Side Hustle Pro: Women Entrepreneurs | Black Women Business Owners | Solopreneurs

One year ago, June 22, 2016 to be exact, I created Side Hustle Pro podcast with a microphone and a dream. The road to Side Hustle Pro really started when I graduated with my MBA, but no job. I was feeling pretty dejected, especially after I kept going on interview after interview and getting rejection after rejection. Then I started to wrestle with the idea of doing my own thing, but for some reason, I just couldn’t pull the trigger, because I  didn’t see myself as an entrepreneur. And the reason I didn’t see myself as an entrepreneur is because...the narrative of entrepreneurship was of white men. I wanted to gain confidence and motivation from women who look like me. And particularly women who started as side hustlers (because, let's face it, these student loans are not going to pay themselves). So I started a series of "Side Hustle Pro" interviews on my old blog while I was unemployed and trying to find my way. The rest, is herSTORY. I didn't know all the blessings and challenges that would unfold as a res

Today in the guest chair, we have a woman who has literally redefined the fashion industry. Her name is Monif Clarke, and she is the Founder of Monif C. Monif C. is a fashion forward, plus-size designer brand specializing in clothing and swimsuits for women sizes 14 - 24.  Monif had no prior design experience, but grew frustrated with the lack of trendy plus size clothing and  n 2005, teamed up with her mother to bring Monif C to life. Monif’s story is the perfect example of not letting one person’s no discourage you from continuing on your journey. In fact, Monif received a lot of No’s on the way to success, often being told that her designs were too sexy and that “plus-size women preferred not show off their bodies." But Monif refused to take No for an answer. Today, Monif C. is sold not only on MonifC.com, but in Asos.com, Forever21.com, as well as specialty boutiques throughout the US, London, Canada, and Australia just to name a few. In September 2017, Monif C. will celebrate 12 years serving plus size w

My final check-in with Entrepreneur-In-Residence, Meiko Drew.   When you first joined me on this journey in June of 2016, I introduced you to Meiko. We checked in with Meiko throughout the year to learn how her journey was going. Meiko is a Corporate America retiree as she has coined herself, who jumped ship from a lucrative career in marketing to venture out on her own.   In the last year, she has founded the blog Meiko and the Dish, she’s launched an online store of food related merchandise, she’s partnered with major brands, learned more about the food blogging industry and today  she shares the latest business that she is getting ready to launch.   Meiko has always been transparent about her bumps along the road, including when she’s been low on funds, gone through a breakup, slept on the couch of her friends, she’s shared it all.   So today, we see what she’s been up to since the last time we spoke.    On this episode, Meiko reveals: How she’s continuing to grow Meiko and the Dish the brand How she’s ke

Today on the show, we have a woman who’s hustle inspires me.Her name is Denequa Williams and she is the maker and owner of luxury soy candle company, LIT Brooklyn. Every candle is candle is hand poured, packaged, and shipped from Brooklyn. Within a year of it's existence, she has been featured in some of your favorite publications, Essence, Ebony, Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, BuzzFeed & more.Now LIT Brooklyn is still a young company, but it seems like for the past year, every event I was at, she was at. Not only that, but she would make sure that her candles were in the hands of guests attending that event. Lo and behold, people would go home, use the product and before you know it were sharing on social media and talking about this amazing product.What better way to round out the theme of How to create, sell and market your physical products, than to talk to an entrepreneur who is learning on the go, making it work and pushing through real, life personal challenges to make it by any means necessary. On t

Myleik Teele has revolutionized the way women address their curly hair needs. As the founder of curlBOX, an exclusive monthly subscription box full of amazing products, she has garnered partnerships with Procter & Gamble, Carol’s Daughter, Walmart, Target, SheaMoisture and more. On Today's show, Myleik shares: What led her to be an entrepreneur The most surprising part of starting curlBOX How we as entrepreneurs can push past the need for approval Her thoughts on taking that leap even when you're not ready PLUS, get ready to hear a special listener edition of lightning round, where she answers questions from listeners in the Side Hustle Pro community This episode is brought to you by Freshbooks. You can get a free, unrestricted 30 day trial of Freshbooks, just go to FreshBooks.com/SideHustlePro ​and enter SIDE HUSTLE PRO ​in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher and Google Play Links mentioned on this episode curlBOX Click here to subscribe

Today in the guest chair, we have a woman by the name of Agatha Achindu. Agatha is not only a dedicated mother and entrepreneur but also a chef and as a child growing up in Cameroon she ate only the freshest organic foods from her family's Gardens and local markets. But after her son's birth in 2004 she struggled to find meals for him which were just as delicious and nutritious. So that set her on her journey to create yummy spoonfuls. Determined, she took to her kitchen to create meals packed with healthy organic ingredients—and nothing else. Soon, she began filling casual orders for friends and—in 2006— Yummy Spoonfuls® was born. On today’s episode we get into the details of that journey. Agatha shares the real deal about:   What went into creating a food product Getting the license to sell it Finding a place to manufacture it in bulk Getting her brand into major retailers Plus, she’ll share how she partnered with fellow mom and entrepreneur, Camila Alves, to expand Yummy Spoonfuls® and fulfill their colle

Today’s show, is all about the Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship. A few episodes back, I opened up the show for Q&A and many of you had some burning legal questions that you were dying to get answered. So today I’ve invited attorney Art Steele to the guest chair. Art Steele is a tax lawyer who founded her own law firm in 2014 with practice areas in: small business counseling, international trusts and estate planning, immigration, and foreign tax compliance. Before launching her law firm, Art began her legal career as a transactional tax associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP in Washington, D.C.  She later worked as Tax Counsel for Global Tax Planning at Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, M.D.  Her international tax background brings a unique perspective when advising clients regarding small business formation, estate planning and immigration. Art is also an Adjunct Professor of Wills, Trusts and Estates at American University Washington College of Law and is barred in Virginia,

Today on the show, we have a woman who dived into an industry she knew absolutely nothing about and with sacrifice and grind, has been able to grow a profitable company. Her name is Kim Lewis and she is the Creator of CurlMix. I first learned about CurlMix when I went to a conference where Kim was a vendor. I saw her table set up and the eye catching CurlMix boxes and I remember thinking, what a cool idea, I wonder what goes into producing those. Later, we connected on Facebook and through her daily updates, I really get to see the behind-the-scenes of building a new, young company from the ground up. One of the reasons I was and continue to be so in awe of Kim, is that she has accomplished so much under the age of 30. And that’s not to say us over 30 peeps aren’t as impressive when we start companies. I’m just always fascinated by people, especially black women, who are starting companies at an age when I was having a quarter life crisis and still figuring out my next career moves. On today’s episode, Kim ge

This episode actually wraps up our theme for the month, which is How to Make a Living Doing What You Love.Today on the show, we have a woman who truly epitomizes the theme of this show, Her name is Christine Llewellyn and she is the Founder of Christine Joy Design. Christine Joy Design, LLC is a Brooklyn-based surface pattern design studio specializing in the home goods, apparel and consumer product markets. I first learned about Christine from a video on Facebook, that shared her journey to entrepreneurship and a partnership with West Elm. I actually saved this video two years ago for inspiration, before I even had any plans to start the Side Hustle Pro podcast. When I did start the podcast, I knew I would eventually need to have Christine in the guest chair. One of the reasons I was so intrigued by Christine, is that she already had a successful career as a marketer, when she said, you know what, this is not what I really want to be doing with my life...and she  pivoted to found Christine Joy Design. How ma

I’m answering your questions on all things side hustle. On this episode I get into: What are good resources for researching your target market effectively, to include in your business plan? What are the other measures to use aside from profit to know when it's time to leave your full time job? How do you recharge when you hit a wall in your side hustle, full time job, or life in general? + much more I’m going to try to do more of these, maybe like once a month. If you find it helpful let me know and that honestly is what will determine if I keep ‘em up. This episode is brought to you by Freshbooks. To get your free, unrestricted 30 day trial of Freshbooks, just go to FreshBooks.com/SideHustlePro ​and enter SIDE HUSTLE PRO ​in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section Listen on Apple Podcast, Soundcloud, Stitcher and Google Play Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Important Announcements: Side Hustle Pro is almost 2000 members strong and

Continuing with ‘How to Make a Living Doing What You Love’ month, today in the guest chair we have Jocelyn Delk Adams of ‘Grandbaby Cakes.’ You may know Jocelyn for her awesome recipes, including the mouthwatering Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. She is better known as a founder, author, national television personality and brand ambassador behind the award winning cookbook Grandbaby Cakes and the food website Grandbaby-Cakes.com, which gives her family’s, particularly her grandmother’s, cherished generational recipes her modern spin while preserving the most important ingredient- tradition. Jocelyn is also TODAY Show Tastemaker and a cast member one of the Cooking Channel’s longest running most popular shows, “Unique Sweets”. Nowadays, being a food blogger is no easy feat. Jocelyn and I get into how you really have to be scrappy and identify what’s going to set you apart. On this episode, Jocelyn dishes on: What made her start a blog in the first place How she knew when it was time to make the le

Today on the show, we have Makeup Artist extraordinaire Tiyana Robinson. Tiyana is a Washington DC-based Makeup Artist, Brand Ambassador, and International Beauty Educator. I first came across Tiyana on...you know it, Instagram. I was looking for someone to do my makeup for my Side Hustle Pro photoshoot and after viewing her Instagram portfolio, I immediately reached out and booked an appointment. On the day of my shoot, I went to her studio to get my makeup done and of course we got to chatting about entrepreneurship and side hustle, and I was just so captivated by her story I knew I had to have her in the guest chair. On this episode, Tiyana breaks down: How she transitioned from working for a hair care line to being a full time makeup artist Why making an investment in a Coach and Mentor transformed her business How she sets herself apart and stands out in an oversaturated market The different revenue streams in her business (she’s not just a makeup artists) Her top tips for side hustlers who are just get

To kick off How to make a living doing what you love month,  I want to address something that I've been asked a few times, both in the side hustle pro community on Facebook and in one-on-one emails and text messages. And that question is: how do I side hustle without getting fired? I think it’s so important that I pause to address this concern, because it may be the thing that’s preventing your from taking your side hustle to that next level. On this episode I break it down into three main points: Don’t Assume Your Employer Will Tell You No Create A Schedule that Doesn’t Conflict With Work What’s in it for them: Know the Benefits of A Side Hustle For Your Employer   This episode is brought to you by Freshbooks. To get your free, unrestricted 30 day trial of Freshbooks, just go to FreshBooks.com/Side Hustle Pro ​and enter SIDE HUSTLE PRO ​in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section Listen on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and Google Play Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustl

I’m back with some updates and progress on my own side hustle and to report out on how my 12-Week Sprint went. Today I will get into: Why I decided to do a 12-Week Sprint How I Structured My 12-Week Sprint A Report out on my goals and accomplishments And finally What I learned from my first 12-Week Sprint If you want to try out your own 12-week sprint with me, I’ve created a handy worksheet for you to structure your goals over 12-weeks. Visit SideHustlePro.co/42 to grab the freebie for this episode, which is a complete 12-Week Goal Getter Worksheet. Listen on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and Google Play Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Important Announcements: Side Hustle Pro is now over 1600 members strong and the group is growing by hundreds each week. If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: sidehustlepro.co/FACEBOOK Social Media Info C

Today, we are going to get into one of the most common side hustles out there: creating your own online course. Nowadays, it seems like everyone and their mother has an online course. From how to grow your social media pages to how to build your first app, you name it, online courses are extremely prevalent these days. Even Shonda Rhimes has an online course! It’s nothing new, online courses have existed for a while now, what’s new is the abundance of technology and plug and play platforms out there, so the barriers to entry have really decreased and so anyone, literally anyone can create a course. You can use easy to replace templates and have your own school up online in no time. Now, you might be wondering, well…why is everyone creating courses, should I? Is this a viable side hustle? Well, the reason it’s such a popular revenue stream, is because with an online course, you can package your knowledge and create a funnel, so that you’re constantly getting students and have a passive stream of income in your

Latesha Williams is the Co-Founder of Cards For All People, AKA the makers of Black Card Revoked, a card game many of us know and love. Cards for All People is a cultural casual gaming company that humorously celebrates the diverse subcultures of America. An accomplished sports & entertainment executive, Latesha is well networked and respected from her years of experience honed with companies such as Admiral’s Center, IMG, LeBron James / LRMR Marketing, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Rocawear.On this episode Latesha shares: Why working for Lebron James at LRMR Marketing was like working for a start-up What she did to figure out how to make her own card game How learning to get her legal ducks in a row made the launch of Black Card Revoked that much smoother How she zeroed in on her target market and got Black Card Revoked in front of the right influencers and publications How she’s been able to get orders fulfilled in a seamless manner Who you really need to target if you want your product in the hands of a celeb

Former Side Hustle Pro guest Maya Elious shared that the number one thing she would tell any entrepreneur is to niche down. After her episode, a few people in the Side Hustle Pro community talked about how illuminating and critical this advice was. But a few people commented that it was hard for them to niche down, because they were worried about putting themselves into a box. Or to be labeled as one thing. That got me thinking about how too many times, we are scared to niche down and narrow our audience, because we are actually trying to focus on too many side hustles at once. On this episode, I get real about: Why trying to be a Janelle of All Trades leads you to be a master of none Why you need to choose a lane The fact that it’s hard to do more than one thing really well, especially if you are still working on being excellent at one. And definitely if you’re still side hustling. Real life examples of people who are known for many things...and the secret to their success How focusing on one side hustle at

Today’s guest, Kathryn Finney, is the Founder and Managing Director of digitalundivided (DID for short), an organization that invests in the success of Black and Latina women tech founders by providing them with the network, coaching, and funding to build, scale, and exit their high growth companies. Kathryn was also one of the first social media “stars” and in 2014 sold her site, The Budget Fashionista, to a midwest media company and later was the editor at large at BlogHer, a platform representing 40MM+ women influencers. Named by Inc Magazine as one of the most influential women in tech, Kathryn has made her mark as a tech entrepreneur, social media visionary, an advocate, investor, writer, and television correspondent.   Listen on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and Google Play Links mentioned on this episode: Digital Undivided Headspace One Hundred Years of Solitude The Budget Fashionista Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Important

Today in the guest chair we have Maya Elious. Maya is a personal branding strategist that teaches content creators and experts how to strategize, organize, and monetize their online business. She creates online courses and coaching programs with a focus on teaching entrepreneurs how to get clear with their messaging so they can create premium content and products that will get them noticed and paid online. She’s helped hundreds of students and clients launch & monetize blogs, online challenges, masterclasses, webinars, online courses and other successful content platforms so they can make an impact in their industry. On this episode, Maya shares: Her journey from designing MySpace pages to leaving college to become an entrepreneur How she earns money today as a content strategist and coach Her most simple sales funnel that anyone can replicate The common misconceptions about being a coach or course instructor Her number one pro tip for building an audience that craves your content Hosted on Acast. See a

Side Hustle Pro Nicaila is back with a second check-in for 2017. Time is flying by. It seems like just the other day I was kicking off with the first episode of the year, and telling you guys about my mindset hacks for 2017. Now I'm here with some updates and progress reports.  I break this episode up into three main topics: Number One: The Lessons I’ve learned since we last spoke Number Two: How my 12-week sprint is going. Number Three: What I’ve learned from launching my first online course, Master The Gram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.