Side Hustle to Small Business

Risking everything by going all in on an idea

Co-Founders Robby, Billy, and Justin were running a successful web design agency when a client came to them with a very specific request for a website with a page builder tool. After discovering a market for this, the three founded Beaver Builder, a WordPress Page Builder Plugin in 2014. Robby McCullough joins Sanjay’s of today’s episode of Side Hustle to Small Business to discuss taking risks, finding your niche, and creating a work-life balance.

Knowing your worth after transitioning to self-employment

Hannah Smolinski has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. From selling homemade bracelets in the second grade, to founding her company Clara CFO Group in 2017, Hannah knows how to attract and retain clients. In this conversation, Hannah and Sanjay discuss burn out, managing cash flow, knowing your worth as a self-employed professional, and taking on additional side hustles to maximize profit.

A unique but unexpected business pursuit

During the early days of the pandemic, Nancy and Viviana Sisneros founded their pretzel company, "Knotty Chix," sparked by a random craving of Nancy's. After three attempts, they perfected their first creation: the Hot Cheeto pretzel. Encouraged by the positive feedback of Facebook friends, they started selling their pretzels to the public. Today, three years down the line, Knotty Chix thrives as a flourishing company.

Do not wait around to jump into entrepreneurship

Racheal Allen, a seasoned entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in coaching large-scale organizations, specializes in crafting efficient policies and operations. As the Founder of Operations School, she leads a renowned boot camp for startup founders, while also offering consulting and public speaking. Sanjay and Racheal discuss operational efficiency, avoiding burnout, and the essentials of entrepreneurship.

Overcoming your fears and achieving your dreams

Brooke Monaghan has always known she has wanted to work for herself. However, when she went to start her consulting business, she was initially very scared. In today’s episode, Brooke and Sanjay discuss how to overcome fear when it comes to the risk aspect of running your own business, building relationships, and asking for help. Her advice? Either do it and maybe fail or don’t do it and absolutely fail, but always know your worth. 

Connecting businesses with the grants they need

Danita Doleman has over 25 years experience providing strategic solutions to businesses in need. She is an expert in connecting people to grant opportunities and to this day, she has helped individuals earn over $8 million in grants. Recently, Danita’s company, SEAS Community Partners, launched “Grants4Biz”, a service which seamlessly connects individuals and businesses to grants they qualify for. Tune in to this episode the learn more about grants for small businesses and resources to identify the right grants for you!

How Maria Romano found her passion in the business of love

Maria Romano is a Minister, wedding officiant, podcast host, author, and motivational speaker. Through her company, True Love Knots, Maria has officiated over 5000 weddings, and created courses on becoming officiated yourself. Prior to finding her passion in the business of love, Maria's entrepreneurial journey began with a rental car company, granting her extensive expertise in business management.

Transitioning from the startup world to freelance

After earning a degree in Entrepreneurial Studies, Jacob “Jeb” Burt started his career in the food and beverage industry, working at a startup.  When the startup folded, he began working freelance gigs to pay the bills. When making the decision to either continue freelancing or get full-time work, Jacob decided to continue down the freelance path and build his company, BURT. Now, Jacob has his own team that specializes in building media brands. 

Starting a business that aligns with your passions

Bonnie Mauldin has been hustling since she was a kid. At eight years old, she was knocking on doors offering to shovel driveways. After graduation, she entered the medical field, but quickly discovered it was not for her. Now, Bonnie owns two successful businesses, The Mauldin Group and Mauldin Production Company. Having learned a lot along the way, Bonnie shares her tips on changing careers, side hustles, and running multiple businesses.

Exploring the ins and outs of freelancing in today’s world

Josh Bernstein joins us today to talk all things freelance. As the owner of Josh Bernstein Media, Josh is an expert in Google Ads and paid search and has been running his own business for over 10 years. Sanjay and Josh sit down to debunk myths about freelancing, give important tips on starting out, discuss maintaining a healthy work-life balance while being your own boss, and suggest when to choose a freelancer over an agency.