Side Hustle to Small Business

Brian Parenteau never wanted to work weekends. However, when he found himself bartending at a local restaurant, he quickly fell in love with the industry. As he rose the ranks within the restaurant space and found himself helping organizations open new restaurants, he realized he could do it on his own. Fast-forward to today, Brian is the owner of four restaurants and bars in Florida, with hopes of expanding into other states. - Chapters- 00:00:00 Introduction and Background 00:05:13 Humbling Roots 00:07:55 Buying VS Starting Businesses 00:10:04 First Year Losses 00:12:42 Pandemic Pivots 00:16:14 Elevated And Edgier Concepts 00:18:36 Bartender to Entrepreneur 00:23:34 Sam Malone at Cheers 00:26:42 Living Humble 00:29:07 The Best Apps 00:30:29 Closing

D.R. Fay is the Founder of Mouthy Broad Media, a podcast production company that specializes in editing, graphic design and strategy. Beginning her career as a musician, D.R. travelled Asia for close to a decade before coming home to the States and transitioning into corporate roles. When she was 62, while those around her were retiring, D.R. ventured into entrepreneurship and hasn’t looked back. - Chapters - 00:00 - Introduction 06:59 - First entrepreneurial venture later in life 09:37 - Overcoming nerves 11:29 - Managing stress & health problems 21:00 - Advice for other entrepreneurs 23:21 - Closing and contact

Matt Gluckman has worn many hats. From working at a produce stand to running a real estate company, Matt has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Now, Matt owns Think Fitness Life, a remote personal training company, with his business partner Eric. From his past job experiences, Matt has mastered the skills of communication and thrives on helping individuals become their best selves through personal training. - Chapters - 00:00 - Introduction 04:49 - Matt's work history and transferable skills 11:14 - Overcoming nerves 12:47 - Having a business partner in a different state 15:32 - Balancing stress 17:33 - Setting boundaries 22:37 - What Matt would have done differently 26:02 - Advice to other entrepreneurs 26:35 - Closing and contact information

Aaron Ryan loves all things creative, but has found that writing has been his number one source of inspiration and drive. He is the author of The Dissonance series, a science fiction series based on the idea of aliens visiting earth. Since having started writing a year ago, Aaron has already penned six books in the series. Writing has not only become his creative passion but also the driving force that propels him forward in his life and career. - Chapters - 00:00:00 Introduction and Background 00:03:35 What’s A Kool Aid Stand? 00:05:57 The 80’s Comic Books 00:11:29 Writing A Book Every Sixty Days 00:15:24 Dissonance: The Lack Of Harmony 00:17:19 Do You Believe? 00:21:48 Pear-Shaped Men 00:25:36 Entrepreneurial Blurred Lines 00:27:02 Listening To The Voice Within 00:30:15 Endorsement Does Not Equal Trajectory 00:33:10 Closing Remarks

Kate Wallace and Blake Chasen first met while working at the same startup. Through their work together, not only did they come to realize that they have great synergy in the office, but also personally as well. With a background in writing, Blake found his niche in custom storytelling online during the pandemic. Now, the couple owns Avenue Stories, an AI-powered storytelling app for children that allows you to custom build characters and stories. - Chapters - 00:00:00 Introduction and Background 00:02:24 Side Hustle, Small Business, Marriage 00:05:41 Peddling Up The Ladder 00:09:57 Excitement Outweighing Risk 00:10:50 Burning Out And Growing Up 00:14:38 NFTs Are A NO 00:16:51 Shifting The Infield 00:20:43 Failure Will Fix It 00:24:39 Fundraising Frenzy 00:30:52 Opportunity In AI 00:34:08 Closing

Winnifred Tataw has been writing for as long as she can remember, and has been a professional author for eight years. During the pandemic, Winnifred was looking for ways to better support the indie publishing industry. It was then that she decided to launch Win’s Books Publishing, which officially opened in April of 2024. Now, Winnifred and her team support a handful of authors through their publishing process.

Dawn Kennedy is an attorney, author, and podcaster. In 2020, her husband Mike received a roaster and some coffee beans for Christmas. After tasting his coffee, Dawn bet him he could sell it online. Not expecting much, they made a Facebook post and ended up selling eleven bags. From there, Convoy Road Coffee Roasters was born. Fast-forward to this year, Dawn and Mike have five employees and bring in six-figures of revenues annually. - Chapters - 00:00:00 Introduction and Background 00:02:23 Coffee: The Cottage Food 00:04:40 Bottlenecks of Business 00:08:18 Transitioning from Side Hustle 00:10:10 Illicit Deals 00:12:27 Growing Organically 00:15:33 Certified Coffee Cuppers 00:19:29 Working hard or hardly working? 00:21:10 Origin of the Month 00:23:10 Overcoming Fear, Moving Forward 00:25:10 “Well, that’s cute.” 00:26:58 The ROASTMASTER 00:30:04 Closing

When Michelle Choairy’s son was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, she found that there were not enough resources out there for parents going through the same thing as her. This is when she founded Wisdom4ComplexKids, an organization focused on providing resources and building community with parents of children with similar needs. Now, Michelle’s goal is to create the best life for her family and other families who have complex children. - Chapters - 00:00:00 Introduction and Background 00:03:14 A Lack of Resources 00:05:26 The Catalyst for Change 00:08:55 “This is Awful” 00:10:57 Complex Kids 00:12:18 Deep Dive on Diagnosis 00:15:19 Putting Yourself Out There 00:16:57 The Big Picture 00:19:47 It Takes a Village 00:23:42 Misinformation 00:28:05 They Need You 00:29:40 Closing

Stephanie Shanks has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, from selling livestock in her youth to owning a message therapy practice. It wasn’t until her first child was born that she discovered her passion for photography. With the encouragement of her community, she founded Staphanie Shanks Photography in 2011. When she realized she wasn’t charging enough, she changed her rates and increased her revenue tenfold. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and background 5:56 Photography background 7:54 Going all in 9:17 Setting rates 12:47 Overcoming nerves 14:38 Investing back in the business 16:25 Balancing life and the business 18:04 Finding your personal style 21:11 Managing stress 23:37 Setting boundaries 25:15 Looking back 25:50 Advice for other entrepreneurs 26:28 Closing

Jeff Revilla started his entrepreneurial journey in the early 2000’s by opening a mail order skateboard shop. After that business went under during the 2008 financial crisis, Jeff’s entrepreneurial spirit never went away. In June of 2024, he opened Poduty Live, a podcasting and live event theater based in Tarentum, Pennsylvania. This space allows Jeff to connect podcasters and local and virtual talent to excited audience members. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and background 6:02 Finding the right space for your new business 11:43 Overcoming nerves 13:23 Revenue 18:02 Managing a side hustle while working full-time 21:18 Looking back on the business 22:57 Advice for other entrepreneurs 26:28 Technology recommendations 28:07 Closing and contact

Formally a courtroom attorney, Amity Gleason first gained an interest in jewelry design when she was getting married. As someone with an appreciation of gothic style, she found most jewelry on the market didn’t match this style and instead followed the same cookie cutter patterns. This inspired her to start Amity Alexandra Jewelry Design, a jewelry company focused on making one-of-a-kind pieces that don’t break the bank. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and background 6:57 - Jewelry making process 10:35 - Overcoming fears and finding clients 14:11 - Work-life balance 16:14 - Building your brand 18:58 - Saving money 22:08 - Entrepreneurship and parenthood 25:39 - Setting boundaries 27:36 - Looking back 28:30 - Advice for other entrepreneurs 30:05 - Closing and contact

As a military spouse, Bonnie Conrad was tired of starting at a new job everywhere she moved. In 2018, she decided to take the leap into entrepreneurship by founding I Built This, a furniture building company. Through selling furniture, she discovered digital marketing and decided to dive into it full-time by founding Second You. In 2023, she merged her business with Inn8ly, a website technology company, to expand her impact in the digital space. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and background 8:10 - Entrepreneurial background 10:59 - Overcoming nerves and starting the business 13:15 - Balancing life and entrepreneurship 15:31 - Merging with another business 20:00 - Helpful technology and apps 20:40 - Looking back 23:46 - Advice for other entrepreneurs 25:53 - Social media strategy advice 26:49 - Closing and contact

Ryan Klee is the Co-Founder of Rootstock, an organization dedicated to helping ambitious leaders and businesses expand their brands and scale their operations. Rootstock achieves this by harnessing the power of strategic thinking, refining compelling narratives, and sharing those stories with broader audiences. With a background in PR, Ryan grew tired of the traditional 9 to 5 routine and, along with a colleague, launched the business in 2021. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and background 3:30 - Venturing into entrepreneurship 7:46 - Finding clients 9:18 - Origin of the company name 10:13 - Shifting business models 17:41 - Resonating with clients 22:30 - Looking back 26:31 - Advice for fellow entrepreneurs 28:34 - Closing and contact

With a background in marketing, Chris Van Nostrand never envisioned himself becoming an entrepreneur. It wasn't until his late 30s, seeking a change, that he decided to transform his lifelong passion for powerlifting into a full-time career. This shift coincided with the pandemic, bringing numerous learning opportunities along the way, including owning a virtual business and customer acquisition. - Chapters - 00:00 - Introduction 3:10 - Entrepreneurial background 6:22 - Funding the business 7:30 - Impact of the pandemic 8:50 - Overcoming nerves 10:28 - Finding your market and services offered 14:55 - Tracking costs and customer acquisition 17:52 - Making the leap into full-time entrepreneurship 26:58 - Health and Wellness 29:47 - Reflecting back on the business 32:00 - Closing and contact

When Samantha Mittman Besnoff started college, she had dreams of being an accountant at a one of the big 6 firms. However, after having children, she discovered that she wanted the flexibility that a traditional 9 to 5 cannot offer. She then turned her side hustle of helping folks with their taxes into her full-time gig. Now, Samantha runs Your Financial Maven, a successful accounting business. She also hosts the Your Financial Maven podcast. - Chapters - 00:00 - Intro 4:15 - Entrepreneurial Background 8:28 - Overcoming nerves 12:10 - Your Financial Maven podcast 14:49 - Managing stress 20:12 - Looking back on the business 23:44 - Technology recommendations 25:02 - Advice for other entrepreneurs 26:46 - Closing and contact

Monica Helvie started her career as a licensed therapist in community mental health, but found it challenging to balance her personal life with her work, causing her to experience intense burnout. In 2018, she decided to open her own private practice, giving her the freedom to set her own hours and choose her clients. Using the skills she learned with her burnout experience, Monica specializes in helping clients navigate their own experiences with burnout. - Chapters - 00:00 - Intro 3:02 - Entrepreneurial background 4:44 - Community Mental Health 5:41 - Making the leap into entrepreneurship 8:09 - Overcoming nerves and managing stress 14:17 - Setting boundaries 19:30 - Looking back on the business 22:20 - Advice for other entrepreneurs 23:50 - Closing and connect

Tiffany Hopkins is a certified health coach and nutrition specialist. Having experienced substance abuse in the past, Tiffany has found her passion in helping individuals, and more specifically mothers, take back control of their lives by quitting alcohol. She is the founder of two companies: her own private counseling practice and Mind and Body Restoration LLC, a sober health coaching business. - Chapters - 00:00 - Introduction 4:21 - Entrepreneurial background 8:52 - Business challenges and nerves 12:35 - Looking back on the business 16:36 - Advice for other entrepreneurs 21:22 - Closing and Connect with Tiffany

Bryson Tarbet is an elementary school teacher turned entrepreneur. While completing his Masters, Bryson discovered that many programs do not give you the necessary skills to become an elementary school teacher. To help solve this issue, Bryson founded That Music Teacher, an online platform that supplies elementary school music teachers with educational resources for their students and personal development content for themselves. - Chapters - 00:00 - Intro 04:39 - Entrepreneurial background 07:08 - Overcoming nerves 08:31 - Family reaction 12:08 - Going all in 14:15 - Building a team 15:10 - Looking back on the business 17:17 - Advice for other entrepreneurs 18:56 - Determining the name of the business 20:10 - Monthly membership 25:05 - Closing and contact

Tim Holmes is the founder of Kingdom Quest, a toy company based in Columbus, Ohio. While working for another business, he discovered 3D printing and began creating small pieces that he would use dowel rods to connect. Initially, he didn’t think this would interest anyone, but after visiting local schools and STEAM events, the product, which is called Nurkl, gained traction fast and officially launched at the end of 2023. - Chapters - 00:00 - Introduction 03:43 - Sports background 07:28 - Entrepreneurial background 08:58 - Start of business and issues with business partners 17:09 - Managing stress 20:38 - Setting boundaries 23:45 - Looking back and regrets 25:21 - Advice for fellow entrepreneurs 27:16 - Closing and connect

Matt Gluckman has worn many hats. From working at a produce stand to running a real estate company, Matt has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Now, Matt owns Think Fitness Life, a remote personal training company, with his business partner Eric. From his past job experiences, Matt has mastered the skills of communication and thrives on helping individuals become their best selves through personal training. - Chapters - 00:00 - Introduction 04:27 - Matt's work history and transferable skills 10:52 - Overcoming nerves 12:48 - Having a business partner in a different state 15:34 - Balancing stress 17:36 - Setting boundaries 22:40 - What Matt would have done differently 26:05 - Advice to other entrepreneurs 26:38 - Closing and contact information