% of all decision-making happens when you trigger the right side of the brain 05:44 Starting a "passion box" to deposit quotes, etc. that had an emotional impact 07:50 The backstory of John Gray changing his book title to Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus 09:55 Starting to analyze "why" the content in the passion box was so effective 10:20 Uncovering why names like "Shark Tank" and "Rocky Road" ice cream are memorable 11:29 Brain Glue tools: Metaphors, analogies, alliteration, humour 12:05 Why the name "Squatty Potty" has been effective 13:29 The "Lawnmower" example of humour in a name 14:41 The impact of changing the company name to, "Big Ass Fans" 16:20 How James came to change the name of his book to Brain Glue 18:23 Tips for left-brain, analytical type people to come up with these creative names and pitches 24:04 Because humour triggers oxytocin to be released in the bloodstream, it's a Brain Glue tool 24:43 Another tool is "chiasmus" 25:29 The downturn of Wonder Bread 27:31 The "Got Milk?" campaign and the reason it didn't increase milk sales 29:00 The origins of the hotel chain name, "Holiday Inn" 29:54 James discovers the page, "Mommy Needs Vodka" and why he became a fan 32:25 James's #1 tip Takeaway: 33:30 To rethink your product names, taglines, or to come up with a new company name, here's a recap of his steps to apply Brain Glue 33:43 Start by filling in the blank, "It's just like…" 34:02 Write out a logical title or description 34:10 Come up with words that rhyme (and alliteration) 34:28 Apply humour 34:40 Why you want to brainstorm with others Connect with James: braingluebook.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/

It started as a simple question from her inquisitive child. Is there wine in wine gums? Why not? That night, a side hustle was born. Pushed by the relentless enthusiasm from her kids, Teena Gudjonson got to work in her kitchen to, well, put the wine into wine gums. Today, her Cellar Candy website features not only "wine" gummies, but liquor-based creations like Lime Margarita and Piña Colada. Check out this episode to discover; How and why she closes the business for 2 months in the summer each year Why you shouldn't let lack of business experience stop you How she scrambled to find a commercial kitchen, after receiving a sudden 100 + orders to fill Helpful insights about dealing with supply issues, figuring out wholesale pricing, and juggling increased costs. Creating a "Life By Design" that fits you Inspiration in her story to start or grow your side hustle What You'll Hear: 03:12 The birth of a side hustle idea 06:07 Trying to figure out how to actually make gummies 07:19 The alcohol kept breaking down the gelatin 07:49 Debuting at a large wine festival, they were a hit! 08:37 Going into retail sales forced a move (a scramble actually) to find a commercial kitchen 11:43 Expanded into "liquor" gummies and private label products 12:08 Buying in bulk not only vital for pricing, it helps when dealing with supply disruptions 13:02 The decision to build a commercial kitchen on her home property 14:17 Coming up with new flavours 16:57 Determining the price point of product can be tricky - gelatin Teena used to buy at $500 for 25 kg, has been as high as $1,200 18:33 Teena will only discounts max 25% to retailers, otherwise it's not worth it 22:53 About 95% of product is sold wholesale to retailers 23:46 TikTok post resulted in an overnight surge of online orders 26:37 Why Teena's not focused on scaling up at this time 28:16 Pitching at Dragon's Den and getting a deal 34:13 "When I stop limiting myself, I think then that the possibilities are endless" 36:23 Only go to someone for advice who has already done what you want to achieve 37:15 Now has 1 full-time employee and several part-time 38:38 Keeps quality control products – some now 7-years old 40:49 She still tests every batch before it gets molded for quality control 41:42 To reduce labeling costs to something reasonable (from $3 to $0.15 per) required a $10,000 print run 45:10 Has now sold over ½ million dollars worth of gummies 45:40 From having the capacity to make only 40 packages a day, to 500 per day 49:31 Competitors are now copying her flavours, but they don't compare to Teena's real, quality, ingredients 50:50 Cellar Candy artisan gummies are a world apart from the big box bulk versions 52:54 What 'gelatin' actual is 54:13 You can create a "Life By Design" 54:51 Be sure it's what you want 55:05 Challenge your negative beliefs about yourself and your potential 55:38 You have a unique combination of talent and skills, interests and experiences that no one else has Connect with Teena: https://www.cellarcandy.com/ https://www.instagram.com/cellar_candy/ Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.joanposivy.com/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/

Interested in free publicity? Increased visibility? Building more credibility? Today's guest can help! Afterall, he holds the Guinness World Record in a publicity / public relations category. In this episode with media expert Jess Todtfeld, you'll discover, How to write an email pitch letter to media that gets opened and read How to leverage being interviewed on TV, radio, and print, to increase sales How it can boost your credibility and visibility The best way to prepare for an interview How to respond when you don't know the answer How and why to send the host questions you want to be asked Getting booked: DIY, PR agency, and Jess's hybrid model Tips to improve your message and delivery Jess Todtfeld has extensive experience as a TV producer for NBC, ABC, and FOX, having booked and produced over 5,000 segments, and is a leading communication and media training authority. When I was in New York City lining up interviews prior to the release of my book, The Way Success Works, Jess was one of the people I turned to for guidance and training to become media savvy. Use his ideas, tips, and hacks to improve your messaging anytime you're communicating about your side hustle. What You'll Hear: 03:22 Jess holds the Guinness Record for being interviewed the most times in 24-hours 06:12 Remember to include calls to action in your answers, including micro ones 06:56 Get recordings of your interviews to share them with your audience to further your credibility 07:59 6 million viewers doesn't equal 6 million engaged, so take the clip and apply your own marketing 08:33 Why you want to put the effort into getting media interviews 09:04 How the sales decision-making process has changed 10:39 Going rate in USA for a publicist is about $3,000 to $5,000 per month with a multi-month commitment 11:20 Consider how much you have to sell to pay for a publicist 11:45 DIY options include buying media lists - work the list and follow through 14:45 Jess's hybrid PR agency, Media Ambassadors 15:50 Want interviews? You have to ask! 16:00 Tips for an email pitch that gets read 16:31 Why you want to have something that indicates if your sent emails are being opened 21:09 When sending a pitch email, use Jess's "above the line and below the line" strategy to increase open rate and promote engagement 22:26 Anytime you make a mistake in public, it's an opportunity to shine 24:26 Examples of what's "below the line" 28:16 You've landed the interview…now what?? 28:30 There are 3 groups that have needs: the audience, the outlet, and you! 30:35 When interviewed, give great content, and plant seeds for learning more 31:33 Strategies for how to handle any question that's asked of you 33:28 How to respond when you don't know the answer 34:20 Tips on getting to the host, the questions you want to be asked in an interview 36:00 What works for a long-form podcast doesn't work in a 2-3 TV or radio segment 37:30 Find out the length of the interview so you can strategize and prep accordingly 39:00 If asked something you don't know, admit it, then say, "Something I do know is…" 41:36 How to control and guide the interview 43:12 How to prepare in less time with better results 43:15 Don't "fake it until you make it," instead, "act it and become it" 44:25 After an interview or event, ask yourself, "what did I like" and "next time, what can I do better?" 45:35 If you're buying lists, set aside time to really work them Connect With Jess: https://www.successinmedia.com https://www.bookjess.com Connect with Joan: https://www.instagram.com/joanposivy/ https://www.facebook.com/posivy/ https://www.joanposivy.com/ Be on the show! https://www.sidehustlehero.com/guests/intake/