This week in the guest chair is sales and business coach Dielle Charon, founder of For the 23%, where she helps women of color build profitable businesses and grow their income through coaching and entrepreneurship.

Dielle shares how she went from earning $2,500 a month as a social worker with six-figure student loan debt to building a multi-seven-figure coaching business. Along the way, she explains why traditional jobs often undervalue your skills, how to identify the expertise you can monetize, and why the coaching industry continues to grow despite criticism.

In this conversation, we also dive deep into the mindset shifts needed to move from six-figure income to seven-figure business growth, including overcoming people-pleasing, claiming your expertise, and stepping fully into your authority.

If you’ve been thinking about turning your knowledge into income, starting a side hustle, or scaling your existing business, this episode will help you see what’s possible.

00:00 – Why Dielle realized her corporate career wasn’t the life she wanted

05:30 – Testing multiple side hustles before finding the right one

08:00 – How to identify skills you can monetize

12:00 – Why the coaching industry gets criticism and why it’s still growing

16:30 – The truth about selling and why everyone is already selling themselves

20:00 – Why your job isn’t amazing — you are

23:45 – Breaking the mindset barriers around charging for your expertise

25:50 – The biggest blocks women hit going from six figures to seven figures

31:00 – Visibility, people-pleasing, and identity shifts in business growth

36:00 – Why most successful businesses focus on beginners

41:00 – The simple seven-figure business model (and why it’s simpler than you think)

47:00 – Improving messaging and positioning for entrepreneurs

https://forthe23percent.com/

Save the Date: Start the Podcast That Builds Your Exit Plan (Friday, March 13)

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:

Instagram: @forthe23percent

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

Life and Numbers YouTube Channel

Read Successful Failure by KevOnStage

Watch Symone's YouTube video "I Got Laid Off From My 6 Figure Tech Job"

Save the Date: Start the Podcast That Builds Your Exit Plan (Friday, March 13)

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: https://sidehustlepro.lpages.co/your-first-1000-downloads/

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.

This week on Side Hustle Pro, I’m sharing how I’m structuring my year through 12-week sprints, focusing on my health, my money, and elevating my Podcast Moguls program.

I open up about navigating motherhood, sleep deprivation, and mindset work while still executing on big goals. Most importantly, I reflect on how my podcast has been the one constant through every season becoming my bridge out of corporate and my foundation for long-term leverage.

00:00: Why I use 12-week sprints

02:15: Rebuilding my health after six years

06:30: Accountability and investing in myself

14:00: Emotional spending and financial clarity

18:45: Auditing my business finances

21:30: Updating Podcast Moguls

25:00: Managing mindset during execution

28:00: Why my podcast became my bridge out of corporate

31:00: Building leverage and long-term positioning

Podcast Moguls: Start the Podcast That Builds Your Exit Plan

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:

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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

In this solo episode, I’m sharing five real, practical ways to generate income during your in-between season. If you’re asking yourself, “I got laid off… now what? This episode will give you grounded, actionable steps to move forward and even some side hustle ideas!

00:00 – If you’ve been laid off, you are not alone

02:30 – Why invisibility is the real danger during unemployment

04:05 – Using content creation as a visibility tool

07:20 – Turning alumni and professional networks into income

09:10 – Short-term projects using skills you already have

13:10 – Becoming a LifeOps consultant

16:50 – Short-term rental support as seasonal leverage

19:30 – Creating a premium career support retreat experience

21:40 – Why you should always keep side hustling

23:30 – How my unemployment season planted the seed for Side Hustle Pro

Podcast Moguls: Start the Podcast That Builds Your Exit Plan

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.

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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

Side Hustle Pro is officially 500 episodes deep, and in this milestone episode, I’m taking time to reflect on what this journey has really taught me.

I share the biggest lessons I’ve learned about consistency, networking, monetization, and why the podcast itself was never the end goal, the platform was. I also talk about what I wish I knew when I started, how podcasting helped me grow as a speaker and business owner, and why playing the long game has paid off in ways I never could have planned.

If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, growing a side hustle, or building something meaningful over time, this episode is a reminder that you don’t have to rush, you just have to keep going.

Highlights Include

• 00:00 – Welcome to the 500th episode of Side Hustle Pro
• 02:10 – Starting with what I had and recording from home
• 04:30 – Why trying to predict the end can stop you from starting
• 06:45 – Why the podcast was never the point, the platform was
• 09:30 – How podcasting transformed my network
• 12:50 – Keeping costs low and thinking like a business owner
• 16:30 – The power of consistency and playing the long game
• 18:45 – How podcasting improved my confidence as a speaker
• 21:00 – Giving myself grace through different seasons of life
• 24:45 – Final lessons I’d tell my earlier self

• Podcast Moguls Group Coaching Program: https://sidehustlepro.co/podcastmoguls
• Start the Podcast That Builds Your Exit Plan: https://sidehustlepro.lpages.co/your-first-1000-downloads/
• Side Hustle Pro Website: https://sidehustlepro.co/

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

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

You do not need a million dollars to change your life, you need your first $1,000.

In this solo episode, I’m breaking down why the first $1K is such a pivotal milestone for side hustlers and how it shifts everything from theory to proof. I walk you through the exact decisions and actions that turn preparation into income without overbuilding, overthinking, or waiting until things feel perfect.

If you’ve been stuck planning, tweaking, or doubting yourself, this episode will help you move forward with clarity, confidence, and momentum.

In This Episode, I Share:

• Why the first $1,000 changes everything mentally and strategically
• How to choose a simple offer you can confidently deliver right now
• How to identify who your offer is really for and why frustration matters
• Why clarity, consistency, and conversations matter more than perfection

Highlights Include:

• 00:00 – Why you don’t need a million dollars to change your life — you need your first $1,000
• 01:35 – How your mindset shifts after you make your first $1K and why proof matters more than theory
• 02:31 – What actually counts as an offer and why your first one should be useful, not fancy
• 03:52 – Why starting with what you’re already confident in is the fastest way to get paid
• 05:16 – How to decide who your offer is really for and why specificity matters
• 07:27 – The difference between a painkiller and a vitamin offer (and why frustration drives sales)
• 08:55 – How to package your offer simply without a website, logo, or brand
• 11:22 – Why offering your service is the most important step people delay
• 12:48 – How confidence and customer focus directly impact whether you make your first $1K
• 14:04 – Why you don’t need a massive audience — just real conversations and feedback
• 15:37 – How to use feedback as information instead of taking it personally
• 17:47 – Why overbuilding and “perfecting” keeps side hustlers stuck
• 19:21 – Breaking down the math behind $1,000 so it feels achievable
• 20:45 – Why fewer clients at a higher price can reduce burnout
• 21:34 – Why most people earn their first $1K from conversations, not content
• 22:19 – How I made my first $1,000 and what actually worked
• 26:03 – When to start building your email list and why simple free resources convert better
• 28:54 – How to use a 12-week sprint to stay focused on your first $1K
• 29:38 – What to do when your first offer feels slow or doesn’t land immediately
• 31:08 – What changes after you hit your first $1,000 — and the mistake to avoid next
• 31:49 – Final action steps to start building your first $1K offer

• Side Hustle Pro Website: https://sidehustlepro.co/

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

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

In this solo episode, I’m breaking down how to start your side hustle without quitting your job or putting your paycheck at risk. I’m sharing what I’ve learned from building Side Hustle Pro from two very different places: one, when I was unemployed with plenty of time but no stability, and two, when I was working full-time at NPR with stability but limited time.

What I’ve learned is this: there is no “perfect” situation for side hustling. What matters is how you build, not whether you quit your job first.

I’m walking you through my five rules for side hustling the Side Hustle Pro way, plus a bonus rule to help you decide when you’re actually ready to leave your job on purpose, with a plan, and on your own terms.

If you’ve been feeling the pull to build something but don’t want to move out of panic or pressure, this episode will help you build quietly, strategically, and stress-free.

In This Episode, I Share:

• Why keeping your job can actually give you leverage and clarity as you build
• The mindset shift that turns your paycheck into startup capital
• How to choose a side hustle that fits your real life, energy, and capacity
• How to decide in advance what “ready to leave” really looks like backed by numbers and a plan

00:00 Introduction to Side Hustling

01:00 The Importance of Stability

02:24 Five Rules for Side Hustle Success

04:39 Rule 1: Keep Your Day Job

06:26 Rule 2: Choose a Suitable Side Hustle

08:53 Rule 3: Set Non-Negotiable Time Boundaries

12:37 Rule 4: Build Basic First

17:11 Rule 5: Protect Your Job While You Build

20:48 Bonus Rule: Decide What 'Ready to Leave' Means

24:01 Conclusion and Next Steps

• Side Hustle Pro Website: https://sidehustlepro.co/
• Goal Getter Action Plan: https://side-hustle-pro.teachable.com/p/goal-getter-action-plan

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

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