How Two Entrepreneurs Turned Their Side Hustles Into Full-Time Businesses - #003

Show Notes

Nola and Lori wanted to know what makes a person decide to take their side hustle from a part-time gig to a full-time, money making company? What they learned surprised them. Find out the three things you need to consider if you want to turn your side gig into a successful business.

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Sticky Brand Lab

Let’s get this purpose driven episode started!
​
In This Episode You’ll Learn

• How collaboration and sharing your talents, can lead to paid gigs
• Why a ‘service’ mindset lets you focus your attention on what you naturally do best
• How testing your idea first, can give you a sense whether it will produce income
• Does your side hustle need to fill a ‘gap’ to be lucrative

There’s no one right reason for starting a side hustle. For some, it’s to pay down debt. For others it’s a way to explore a new career opportunity. In this episode we learned how two entrepreneurs built their businesses simply by being willing to first offer their services free of charge. It didn’t take too long before demand for their talents grew and so did their bank accounts and businesses.

(2:12.99) Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks’ best business quote

(5:07.95) The side hustle that led to a totally different career

(11:54.99) When is the right time to leave a traditional career path to pursue a side hustle

(13:48.33) The average length of time it takes to turn a side hustle into a full-time business

(18:07.33) How to make money while you’re learning a new skill

(20:38.62) How to work your network without feeling like a used car salesperson.  

Resources

This episode was supported by: Middle Kid Media
Logo Lite and Social Packages for $475 see our offers page for details.
​ 
Additional Savings for Other Branding Services Coupon code SBL20 (Excludes Logo Lite & Social Packages)

Transcript

​Lori: [00:00:00] One of the best ways to eventually become your own boss is to start a side hustle starting out this way. Lets you build your self employed income while you still have the safety and security of your day job. And that's exactly what our two guests panelists did with just one exception. They weren't intending to start a side gig. The opportunity sort of fell in their laps and both seized it. If you've been dreaming about starting a side hustle, based on your knowledge, or as a way to develop a new area of interest, stay tuned. You won't want to miss this episode. ​

Intro Announcer: [00:00:33] You're listening to the Sticky Brand Lab podcast where time strapped professionals, like you learn how to create a business you love in as little as three hours a week.

Nola: [00:00:42] Hey side hustlers side giggers and aspiring entrepreneurs, Nola and Lori here, In episode three, we're going to hear from two successful entrepreneurs who got their start simply by helping others in their community and how those helpful side gigs led to their fulltime [00:01:00] businesses. But before we begin, make sure you're subscribed to the Sticky Brand Lab podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. So you never miss out on our amazing, sometimes fun, always interesting episodes. Alrighty then let's get this gig started.
Lori, do you watch Shark Tank?

Lori: [00:01:20] Yes, I do. Actually every time I hear that, do I watch shark tank for years? My grandmother would always say to me, Do you watch shark tank? And I'd say no. And she'd say, Lori, you need to get an idea so you can get on Shark Tank. And then eventually I found out that those investors get a portion of your profits, right?
Yep. And I said to her, grandma, if I ever come up with an idea, I want to make all the money on it. I don't want to share it with anybody, and still, I didn't watch it. Then slowly, I got really addicted to it. But, yeah, still, anytime, you know, I hear Shark [00:02:00] Tank, the first person I think of is my grandmother.

Nola: [00:02:02] That's actually, that's actually a great story. So the reason I ask is because there's a quote by Mark Cuban, one of the investor,

Lori: [00:02:12] Dallas Mavericks.

Nola: [00:02:15] Owners, and BA yes, he said your business will succeed only if it's something you love to do and something you're good at. And I have to say there's a lot of truth in that.
Of course you're going to do something that you're good at, but I think what he's talking about is really, you've got to love what you're doing. So would you agree?

Lori: [00:02:37] Absolutely. I think a lot of times people start a side gig or a side hustle as a way of exploring a business based on something that they love.
Right. Because sometimes the thing that you're good at and you get paid for and you went to school for, isn't the thing that drives your passion.

Nola: [00:02:56] That's so true. And it was

Lori: [00:02:58] true for me.

[00:03:00] Nola: [00:02:59] Yeah. Well, what would you say is technically a side hustle maybe? Yeah. What would you call a side hustle? What, what, what do you think of when you're thinking of side hustle?

Lori: [00:03:11] I think of a side hustle as something you're doing, while you're working a full time job. However. However, I've gotten really into this mindset of multiple streams of income. And given where some people are in their career or in life, they may actually have multiple jobs to pay or make a living off of, but only one or maybe a couple of them will be the one that they're truly passionate about. Their passion project.
The thing that they're trying to launch that may even be related to their purpose. So technically speaking, the definition is you have a full time job or career and you, this is what you're doing on the side.  But, I think, I think that's kind of [00:04:00] evolved.

Nola: [00:04:00] And you had mentioned that people will work a side gig to bring in extra money.
And absolutely, that's why they will charge for their services and bring in income. Some people just might be, you know, wanting to do to have some other type of, um, creative expression. Other people may do it because they didn't know how to say no. That's true.

Lori: [00:04:24] You know,  for some people, uh, what they, they, reason that they take their side gig and I actually know somebody comes right to mind as I'm saying this out loud, is the reason she took a side gig is because she wanted to pay down her student loans. Um, she knew, yeah,  all the money that she was making was helping to pay down her side, her, excuse me, her student loan, while her day job, her full time career, the thing that she loves doing, was helping her live in a, you know, or [00:05:00] household. Right. That's.

Nola: [00:05:01] A great strategy. That's a great strategy. So you and I have had the side gigs even. Oh,

Lori: [00:05:07] yeah. Yeah. I, I went to school. Got my master's degree, uh, is in master's in social work. But my, what I then discovered was that I actually, after I got my career launched, I had attended a seminar and learned about coaching and I fell in love with coaching and that became my side gig.

Nola: [00:05:30] See, because you enjoyed it right.

Lori: [00:05:33] I did well, it fit my personality. I think I like bossing people around. No, just okay.

Nola: [00:05:38] It was a natural fit
and the perfect example of you're good at it. And you enjoy doing it.

Lori: [00:05:49] I did in this case, my motto, so I was a dating coach, and my motto was your date won't tell you what you're doing wrong, but I will. Uh,

Nola: [00:05:58] That's pretty

Lori: [00:05:59] clever. [00:06:00] And it also fits my personality, right?

Nola: [00:06:02] Yes, it does. It's almost kind of describe what you can do these days.
It's true. At Sticky Brand Lab. Yeah.

Lori: [00:06:11] That opportunity morphed into the career path that I ended up that brought me all the way here. And that was in content and social media and marketing. All of that was as a result of getting into coaching and specifically into dating coaching and the opportunity.
As a side gig.

Nola: [00:06:36] Because you, you like it. You pursued it, you kept taking on, um, different types of skillsets and you were good at it and enjoyed it. And that led to something else which led to a full another job. So it's interesting how, when you follow. Those kinds of things. Would you follow what you would enjoy? And when you follow you're good at it, it's a natural fit and it leads to those things.

Lori: [00:06:59] So what [00:07:00] about you? What about for side gigs?

Nola: [00:07:02] I would say good question. My side gigs. I want to say it was also kind of going with the flow. Mine were often wanting a, needing a creative expression. I've had little side gigs, gosh, for decades ever since. Gosh, ever since I was out of college, actually, even during, during college, but I think most recently, in fact, almost all of them have been some kind of creative expression and it's like my current job or my previous job of content and writing.
I was really good at it. I can't complain. Great job. However, I used only a specific skillset and I had so many other things that I wanted to to express. As ways I wanted to express so many have much more to offer. And I found that other people were kind of asking me to do certain things. So, you know, I would help people with their websites.
I would help people create marketing materials. I'd help people think through their business plan, if they were, you know, I [00:08:00] need to start a business. And so that led into consulting and which led into some other skill sets, which helped me in my job. So it was kind of circular. But, it's always been hard for me to stick with one thing.
And it's always been fun to have, have that side hustle as well. So we also have a couple businesses in incubator stage as well, right?

Lori: [00:08:26] Yes. I am going to, yes. I have a passion project and that, uh, which. I think we'll be talking about in future episodes, but basically I'm going to move into e-commerce. Yeah, because I don't have enough on my plate.
I don't have GB Brand Partners. I don't have a Sticky Brand Lab and now don't need to add another area, but I really want more than to help people who business it is to have businesses that are. E-commerce I [00:09:00] want to actually do it myself. So it'll be my own eCommerce and it is creative. It is an outlet and I'm a little, I'm a lot excited.

Nola: [00:09:11] That's cool. I'm.

Lori: [00:09:13] And you? Um,

Nola: [00:09:15] yeah, I'm incubating something too. And this is more of also a passion project. I'm kind of combining travel and introspection. Let's just say that. I

Lori: [00:09:27] can't wait to hear more.

Nola: [00:09:29] Yeah. So even though our reasons for starting side hustles have been different and they've taken us on different paths that have eventually converged to where we are now.

Lori: [00:09:39] Absolutely.

Nola: [00:09:41] And when we come back, we're all going to listen in on two successful entrepreneurs, as they tell their stories of how they got started on their side hustle. And how they grew them into full time businesses.

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Lori: [00:10:49] Welcome back to Sticky Brand Lab, the podcast that reduces excuses. So you can gain traction and take action at starting your side hustle. [00:11:00] So NOLA, we actually reached out to a variety of a successful entrepreneurs because we recognized that our audience could learn a lot hearing how other people got their start in their businesses, whether that's a side hustle or eventually it morphed into, uh, their own full time business.

Nola: [00:11:22] Yes, we did.

Lori: [00:11:23] Yeah. And we were fortunate to get a lot of responses, but we targeted two successful entrepreneurs and we asked them, we gave them actually a few questions to choose from specifically focusing on getting their start. And we're, now you're going to hear a little bit about the question that they chose.
We're going to hear how they got started and well, I'm not going to say anymore.

Nola: [00:11:51] Yup. And we'll meet you on the other side.

Laurie Earnest Jones: [00:11:54] Hi, my name is Laurie Ernest-Jones. I am the owner of [00:12:00] Conceptual Communications and our website is prbroward.com. So I often get asked at what point in
[00:12:10] my career did I know I wanted to leave the traditional career track and take a leap to an entrepreneurial path. It wasn't one point, it was more of an experience for me. I had spent a lot of time volunteering in the community and I got very involved in a young professionals group.
 [00:12:33] And I sat on the board and I enjoyed the work so much that I was doing. I, I really liked my job. It wasn't that I disliked my job, but I was already in the marketing field, had a really great salary, but ultimately what really was [00:12:49] the pivoting point was this sort of job I took on volunteering and participating in this young professionals group.
And. We really grew the group [00:13:00] fast. And we were successful in growing the membership and the nonprofit, the executive director of the nonprofit at the time had been awarded a small grant and she came to me and said, Hey, would you be interested if I paid you this $5,000? To do some of the things you've been doing with the, with the young professionals, the group for the organization at large.
And I was very excited about this opportunity. It kind of opened my eyes. Of course, I went to my current employer and I asked for permission if I could sort of moonlight and take this on as a paid opportunity and. And he was very agreeable to that. And then
[00:13:35] slowly but surely through this organization, I picked up another client and another client and for, to hear is I ended up, you know, kind of maintaining this, this business on the side that just kind of morphed on its own.
And I just really started enjoying the work I was doing. And I did this for two years. And then ultimately that work landed toward a bigger contract opportunity with a larger nonprofit. At that point, I just didn't have the bandwidth.  There were days when I would leave on my lunch hour. I would drive to Starbucks, I wouldn't even go in cause I didn't want to waste the time of getting set up. I would just sit in my car in the parking lot and steal their wifi  and work on my client's work and then make it back within the hour to my day job. So, you know, nights, weekends and lunch hours only provided so many working hours. And I, I didn't want to turn the work away. So, you know, I really came to a crossroads of,
 [00:14:09] could I start my business?
Yes. You know, now, and essentially, you know, jumped from one lifeboat into the other and leave my full time job. It was a decision. It was a heavy decision because again, I didn't dislike my day job. 10 years later, I have a small team of nine. Uh, employees and we're small, but mighty, and it's just been nothing short of wonderful building this company and firm.
So thank you so much for having me. 

Lori: [00:14:38] I have to say the fun parts of listening to Laurie's story is I'm just envisioning her. Hopping in her car going over and sitting in Starbucks, trying to get the wifi, not being able to,

Nola: [00:14:53] I know! So close and yet so far! 

Lori: [00:14:59] it's like [00:15:00] I'm having a chocolate cake for me sitting on a conference table and you know, it's from a great bakery, but you're like, sorry, I have to keep going. Cause I have to go to the bathroom. 

Nola: [00:15:11]Oh, it's kind of like that

Lori: [00:15:18] The interesting part about Laurie's story is she loved her job. And oftentimes when people start a side hustle, to broaden their skillset or to follow a passion, they're doing it because they're not happy in their current placement. And it was so refreshing to hear from her that she loved what she was doing. She loved the company or in this case, uh, where she worked and just by being involved in the community and offering to help, not for any monetary reward, but just because she had knowledge and expertise and experience, and she could [00:16:00] offer that up. And in exchange for being valued, when they had grant money, they sought her out. And how that grew into what we now know became her, her company.

Nola: [00:16:15] Yeah, it's neat. How, you know, she'd say, okay. And she took it on and she took it on. And then she realized that, you know, she didn't want to abandon these, these nonprofits that needed help. And that came to a tipping point and it was, it was great to hear how she decided, you know what, I haven't really good, but you know, these people could really use my service and I'm feeling really fulfilled and.
Let's, uh, I'm gonna do this and jump right in. Yeah.

Lori: [00:16:47] I found that fascinating and Conceptual Communications is a great company, so rewarding for her. And the other thing that struck me is sometimes, especially if you're on [00:17:00] Facebook and you're looking at all of these courses that people offer and telling you that you can take your knowledge and expertise and sell courses or start a business.
In both of our experts as they share their story, they really put in the time. Laurie

Nola: [00:17:17] clearly

Lori: [00:17:18] put in the time and as a result, she grew steady and she reaped the rewards. Great.

Nola: [00:17:27] That's so true. So you had mentioned how they both had that experience and that is a perfect time to introduce the next guest panelist.
Yeah. His experience was quite different. While, Laurie, Ernest Jones' side gig was started based on her existing skillset. You're going to hear how Josh started with something that he previously did not have a skill set for.

​Josh Lundmark: [00:18:01] My name is Josh Lundmark. I am the founder and CEO of Link Point Media. You can find us online at linkpointmedia.com.
Question I'm going to answer today is at what point in my career did I decide to leave the traditional career path and become an entrepreneur? Since I started my professional career, I was always, I always had a little bit of an entrepreneurial spirit. See, I had worked for a computer sales company and during that time I had decided I wanted to be a web developer.
There wasn't really a way, no classes for it or anything back then. Um, so I started teaching myself web development, um, and the way that I did that, as I built a few programs, a few software packages online. And then I had talked to our church and so I built a website for the church and there was a couple of small businesses I knew.
So I built some for them. And the initial first ones I did were kind of for free, but then I realized I can make some money doing this. So I started building websites on the side to make some extra cash. After working at that computer store for about four years. Uh, [00:19:00] I went and was able to get a job at a nonprofit.
Um, as a web developer. I spent four years there, uh, working my way up to a senior web developer position. At that job I had gotten to the point it was a, it was an hour away from my home. So I gotten the point where we had kids at a time and I didn't want to, you know, drive back and forth all the time. I wanted to work from home a couple days a week.
And so I had to approach my boss about it. And he told me that that wasn't really an option. So I looked around in town and found a job at a school that was offering a web developer position, full time. So I started my position there and I decided at that point, since I was close to home, I was making decent money.
I didn't want to do anything on the side. So I, for about a year I didn't do anything. And I kind of gave up on the idea of starting something out of this. But after that first year, I started getting approached by people asking me to do websites for them. So, you know, some of the previous people that I had done stuff for had talked to some other [00:20:00] people and it just kind of starts word of mouth spread that I was, you know, somebody who lived in town who did web development.
I was pretty good at it. Long story short after about two years of that. Going on. I started to grow a client list. I noticed that there was a need in our area for somebody who could provide the service I do as a web developer. But also I knew some about marketing from the companies that I had worked for.
And so it just grew into this thing that I thought, you know, I could probably make this into a business. So I had approached a boss that I had at the time at the job I was working at and asked him if I could work from home. They told me no. Um, and so I decided at that point, you know, they're not going to give me the freedom I wanted.
These organizations and nonprofits, these small businesses needed help, uh, in our community. So I saw the gaps. So I did some research. I looked around to see if there was any companies within driving distance that offered as a solution I did. So I stepped back, I made a business name and, you know, went through the whole process to create the business.
And it started to grow [00:21:00] within a few years. Um, it had grown into something that I had to leave my job for. It had gotten to the point that I had had to start the business. So the decision was it's made for me. Uh, the community wanted the service that I was offering and, um, it's been a good ride. It's just lots of ups and downs.
It has not been the easiest thing I've ever done has been one of the most difficult things I've ever done. But to be honest, I would not trade the past eight years of my life. Uh, cause that's when I started Link Point, I actually started Link Point 10 years ago and left my full time job eight years ago. So I've been doing Link Point for eight years now and, uh, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
It's been a fun ride. Uh, it's been crazy, lots of up and down, lots of stress, but also a great joy to see the changes in the community that we've been able to make and the businesses and nonprofits we've been able to help.

Lori: [00:21:49] So sometimes. People get into a side gig as a way of launching an area of that.
They're interested in. I think I had mentioned earlier that I wanted [00:22:00] to try out an eCommerce site. It's not so much that I want to try out a new eCommerce site it's that I have a passion project in the best place to put it is on an eCommerce.

Nola: [00:22:12] Ah, yes.

Lori: [00:22:13] And for Josh,  he wanted to expand on his skillset in a business that he was already involved in, but not in that particular way.
And so for him expanding out that skill and then putting it into practice and offering to help people, and then recognizing that there was a marketplace for it. And

Nola: [00:22:38] more

Lori: [00:22:39] importantly, I love that he really wasn't seeking so much to sell his service in a business format, as much as he was willing and looking for an opportunity to help his community in an area that they needed help in.

Nola: [00:22:57] Absolutely. I [00:23:00] so appreciated his, his heart for service, and that's where he found his fulfillment was looking back and seeing all the people he has helped. All the businesses he's helped. And he found joy and fulfillment out of doing it. And that, I think that's an important perspective.

Lori: [00:23:18] Really important.
He did not sugar coat it. He was absolutely sharing that it's been a challenge at times, but a challenge that he found well worth

Nola: [00:23:29] it. And while they

Lori: [00:23:31] came at their businesses from different perspectives,

Nola: [00:23:37] that's right. They both started volunteering to serve their community. So maybe one already had the sales get and what skill set and one had to learn it. They both started volunteering that it was really the heart of service. They both found that their skill set was in high demand and they each came to that point of decision.
The

Lori: [00:23:58] fork in the road to be [00:24:00] when your side hustle now takes as much time as your full time, day job. And you're faced with the decision of what to do. And some people get so fearful of going into the unknown, but these two brave entrepreneurs did not.

Nola: [00:24:18] That's right. Laurie went ahead and took the plunge.
And now she's got this thriving agency, Josh. He grew his into a thriving web development business, app development, online marketing. And I have an update for that shortly. Yeah. Shortly after he left us that message and told us his story. He got an offer he couldn't refuse. And he was able to sell his business.

Lori: [00:24:49] Which is great. Great for Josh and proves another point that I think is an old mindset, which is, if you start a business, you have to see it all the [00:25:00] way to the end of your existence. And that's not true. You can have a side hustle, a side gig that takes you as far as you want it to. So for some people, it is getting their foot in the door and trying out entrepreneurship or paying off a debt or a high credit card bill or saving for the future or for an expanding family or for whatever reason.
And when that is done. So is the side hustle. Not the case necessarily for these two, but then later for Josh, it definitely was. Now he gets to try his hand at something brand new.

Nola: [00:25:39] Right. Yeah. And I'm happy for him.

Lori: [00:25:42] Oh yeah, for sure. So what about for people who our audience, who might be listening to this and think, well, that's great for them.
I haven't figured out what I want to do.

Nola: [00:25:54] We remember Mark Cuban's two criteria, something you'd love or enjoy and [00:26:00] something you're good at. And I would, there is a Venn diagram out there. A Venn diagram is where you have the circles intersecting and you look at what's overlapping and I would say. To add a couple more criteria.
Think about what the world needs. What is it that it's in demand right now? And what can you be paid for? So, maybe you're considering things that may or may not fit all  of those criteria, but if you can find it something that you love, something you joy doing something you're really good at doing something that is that the world needs something that's that there's a demand for and something that people are willing to pay for.
You would have what I would call your entrepreneurial sweet spot.

Lori: [00:26:43] And if you don't, that's part of the reason why we created one of our services, which is Be You-nique that was really designed for aspiring entrepreneurs, who aren't quite sure where their niche is. And I'll give you a really good [00:27:00] example.
Let's say that you're an author and you write about happiness. For example, you could think, okay. You can develop courses around happiness, you can develop, uh, counseling services around happiness. That could be it if that's where your passion lies, but if your passion was helping other authors, then your experience as being an author, outweighs, the topic in which you're the subject matter expert.

Nola: [00:27:34] So I have a story. You reminded me of a story. Where somebody was suggested that they come up with something, you know, think of something they really enjoy. And so if I love golf, I am sure going to start a golf shop. He found himself actually spending more of his time back in the shop, just, you know, doing the accounting and the record [00:28:00] keeping and a lot of paperwork and stuff store was struggling, struggling, struggling.
Well, he had to think about it. Why did I start this store? What is it I really enjoy? What is it about golf that I enjoyed? And he realized what he liked was the social aspects of it. He enjoyed talking to them, other people who liked golf. So he ended up hiring somebody for the back room and he spent his time I'm hobnobbing with the golfers that were shopping the racks and looking at the product merchandise in the store
sales skyrocketed. That makes all the difference because you're doing something you're good at. That's your natural fit for, and you enjoy doing it. And when you do that, you're going to find that fit. And sometimes it's not so easy and it took somebody pointing that out and asking those questions.
And it's in this kind of consultation that, you know, you have somebody to ask those questions. Yeah,

Lori: [00:28:58] that's exactly why we [00:29:00] created Be You-nique so that we could help aspiring entrepreneurs or side hustlers, get their start. And if it's something you're interested in, visit stickybrandlab.com for more details.
Well, that wraps up episode three of Sticky Brand Lab podcast. When in doubt, focus out. In what way can you use your talents, skills or knowledge to build a successful side gig that helps others.

Nola: [00:29:27] If you're ready to start a side hustle and unsure of an idea for your business. Download our free ebook 50 Side Hustle Ideas.
You Can Start From Home Today, located on our website at stickybrandlab.com or click the link in our show notes. Until next week.
Byeeeee.

Out-take:
Nola: Lori, do you watch Shark Tank?
Lori: [00:29:50] I'm here!