You don't need a huge following or constant access to your private life to build a profitable business. You need to be known for solving a specific problem. In this solo episode, I break down the difference between influence and authority, and between visibility and exposure. I share the questions I ask clients before we talk about anything they don't want to do, starting with what they actually want to be known for. I walk through the three layers of sharing, how I decide what stays private, including how I've approached sharing my journey as an autism mom, and a simple boundary exercise you can use before you post. Then I cover four ways to build authority without becoming a lifestyle influencer: the teacher, the curator, the practitioner, and the connector. We close with how to pick one discovery channel and one owned channel, what consistency really looks like, and how to connect your content to a paid offer you can test.

Highlights Include

• [00:00] Why a profitable brand doesn't require a huge following
• [01:40] The difference between an influencer and a business owner
• [02:20] Why my business keeps earning when I step away from Instagram
• [05:55] Being famous vs. being findable
• [08:15] The first question to answer: what do you actually want to be known for?
• [13:15] Visibility vs. exposure, and how I handle sharing my autism mom journey
• [18:00] The three layers of sharing: expertise, experience, and personal access
• [22:10] A boundary exercise and the question "What will this yield?"
• [26:15] The four ways to build authority: teacher, curator, practitioner, and connector
• [36:00] Discovery channels vs. owned channels, and why social media is rented attention
• [41:05] The three jobs every piece of business content should do
• [44:30] Why you should launch before you feel ready, even if you launch to crickets
• [49:30] Five questions to answer this week

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Podcast Moguls coaching program: https://sidehustlepro.co/podcastmoguls

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this solo episode, I break down why so many people are starting shows right now, drawing on 10 years of running Side Hustle Pro, which I launched in 2016 and have grown past 10 million downloads.

I walk through three things a podcast can be: a networking tool, a bridge from where you've been to where you want to go, and a launch pad. I share how I grew the show with a small paid promotion budget, landed my first $4,000 sponsorship while working full time at NPR, and was found by producers from the Today Show and TEDx without pitching.

I also cover how I started Side Hustle Pro after graduating from business school without a job, how Ryan Clark used his podcast The Pivot to move into his next chapter, and how to give people a clear reason to listen so your show can grow and earn.

• A podcast is a networking tool that opens doors a cold coffee request would not.
• Your show can be a bridge to the field you want next, even before you know what it is.
• Specificity grows a show; "life and everything in between" gives no one a reason to listen.
• Start before you need it: a podcast can work as your work insurance plan.

• [00:00] What Michelle Obama, Jalen Brunson, LeBron James, and I have in common
• [02:03] Why podcasting is the most powerful networking tool
• [04:40] Podcasting from home as an introvert
• [06:55] Podcasting as a bridge to where you want to go
• [12:05] How I grew Side Hustle Pro with $5 to $10 per post in paid promotion
• [15:00] Landing my first $4,000 sponsorship
• [18:50] Using your podcast as a pivot tool
• [22:50] How Side Hustle Pro started after business school
• [26:30] How the show led to the Today Show and TEDx
• [27:25] Ryan Clark, The Pivot, and your work insurance plan
• [29:45] Why "life and everything in between" won't grow your show

• Podcast Moguls: https://sidehustlepro.co/podcastmoguls

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8t
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323

Podcast Moguls, my coaching program for podcasters, is open. If you want to start your own podcast or grow your current one, I'll coach you on making your show more visible, more marketable, and an actual business. Join at sidehustlepro.co/podcastmoguls.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I kept putting off this solo episode because I did not want to get camera-ready. So I took the camera out of the picture. This audio-only life update is about the changes that helped me feel like myself again, a year after sharing that I was burned out.

I share how I started building my business around my life as a mother, why I am focused on Podcast Moguls and SHIFT, and what I learned from launching the first group cohort of SHIFT this summer.

I also talk about returning to therapy, the impact of postpartum on my mental health, and making room to rest. Next up: building systems that require less of my energy and asking what I can take out of the picture when I feel stuck.

• Design your business around your life instead of designing your life around your business.
• Identify the part of a process that is keeping you stuck, and ask whether you can remove it.
• Focus on the offers that fit your life, and build systems that reduce unnecessary work.
• Protecting rest and getting professional support can change how you work and how you feel.

• Why this episode is audio only and what I removed from the picture
• Where I was last year compared to where I am now
• Building my business around motherhood, with most of my work on Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Deciding what belongs in the business after a year of experimenting
• Recommitting to Podcast Moguls and keeping it current
• Launching the first group cohort of SHIFT in July
• Why Podcast Moguls and SHIFT feel aligned with this season
• The next chapter: systems, systems, systems
• Changing my relationship with business and my sense of worth
• Therapy, postpartum, and getting support for my mental health
• The year I centered myself and redefining wealth

• FREE CLASS: Start the Podcast that Builds Your Exit Plan: https://sidehustlepro.lpages.co/your-first-1000-downloads
• Join Podcast Moguls: https://sidehustlepro.co/podcastmoguls
• Apply for the SHIFT Coaching Waitlist: https://sidehustlepro.co/shift
• START Your Next Chapter: A Woman's Guide to Taking the Leap with AI by Nadeen Matthews Blair: https://amzn.to/4z2AZs8

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8t

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the biggest misconceptions I see when it comes to making money is the belief that you need to start from scratch. A new certification, a brand new idea, or a completely different skill set. But the truth is, most of us already have everything we need. The real problem is not a lack of knowledge, it is not knowing how to package and position what we already know.

In this episode, I break down five simple and practical ways to turn your existing skills, experiences, and knowledge into income. Whether you are in between roles, exploring a side hustle, or just trying to make extra money right now, this episode is your reminder that there is value in what you already bring to the table.

I also walk through a key mindset shift. You do not need to be the top expert. You just need to be a few steps ahead of the person you are helping. People are not just paying for information. They are paying for clarity, speed, guidance, and confidence. And that is where your opportunity lies.

• You do not need new skills or certifications to start making money
• There are five core ways to monetize what you already know
• People pay for clarity, speed, and guidance, not just expertise
• Start with one path and keep it simple instead of trying everything

• 00:00 – The biggest misconception about making money
• 01:30 – Why you already have valuable, monetizable knowledge
• 02:00 – The 5 ways to make money with what you know
• 03:00 – The mindset shift you need before starting
• 04:00 – Service and coaching as the fastest path to income
• 06:00 – Done-for-you services and why people pay for convenience
• 08:00 – Creating simple digital products that sell
• 10:30 – Workshops and why people pay for real-time learning
• 13:00 – Why reminders are key when selling anything
• 15:00 – Using content to create opportunities and income
• 18:00 – How to use AI without losing your voice
• 21:00 – Why you should pick ONE path and start now

Watch this episode on YouTube and listen on all podcast platforms:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8t
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sidehustlepro

If you’re ready to build a podcast that becomes your exit plan from your 9-to-5, sign up for my next live class: Start the Podcast That Builds Your Exit Plan

Save your seat here.

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in the guest chair, Symone’ Austin shares her powerful journey from being laid off to building a thriving YouTube platform.

After recording and posting her layoff conversation, her video went viral and became the turning point in her entrepreneurial journey. In this episode, she breaks down how she built multiple income streams through YouTube ad revenue, brand partnerships, digital products, virtual assistant work, and strategic financial decisions like bringing on a roommate.

If you’ve been navigating uncertainty, considering content creation, or wondering how to turn a setback into leverage, this episode will show you how.

00:00 – Recording the layoff conversation that changed everything

04:30 – Growing from 10K to 60K+ subscribers in one year

08:20 – Making $5,900 in one month from YouTube ad revenue

13:00 – Cutting expenses and surviving without touching savings

18:10 – Turning skills into income: photography, digital products, VA work

24:00 – Why personal finance has one of the highest CPMs on YouTube

29:00 – Replacing a corporate salary through content creation

35:00 – The reality of working 7 days a week as a full-time creator

38:00 – Getting a roommate as a financial reset strategy

43:00 – Navigating job offers after deciding to go all-in

• Watch Symone’s YouTube video “I Got Laid Off From My 6 Figure Tech Job”
• Podcast Moguls: Start the Podcast That Builds Your Exit Plan
• Read Successful Failure by KevOnStage

Watch this episode on YouTube and listen on all podcast platforms:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8t
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sidehustlepro

If you’re ready to build a podcast that becomes your exit plan, attend my next live class: Start the Podcast That Builds Your Exit Plan. Save your seat here.

YouTube: Life and Numbers: https://www.youtube.com/lifeandnumbers

Instagram: @lifeandnumbers: http://instagram.com/lifeandnumbers

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I sat down with Jannese Torres, host of the Yo Quiero Dinero podcast, to talk about how she went from a corporate career in engineering, pharmaceuticals, and consumer manufacturing to building a $500K-a-year media business. Jannese shares how getting laid off pushed her to take entrepreneurship seriously and how her food blog, Delish D'Lites, became her first profitable side hustle.

We talk about how she used her blog income to pay off her student loans, why she launched Yo Quiero Dinero in 2019 to create the personal finance show she wanted to hear as a Latina, and how the podcast became the engine behind her book, speaking engagements, brand partnerships, and other income streams.

Jannese also breaks down the team and systems behind the business, why niching down helped her grow brand deals from $125 to more than $50,000, and how she separates the offers that pay the bills from the offers that let her experiment. This is an honest look at what it takes to build a profitable media brand without depending on one platform, one offer, or one source of income.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How a layoff gave Jannese the push to test entrepreneurship before she felt fully ready
• Why she treated her food blog like a non-negotiable commitment and learned SEO and brand partnerships
• How blog income helped her pay off her student loans and become debt-free in February 2020
• Why Yo Quiero Dinero centers Latinas and the power of building for a specific audience
• How the podcast became the foundation for her book, speaking, brand deals, and other revenue streams
• Why a podcast team, online business manager, and talent agent are essential to the way she works now
• How she separates reliable 'pay the bills' offers from 'fun money' offers that give her room to experiment

01:07 - Being the first in her family to graduate from college and beginning her career in pharmaceuticals and medical devices

04:10 - How getting laid off became the catalyst for testing entrepreneurship

08:32 - Building the Delish D'Lites food blog and treating it like a non-negotiable commitment

09:52 - Learning SEO and brand partnerships through a food blogging course

11:33 - Using blog income to become debt-free in February 2020

16:32 - Why owning your platform matters more than building entirely on someone else's platform

17:32 - Moving from blogging to launching Yo Quiero Dinero in 2019

19:42 - Why the podcast intentionally centers the Latina community

26:01 - How the podcast became the engine behind her media business

36:51 - The team behind the business: a podcast team, an online business manager, and a talent agent

40:20 - Growing brand deals from $125 to more than $50,000 by niching down

48:07 - Managing cash flow with 'pay the bills' offers and 'fun money' offers

Yo Quiero Dinero: https://yoquierodineropodcast.com

Instagram: @yoquierodineropodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.