The Side Hustle Show

Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation

The entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers creative ways to make money online and offline, including blogging, online business, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get the business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation. read less

Our Editor's Take

The Side Hustle Show with Nick Loper provides tips and tricks for earning from side jobs. If people have ever wondered about ways to make money in their spare time, this may be the podcast for them.

Nick Loper founded Side Hustle Nation to help people become proactive about earning. The entrepreneur's website allows individuals to take control of their income. Adopting the "hustle" lifestyle doesn't mean working oneself to exhaustion. Instead, it means finding creative ways to supplement one's income. A person might even become successful enough to quit their full-time day job.

In the podcast, Nick discusses methods for achieving financial freedom. It might come from becoming a blogger, selling merchandise on Etsy, or affiliate marketing. Success could also arrive through "TikTok side hustles." Whatever the method, finding the right tools and techniques for each individual counts. Nick's motto, "Amplify your earning power," echoes through each episode.

The Side Hustle Show features entrepreneurs, CEOs, and freelancers from all fields. In one episode, Chris Kilbourn discusses starting companies from a young age. He lets listeners in on his secrets. These include outsourcing and effective time management. Chris advises people to avoid getting absorbed in busyness at the expense of the business. In another episode, Robert Farrington talks about how he earns up to $5,000 a month blogging and keeps his job. He reveals his best strategies for creating content-rich sites that make big money.

Many people don't have time to work extra jobs. Not everyone can make time for founding a startup. But what if one learned to live rent-free? Scott Bold shares with Nick how he makes enough money from Airbnb bookings to pay his rent. Renting rooms on Airbnb requires less effort than most part-time jobs. It offers more freedom, too. Nick also teaches listeners which mistakes to avoid and how to develop confidence.

Listeners ready to change how they earn may learn from The Side Hustle Show. Along with hundreds of expert guests, Nick provides many avenues for success. New episodes come out weekly.

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Episodes

GH: Free Houses: How to Build a $1 Million Real Estate Portfolio on the Side
Mar 28 2024
GH: Free Houses: How to Build a $1 Million Real Estate Portfolio on the Side
Austin Miller built a $1.2 million real estate portfolio at 31 years old -- for free. He's a side hustling real estate investor specializing in "creative" financing deals -- houses he can buy without using his own money. Austin is the author of Free Houses: How To Build Your Real Estate Investment Portfolio With No Money. His basic strategy is this: Find a killer deal on a house that needs some work. Buy it with the creative financing methods Austin talks about in this episode. Either do the work yourself or hire contractors. Put a paying tenant in the newly rehabbed home. Refinance the home with a traditional bank loan and pay back the original funding source. The end game is positive monthly cash flow from rental income, plus building a long-term wealth through tenants paying off the mortgage. Austin has developed some unique and interesting ways to hard money and private money to fund his property purchases. The best part – it’s truly a side hustle that can be done in a few hours a week the end result is passive income from rental revenue. Tune in to hear how Austin finds killer deals, buys the houses without risking his own capital, and then rehabs them to get ready to rent. Full Show Notes: Free Houses: How to Build a $1 Million Real Estate Portfolio on the Side New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Squarespace - Start building your professional website today! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! Airbnb - Start an Airbnb business and earn money as an Airbnb Host! This is Small Business Podcast - Brought to you by Amazon, explore the stories of small business owners as they navigate their path to success!
601: The $100k niche consulting business
Mar 21 2024
601: The $100k niche consulting business
When you hear "college admissions essay consultant," you might imagine some dull, overly formal academic type. But Carter Osborne from carterosbornetutoring.com took a pretty unconventional path to dominating this niche business. When he started providing tutoring services on the side, he was just a "broke, desperate graduate student" in need of some extra money. Carter actually had no formal business training. His background was in political science and public administration—so not exactly the traditional entrepreneurial breeding grounds. Not exactly the traditional path for an entrepreneur, right? And yet, the untraditional route Carter took allowed him to build a unique $100k consulting business, with almost all the revenue coming in just half the year. While Carter's career path didn't seem logical as a tutor, he was about to discover an untapped market niche that was waiting to be explored. Tune in to Episode 601 of The Side Hustle Show to learn: How to come up with your lucrative side hustle offer How to get your first customers How to grow the business How to handle the delivery logistics as a solopreneur Full Show Notes: The $100k niche consulting business New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Ladder – Get instantly approved for term life insurance—no doctors, no needles, no paperwork! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! Airbnb - Start an Airbnb business and earn money as an Airbnb Host! This is Small Business Podcast - Brought to you by Amazon, explore the stories of small business owners as they navigate their path to success!
600: $500k from a $9 membership
Mar 14 2024
600: $500k from a $9 membership
Liz Wilcox found herself at a crossroads. With a growing email list of beginners wanting to learn about email marketing, she knew she wanted to find a way to step away from client work within a couple of years. She had just signed a huge copywriting contract worth $20,000... her biggest one yet. But instead of excitement, all she felt was dread about the massive project she now had to take on. And as a single parent, she knew the importance of creating a business that would support her lifestyle and allow her to be present for her family. This is where the idea of "low cost = low responsibility" appealed to her, as it would allow her to serve her audience at LizWilcox.com while maintaining a manageable workload. So Liz had the idea to create her flagship offer The Email Marketing Membership - a set of done-for-you email newsletter templates that members could access for just $9 per month. Tune in to Episode 600 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: How to come up with ideas for your own recurring revenue membership How Liz built her own email list and audience How to improve retention and continue delivering value to members Full Show Notes: $500k from a $9 membership New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: US Bank — Get a 75,000-point sign-up bonus with the US Bank Business Altitude Power World Elite Mastercard, and earn 2X points on everything you buy for your business. Squarespace - Start building your professional website today! Airbnb - Start an Airbnb business and earn money as an Airbnb Host! This is Small Business Podcast - Brought to you by Amazon, explore the stories of small business owners as they navigate their path to success!
599: Vending Machines: The Path to Your First Passive Profits
Mar 7 2024
599: Vending Machines: The Path to Your First Passive Profits
Tired of trading time for money at your 9 to 5 job? Looking for a way to make passive income with minimal startup costs and overhead? Then starting a vending machine business may be perfect for you. The vending machine industry was valued at $42 billion last year and is expected to grow at 8.1% from 2024 to 2030. Profitable vending machines are everywhere — offices, apartment buildings, gyms, airports. Wherever people gather, there’s an opportunity to provide convenient access to snacks, drinks, and other bestselling impulse-buy items. And it’s a great market to get into because it’s extremely fragmented, with vast potential for growth. No national player owns more than 5% market share. In this episode, you’ll learn: How the vending machine business model works The step-by-step process to go from zero to $1,000+ in monthly passive income Finding ideal locations and signing contracts Buying used machines vs leasing new ones Stocking, restocking, and maintenance procedures Risks to watch out for and mitigation tactics Full Show Notes: Vending Machines: The Path to Your First Passive Profits New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: US Bank — Get a 75,000-point sign-up bonus with the US Bank Business Altitude Power World Elite Mastercard, and earn 2X points on everything you buy for your business. Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! Airbnb - Start an Airbnb business and earn money as an Airbnb Host! This is Small Business Podcast - Brought to you by Amazon, explore the stories of small business owners as they navigate their path to success!
GH: Scaling Up a Service Business: From Idea to $400k in Monthly Recurring Revenue (in Under 3 Years)
Feb 22 2024
GH: Scaling Up a Service Business: From Idea to $400k in Monthly Recurring Revenue (in Under 3 Years)
Three years ago Design Pickle didn't exist. It wasn't even an idea in founder Russ Perry's head yet. That's why it seems crazy to me that today the unlimited graphic design service is doing $400k in monthly recurring revenue! Back in 2014, Russ was running a creative agency, but he started to hate everything about it. “I felt like I was in a prison of my own creation,” he said. By January 2015, he'd shut down his agency and started working as a freelancer. Not wanting to build a similar prison again, he sought out a different business model -- one with a simpler service offering that was designed to scale. From taking on a friend as his first client to now completing more than 800 design jobs a day, it’s been an incredibly quick ascension and a great example of how to scale a service business. Tune in to hear how Russ grew his business from zero to $410k+ in monthly recurring revenue in less than 3 years. We cover his marketing strategies, his hiring best practices, and what Design Pickle does to keep customers coming back month after month. Full Show Notes: Scaling Up a Service Business: From Idea to $400k in Monthly Recurring Revenue (in Under 3 Years) New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Squarespace - Start building your professional website today! Factor — Get 50% off America's #1 ready-to-eat meal delivery service w/ code sidehustle50! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! My First Million — Explore new business ideas based on trends and opportunities in the market!
597: Website Rentals: The simple local websites that earn $1000/mo each
Feb 15 2024
597: Website Rentals: The simple local websites that earn $1000/mo each
Miao Rios was listening to the Side Hustle Show episode “Rank and Rent” with Luke Van Der Veer about creating niche websites to rank them on Google, then renting out the leads to local service businesses. She decided to give it a try, and just 3 months after creating her first site, she got an unexpected call. It was from the Ministry of Education in New Zealand, inviting her new website business to bid on a large demolition project for a local school. Despite having no actual demolition capabilities, Miao took a chance responding to the tender. She partnered with a qualified local contractor, got help polishing up the bidding documents, and ended up winning the $5,000 job! In this episode, you’ll learn how Miao of blackbirdseo.com builds and ranks her sites to earn $1000-$1500 per month passively. More importantly, you’ll get a blueprint to find profitable niches and service providers to create your own side income stream. Tune in to Episode 597 of the Side Hustle Show to learn about: Finding profitable niches and locations Building out niche sites to rank locally Getting high-quality leads Partnering with reliable service contractors Full Show Notes: Website Rentals: The simple local websites that earn $1000/mo each Free Listener Bonus: 50+ Rank and Rent Niches New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: US Bank — Get a 75,000-point sign-up bonus with the US Bank Business Altitude Power World Elite Mastercard, and earn 2X points on everything you buy for your business. Notion – Try Notion AI for free! Factor — Get 50% off America's #1 ready-to-eat meal delivery service w/ code sidehustle50! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post!
596: An Online Course Business Turns 10: Lessons from $4M in Online Piano Course Sales
Feb 8 2024
596: An Online Course Business Turns 10: Lessons from $4M in Online Piano Course Sales
You may remember the story Jacques Hopkins first shared on the Side Hustle Show in 2017 about his online piano course. Over the past decade, he systematically scaled Piano in 21 Days, into a powerhouse brand that generated over $4 million in sales. Now in 2024, I connected with Jacques again to get an update on his current projects and perspective looking back on his entrepreneurial wins and lessons learned over the past years. Like all savvy business owners, his approach and focus has evolved quite a bit during that timeframe. Tune in to Episode 596 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: Jacques' online piano course business after 11 years and over $4 million in sales Elements of building a successful online course business How Jacques' passion has shifted after doing this side hustle for over a decade What Jacques is focused on next with his coaching program and podcast Full Show Notes: An Online Course Business Turns 10: Lessons from $4M in Online Piano Course Sales New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Squarespace - Start building your professional website today! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! Factor — Get 50% off America's #1 ready-to-eat meal delivery service w/ code sidehustle50! The Hustle Daily Show - Your daily news podcast about irreverent and informative takes on business & tech!
595: The Million Dollar Weekend / Business Idea Giveaway Show
Feb 1 2024
595: The Million Dollar Weekend / Business Idea Giveaway Show
What if I told you that you could launch a million-dollar business this weekend? Sounds crazy, right? I recently had the pleasure of having Noah Kagan back on the Side Hustle Show podcast. You might remember him from Episode 237 about brainstorming and validating business ideas. Noah is a serial entrepreneur and founder of AppSumo, The Noah Kagan Youtube channel, Noah Kagan Presents podcast, and several other successful ventures. He recently launched a new book called Million Dollar Weekend: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Launch a 7-Figure Business in 48 Hours. Throughout our conversation, we brainstormed numerous side hustle business ideas that listeners could pursue this year. Noah also shared his insights on idea validation, launching quickly, and much more. Tune in to Episode 595 of The Side Hustle Show to learn: How to quickly validate and launch a side hustle idea Multiple promising side hustle concepts to pursue in 2024 The importance of pre-selling a product idea before building it Why services businesses make for promising first side hustles Actionable tips for overcoming "analysis paralysis" and launching faster Full Show Notes: The Million Dollar Weekend / Business Idea Giveaway Show New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: US Bank — Get a 75,000 sign-up bonus with the US Bank Business Altitude Power World Elite Mastercard, and earn 2X points on everything you buy for your business. Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! Factor — Get 50% off America's #1 ready-to-eat meal delivery service w/ code sidehustle50! HubSpot — Connect your data, teams, and customers on one customer platform that grows with your business.
GH: 10 Foundational Hustle Habits to Improve Your Health, Wealth, and Happiness
Jan 18 2024
GH: 10 Foundational Hustle Habits to Improve Your Health, Wealth, and Happiness
As the author of more than 70 books, Steve “S.J.” Scott is one of the most productive and disciplined people I know. His latest title, Habit Stacking, became a Wall Street Journal Bestseller and served as the inspiration for this episode. (Long-time listeners might remember Steve from WAY back in the archives; he was my guest in episode 9 where we discussed how to earn money as a side hustling author.) This time though we’re diving into a few of the habits that allow Steve to continually drive his business forward, and lead a healthier and happier life. Plus, you’ll learn why we think they’re important and how you can apply them in your own life. The 10 habits we cover are: Tracking your time Reviewing your goals daily Writing down the tasks you got done Fixing your “broken windows” Wearing a step-tracking device Keeping a food diary Researching one side hustle Breaking down a big project into actionable steps Following an evening shutdown routine Practicing mindfulness As you can see, they’re not all directly business-related, but most take 5 minutes or less and are designed to increase your productivity, reduce stress, prioritize your workload, and help you find a healthy work-life balance. Tune in to hear how Steve and I incorporate these habits into our daily routines (or plan to, in my case). Full Show Notes: 10 Foundational Hustle Habits to Improve Your Health, Wealth, and Happiness New to the Show? Grab your personalized playlist here! Sponsors: Entrepreneur Franchise 500 - Check out the list of the Top 500 Franchicses to own! Factor — Get 50% off America’s #1 ready-to-eat meal delivery service w/ code sidehustle50! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post!
590: The Most Overlooked Way to Make More Money?
Dec 21 2023
590: The Most Overlooked Way to Make More Money?
Have you ever woken up one day feeling trapped in a career you used to love? The stability of a steady paycheck no longer worth the daily dread of unfulfilling work? Did you suddenly want a career change? I’m talking staring-at-the-ceiling-all-night type misery. Alex Warneke knows exactly how this feels. She found herself creatively stifled and financially limited working as a marine ecologist and park ranger. While loving the subject matter, restrictions around income growth, adventure, and location independence nagged her. She couldn't shake the feeling that her current path just wouldn't get her to the life she envisioned. Despite no prior experience, Alex strategically skilled up and gained Salesforce credentials to increase her income potential dramatically. Her story offers an inspirational template for others looking to pursue more career flexibility. Tune in to Episode 590 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: How Alex was able to increase her earning potential by changing careers The process Alex took to learn Salesforce through the Talent Stacker program What a typical day in the life looks like working as a Salesforce administrator and consultant Common mistakes to avoid on your journey to career change and advancement Full Show Notes: The Most Overlooked Way to Make More Money? Is a Salesforce Career Right for You? Join the Free 5-Day Salesforce Challenge to find out. New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Monarch Money — Get an extended 30-day free trial of the top-rated personal finance app.  Factor — Get 50% off America's #1 ready-to-eat meal delivery service w/ code sidehustle50!
589: How a Simple Idea Turned Into a $50k a Month Side Hustle
Dec 7 2023
589: How a Simple Idea Turned Into a $50k a Month Side Hustle
Lou Rice was breastfeeding her son Archie one night when disaster struck—she dropped her Kindle on his head! While that experience was upsetting for both of them at the moment, it sparked an idea for Lou and her husband Ben to create a solution. Ben fashioned a silicone strap with staples to attach Lou's Kindle to her hand and prevent any future dropping incidents. Lou tested it out over the next month and absolutely loved having the grip and security of the strap for comfortable one-handed reading during those long middle-of-the-night feeds. And thus, their side hustle, strapsicle.com was born—a company now generating over $50k a month selling their innovative Kindle straps. Not only that, but Strapsicle is on pace for its first-ever 6 figures after recently going viral on TikTok and Instagram. Tune in to Episode 589 of The Side Hustle Show to learn: How an accident sparked a successful product idea Why micro-influencers were key for visibility How early demand was validated before production How diversified sales channels have inherent strengths Full Show Notes: 589: How a Simple Idea Turned Into a $50k a Month Side Hustle New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Ladder – Get instantly approved for term life insurance—no doctors, no needles, no paperwork! Masterclass — Get 15% off an annual membership! Factor — Get 50% off America's #1 ready-to-eat meal delivery service w/ code sidehustle50!