Side Hustle Pro

Side Hustle Pro

478: Why I Lost My Mojo

September 5, 2025

The speaker experienced a significant loss of 'mojo' due to a combination of postpartum depression, business challenges, and personal overwhelm, highlighting the interconnectedness of mental, physical, and professional well-being.

477: How Codie Elaine Oliver Brought Black Love To The Big Screen

August 27, 2025

Self-funding and retaining ownership of intellectual property, even at a lower initial fee, can provide significant leverage and long-term control over a media project.

476: How Germanee G Went From GAP Inc. to Celebrity Stylist REWIND

August 20, 2025

Germany's journey from a corporate merchandising role to launching her own successful styling business, Gigi Co., highlights the power of identifying and pursuing a passion, even when it requires significant pivots and resilience.

475: Why Your Podcast Isn't Making Money (and How to Fix It)

August 13, 2025

To monetize a podcast, focus on a clear niche and audience needs rather than trying to cover every topic or passion.

474: What It Takes to Launch a Chick-fil-A Franchise w/ Kareem Edwards

Kareem Edwards' journey from Far Rockaway, Queens, to becoming a Chick-fil-A franchise owner highlights the power of strategic pivots, leveraging diverse experiences from Wall Street to tech, and a deep commitment to community impact.

473: Melyssa Ford on Health, Hustle, and Healing

Navigating a career pivot requires embracing fear and failure as forward momentum, rather than succumbing to the fear of regret.

472: How Two Side Hustlers Became The Go-To Merchandisers For Businesses Across America REWIND

The Merch Studio founders, Kiani Savoy and Sonia Smith, leverage their diverse backgrounds in marketing, graphic design, and event planning to create meaningful branded merchandise that fosters connection, moving beyond generic promotional items.

471: From Ghana To Ulta: How Hanahana Beauty’s Founder Is Expanding Her Brand REWIND

Prioritizing personal and business growth is essential before one can effectively prioritize brand building.

470: This NYC Native Runs a Luxury Fragrance Boutique Out Of Her Harlem Brownstone REWIND

Kimberly Waters founded Muse, a luxury boutique fragrance house in Harlem, by leveraging her corporate career for funding and a friend's parlor floor, demonstrating a strategic, incremental approach to entrepreneurship.

469: Turning Grief Into Growth: How Amy Anaiz Built a Sustainable Home Brand

Building a successful business, whether a side hustle or a full-time venture, requires patience and a focus on slow, consistent growth, as significant progress often happens quietly.

468: How Side Hustling Nurse Naseema McElroy Paid Off $1M in Debt

Financial independence is achieved not by out-earning financial ignorance, but by intentionally managing income and expenses, even without increasing income or starting a side hustle.

467: From Accountant to Clean Beauty CEO: How Tisha Thompson Launched LYS Beauty Into Sephora

Strategic career pivots, even involving a demotion, can be a powerful pathway to achieving long-term career goals by gaining industry experience and making valuable connections.

466: From Actuary to Podcaster: How Marina Batliwalla Launched a Financial Literacy Show for Women and Girls

Financial habits and behaviors are largely formed by age seven, highlighting the critical importance of early financial literacy education for children.

465: The Founder of Boss Women Media Launched a Second Business While Pregnant With Twins

Leaving a corporate job without a guaranteed revenue stream requires a strong belief in one's vision and the ability to leverage existing networks and skills for initial funding and support.

464: From Corporate Employee to CEO Coach: Monique R. Shields on Teaching Women to Thrive

Executive coaching, particularly for women of color, involves creating a safe space for individuals to express their authentic selves and overcome the need to contort or "be on" in professional environments.

463: From $300 Side Hustle to Seven-Figure Scent Empire

Self-funding a business, even with personal credit card debt, can be a necessary strategy for organic growth when traditional investment isn't an option.

462: How Legendary Rootz Went From Dorm‑Room Tees to Retail Shelves

Building a successful brand like Legendary Roots requires a deep understanding of one's own art and mission, allowing it to resonate authentically with an audience and serve as a tool for empowerment.

461: Rachel Rodgers on Million-Dollar Decisions and Letting Go to Grow

Entrepreneurship is a continuous test where success comes from consistently trying, learning what works, and then scaling those effective strategies, rather than viewing failures as definitive endpoints.

460: This Side Hustler Created a Curated Beauty Supply Store and Community In Ann Arbor

Sheena McCullers transformed her personal need for community and representation into Della's, a beauty supply store in Ann Arbor, Michigan, addressing a significant gap for BIPOC beauty lovers.

459: Her Plant-Based Soaps Landed Her On Shark Tank And On The Path To $1.2M In Sales

Gently Soap was founded on a personal mission to transform the lonely experience of battling skin conditions into a joyful, confidence-building revolution, leveraging Kristen's agricultural and botanical expertise.

458: Why Your Podcast Isn't Making Money (and How to Fix It)

To monetize a podcast effectively, creators must prioritize audience needs and provide value over self-promotion, as a podcast's success hinges on serving the listener's desires for entertainment, education, or stress relief.