Side Hustle to Small Business

Awkward, fun, and profitable: Building a card game brand

Brittane Rowe is an off-Broadway actress by trade, but when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Broadway, she found herself with time for deeper, more meaningful conversations with her family. Inspired by those moments, Brittane teamed up with her brother Brandon and sister-in-law Jane to create Awkward Games, a card game company designed to spark joy and strengthen relationships.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction and background

8:10 Getting the first sales

9:31 Getting the product into stores

11:56 Overcoming nerves

14:48 Shark Tank

24:09 Game development

26:40 Balancing work and life

28:50 Running the business in NYC

31:43 Reflecting back on the business

34:07 Advice for other entrepreneurs

35:28 Closing and contact

Finding the right price for handmade goods

Kwadwo Som-Pimpong founded Crafted Glory, a handcrafted furniture company, after buying his first home in Asheville, North Carolina. Drawing on his engineering background, he mastered the mechanics of furniture making and honed his craft. What began as a personal project has grown into a business that serves customers across the country. Today, Crafted Glory is known for its commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and thoughtful design.

 

-Chapters-

00:00 Introduction and background

6:29 Overcoming nerves

8:12 Pricing your work

10:22 Training as a woodworker 

16:30 Viewing the business longterm 

20:56 Balancing work and life

25:31 Finding a coach

31:50 Reflecting on the business

33:18 Advice for other entrepreneurs

34:37 Closing and contact

Globowl’s mission to make kids’ meals more exciting

Erica Levin is a serial entrepreneur, having started three businesses in her life. During the pandemic, while her daughter was starting to eat solid foods, Erica decided to start making her own baby food that incorporated flavors from around the world and introduced allergens early. From there, she has built Globowl, a baby and toddler food company with a mission to inspire adventurous eating for life.

 

-Chapters-

00:00 Introduction and background

4:45 Starting Global

12:05 Overcoming nerves

13:05 Funding the business

16:23 Making mistakes

20:55 Entering the food space

23:41 Plans to grow the business

27:02 Mission-oriented brands

29:02 Work-life balance

32:25 Reflecting on the business

34:47 Closing and contact

Designing for social impact with Creative Director Jo Skillman

Jo Skillman is a Houston-based Creative Director and the Founder of Jo Skillman LLC. Known for her thoughtful, cause-driven work, she’s partnered with clients like the City of Houston. With expertise in both design and copywriting, Jo brings a well-rounded, strategic approach to every project.

 

-Chapters-

00:00 Introduction and background

6:35 Overcoming nerves

13:20 Working across multiple industries 

18:21 Balancing two sides of the business

21:44 Using AI in your work

25:58 Balancing work and life

29:20 Reflecting back on the business

31:18 Advice for other entrepreneurs

33:20 Closing and contact

Managing finances better as a small business owner

Jennifer Bower is a mom of two, a veteran, grad student, and the Founder of Fortuna Money. After a career in the Air Force, Jennifer got into the banking world which gave her the knowledge and know how to launch Fortuna Money, a financial coaching service. On this episode, she shares tips and tricks on how small businesses can better manage their money, identifying bad spending habits, and keeping personal and business expenses separate. 

 

-Chapters-

00:00 Introduction and background

5:54 Building the business

11:48 Overcoming nerves

13:31 Choosing the right clients 

20:25 Financial mistakes as Founders

22:26 Work-life balance

25:37 Reflecting on the business

28:20 Advice for other entrepreneurs

30:55 Closing and contact

From postpartum to product line: The birth of Le Lolo

After the birth of her first child, Courtney Boylan quickly discovered that postpartum essentials, such as nipple shields and nursing pads, were typically not made with aesthetics in mind. She believed that with everything that mothers were going through postpartum, they deserved beautiful products. It was then that she founded Le Lolo, a postpartum brand thoughtfully designed to support and celebrate new mothers.

 

-Chapters-

00:00 Introduction and Background

9:43 Overcoming nerves

11:17 Designing the right product

14:19 Naming the company

16:01 Brand evolution

18:24 Running the business

21:09 Setting boundaries

23:36 Reflecting on the business

26:05 Advice for other entrepreneurs

26:43 Closing and contact

Funding your dream: Crowdfunding advice that works

Kathleen Minogue is a creative at heart and a former educator who never imagined a future in finance. But during the dot-com boom, an unexpected opportunity at JP Morgan changed her trajectory. While working there, she noticed a striking gap: those seeking venture capital rarely came from creative fields. It wasn’t until she helped crowdfund a film she produced that she discovered the power of crowdfunding and found her true calling.

 

-Chapters-

00:00 Introduction and background

5:31 Entrepreneurial background

7:03 Overcoming nerves

10:12 Going from side hustle to small business

20:06 Mistakes in crowdfunding

23:34 Setting boundaries

25:55 Reflecting back on the business

31:05 Advice for other entrepreneurs

32:03 Closing and contact

A therapist’s guide to copy that connects

After several years working as a licensed psychotherapist, Arianna Smith launched a copywriting side hustle in 2019. Her goal was to help fellow therapists write copy that feels clear, human, and approachable. By simplifying clinical language and focusing on genuine connection, Arianna has grown that side hustle into a thriving business, one that now surpasses her therapy practice.

 

-Chapters-

00:00 Introduction and background

6:55 Finding clients

8:45 Growing a side hustle while working full-time

14:46 Why this business is essential

18:01 Balancing a side hustle

21:14 Expanding the business

23:50 Advice for clients

27:15 Structure of the business

30:15 Reflecting on the business

33:47 Advice for other entrepreneurs

35:04 Closing and contact

Smarter training for small businesses with Dr. Carrie Graham

With a background in college athletics and academia, Dr. Carrie Graham pivoted her career after earning her Ph.D. in Adult Education. As a professional, she had attended many training programs, and realized that these programs were lacking any sort of personalization to the attendees. It was then that she became an Adult Learning Strategist and Consultant, who specializes in helping small businesses creating more engaging and tailor-made training programs. 

 

-Chapters-

00:00 Introduction

4:50 Starting the business

9:50 Overcoming nerves

11:32 Identifying effective training

16:06 Treating your employees right

19:24 Using training to develop company culture

23:10 Finding your first client

25:14 The future of the business

27:18 Reflecting back on the business

30:24 Advice for other entrepreneurs

31:21 Closing and contact

Organizing a life you love with D’Nai Walker

D’Nai Walker is not a naturally organized person. It wasn’t until she discovered professional organizer Marie Kondo that she got into the practice. When she was laid off, she started doing it on the side, until she was encouraged to go all in. She founded D'Clutter by D'Nai, an organizing company that specializes in senior downsizing, home organization, and productivity solutions.

 

-Chapters-

00:00 Intro

5:52 Overcoming nerves

7:49 Determining your path

8:31 Finding your first clients

10:04 Navigating client work

13:58 Marketing tools

16:41 Staying organized in your small business

20:52 Setting boundaries

22:53 Health and Wellness

26:08 Technology and apps

27:37 Reflecting on the business

29:21 Advice 

30:25 Closing and contact