Apr 3, 2020
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So a few weeks ago, a package arrived at my house that looked like a book and I’m like “What is this? What did I buy that I forgot about?” and open it up, and it’s a paperback book that says “Advance Uncorrected Proof NOT FOR SALE” on the cover with a letter from New York Times Bestselling Author of The $100 Startup and Side Hustle Chris Guillebeau inviting me to read his latest book, The Money Tree all about a new pathway to self reliance and financial freedom.
So my first thought was “I cannot wait to read this book because Chris’s books are life-changing.”
My second thought was, “I’m gonna do whatever I can to help him promote this book because of everything he’s done for me.”
Here’s the backstory:
A few years ago I’d signed up for a service called HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and every day I’d get an email with queries from websites, blogs, news outlets, publications, etc. wanting to hear from experts on certain topics.
I’d scan the queries every day, and many times I’d find myself spending way too much time writing in-depth responses to these queries which would result in either nothing or a one-sentence mention and a link back to my website, which is fine for SEO, but what I was after was email list subscribers.
So just as I start to think that these HARO opportunities aren’t worth all the effort I’m putting into them, I see one asking about side hustles: successes, challenges, financials, all the things.
And I’m like, “Well shoot, my story fits perfectly with what they are asking for, I’ll go ahead and do this. Nothing is probably going to come of it anyway, but I’ll give it my best shot.”
Come to find out, it’s for a new podcast by author Chris Guillebeau all about side hustles, and my story was going to be featured in Episode 30 all about how an “Ohio IT director earned more than $31,000 empowering others by providing them with the tools and resources they needed to set up their own websites.”
That episode came out, and then I saw a surge in people signing up for my free DIY web design training and telling me on their intake form that they found me through Chris’s Side Hustle School Podcast - which if you’ve never listened to it, definitely go check it out the stories are FASCINATING. It’s https://sidehustleschool.com/ and I’ve linked it up in the shownotes.
So I’m just like, blown away and so grateful for that opportunity, and it was an early clue that relationships with other people who serve a similar audience can be massively valuable in growing your own.
And then, someone on Chris’s team reached out to me and said “Hey, we liked your story so much, we’d like to tell it in Chris’s upcoming book “Side Hustle” can we ask you some more questions about your story?”
So of course I said yes, and then several months later, a copy arrived in my mailbox and I saw my name in print on page 72 of Side Hustle all about how I figured out who was the ideal customer for my free DIY Wordpress training.
I was blown away. And then I started hearing from people that they found me through Chris Guillebeau’s “Side Hustle” book.
It was a pivotal moment for me.
Not only because of all the new people who found me because of Chris - that’s amazing, and those people like Sal and Crystal and so many more have become some of my best customers, ambassadors and most active community members - but also because that’s when I discovered that there’s value beyond just what I teach. There’s value in my story of how I got here and what I had to overcome along the way.
That experience was the catalyst for me starting this podcast, and sharing my story with you guys and sharing my income reports and taking you behind the scenes to inspire and motivate you to keep going, and that alone has opened up so many opportunities for me that I never could have imagined.
And so when Chris’s latest book, The Money Tree, arrived in my inbox, it was the perfect excuse to reach out to him and invite him on the show and do whatever I can to get his latest book in the hands of as many people as possible.
So, I don’t usually get nervous before interviewing guests on this show, but before this interview my hands were sweating, I was like, “This is Chris Guillebeau. He’s a big freaking deal. Marie Forleo gave acknowledgements for this book. I have to nail this interview.”
And so right before we’re about to chat, I’m flipping through The Money Tree again to, I don’t know, pull out some quote that makes me sound like Oprah, and I see a quote that I highlighted the first time I read it that said “YOU CAN DO MORE THAN YOU THINK.”
And in that moment I gave myself a little pep talk and I was like, “You got this Shannon. You don’t have to be anyone but yourself in this interview, and you can do more than you think.”
So with that, I am, so, so excited to bring you today’s guest, Chris Guillebeau, New York Times bestselling author, host of the daily podcast that’s downloaded over two million times a month, Side Hustle School and now author of the must-read story about finding fortune in your own back yard, The Money Tree.
Chris and I talk about:
- Chris’s journey from an entrepreneur to author.
- The #1 key to financial freedom.
- Chris’s advice for someone just out of college who wants to become an entrepreneur.
- The “third way” of entrepreneurship that’s low risk and high reward.
- This inspiration behind Chris’s new book, The Money Tree.
- Why making mistakes is critical to the entrepreneurial journey.
- Chris’s best advice for you if you’re struggling to grow your side hustle.
- The one belief Chris had to change about himself to get where he is today.
My favorite quotes from Chris:
- “I began to understand how powerful entrepreneurship can be as a force for good and for creating positive change.”
- “I think there's so many possibilities these days... why would you do something that you're not excited about?”
- "’There is another way.’ That's my favorite phrase in the world.”
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Bio:
Chris Guillebeau is the New York Times bestselling author of The $100 Startup, Side Hustle, The Happiness of Pursuit, and other books. During a lifetime of self-employment that included a four-year commitment as a volunteer executive in West Africa, he visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. His daily podcast, Side Hustle School, is downloaded more than two million times a month. He is also the founder of the World Domination Summit, an event for cultural creatives that attracts thousands of attendees to Portland, Oregon every summer.
Connect with Chris:
Website: chrisguillebeau.com
Instagram: @193countries
Facebook:@chrisguillebeau
Twitter: @chrisguillebeau