Back in 2009, like so many during the Great Recession, I got laid off. I had been working 9-to-5 as an audio engineer, and working as a freelance music producer for indie bands on the side. It was a tough blow, but I decided to take the setback of losing my job and use it as a chance to devote time to growing my side hustle, even though I knew nothing about being an entrepreneur.
Today, I have built two online businesses, a music education company and a business coaching brand, and I make around $160,000 a month in passive income and work less than five hours a week. It’s been quite a journey, and I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to create a highly profitable business. I have shared my knowledge with over 3,000 clients, and I even wrote a book about my experience.
If you’re looking to start a side hustle, the number one piece of advice I would give you is to build a side hustle that can scale automatically. Early on, I was all about what I call “the hustle method.” I had found a problem that I could help people solve — record better sounding music — with my skill set. I put all my effort into getting clients and selling my services to them. I spent all my time calling, emailing, and DM’ing musicians, artists, and bands to see if they needed help producing their next album. However, I was working 32 hours a week and making only $2,000 a month.
As I freelanced, I regularly created content online around the topic of audio engineering. And as my audience grew, I began to find strategic ways to monetize the content I created. Within a few months, it became clear that if I focused on automation, rather than hustling, I could make more money and have more time.
The automation method has four components: discoverable content, free gifts, email autoresponders, and digital products. Discoverable content includes YouTube videos, blog posts/articles, and podcasts. This content should be evergreen and answer your target customer’s biggest questions. Free gifts are used to move people from content platforms to your email list. Email autoresponders provide value and lead up to pitching your product. Finally, digital products like online courses can help you scale your income and free up your time.
Whatever side hustle you choose to start, ask yourself: Am I building something that can scale easily and cheaply and also be sustainable in the long run? If the answer is yes, then you’re on the right track. Graham Cochrane, the author of “How to Get Paid for What You Know” and a business coach to over 2,800 customers worldwide, is a great example of how focusing on automation can lead to success in the world of side hustles. Follow his journey and learn from his experiences to help you build a profitable and sustainable business.
