Summary

The article provides a step-by-step guide on building a successful side hustle in just 3 hours a day, focusing on finding a job you like, creating time, building habits, branding, learning digital products, and cornerstone content, while also addressing common challenges faced by creators.

Abstract

The author shares their journey from being a wantrepreneur to having a thriving business, emphasizing the importance of finding a job you like to reduce pressure on the side hustle. They recommend finding the best time to create based on energy levels, building a habit of consistency, and creating a brand with a clear message. The author suggests learning digital products such as Canva, Gumroad, and Cardd for creating and selling products. They also emphasize the importance of building cornerstone content and listening to both personal preferences and audience feedback. The article concludes with advice for overcoming common challenges such as feeling like giving up, dealing with negativity, and managing creative ruts.

Bullet points

Find a job you like to reduce pressure on the side hustle
Find the best time to create based on energy levels
Build a habit of consistency
Create a brand with a clear message
Learn digital products such as Canva, Gumroad, and Cardd
Build cornerstone content
Listen to personal preferences and audience feedback
Overcome challenges such as feeling like giving up, dealing with negativity, and managing creative ruts.

How I Run a $5,500+ Per Month Side Hustle Empire in 3 Hours a Day

Yes, 6 am wake ups are part of it

I never thought I’d have a successful business.

For years I jumped from shiny object to shiny object. I fell for every get-rich-quick scheme.

I was a wantrepreneur. Today I have a thriving business.

This is the exact step-by-step guide I used (steal to get started today):

1. Find a job you like

Not what you were expecting?

Everybody hates this step but honestly? The biggest impact in my creator journey was working a job I like. Why? It means there is zero pressure on the part-time thing.

Pressure can kill your dreams before they have time to take root. You have to have enough runway to think creatively, to dream and to ideate. If you don’t you’ll end up publishing obvious content into the void.

2. Find the time to create

Map out an average day. Write down every hour of the day. Then mark on it where your energy levels are the highest.

For me? I have the most creativity in the early hours (after some coffee). After lunch, I have a slump and after work, well I have about as much energy as a cat laying in the sun.

So when do I write? 6 am — 8 am.

Optimise your creating time around those high-energy hours.

3. Build a habit

To build a profitable business, you have to be the highest version of yourself.

The best way to get to that place is to consistently show up for yourself. To get good at doing the boring work. To find the emotional resilience to get through the hard times.

Write on Medium and learn how to write stuff that people want to read.

(I earn $2–4k on Medium each month).

4. Build a brand

I built the Part-Time Creator Club from frustration and an article. It took 2 years to get the positioning right & another six months before I realised it. Get clear on what you stand for, what your message is & who you are talking to:

• It’ll take 5 years • You’ll feel like giving up • Get-rich-quick schemes are BS • You’ll lose faith in yourself & what you’re doing

It’s all part of the game.

5. Learn digital products

• Canva to design • Gumroad to sell stuff • Cardd for landing pages

All of those things are free and you can create incredible businesses with those alone. The opportunity to build on the internet has never been bigger.

I make $2k per month selling digital products.

6. Build cornerstone content

I write blogs. Those blogs turn into newsletters. Those newsletter snippets turn into tweets. Those tweets building into threads.

Content is an ecosystem.

Learn to optimise high output for 2 hours a day of writing.

7. Listen carefully

Both to what you enjoy creating and what your audience likes to see from you.

High engagement on certain topics?
Tonnes of comments on certain ideas?

Tap into those, unpick what you think is working and optimise for that.

And at some point, it’ll get hard and you’ll want to give up… here’s my advice…

When you feel like giving up

Zoom into the future. You’re a bestselling author, you make $10k/month.

Now ask yourself: how do you want to spend your day? If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to spend 2–3 hours a day writing.

And you get to do that right now.

When people kick you down

99% of people are incredible. 1% are plonkers.

Expect people to say mean things. It’s the price you pay for being on the internet. Let it wash over you.

You only get so much time, don’t waste it on negativity.

When you feel out of your depth

Nobody knows what they’re doing.

Everyone feels a level of imposter syndrome. It’s totally normal. Focus on taking the next logical step. One after the other.

You’ll find your path if you just keep walking.

When you’re in a creative rut

Creativity is a magical thing. It’s also rather frustrating.

Here one day, gone the next.

But remember the game is long. A few days, a week out of the game isn’t the end of the world. You’re playing forever. A few bad days are expected.

In summary

Whatever decision you make you are choosing how to spend your time. These days I spend 3 hours a day writing and I make x10 more than I did a year ago.

The skill is to constantly review your work and how you are spending your time and optimise every element of it.

You’ll be amazed what you can do in a year.

The Part-Time Creator Club has grown by 1035% in the last 6 months. It’s fast becoming the go-to newsletter for creating alongside your 9–5. Join 11k+ brilliant minds here.