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You have been thinking about Side Hustles all wrong.
Everyone starts a side hustle to add to or replace some of their income. Good idea.
Because of the online gurus, you usually get into the mindset that “If I can eventually scale this, then it can replace my regular job.”
You jump right to big ticket items. the $99 course, or sometimes even more $$. Crickets…no sales.
Or even worse, you post and post and give away free stuff, hoping for that conversion to buying your PDF, or signing up for your Patreon, or (now) Substack subscription.
“I am getting the likes and engagement, what is the problem?!”
The issue is that you are farming for Likes, not value. You have not identified your customer. What is your customer’s problem that you are trying to solve?
Are you making a difference?
How to know your customer.
Observe actions over words. Don’t just ask people what they want—watch what they actually buy.
The gap between what people say and what they do is the opportunity. It is the line between where side hustles Thrive or side hustles go to die.
Be careful not to wedge yourself into a solution with no problem, or a solution that everyone else is trying to solve (if “everyone is doing it” then you will be treated like a commodity, with commodity pricing).
Start with your Intention
So stop just building side hustles—and start building skills.
Before you do anything else, complete an analysis of your life and your life intention.
Clarify what you actually want your life to look like. Your side hustle should move you toward that intentional life, not just generate random income.
Start with: What are you good at?
Use the eight forms of capital framework to inventory what you have and what you can do — skills, materials, living capital, financial capital.
What are you good at?
What solutions have you solved for yourself and others? That is your sweet spot.
The best approach - Sell to people like you.
Speak to yourself - where you were 2 years ago. Speak to that person, with their problems. You now have the solutions.
I started Grow Nut Trees because the chestnut trees I bought from the Pacific Northwest or Northeast did not survive the harsh Kansas climate. The seeds and trees had a “memory” of where they originally grew. They were successful there. A tree that is used to the wet, cloudy environment in the Pacific Northwest would not thrive, let alone survive, in Kansas. So I grew my own trees, and culled the ones that did not do well.
Likewise, the easiest customer to find is someone who shares your values. You’re not looking for people just like you —you’re looking for a shared worldview. You’ll naturally attract these people through how you go about things.
Share your experience
When you share you experience and knowledge one-on-one it creates a social “debt”.
“The more value you give them, the more they owe you. And they will know subconsciously.” - Perpend
This social “debt” doesn’t happen in e-mail or online ordering. It doesn’t happen when someone reads your blog or Substack (that’s why they are not subscribing).
If possible, move toward a personal interaction. But don’t force it, and don’t give it away too easily (don’t spend all your time on Free Zoom consult calls).
Elderberry cuttings are now available at GrowNutTrees.com
Not everyone is your customer.
Early in my Grow Nut Trees journey, a guy contacted me by email to ask questions about chestnuts. I was kind of green at that point, and didn’t understand the need for the interaction that I just discussed. After the third email I internally grumbled: “Are you going to buy or what?”
Eventually, after 4 or 5 emailed questions, he came back and ordered over $150 worth of trees. That was the biggest order I had at that point in my journey.
Don’t go chasing after a person who is not your customer. Leave some space. (maybe they will be your customer some day).
“The biggest word in the English language is no.”
I just shared many side hustle tips and details that you usually don’t hear unless you pay someone for an ebook or online class. If you got value from it, then Subscribe to the Thriving the Future Substack.
