I Did This Unintentionally on LinkedIn — And It Became a Steady Flow of Extra Income for Me

It is a walk in the park.

I am an introverted guy — and being an accountant by trade is something that matches my work life.

I am seated at my desk almost all day long. Work on spreadsheets, process data into the system, and repeat this for years. I never liked gatherings. At some point in my journey, I yearn to speak but never in a big event.

The not-so emotional backstory

I want to share a piece of me with the public where I can freely express myself. But it should be a place where I am comfortable and not bound by any corporate rules.

It is my voice that will be heard — and nobody needs to approve or review what I have to say to the crowd. I met LinkedIn in 2009 — and after ten years (2019), I committed to myself that I would use the platform to amplify my voice.

People were doing it already for various reasons — and this time, it was my turn to speak my truth.

I talked a lot about my failed career attempts and office encounters. It received a few reactions — and when I increased the frequency of posting stories every week — my engagement increased as well.

Beyond the likes, I get appreciation comments — others started to share their stories and problems.

Unexpected call of duty

Random people started to send me messages about their problems.

They would share their current situation with me. People did not mind opening and sending me long messages. And they were craving how to solve them.

I felt that there was an obligation for me to help since I can relate with them very well.

We merely do exchanges through our respective inboxes — and I would provide my advice in the same tool. There (were) a few that got back to me after several weeks — and some were months.

They updated me about their progress and where they are now.

Document client experience

Every time I finish a session with people and provide them with a recommendation. I would usually ask for a testimonial through a testimonial.

It is my way to promote my services and reinforcing my brand to others. I would use them in my campaigns when I send offers to my email list.

Commercializing the idea

My inbox continued to receive a consistent flow of inquiries. It made me think.

Speaking about personal growth build me another career in coaching. I would review how I did my free coaching system. And I thought of ways to convert it into a business model by adding additional steps.

For subsequent inquiries I get monthly, I would still give them career advice for free.

The new element here is I am providing them an option to pursue the program with me.

Key takeaways

To launch a hustle, you can merely follow these simple steps.

Choose a topic you love to talk about and share online. When people begin to engage you, invite them for a discussion and get to know more about their situation.

If they are happy with your discussion, ask for a recommendation. Assess common issues — and what solutions you think are usual to those who approach you later on.

Upgrade your session and devise how to insert steps to make it a business model. For subsequent prospects, continue providing free consultation and then offer a paid program.

Repeat the same cycle, and improve until you close a transaction.

To guide you step by step on the process, this LinkedIn Operating System (affiliate link) helped me solidify my journey towards making money online.

This article was also published in The Side Hustle Explorer.