Side Hustle to Small Business

Aquila Mendez-Valdez scales through franchising and community

Aquila Mendez-Valdez is the Founder of Haute in Texas, which began as a personal blog and has evolved into a full-service public relations agency empowering women-led businesses. Her innovative approach combines storytelling, strategy, and community to help brands grow with authenticity and purpose.

 

In this episode, Aquila shares her inspiring journey from launching a business while pregnant to scaling her company into a thriving agency. She and Sanjay discuss hiring your first employee, creating a franchise model, and the importance of surrounding yourself with a strong, supportive community.

 

What You’ll Learn:

• How to build a business while balancing family and entrepreneurship

• When and how to hire your first employee

• What it takes to develop a franchise model

• The power of community in sustaining business growth

 

Learn more about Haute in Texas at https://hitpr.com/

 

Chapters 

00:00 Introduction and background 

5:53 Overcoming nerves

11:31 Growing a company culture

13:42 Differentiating your company

17:23 Advice for small businesses

20:12 Scaling the business

24:52 Balancing work and life

30:08 Closing and contact 

 

#SmallBusiness #PublicRelations #Podcast

 

At Hiscox, we provide customized insurance solutions for small businesses and entrepreneurs, empowering you to take risks with confidence. With over 100 years of expertise, we offer coverage options like general liability and professional liability, helping you protect what matters most. Learn more at hiscox.com.

Patty Durrell transforms physical therapy into a thriving gym

Patty Durrell is a Physical Therapist and the Founder of Rock Solid Fitness, based in Dunedin, Florida. Having seen gyms close around her while working with clients in other facilities, she decided to open Rock Solid Fitness to create a sustainable, client-focused environment. Her innovative approach combines expert physical therapy with fitness training, supporting clients’ long-term health and performance.

 

In this episode of the Side Hustle to Small Business® Podcast, Patty shares 

the challenges of running a gym during COVID-19, training and empowering staff, and her thoughts on business partnerships.

 

What You’ll Learn:

• Strategies for managing and growing a fitness business

• Training staff to provide consistent, high-quality client experiences

• How Patty overcame the challenges of running a gym during a pandemic

• Building successful community connections

 

Learn more about Rock Solid Fitness at https://www.rocksolidfitnessfl.com/

 

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and background

5:31 Overcoming nerves

8:25 Finding your first clients

15:14 Surviving COVID

20:33 Balancing work and life

27:31 Reflecting on the business

30:09 Advice for other entrepreneurs

31:01 Closing and contact

 

#Fitness #Entrepreneurship #SideHustle

 

At Hiscox, we provide customized insurance solutions for small businesses and entrepreneurs, empowering you to take risks with confidence. With over 100 years of expertise, we offer coverage options like general liability and professional liability, helping you protect what matters most. Learn more at hiscox.com.

Katherine Klimitas built a career from her childhood passion

Katherine Klimitas is the Founder of KAK Art & Designs, which began as a childhood hobby painting animals for her parents’ veterinary clients and has evolved into a thriving business specializing in pet portraits and graphic design. Her innovative approach supports artists and pet lovers alike through personalized artwork and creative design solutions.

In this episode of the Side Hustle to Small Business® Podcast, Katherine shares her inspiring journey from using art as a way to engage during childhood limitations to building a successful creative business. She and host Sanjay discuss turning a passion into profit, developing a unique artistic style, and growing a business centered on creativity and connection.

 

What You’ll Learn:

• How to turn a personal hobby into a thriving creative business

• Strategies for marketing and selling custom artwork

• Building a brand that connects with clients emotionally

• The story behind KAK Art & Designs and Katherine’s unique artistic journey

Learn more about KAK Art & Designs at https://kakartnola.com/

 

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and background

11:10 Building the business and getting clients

15:00 Finding the proper rates

17:00 Setbacks in the business

19:22 Dealing with rejection

21:55 Balancing life and work

23:46 Engaging with community

25:43 Reflecting on the business

28:40 Technology and app suggestions

30:22 Advice for other entrepreneurs

31:49 Closing and contact

 

#SmallBusiness #art #graphicdesign

 

At Hiscox, we provide customized insurance solutions for small businesses and entrepreneurs, empowering you to take risks with confidence. With over 100 years of expertise, we offer coverage options like general liability and professional liability, helping you protect what matters most. Learn more at hiscox.com.

Robert Carnes grows a freelance writing business while working in marketing

Robert Carnes is a freelance copywriter and author who started his copywriting business while working full-time in marketing. What began as a creative outlet has grown into a thriving freelance practice, helping clients craft compelling content and develop their brands.

 

In this episode of the Side Hustle to Small Business® Podcast, Robert shares his journey from balancing a full-time marketing career with a side hustle to building a successful copywriting business. He and host Sanjay discuss the evolving role of AI in writing, strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome, and the lessons he’s learned as an author and entrepreneur.

 

What You’ll Learn:

• How to launch a copywriting business alongside full-time work

• Leveraging AI tools to enhance creativity and efficiency

• Building confidence and overcoming imposter syndrome as a writer

• Tips for turning writing skills into multiple revenue streams

 

Learn more about Robert Carnes at https://www.jamrobcar.com/

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and background

5:52 Scaling the business

8:28 Using automation in the business

10:44 Robert’s authorship 

19:37 Work-life balance

23:30 Overcoming nerves

31:47 Closing and contact

 

At Hiscox, we provide customized insurance solutions for small businesses and entrepreneurs, empowering you to take risks with confidence. With over 100 years of expertise, we offer coverage options like general liability and professional liability, helping you protect what matters most. Learn more at hiscox.com.

The importance of networking in small business

After more than a decade leading operations and project management, Keith Williamson decided it was time for a new challenge. He founded Order and Scale Consulting, an agency helping businesses improve project management, workflow design, and team development. In this episode, Keith shares what it’s like to launch a consulting business, why networking matters more than ever, and how putting yourself out there can open new doors.

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and background

6:07 Building the business

17:24 Work-life balance

19:57 Finding clients and networking 

29:21 Overcoming nerves

30:39 Closing and contact

 

Learn more about Keith and Order and Scale Consulting here: https://www.orderandscaleconsulting.com/

#SmallBusiness #podcast #SideHustle

At Hiscox, we provide customized insurance solutions for small businesses and entrepreneurs, empowering you to take risks with confidence. With over 100 years of expertise, we offer coverage options like general liability and professional liability, helping you protect what matters most. Learn more at hiscox.com.

Building The Donut Trap from scratch

Bradley Taylor is the founder of The Donut Trap, a donut, coffee, and ice cream shop in Saint Paul, Minnesota. After returning home from college in Los Angeles, he noticed the lack of quality donuts in his community and set out to fill that gap. What began as an idea has grown into both a storefront and a donut vending machine. Beyond serving sweets, Bradley is dedicated to empowering Black youth and people of color to explore and pursue entrepreneurship.

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and background

4:37 Building The Donut Trap

7:54 Overcoming nerves

10:41 Opening a storefront

13:01 Expanding into vending machines

18:43 Creating the branding and mission

21:46 Work-life balance

23:25 Staying creative

24:35 Staying involved in the community

26:53 Looking to the future

27:36 Reflecting on the business

29:46 Advice for other entrepreneurs

30:46 Closing and contact

Inside the proposal planning business

Ash Fox is a New York City–based proposal planner and photographer. With a background in fine arts, she began her career taking on freelance commercial photography projects while still in college, which soon opened doors into nightlife and music photography. Everything shifted when she was asked to capture a proposal, an experience that sparked her passion for photographing and also planning unforgettable moments.

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and background

8:03 Proposal tips

15:38 Overcoming nerves

17:55 Marketing your business

20:40 Expanding the business

23:04 Work-life balance

26:41 Reflecting on the business

30:08 Advice for other entrepreneurs

31:22 Closing and contact

 

Learn more about Ash Fox and her work at https://www.ashfoxproposals.com

Side Hustle to Small Business is presented by Hiscox, a leading small business insurer. Learn more at Hiscox.com

#Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #WeddingBusiness

Managing growth across multiple companies

Amy Anaiz has spent over 25 years building a career as a professional photographer. When the pandemic paused events and disrupted her usual work, she saw an opportunity to explore new creative ventures. That’s when she founded OZAIZ, a homewares brand born from the idea of making candles last beyond a single use. Today, Amy balances running OZAIZ alongside her established photography business, all while raising a family.

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and background

9:40 Marketing the company

12:17 Managing the business

16:39 Work-life balance

21:40 Motherhood and entrepreneurship

23:57 Reflecting on the business

28:06 Advice for other entrepreneurs

29:44 Closing and contact

Sleeping on success: How affiliate links built a business

Derek Hales was working in marketing and SEO when he and his wife set out to buy a new mattress. Frustrated by how hard it was to choose the right one, he launched a side project comparing mattresses. What began as a hobby quickly grew into NapLab, a mattress-review company that uses scientific data to break down mattress performance and help people make smarter buying decisions.

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and background

6:43 Overcoming nerves

7:52 Revenue from review sites

13:11 Building the testing model

14:58 Hiring practices and scaling

19:26 Work-life balance

24:17 Helpful technology and apps

27:45 Reflecting on the business

31:58 Advice for other entrepreneurs

32:56 Closing and contact

 

Learn more about Derek Hales and NapLab: https://naplab.com

Building and scaling an app: Advice from the WineLikes founder

Jeff Gillis, founder of WineLikes, turned his lifelong passion for wine into a tech startup designed to change how people discover their next bottle. After years in the hospitality industry, Jeff realized the demanding lifestyle no longer fit the parent he wanted to be. Inspired to build something different, he created WineLikes, a social app that connects wine lovers, makes recommendations easier, and helps people enjoy wine without the overwhelm. In this episode, Jeff shares how he built the app, the role of technology in modern wine culture, and how he balances entrepreneurship with family life.

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and background

5:12 Building the app

9:50 Balancing life and work

15:46 Running social media for the company

17:17 Technology and apps

24:00 Advice for others in the industry

25:29 Advice for other entrepreneurs

28:21 Closing and contact