9 to Side: Mastering the Art of the Side Hustle
By Alexandra
9 to Side: Mastering the Art of the Side HustleJun 16, 2023
21 - Erin McMurray (ICGMST)
20 - Vinnie Potestivo (VPEtalent)
19 - Chad Aboud (Chad Aboud Consulting)
Meet Chad Aboud, former lawyer and the owner of Chad Aboud Consulting. Chad works to help Law Firms and Lawyers create rewarding careers and sticky client relationships by bringing more of themselves into their careers. Before launching his Consulting & Coaching business, for 12 years Chad was a Lawyer, both in a national Law Firm and as General Counsel. Chad provides Lawyers and Law Firms with 1:1 and small group coaching, training, and consulting to show Lawyers how they can create better client relationships, or pursue their next career journey, leveraging their most natural traits and skills. Check out Chad's most recent TEDx Talk from Tedx UCIrvine Websites: Website: https://www.chadaboud.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadaboud/ About Chad: I’m a former General Counsel and Law Firm Lawyer, with a passion and purpose to help Lawyers uncover their natural traits + skills so that they are more successful and feel happier in their careers. This is my story: Practicing in a national Law Firm, I saw how we could use our natural skills and human connection to drive more successful, impactful and fulfilling careers. But I didn’t see these ideas being taught or implemented. So I left BigLaw to travel the world, searching for new ways to tap into our natural characteristics and the power of human bonds to fuel career success. On my return, I moved in-house, using what I’d learned to create meaningful relationships with business teams and drive their goals forward. When I became General Counsel of an international portfolio of tech companies, I leveraged my natural skills and the power of relationships to build a thriving Legal team, integrate Legal within the business teams, and implement Legal Technology that revolutionized the company’s operations. But my passion and purpose kept calling. And that brings us here. 5 Fun Facts about Chad (in his own words): Failed child actor Was inspired by Matlock and Columbo as a kid - how did they always catch the criminal?! Tried to launch a business while in Law School to help athletes get scholarships that didn't go anywhere Walked away from the Partnership path in a BigLaw to travel around the world for 6 months with no locked in plan when I returned Walked away from my role as General Counsel of an int'l tech company without a locked in plan
18 - Allyson Valentine (Pop Studio Balloons)
Meet Allyson Valentine, bad a** balloon stylist and owner of Pop Studio Balloons. What started as a little hobby during Covid has turned into a hugely buzzed about business that is celebrating 3 years in business in June. Allyson was just selected out of thousands of balloon professionals to participate in the Big Balloon Build where the team is tasked with creating a gigantic immersive Balloon World using more than 150,000 balloons all in aid of Life Stories Children and Family Advocacy. Check out the press release HERE.
Find Pop Studio Balloons online:
About Allyson:
I started playing around with balloons in 2017, making things here and there for family and friends. Some of the first pieces I made were to celebrate milestones for my son! When my twin daughters turned 1 at the beginning of the pandemic, I pulled together a balloon backdrop for their Zoom Cake Smash (gah! never thought I’d say that). I had about 30 balloons in the house left over from other celebrations, and I was determined to make it work. And work it did!
After sharing pics, others started seeking out my fun creations for their quarantine celebrations, too. I ordered a bunch of balloons and in the evenings after I finished my day job teaching and tucked my kids in bed, I got to work learning more about building and creating with balloons. I spent my quarantine free time taking virtual classes, learning from other talented balloon artists, and testing out new ideas in my tiny basement studio. I gave away my first creations to friends or through Facebook.
Pop Studio was officially born in June of 2020! The first pieces I sold were small balloon bursts and mini garlands for graduation car parades. Soon I was ballooning on nights and weekends, teaching full time from a closet in my house (hello remote learning) and managing my family. My first year in business, I was able to add balloon magic to 285 celebrations!
In the summer of 2021, I decided to take a step back from teaching. Pop Studio has grown from a creative outlet and side hustle into a full time business that allows me to do something creative, gives me the flexibility to be with my little ones, and let’s me meet and celebrate with so many amazing people. I love being a part of your most memorable moments and I especially love that my kids get to see me working hard to build something from the ground up. It’s fun to hear them talk about it. My 5 year old’s sales pitch is pretty good! 🙂
Top 5 Fun Facts about Allyson (in her own words):
1. I’ve had two previous careers - one in marketing/events and one as an elementary school teacher. I was a 1st grade teacher and STEAM (science, tech, engineering, arts, math) Specialist.
2. When I worked as a STEAM specialist, I taught kids how to work through the Design Process and be creative problem solvers. I use a lot of these skills in my business everyday!
3. At one point in time I had three kids under age 2! My son was 21months old when we welcomed twin girls.
4. I decided to leave CT and go to college in Colorado without ever seeing my school.
5. My dad is an engineer and taught me how to build, create and problem solve.
17 - Mickey Anderson (Hey Mickey Anderson)
Meet Mickey Anderson, a marketing strategist and educator, and the owner of Hey Mickey Anderson, a business that helps small and micro businesses find, convert and keep their ideal clients . Her personal mission statement is "Hustle Less. Profit More." And she helps businesses do just that!
About Mickey:
Mickey Anderson is a marketing strategist and educator. As a military wife, mother and agency owner, she found herself burnt out...extra crispy, after maternity leave, working twice as hard to keep whatever measure of “success” she achieved.
Mickey took everything she learned and left her agency (and toxic hustle culture) behind and transformed her business and life the way she had for countless clients. She now helps small and micro businesses scale with marketing that attracts ideal clients easier, converts them faster and keeps them longer.
Find Mickey Anderson online:
Website: https://www.heymickeyanderson.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heymickeyanderson/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heymickeyanderson/
The Hustle Less Profit More Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5pdvIV03w6hfbBfeXBtC6F?si=3f297527025f41b
5 Fun Facts about Mickey (in her own words):
1. Mickey still holds the school record for the 100-yard breaststroke at her Alma Mater, Marshall University, where she earned a full athletic scholarship and was the 2008 Conference USA Champion.
2. She has a graduate certificate as a Paralegal and uses her legal knowledge and negotiation skills in her business.
3. Her dog’s name is Hannibal. Yes, named after you know who.
4. She’s been a military wife for 8-years and still doesn't know the acronyms.
5. She was a CrossFit Coach and managed a CrossFit gym for 8-years.
16 - Angela Rossi-Luciano, Nicole Rossi-Rivera, Danielle Machado, Elizabeth Rossi (Thrift)
Meet Angela Rossi-Luciano, Nicole Rossi-Rivera, Danielle Machado and Elizabeth Rossi who who I like to refer to as the "Fabulous Thrift Sisters." These four women are a force and the brains behind the new thrift venture in CT called Thrift. They are born hustlers with an eye for a deal and unique and cool items they know people will love.
Thrift sells New, Used, Vintage, and Upcycled
Clothing, Housewares, & Accessories.
They want to provide their customers with the best price and a great shopping experience while saving the planet.
If you're in the CT area go check out the Thrift Store at 5 River Street. Norwalk, CT
Follow them online:
Instagram @Thriftconnecticut
Facebook @Thriftconnecticut
TikTok @Thriftconnecticut
About Thrift:
My name is Angela Rossi-Luciano I am 38, and a mom of four. I am the youngest of four girls. My sisters are Nicole Rossi-Rivera 48, mom of four. Danielle Machado, 46, a mom of four and Elizabeth Rossi, 40, a mom of two. We are very close and we love to work together and love a good side hustle. We have tried almost everything. We get that from our parents especially our dad: it runs in our blood. My first memory of trying to earn money is when my sister, Elizabeth and I sold iced tea outside of our house as little girls. I had to be around 6 years old. Nicole & Danielle sold Iron- on tee shirts and vintage clothing in The Village in the late 90’s. Elizabeth and I tagged along if it wasn’t too cold. We have always enjoyed a side hustle.
I think what really started our side hustle was having a really big family and loving a good deal. After Christmas we would always stock up for the next year. We would wait for stores to go 90% off. We would buy as much stuff as we could. Between the 4 of us we have 14 children so Christmas can get expensive. We loved it so much. We would find ourselves shopping in the same aisle not knowing that each other were at the same store. One day my sister Danielle told me she heard her friends at work sold their clothes on the Poshmark app. I decided to download it and list a few items. My 1st item sold the same day. So my sisters and I all downloaded it and we started selling whatever we had in our closets. We had so much stuff between the 4 of us. But our favorite thing to do together was to go thrift shopping to see what we could find to post and sell. We would travel all over. When you find something amazing, you get so excited. Not only did you score an amazing item you also are helping the environment by keeping it out off a land fill. We realized that all the thrift shops in our area weren’t that great. Nicole kept telling us about the great thrift stores in Texas but we didn’t have anything like that around here in Connecticut. We knew we always wanted to be in business together so we started talking about possibly opening a store. During this time, Nicole went to a Thrift convention in Houston. She was so excited about it that she signed us up to do the next one. It was in Philly. We did it and we were shocked at the success we had. So we did another and another one. That’s when we decided we should open a store. We weren’t sure if after the pandemic it would be a smart idea but we figured why not. We should at least try. So we opened Thrift on May 12th, 2022. It’s located on 5 River Street in Norwalk. It’s going well and we can’t wait to see what happens. Our goal is to be a success and open more stores.
5 Fun Facts About the Thrift Sisters:
1. There is 10 years between the oldest and youngest sister. We have have 14 kids between all of us.
2. Our signature look is a red lip, preferably Russian Red by M.A.C
3. Our favorite thing to do is go to concerts together!
4. Especially New Kids on the Block and Duran Duran.
5. Our Dad is The Famous New York Hot Dog King!
15 - Chris Antista (Crif Dogs)
Meet Chris Antista, one of the original founders of the iconic NYC institution, Crif Dogs..a famous late night hot dog restaurant in the heart of the East Village. For any side hustlers out there looking to get started, Chris is the ultimate inspiration...he is an ideas guy who has left his mark on NYC nightlife and restaurants and most recently the fashion industry as the creative force for Fair Harbor Clothing Company.
About Chris:
Chris Antista, vintage 1971 - a defining force for the aesthetics I love. Ridgewood, NJ born and raised, I spent my teens being chased by the cops for skateboarding on every piece of cool architecture and infrastructure we could find. Took my outsider status forward, post high school and went to NYU, where against character, graduated from Stern Business School - all the while immersing myself in all aspects of NYC - clubs, art, design, urban adventuring, drinking - just having a blast. Finished my 4 years and went to work at Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine. Learned about publishing and advertising and promoting parties. Quit and went adventuring by motorcycle all over the East Coast. Returned broke and worked various jobs including being a food runner when the Bower Bar opened - credited with making leather pants the uniform for all runners. Did some work in the advertising world - promotion type stuff, and then concocted the idea to turn the back room of Ratners Dairy Restaurant on Delancy Street into a Jewish gangster themed nightclub called The Lansky Lounge. Got a wife outta that - still married to her today, 24 years later. Opened Crif Dogs - NYC’s most iconic hot dog spot. Bailed when it got boring and beefing with my partner was too annoying on the daily, so wifey and me went to South Asia for a spell. Returned to odd design and idea creating jobs and ultimately started Communal Brands with a good friend. Communal is a wine importing and branding business that continues to grow to this day - though I’m a silent partner now. Had two kids while living in a brownstone in Bed Stuy, eventually buying my beloved 1978 Porsche 911, which forced me to buy a house in Connecticut to store it. That was 10 years ago from now. Moved up here and continue to promote ideas, be a dad, small-time car collector, off-road enthusiast, bocce master, party thrower - from our lovely perch in The Nuthouse - our singular modern house we purchased from Maurice Sendak’s estate. Of late I’ve been a an at-large creative force for Fair Harbor Clothing Co. - most recently designing their flagship SOHO retail store. I’m a gun for hire. Whatever it is you want to do - just so long as you want to stand out and make people feel good.
5 Facts about Chris:
1). Lou Reed got me personally fired from Bowery Bar - good short story.
2). Shared a plate of fried calamari with David Bowie
3) Procured and indulged in party favors with David Lee Roth to entice him to perform Just a Gigolo at my Karaoke night at Lansky Lounge.
4). Crif Dogs is named after my nom du street - Crif (Chris with an F, motherfucker)
5). If you play bocce on my court at the nuthouse, we will get baked and take ERVL, my super rare Volvo miltary van for a ride in the wood you will never forget.
6) Spent many a late night with Johnny Depp at Lansky lounge - drinking and chatting, ultimately driving my ’68 Cadillac Convertible across town at dawn to get ‘breakfast’ at Florent. This was always with famous Tattoo artist and bon vivant Jonathan Shaw.l
14 - Richelle Jessey (Richelle Jessey Coaching)
Check out her Corporate to Full-time Coach Facebook Group, a place for high-achieving corporate women who want to build a profitable coaching business so they can ditch their day job and experience time and financial freedom doing work they love! Richelle hosts a free live training every week:
Link: www.facebook.com/groups/corporatetocoach
Contact Info:
Website: richellejessey.com ;
Facebook: www.facebook.com/richelle.jessey/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/richellejessey_coaching/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/richelle-jessey/
About Richelle:
Richelle is a former Training and Development Manager where she worked for a global medical device manufacturing company for over 7 years. She always knew she wanted a very "people-centric" job, and found coaching through her time in HR and Training and Development. She fell in love with what the power of coaching could do for individuals so she went for a professional coaching certification through iPEC, and launched a coaching business right as she was completing her certification. She loves empowering women to create the life and business of their dreams so they can experience time and financial freedom doing work they are passionate about! She enjoys networking and collaborating with other female business owners, and loves to volunteer her time to different organizations that support business development for those just starting out (SCORE and WiseHer). She is always looking for ways to develop both personally and professionally, and enjoys bringing new learnings to her business and her clients! Richelle resides in CT and enjoys the changing seasons that come with living in New England (although fall is her favorite!). She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, trying out new restaurants, and learning from industry leaders!
5 Fun Facts about Richelle (in her own words):
1. I have been to over a dozen Dave Matthews Band concerts.
2. I've lived in CT my whole life but love to travel and explore new places.
3. I prefer baking over cooking any day!
4. I absolutely love fall in New England and all of the activities that come with it.
5. As a solopreneur I love surrounding myself with as many female entrepreneurs as possible to share ideas and collaborate!
Top 5 Tips:
1. Do market research and speak to your audience BEFORE launching your business! It's common for coaches, and really any service-based entrepreneur, to want to dive into launching a business without getting a pulse on the market interest and the wants and needs of their audience. This is critical information to make sure you are providing services that your audience will want to buy!
2. Work on your mindset every single day. If business was easy, everyone would do it! Make sure you have mindset practice in place to help you when challenges and obstacles arise (meditations, journaling, etc.).
3. Dive deep into your WHY. Why is having this business so important for you? What does having this business mean for you and what does having this business allow you to do? Reflect on this often!
4. Choose who you work with carefully. This is your business which means you get to decide who it is you would ideally like to work with. Don't take this lightly- you want to enjoy working with your clients, so think about the characteristics that are important for them to have in order to work with you!
5. Enjoy the process. Starting and scaling a business is a process! It is a never ending journey. The more you can embrace the challenges and lessons that come along the way, the better!
13 - Mia Moran (Plan Simple)
Meet Episode 13 guest, Mia Moran...owner and creator of PlanSimple, a program that helps women balance entrepreneurship and wellness. PlanSimple provides: inspiration for action, tools for planning, and systems for follow through.
About Mia:
Mia Moran is a mom of three and coach who also makes time for wellness—and shows overwhelmed women how they can too. She is the host of the PlanSimple podcast, bestselling author of PlanSimple Meals, and creator of the FLOW Planning Method, the FLOW Planner, and FLOW365.
Mia’s wellness adventure became a full-blown ride about 12 years ago during a health crisis, when she understood the power food could have on her health, her family connection, and her productivity. That experience led her to become a student of food, wellness, spirituality, motherhood and productivity while running a successful design company.
She experienced two unforeseen gifts from this journey. First, the practice of finding ease, despite balancing what looks like a full plate of work, home, motherhood and food. Second, the gift of a good plan.
Website/Social Media Links:
Website: https://plansimple.com
Instagram: instagram.com/plansimple.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mia-moran/
Facebook: facebook.com/plansimple.co/
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plan-simple-with-mia-moran/id1089766926
Book: https://plansimple.com/plan-simple-meals-book/
5 fun facts about Mia (in her own words)
- I met my husband in highschool.
- I am from New Orleans.
- I don't love to cook, and yes, I did write a cookbook!
- I paint in my spare time.
- I am obsessed with personality assessments
Advice from Mia:
- Get help early.
- Find mentorship always.
- Plan for your whole life from the beginning.
- Spend time deconditioning yourself on the relationship between time and money.
- Tasks, projects, and goals are different. Start with vision. Make goals. Create projects from those goals. Focus on tasks from projects daily.
12 - Kristin Dillensnyder (Coaching with KD)
Kristin offers a FREE training every month so if you are experiencing infertility and looking for an amazing support connection, reach out to Kristin directly through Instagram here: www.instagram.com/kristindillensnyder/
About Kristin:
Kristin Dillensnyder is a military spouse, a bonus mom, an IVF mom, and an infertility coach. A 3 time IVF warrior she experienced 3 different outcomes… one that worked, one that didn’t and one that ended in a miscarriage. As a certified life coach, Kristin became the person she needed during the hardest parts of infertility so other women who need IVF to grow their families will not be as consumed by their infertility as she was. Before infertility, she worked in advertising working for companies like NBC, Travel + Leisure and the State of South Carolina Tourism Department. When she's not enjoying her time as wife and mom, or working on her business, she can be found talking to friends and family or listening to music or both.
Website/Social:
www.coachingwithkd.com/
www.youtube.com/channel/UCbv6U5bOfGdUdljAIe_a91Q
www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-o-hara-dillensnyder-tmp-9b55032/
www.instagram.com/kristindillensnyder/
www.facebook.com/groups/295195214743242
5 fun facts about Kristin (in her own words):
1. I have lived in CT, NYC, PA, Spain, the Philippines, AL and SC.
2. When I was 15 I delivered a baby
3. I love T.Rex jokes, mascara and smores.
4. If there is music playing, I will be dancing.
5. My nickname in college was Giggles or Gigs for short and some friends have a recording of it to listen to make them laugh.
Kristin's tips and advice:
1. Take action, even messy action, even if you don't have a clue of what you're doing action, even before you're ready.
2. Tell people what you're dreaming about. You never know who can help you, who can support you and it's good to practice that new identity.
3. Find people who are doing what you want to do, or who are going after their entrepreneurial dream. it makes a huge difference to talk with people who get it.
4. Your thoughts matter more than your plan or actions. Make sure you've got your own life coach that helps you work on your thoughts and isn't about strategy.
5. Only YOU can do what you want, just like there are 100 types of sliced bread at the grocery story, there are people who want/need what only you have to offer.
11 - Kevin Carroll (Tenzi)
Listen to Kevin talk about his journey from advertising to game inventor and the tips and advice he has for anyone interested in exploring the game industry.
Social Media:
ilovetenzi.com/
www.kevincarroll.com/
About Kevin:
Having grown up in a loud, large, Irish Catholic family, Kevin Carroll was destined to
make his livelihood talking and playing games. Today Kevin is both a communications
coach and a game inventor. As a communications and presentation coach, he has a
passion for helping others achieve their potential and as a game inventor Kevin has a
passion for creating simple, fast, fun games.
Prior to going into his side hustles full time, Kevin worked in advertising and managed
accounts for national brands such as Ocean Spray and Seagram.
Kevin earned his MBA from Fordham University and is the author of Make Your Point!,
What’s Your Hook? and Think Outside Your Blocks.
In 2010, Kevin Carroll bumped into and old friend and said , "Hey Steve, let's see if we
can come up with a dice game"; Three weeks later they had their prototype and now,
twelve years later, they've sold over 3 million TENZI games!
5 Fun Facts about Kevin (in his own words):
1. I once had a very short “career” as a standup comic.
2. When I was about 11, I dyed my sister’s hamster green for St. Patrick’s Day. (I’m
not proud of that.)
3. Late in life I’m discovering that I excel at simple, repetitive tasks.
4. I happen to know how long it would take if you drove 60 mph to the moon, to the
sun, and to Earth’s nearest star.
5. I have a lot of experience speaking in public and I still get nervous.
10 - Kristen Donegan (Easy Teaching Tools)
Meet Kristen Donegan, mom of two and the creator of Easy Teaching Tools, a company focused on providing teachers with ideas and resources to make teaching easier.
About Kristen:
Kristen Donegan has been an elementary school teacher and Reading Specialist since 2005 in both California and O'ahu, Hawaii. She has enjoyed teaching kindergarten, first grade, a 1/2 combo, and second grade before resigning to continue Easy Teaching Tools Inc. and raise her two kids. Kristen also presents at professional development conferences such as SDE Nationals and Teach Your Heart Out. Founded in 2010, Easy Teaching Tools has helped over a thousand busy teachers implement classroom hacks to save time, implement research-based practices to meet the needs of their students, and focus on work-life balance.
Social Links:
Easyteachingtools.com
Instagram
Facebook
5 Fun Facts about Kristen (in her own words):
1. I traveled to Bali alone
2. I moved to Hawaii to teach all within 2 weeks, without a home and just a few pieces of luggage.
3. I've been to the Maldives twice.
4. I had an outfit list in high school so I wouldn't repeat the same outfit.
5. I've never seen Harry Potter or Star Wars.
Tips/Advice:
1. Look at how you can solve a problem.
2. Serve your audience.
3. Social media is free. Start growing an audience there.
4. Find a podcast you connect with and listen to it consistently.
5. You don't need fancy equipment, coaches, or courses to get started. All you need is a solution to a problem your audience is experiencing.
9 - Ashley Langer (Business Socialistas)
Meet Ashley Langer, networking phenom and the creator and owner of Business Socialistas...a company focused on helping female entrepreneurs grow their business through education, events and resources.
Since our interview, Business Socialistas has launched a membership program! To learn more or join click HERE
Social Media:
Website: wwww.business-socialistas.com
Instagram: @business.socialistas
About Ashley:
Ashley Langer is a natural born connector, community builder and networking powerhouse. With over 15 years experience in the event planning space and 10 years in marketing with a focus on networking, Ashley founded Business Socialistas as a go-to resource for elevated networking events, powerful business connections and critical resources that encourage women to expand their support system. She also uses her experience to coach women on building their business through confidence, community and connection.
Business Socialistas is your go to place for CT’s premier networking events and ways to grow your business on a community level.
My mission is to create community for female entrepreneurs and help them scale their business through connection and by building their own community.
5 Facts about Ashley in her own words:
- I grew up dancing and danced competitively in college
- In 2007 I moved to NYC on a whim and lived there for close to 14 years before moving back to CT
- If I wasn’t a creative, I’d be a nurse
- I have 4 tattoos
- I am a health coach and pilates certified.
And I love Ashley's personal thoughts on side hustlers:
"Side hustlers are some of the hardest workers I’ve met. I am inspired by so many in my community who take the time to perfect and grow their passion projects/second businesses before taking it full time. They’re cautious and strategic, determined and admirable!"
8 - Derek Gorthy (Enshrine)
Meet Derek Gorthy, Co-Founder and CEO of Enshrine...a Web3 community engagement platform that empowers creators to build unique experiences for their fans backed by blockchain technology. Enshrine is shifting the balance of power towards content creators by enabling direct financial relationships between creators and their audience.
If you're like me, the world of digital creators and blockchain technology is very new to me and can often be difficult to understand. Derek is amazing at breaking down the basics of this digital universe and makes it easy for anyone to understand (if he can break it down for me and have it make sense anyone can get it).
The Enshrine platform will be launching this March 2023!
Calling all Creators: Enshrine is looking to launch with a small group of creators (mostly Twitch streamers, but it can be anyone that is a digital creator with an online community). They have a few slots available, so if you are a creator and are interested in being part of this exciting launch, you can reach out to Derek at (derek@enshrine.io) for more details.
Social Media:
Website: https://www.enshrine.io/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enshrineofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enshrine_official/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/enshrine/
About Derek:
Derek is a software engineer turned entrepreneur that has started four businesses over the last ten years. Prior to his current day job, Derek worked as a consultant for companies in the technology, telecommunications, health, retail, and energy industries. He has a knack for explaining complex concepts in simple ways and believes that if you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it well enough.
5 Fun Facts about Derek (in his words):
1. I started my first side hustle when I was 15 years old
2. I've won 2 international mathematical modeling contests
3. I enjoy woodworking in my spare time
4. I have a black belt in Kung Fu
5. I applied to 6 Ivy League colleges (and got rejected from all 6)
7 - Lindsay Stead (The Lindsay Stead - Coaching and Marketing)
Meet Lindsay Stead, a self described introvert who is on a mission to help female entrepreneurs through her coaching/mentoring and marketing expertise. She set her sights on the kind of life she wanted to create for herself and her family and worked to make her side hustle a full time hustle.
Lindsay offers private coaching and mentorship for incredible women looking to gain confidence, make more money, and build a business that lights their soul on fire, all while having an absolute blast! You even have the option to combine coaching with done for you marketing services by Lindsay and her team!
Start working with Lindsay:
Check out Lindsay's website and her programs here: http://thelindsaystead.com/coaching-services/
Social Media:
Follow Lindsay on Instagram @thelindsaystead
About Lindsay:
Lindsay helps shy and introverted women build their business and overcome burnout that’s so common for introverted entrepreneurs who often feel like to be all things, for all people, all of the time.
She's helped 100+ heart-centered women find the confidence and success in their business through coaching and customized marketing services that take their messaging to the next level.
She's built her entire business around the belief that there is no one right way to build a business. The key is finding the strategies that align authentically with you so you can enjoy your work and life.
She provides mentoring and services to help you show up as your authentic self in your business and succeed, because your success IS possible when you keep going and forge genuine relationships.
Something she regularly tells her clients is that we all have fears and insecurities, but you can either double down on them and stay exactly where you are, or you can acknowledge them and move forward anyway. The choice is yours.
She will help you face any fears about building a successful business, putting yourself out there, and being seen as the boss you really are. So when you work together, you get a dose of accountability, strategy, cheerleading, friendship, and everything in between.
5 fun facts about Lindsay (in her words):
1. If I had to choose my last meal on earth it would involve a slurpee, a churro, and an epic steak and lobster and seafood feast.
2. I'm not about appearances but if I don't have a nice pedicure I feel really self conscious.
3. I love trying different healing modalities, and one of my favourites continues to be hypnotherapy.
4. My very first concert was Backstreet Boys when I was in sixth grade.
5. The thing I miss most about working retail is working in the shops and malls from November through Christmas when all of the decorations are out, the music is on, and the people are searching for the perfect gifts for their loved ones. If I could get a job decorating the shops and malls I would be in absolute HEAVEN.
6 - Fiona Valentine (The Profitable Artist)
Meet Fiona Valentine, a business coach for artists and the creator of the signature coaching program, The Profitable Artist Method. If you have ever had a passion for painting, drawing or other art but never thought there was a possibility to generate revenue doing the thing you love then listen to Fiona talk about how to become an artist entrepreneur.
Where to connect with Fiona:
Website https://www.fionavalentine.com/
FB Page https://www.facebook.com/fionavalentine.artist
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theconfidentartist
IG https://www.instagram.com/fionavalentineartist/
LI https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-valentine-art/
About Fiona:
Business coach and artist Fiona Valentine believes real artists don't starve, they thrive. She started a side hustle that turned her painting hobby into a profitable business and now she helps other artists do the same.
Her signature coaching program The Profitable Artist Method is designed to help aspiring artists paint for fun and for profit even if they've never sold any of their art before. Fiona has been a regular writer for Australian Artist Magazine, featured on TV show Colour in Your Life and The Art Biz Podcast. She hosts The Confident Artist Facebook Group helping artists build a creative habit, make beautiful art and learn the art of selling art.
Fiona's step by step method helps artists share their work with the world in a way that feels authentic by building a simple business and brand to connect their art with their ideal collectors in a seamless online buying experience so they can have more joy in their studio and more money in the bank.
5 Fun Facts about Fiona (in her own words):
1. German chocolate cake is my new favourite
2. When I met my husband, we both thought the other was 24... actually we have a 10 year age gap.
3. I love to read and North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell is one of my favourites.
4. My art supplies are stored in clear containers so I don't forget where things are so my family tease and call me a squirrel.
5. Long walks keep me sane
5 - Ally Ottman (Ally's Herbs)
Meet Ally Ottman, Episode 5 guest and owner of Ally's Herbs, an herbal apothecary & botanical body care line. She is a master of plants and has leveraged the benefits of cannabis to build a successful side hustle. She is also a mom to two girls and just welcomed a new baby boy, Atlas to the mix in September.
Listen to Ally as she talks about how she went from making one or two samples for friends and family to scaling the business, building a name for herself and getting her products into the hands of lots of happy customers. Check out the release of one of her best sellers...the non toxic deodorant!
Shop Ally's product line at www.allysherbs.com, say hi via allysherbs@gmail.com, or follow her on instagram @allysherbs.
About Ally:
I’m a Fairfield County, CT native, living in Norwalk with my two daughters and husband. I have been a gardener for a decade, previously worked on the design team at Terrain making terrariums, potted arrangements and facilitating workshops. I’ve managed greenhouses that were home to tropical and exotic plants, citrus trees and food crops. After giving birth to my second daughter, I decided to become a stay at home mom, but it wasn’t long until I was feeling antsy to pursue a new professional path that incorporated my love of growing and working with plants. So I began to explore the medicinal benefits of growing cannabis, and from there Ally’s Herbs was born. My product line is handcrafted in small batches using ingredients grown right from my backyard garden. My botanical body care, skin care and herbal concoctions align with my values of sustainability by using organic, locally grown and sourced ingredients. My philosophy is that your skin care and body care routine doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, and I strive to offer simple and versatile products fueled by the healing power of plants.
5 fun facts about Ally (in her own words)
1. I am a bookworm and always have a pile of books on my bedside table.
2. I meditate every day.
3. I love being crafty and taking on DIY projects.
4. I shamelessly jam out to children’s movie soundtracks in the car by myself. (Encanto is my newest fave.)
5. I am a proud locavore, stocking my pantry and fridge with foods from local farms and dining at all the farm to table restaurants.
4 - Brenden Kumarasamy (MasterTalk)
3 - Leila Sbitani (TV Host/Media Coach)
Meet Leila Sbitani...an industry expert in the world of TV hosting. She took her skills and knowledge from a successful career in hosting to launch a coaching business for on and off camera media training. What started out as a side hustle of sorts to her TV hosting has taken off in recent years and become a leading source of revenue and a thriving business.
Leila's new online Level 1 course starts on 11/2. Click HERE to sign up.
If anyone is interested in private coaching you can email Leila directly at: leila@leilasbitani.com
Check out Leila's websites here:
Social Media:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LeilaSbitaniVideos/playlists
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Leila-Sbitani/100058167487768/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leilasbitani/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilasbitani/
About Leila:
Leila's television hosting career took off in New York City when she was hired to host Studio Y for the Metro Channel from 1998-2000. Following Studio Y's success, Leila became one of the first correspondents for the very popular, Full Frontal Fashion, when it debuted on Metro. Leila and Full Frontal Fashion's Robert Verdi then traveled to Scotland to host the millennium celebration for E!. She also covered the very first live televised event from Bryant Park's fashion week for E! and Style. Soon thereafter she covered the MTV Video Music awards and the Emmy's for Entertainment Tonight. Leila was back on the red carpet to Host The TV Land Awards All Access Show in 2012.
After hosting and starring in the popular Hi-Jinks for Nick at Nite, Leila started a family. Even with the demands of raising two small children she managed to stay very busy. Traveling to Australia, France, Chicago and Florida to shoot for the McDonald's Worldwide Convention. Working on NY Residential for the CW11. Starring in the short film "The Senator's Daughter"and the web series "Dead Man's Trigger". Working on numerous print jobs with both of her children for Pampers, Parents Magazine, and American Baby Magazine. As well as hosting Best Night In on TV Land from 2009-2015.
Leila lives in New York City and also works as a media coach.
5 Fun Facts people might not know (in Leila's own words):
1. Most people think my name is Italian but I’m Palestinian
2. I saw Milli Vanilli live in concert
3. I got my 1st TV hosting job auditioning for a commercial. The director offered me the commercial and a job as the Host of a series called Beach Extreme.
4. I was in the audience of SNL when Christopher Walken did his famous “Cowbell” sketch
5. I was on a sitcom for MTV with Zach Galifianakis, Amy Poehler and Matt Walsh before they were stars
2 - April Soderstrom (Jewelry designer)
Check out April's website and designs here: www.aprilsoderstrom.com/
Instagram: aprilsoderstrom
Facebook: aprilsoderstromjewelry
About April:
THE BACKSTORY
Jewelry and the passion to create has been an integral part of April’s fabric for as long as she can remember. Born and raised in Michigan, her childhood birthday parties were filled with friends and family bringing her stacks of plastic bangles and necklaces. There are very few photos her as a toddler NOT accessorized to the nines! April jokes that she’s been wearing and designing jewelry since she could borrow the earrings from Mrs. Potato Head – photo proof available below. April Soderstrom, the jewelry company, was formally launched in 2012 and made an instant splash with her trademarked Featherweight Collection of lightweight everyday hoops and earrings that are all handmade in the USA with the finest wire that maintains its color, is perfect for sensitive ears, and are so lightweight you’ll forget you’re wearing earrings.
AS GIVES
A special part of April’s personal and business life is finding ways to give back. Recently April has donated over $75,000 in sales of her “to Ukraine with Love Bracelet,” to Sunflower of Peace, a local Boston charity working to provide humanitarian and medical aid to those who need it most in Ukraine. She’s also been able to donate tens of thousands of meals to Feeding America through the sale of her “Good Vibes Bracelets.”
PERSONAL
April is a wife, mom of two boys, and entrepreneur living and working in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
5 things people may not know about April (in her own words):
I'm originally from Michigan, transplanted to Boston after college.
I actually have no formal training in jewelry design!
Post college I worked in the interior design field for 3 years then spent almost 7 years as an executive assistant.
I started my business making custom pageant jewelry.
Making jewelry is my favorite way to meditate or unwind.
1 - Brimstone (Will 'Brimstone' Kucmierowski) (Celebrity personality)
Kicking off Season 2 with a man who literally does it all! Professional wrestler is just one of the many accomplishments of his career. He is a master of many talents...so for a podcast all about the art of side hustling, I can't think of a better guest to kick off the season with than Brimstone!
About Brimstone:
Brimstone has had a successful and rewarding career spanning well over four decades; participating in numerous entertainment fields boasting a list of titles including professional wrestler, radio host/professional podcaster, actor, voice actor, author, musician, philanthropist, food critic, horror model, and comic book/animated/children’s book/video game hero. He’s been called a Renaissance man by many, but more accurately described as a well seasoned entertainer, celebrity personality and serial entertainment entrepreneur.
Check out Brimstone's official website for a link to his full bio
Follow Brimstone on Social Media (Blue Check on all EXCEPT Twitter):
[Instagram] [Facebook] [Giphy] [Twitter] [Vero: Brimstone]
Check out Brimstone's Podcast : The Grindhouse Radio on iHeartRadio, Google Play Music, iTunes
Top 5 Fun Facts about Brimstone (in his own words):
1. I'm a proficient cook (just don't like the clean up)
2. I have a low tolerance for bullies and bullshit
3. I can sing-a-long to a large number of Disney songs without missing a word or note.
4. I love animals and have real relationships with zoos and aquariums around the country allowing me to have personal experiences others don't get to have!
5. I grew up hip-hop...I love rap music and can rhyme myself.
20 - Tickle Water (Heather McDowell)
Meet Heather McDowell...founder and CEO of Tickle Water, a sparkling beverage company for kids. Heather started Tickle Water as a side hustle and grew it into a full time business that she eventually sold. Listen to Heather talk about her journey to launch the company, experience into the competitive world of the food and beverage industry (even making an appearance on Shark Tank) and what she learned along the way.
Forever a hustler, Heather always has projects in motion. In her free time she competes in body building competitions and her new passion is leaning into her love of interior design, to renovate and flip and sell houses.
Check out Tickle Water and follow the re-launch into stores on their website: Drinkticklewater.com and on Instagram @DrinkTickle
And you can follow Heather on Instagram at @heath3mcd
About Heather:
Heather McDowell is an entrepreneur who spent most her adult life in New York City. She was the founder and CEO of Tickle Water, a brand of naturally flavored sparkling water designed for kids. Tickle Water was acquired in January of 2021 and should hit shelves again this year! Heather launched the company to provide a fun but healthy, sugar-free, preservative-free beverage choice for families. Before building Tickle Water, she worked with different organizations in the food, beverage and luxury goods industries, providing marketing and management consulting. For ten years, she managed the global auctions for Antiquorum, a prestigious International auction house specializing in timepieces.
Heather is a longstanding fitness and nutrition advocate, using her business platform to communicate the value of healthy lifestyles for people of all ages, including kids. She has a BA in Spanish and a minor in Fine Arts from Westmont College, in Santa Barbara, CA. Heather lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband Adam and son, Jayger, the original inspiration for Tickle Water. Currently, Heather is having some fun renovating and flipping houses and is excited to begin some real estate projects in Tennessee in the near future.
5 Fun Facts about Heather (in her own words):
1. I compete in bodybuilding. After 21 years of long distance running, I started bodybuilding about 2.5 years ago. I love to feel strong!
2. I LOVE to travel. One day I hope to live in Europe again ( or back in NYC )
3. I took glass blowing classes while living in AZ…
4. I speak fluent Spanish - from living in Spain and Santiago, Chile
5. I went bungee jumping ( naked ! ) in New Zealand
19 - Lacrosse Coach (Mike Pierandri)
Meet Mike Pierandri...real estate agent by 9 to 5 who moonlights as a lacrosse coach for his side hustle. Mike has made a career (and built a profitable side hustle) by successfully leveraging his relationships on both his 9 to 5 side of life and his side hustle side of life to help promote both.
Connect with Mike:
Personal Instagram: @mikeymoose43
Business Instagram: @mikeprealestate203
Facebook: facebook.com/michael.pierandri
Email: michaelpierandri@kw.com
About Mike:
Mike Pierandri, born and raised in Ridgefield, CT, where he currently lives with his wife and daughter. He is a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty, with a side hustle as a lacrosse coach. Mike has been playing lacrosse since age 10 and was a four year starter for Washington College in Chestertown, MD. He coaches primarily for Cavalry Lacrosse Club and Ridgefield Youth Lacrosse, as well as other lacrosse organizations and privately as a 1 on 1 coach.
5 Fun Facts about Mike (in his own words):
- I love music, always have dabbled in playing guitar but really picked it up since Covid and have made a hobby writing songs
- I am a girl dad to an 8 month old name Charlie
- I have two hound dogs and a Russian tortoise
- I have a knack for interior design/decorating
- Not that I have a green thumb per se, But I love and have big collection of house plants
18 - Art Paper Scissors (Lisa Purcell)
Check out the Art Paper Scissors website , Instagram @artpaperscissor, Pinterest and Facebook
About Lisa:
I’m Lisa and I’m paper obsessed. I love all kinds of paper - bright, sparkly, striped, you name it. I spent 8 years working as a full-time graphic designer, putting my hard earned degree to work (as mom would say). Then, in 2007, the love of my life proposed to me and everything changed. Not only did that proposal give me the man of my dreams but it paved the way for the career of my dreams when I made the fateful decision to design my own wedding invitations – I mean, I’m a graphic designer right?! When I found myself absolutely loving it, I knew I had to find a way to do this for the rest of my life. And voila, Art Paper Scissors was born. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself making a business around wedding invitations, but nothing gives me more joy than being a part, even in the smallest way, of a couple’s special day.
Outside of my business, I am a wife and mom to two girls, Abby and Caroline, aged 8 and 5, and two dogs Chewy and Reba who love to come to work with me every day. A day in the garden with my plants soothes my soul :)
5 Fun Facts about Lisa (in her own words):
1. I have over 50 houseplants
2. I’ve never had coffee
3. My husband and I went to the same grammar school, high school and college and never met until a friends wedding years later
4. We love to adopt senior dogs
5. As a kid I used to sneak into the kitchen and steal all the junk mail from the garbage and collect it under my bed
17 - Park Lane Jewelry (Tiffany Lanier)
Check out Tiffany's website at http://www.myparklane.com/tlanier, on Instagram @tifflanier and Tiffany's Facebook Group
About Tiffany:
My name is Tiffany Lanier and I am a Division Leader with Park Lane. I have been a Stylist since November 2020 and I love It! I fell in love with the jewelry, hosted a couple of events and decided to become a stylist.
I am a also a Registered Nurse and a mom of two children, Erin (26) and Jacob (16) and I have been married 14 years to my wonderful husband, Andy. We live in Lake Charles, Louisiana. I have two beautiful granddaughters Emeri (7)
and Marlee (5)❤️ I was born and raised near the Lake Charles area in a small town called Oakdale. We have been living in the actual city Lake Charles for 15 years.
5 Fun Facts about Tiffany (in her words):
1. I have zero experience in sales or marketing
2. I am scared to death of heights
3. I am a picky eater
4. I wanted to be a meteorologist when I was a child
5. Spiders and snakes freak me out
16 - The Inspired Brand (Claudia Miró)
Claudia has a lot of exciting new projects in the works:
First up is the Creators Club collaboration, launching on May 2nd!
And then on May 5th The Inspired Brand will have their new Design Template Shop available!
Check out The Inspired Brand and on IG @theinspiredbrand
About Claudia:
Claudia Miró is a marketing communications professional, brand strategist, web designer and creative entrepreneur. She’s also a yogi, a traveler, and a passionate student of life. She has dedicated the last 14 years of her career to helping coaches, consultants, therapists, healers, nonprofits and conscious business owners elevate their online presence through captivating branding, web design & development, and visual communications. She has masterfully and thoughtfully “midwifed” 200+ brands and is passionate about inspiring and empowering her clients to fall back in love with their work and their mission. She collaborates with a collective of women creatives from around the world, and is currently in the process of refining and expanding her own offerings; rebranding and repackaging The Inspired Brand to include online courses, templates, and digital products.
Originally from Lima, Peru, Claudia grew up in mostly in California before moving to the Seattle Area and the gorgeous Pacific Northwest in 2017. During the pandemic, she redirected her love of travel and immersed herself in spiritual and creative “work”. She completed 500+ hours of Yoga Teacher Training with her primary teacher, Sianna Sherman, in the midst of two of her busiest and most successful years since starting her business. Claudia recently purchased and moved into her first house and spends most of her free time fantasizing about her dream projects, scouring the web for furniture and finds, and researching how to make it all happen a-la-DIY.
Claudia is endlessly curious about humanity, nature, consciousness, design, and self expression. Her work reflects a deep and life-long journey to seek truth, beauty, and harmony. She is committed to her own awakening, and to expanding her capacity to give and receive love as fully as she can.
5 Fun Facts (plus a bonus one) in Claudia's words:
1. I was born in Lima, Peru and Spanish was my first language
2. I spent a year as an interim director of an orphanage in Peru
3. I played basketball in college
4. I am a Pisces Sun, Virgo Moon and Taurus ascendant - astrology speak for earth mama :)
5. I geek out on organization and all things DIY Design!
6. I have a 19 year old orange Tabby named Simba and a 15 year old grey tabby named Bonita
15 - At Peace Birth (Kerry Burke)
Meet Kerry Burke, of At Peace Birth... a married mother of 2, massage therapist, birth doula and infant massage instructor. She used to work for the state of NJ for 15 years before entering into the world of massage therapy and then becoming a certified doula. A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to a mother before, during and shortly after childbirth to help her achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible.
Check out the website At Peace Birth
About Kerry:
Kerry's goal as a doula is that every birthing person leaves with a positive memory of their birth experience. Whether it goes as planned or completely different, her hope is that you will leave feeling empowered, supported, and heard.
Kerry has a passion for helping people utilizing alternative treatments. She has been a licensed massage therapist for 10 years. After graduating from massage school, she went on to take specialized courses in Oncology massage. It was then that she learned the power of providing comfort and holding space for those in vulnerable situations. Kerry offers a wide variety of massage modalities including prenatal massage. She is also a Certified Infant Massage Educator.
She credits her sister’s pregnancy for sparking her deep interest and connection to pregnancy and birth. When she gave birth to her daughter in 2015, she was further inspired. Her own positive experience and sense of empowerment lead her to become a DONA certified doula so that she could coach others through and help them achieve this same positive experience. Kerry uses her knowledge and experience in massage therapy as a doula by providing pain relief and guiding her clients through the optimal ways to use their bodies in labor.
Having experienced a struggle with infertility, Kerry understands just how important it is to have a positive birth experience and how fragile pregnancy can be. She uses her education, own experience, and of course humor to create a safe and loving atmosphere during your pregnancy and birth process.
5 Fun Facts about Kerry (in her words)
- Traveler and have been to 9 European counties plus Canada and many islands.
- Love to do outdoor activities, like hiking, kayaking, fishing and stand up paddle boarding
- Love to play bingo
- Loves going to concerts or any kind of musical performance.
- Any beach or place by the water is where I'm the happiest.
14 - Great Shift (Carina Immer)
Meet Carina Immer, the powerhouse and brains behind the Great Shift...the embodiment of the realization that we can learn meaningful crafts from our neighbors and source ecologically sound, quality-made necessities directly from local community. There is so much to talk about when it comes to this lady...her star shines so bright. In addition to managing her 9 to 5 while building and executing the vision for the future of Great Shift, she recently wrote and produced the latest music video "HungerSite" for the band Goose. Crazy talented.
Check out the Great Shift website and make sure you mark you calendar for their 4/30/22 FREE Spring Market event. Details HERE
Click HERE to listen to the Episode.
About Carina:
I’m 26, have lived in CT my entire life-I love storytelling, connecting people, building community.-I come from a family of artists and musicians, however the pendulum effect led me to not pursuing music or the arts and instead I pursued studies in international agricultural economics / trade flows in college, and worked for importers and trade houses after graduating in 2013.-I work as a coffee importer for my 9-5pm job, which involves buying green (raw) coffee from coffee farmers and selling to roasters. I write a lot for my job, which includes me interviewing farmers and producing groups and sharing their story with a global community.
After a while, mainly during COVID lockdown, I realized I wasn’t scratching my “creative” itch in my day to day life, and had major tunnel vision on my 9-5 job. I yearned to learn new things outside of coffee, hang out with a more creative community, challenge myself, and use my business skills to invest in artists and makers that I believe in - and eventually create a platform for them to share their story.
Enter “great shift” - which was essentially born from my urge to go on a journey in learning new trades and skills from artists and makers in my friend group and greater community, and inviting the public to come along with me on that journey. Great shift was also partially a response to the covid blues - being confined to home, not being able to connect with folks in person, slipping into a bland cycle of living, having a generally dismal outlook on the world. I wanted to reverse this perspective in my own life immediately, and help others reverse theirs.
I named it “great shift” because I believe there were so many “great shifts” in folks lives all over the world during covid - folks realized they weren’t happy at their jobs, not happy where they lived, not happy in their relationship - and made a change. Although covid has been tumultuous, I think this is a really lovely biproduct of the era and think it’s causing so many people to change the way they lives their lives. -through great shift I want to help people who don’t see themselves as a proper “artist” to step out of the societal norms / boundaries and try something new. And feel proud of themselves. I call this community “the creative curious”. My business partner and co-founder Barbara Slaine, who is the founder of a wellness platform named “lyphe balance” is a huge reason why this all started in the first place - back in august I told her about my idea and she pushed me to make it happen and offered to help me out through hosting events on her land
13 - Larisa Laivins Jewelry (Larisa Laivins)
Meet Larisa Laivins...the incredibly talented jewelry designer and owner of Larisa Laivins Jewelry. When she's not designing gorgeous, hand-crafted pieces of jewelry, Larisa is working her full-time hustle in the fashion industry, that some might argue is equally as glamorous as her side hustle.
You can check out all of her work at: larisalaivins.com or follow her on Instagram at @larisalaivinsjewelry
Click HERE to listen to the Episode
About Larisa:
A Texas native, Larisa grew up encouraged by her architect father to draw and make things. After concentrating on painting and metal sculpture at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas and obtaining a painting degree from Rhode Island School of Design, Larisa moved to New York and fell into the fashion world. She has contributed to many great brands as an apparel designer - dedicating almost a decade at Ralph Lauren followed by stints at Juicy Couture, Fossil, Uniqlo and Jenni Kayne. After a move to Los Angeles, Larisa took a trip to India with a gem dealer and was inspired to turn her art and design experience to jewelry. Larisa Laivins jewelry is made by hand in Los Angeles by Larisa and a team of skilled craftsmen.
5 fun facts Larisa in her words:
- I took AP Calculus (and AP art) in high school
- I've had classic black slip-on Vans in my wardrobe rotation since 1994.
- My first job was at a shaved ice shop when I was 15.
- My favorite local vacation is to La Quinta.
- I lived in New York for 10 years before I moved to LA.
You can also listen to the Episode on The 9 to Side YouTube Channel HERE
12 - Intent Designs (Angela Chu)
Meet Angela Chu, principal designer and founder of design company, Intent Designs. Angela is an ex-lawyer who ran cross-border transactions for over a decade before pursuing her passion, trading in the suit for a fan deck and tile samples.
Check out her work or connect with her through her website (www.intentdesigns.ca) or Instagram (intentdesigns.ca).
About Angela:
Angela recently launched her design company, Intent Designs after years of nudging by her extremely supportive partner. Based in Toronto, she loves creating spaces where people reconnect and is passionate about delivering a stress-free design experience by being crazy organized and using collaborative tracking tools. With one foot still in the corporate world, the days (and nights!) are hectic but she tries to focus on the small joys that carry her through -- like listening to her 3-year-old sing along to Kid Cudi tracks in the car.
Photo credit: Julia Bewcyk5 Fun Facts
1. Like many who picked this hobby up during Covid, I'm a reformed-black-thumb-turned-proud-plant-mom.
2. Six years ago, my partner and I quit our jobs and travelled around the world for six months.
3. I'm a huge indie music fan -- most of my youth was lost to the dive bars of downtown Toronto.
4. After coveting curly hair my whole life (and years of some ill-advised perms), we're now raising a toddler with a wild curly mane -- my dream come true!
5. I LOVE wrapping presents -- I love the precision required and getting to create something fun and eye-catching.
You can also listen to the Episode on The 9 to Side YouTube Channel HERE
11 - Stay Work and Play (Sean McGregor)
Meet Sean McGregor, master at managing properties with the well earned title of "Super Host" in the Airbnb world and Chief Experience Officer at Stay Work And Play (SWAP CoHosting). Sean is a life long entrepreneur always with the goal in mind of creating career opportunities that allow him the freedom and flexibility to travel and see the world while running his business from any location.
Check out the Stay Work and Play (SWAP) Website to see all of the properties and more!
About Sean:
Sean McGregor literally found hosting through love. When he first started dating Lindsey in 2015, she was renting out the 2nd bedroom in her Austin, Texas apartment which covered her entire rent….then when she would travel, she would rent out the entire home and it would pay her rent & travel expenses! At the same time, she was also starting up a CoLiving/CoWorking business for Digital Nomads and Solo Travelers called The SWAP Loft (SWAP = Stay Work And Play). Sean quickly became involved and was eventually the only person messaging up to 35 guests at a time across 3 Austin locations…all of this while Lindsey, Sean, & their son Jackson were thousands of miles away traveling through Eastern Europe. When Covid made hosting people in shared rooms a pretty terrible idea, Sean pivoted to CoHosting homes he had never been to, in places he had never visited before by viewing things from a traveler's mindset. How did it go? SWAP CoHosting now has over 2,300 Airbnb Reviews, are SuperHosts w/ a 4.96★ Rating since 2018, and SWAP is so confident in the experience provided to guests that it offers a “5★ Guarantee” where no commission is owed if a guest leaves anything other than a 5★ Review.
Top 5 things you might not know about Sean (in his words):
1. I drove a Live Jaguar from Texas to California
2. My 3 Brothers and I were all born in different countries.
3. I’ve had over 25 Eagles (in Golf) but No Hole-In-One’s
4. Our 4 Year Old has been to 27 Countries
5. Yoga is my favorite workout
You can also listen to the Episode on The 9 to Side YouTube Channel HERE
10 - Forget Me Not Flower Truck (Jami Alberalla)
Meet Jami Alberalla...wife, mom (3 kids under the age of 4!), former teacher, CHD Advocate (Jami's mission is to spread awareness about CHD and how organ donations save lives) and owner of Forget Me Not Flower Truck.
She drives her cool, little blue truck around town offering "Build Your Own Bouquet" services with her mobile flower bar. She also rents out "Miss Little Blue Truck" for weddings, showers and other events. And coming soon...bi-weekly and monthly flower bouquet subscriptions.
Check out her website at: Forgetmenotflowertruck.com
Or Instagram: @forgetmenotflowertruck
About Jami:
I’m Jami! I am from Hunterdon County, NJ and have lived here all my life. I absolutely love it. I went to college at Monmouth University, where I earned my Bachelors in Elementary Education, and masters in Special Education. I have been a 5th grade teacher for the past 6 years. I recently just resigned since I’ve had my third child in the last 4 years. It only made sense for me to focus on raising my 3 little ones. Well that was the plan anyway, until I as inspired from a recent girls trip to Nashville. Now I am pursuing my new dream, of owning my own business, while bringing some local beautiful blooms to people within my community.
5 fun facts:
- I married my high school sweetheart
- I have my masters in special education
- I love to raise awareness about CHD and organ donation!
- I live in the middle of a golf course.
- I love to travel!
You can also listen to the Episode on The 9 to Side YouTube Channel HERE
9 - The Vintage Horse (Jen Milano)
Meet Jen Milano...master event planner/bartender extraordinaire and owner of The Vintage Horse...a super cool Mobile Bar business. Let's be honest, every event needs a bar and what a better way to deliver those cocktails than with an unforgettable experience customized for you and your guests. The Vintage Horse books up fast so if you have an event coming up make sure you grab a date.
Check out her website, The Vintage Horse and you can follow her on Instagram @TheVintageHorse
About Jen:
Went to southern CT for communications & always wanted to plan events! I was a bartender through college in New Haven CT, but never thought that would lead to my own business! After college I got my “dream job” & worked for Hyatt hotels doing event planning for 10+ years. I did wedding planning & corporate events which helped give me the confidence to start my own business. Due to covid I was Furloughed in March 2020 while I was on maternity leave with my daughter & home with me 2 years old (two under two during a pandemic). I started consulting for a skincare company called Beautycounter which paved the way to show me I can be an entrepreneur & I was pretty good at it! During my time being furloughed I had to figure out a solution for my family & I honestly didn’t know if I was going to ever get my job back. I went into a rabbit hole on Pinterest & found the Mobile Bar industry! I was asked to come back in October 2020 but after being out for so long & going back I realized I was made to do something more. I went back for 7 months while building the trailer and started this business. I gave my two weeks notice in April, which was 1 month before our first event with The Vintage Horse, & it’s been an amazing ride since!
5 Fun Facts about Jen (in her words):
1. I love crafting in my spare time
2. My favorite food is salad (not because I'm healthy :) )
3. I built a business with two toddlers under the age of two!
4. Being in the woods in New Hampshire is my favorite (my Family owns a campground)
5. My husband & I met at the casino
You can also listen to the Episode on The 9 to Side YouTube Channel HERE
8 - Sarah Little Designs (Sarah Little)
You can check out Sarah's work and connect with her through Instagram @SarahLittleDesigns, @mzlittleofharborview or LinkedIn (Sarah Little Designs)
About Sarah:
I was raised in Northern Virginia and went down the law school path for many years - I majored in history, took the LSATs, worked for lawyers and started filling out law school applications when I quickly pivoted and on a whim and went to The Pratt Institute to study Interior Design instead.
While I was at Pratt, living in Brooklyn, I interned at Helpern Architects in NYC. There I met my husband Jason. I thought he was too intense and avoided him, but we got drunk at the Christmas party, shared a cab home and the rest is history.
I LOVE to entertain and feed people. Food is love. I tried working for a party planner for a bit but it wasn't a good fit, but cooking, sourcing food, meal planning and organizing dinner parties is one of my favorite things.
I wish I was a farmer. I love the planning, being outdoors and physical labor of gardening and producing ones own food. I have 9 raised bed in the our tiny yard that produce food for almost 8 months a year. We can, freeze and consume most of it our selves. I love the seasons and how the natural world is all connected and controls our garden. Nature and the weather are bigger than us and we just have to roll with it. In retirement I hope to own a small maple tree farm.
I have two sons - Dylan age 10 and Jagger age 7. They are smart, fun and adventurous. We live in a tiny house on a tiny island off the coast of Connecticut. where we swim, boat, fish, sit around a fire pit, have an ice rink in the winter, have communal events + seasonal traditions with our small island community... we definitely make the most of where we are!
In Sarah's words her top 5:
1. The only foods I hate are kohlrabi and blue cheese
2. I’m half Persian Jew and half New York Jew
3. A Heisman trophy winner performed our wedding ceremony
4. I have a weird obsession with ear wax
5. I have a huge cookbook collection
You can also listen to the Episode on The 9 to Side YouTube Channel HERE
7 - Johnburns.live (John Burns)
Meet John Burns...9 to 5-er who moonlights as a cabaret performer, writing, producing and performing his one-man shows all around NYC. He also has a podcast called "2 Queens and a What?" and an Instagram performance series called "Kitchen Concerts".
John Burns is a singer/comedian. His 2019 show John Burns is a Sexy Beast had a sold out run during WoldPride & Stonewall 50. Hailed by Theatrescene.net as “Euphoric!” and “Grand Entertainment!” He was a Top-Five finalist in the Don’t Tell Mama’s annual Next Big Act competition. His tribute to legendary diva Shirley Bassey, Don't Call Me Shirley!, premiered in 2018 with five sold-out performances; while in 2017, his Gay Kid on a Cattle Ranch was presented in NYC and featured in a sold-out run at Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, NM. Critic Darryl Reilly writes “possessed of a soaring tenor voice, distinctive phrasing, and absolute aural clarity, Burns richly mines each well-selected song to optimum effect;” and Cabaret Scenes Magazine has proclaimed Burns “absolutely astonishes!”
John has a day job, and lives in NYC with the love of his life Mike Teele.
To see all of John Burns' content and keep up with news about his upcoming shows, check out his website: http://johnburns.live/ and Instagram @johnburnslive
5 Fun Facts about John Burns in his words:
1. I am shy
2. My safe word is "that all you got?"
3. I grew up on a cattle ranch in New Mexico
4. I am a Leo born in the year of the Tiger who is allergic to cats!
5. In my dreams I have hair
You can also listen the Episode on The 9 to Side YouTube Channel HERE
6 - Beachbody (Amy Hoaglund)
Meet Amy Hoaglund, working mom with 3 boys, who has a love for health and fitness and a side hustle as a Beachbody coach.
Check out Amy's Beachbody page HERE or you can email her directly at ahoags@gmail.com if you're interested in joining her team or learning more about how you can get involved in Beachbody. And follow her on Instagram @amyhoags to follow her fitness journey.
Amy's 5 Fun Facts (in her words):
- I do a headstand every single day for up to 3 minutes
- I am passionate about movement, especially: kickboxing, dance, and weightlifting
- Reading on the beach is my favorite!
- I’m legally blind
- My brother is in a band called, Goose
5 - Boon Island Originals (John Grassey)
Meet John Grassey of Boon Island Originals, the talented "maker" of all things woodworking and beyond. He makes everything from custom furniture and creative storage units to beautiful handcrafted ornaments and wooden toys, and everything in between. He works out of his home in Central Massachusetts while juggling a full time job and 2 small kids. You can check out his beautiful work and purchase pieces of your own through his website: https://www.boonislandoriginals.com/
I asked John about 5 fun facts people might not know and here's what he said:
5 Fun Facts About John:
- I was really into acting in high school and early college, before I switched over to backstage stuff.
- I'm a huge St. Louis Blues fan - I just liked their colors growing up.
- I used to brew beer and kombucha out of my south Philly apartment.
- I found my first cat, Hoodsie, after she rode under the hood of our car on the highway for two hours.
- I played floor hockey for years before the pandemic because I never learned how to skate well enough to play real hockey.
4 - K's Kitchen (Karen Schulz)
Meet Karen Napoli Schulz of K's Kitchen (formerly Gramma Napoli). A FORCE and such a positive, amazing person who at the core, wants to bring people together and get back to the simpler things in life by driving home the importance of sitting down together as a family around the dinner table and connecting. She is in the middle of rebranding her website from Gramma Napoli to K's Kitchen. Check out her website here: https://grammanapoli.com/ Karen is also appearing on The Dish (airing on 1/26) so check her out here: https://www.gooddishtv.com/how-to-watch
I asked Karen about 5 fun facts people might not know about her and here's what she said:
5 Fun Facts about Karen:
1. The spicier the better.
2. I often stay up ALL NIGHT, literally until the sun comes up, doing jigsaw puzzles - It’s my zen
3. When I cook, if I don’t have music playing, I have old shows streaming on TV like, Charlie’s Angels, Columbo or Brady Bunch. Think I’m craving simpler times.
4. I am addicted to crime dramas. I saw something on Instagram that said, “if someone looked at my Netflix account they would think I’m training to be a serial killer.” That’s me! LOL.
5. I always thought I was going to be a jewelry designer. In my next life I want to come back as Jes MaHarry. Check her out, you’ll see why.
3 - Trevor Tevel
Meet Trevor Tevel, master improviser who shares how he has kept his passion for improv alive by making it his side hustle that involves coaching and performing.
Check out the award winning group he performs with called Mission: IMPROVable
5 Fun Facts about Trevor:
1. Wears Maroon every Wednesday
2. Loves Jazz music
3. Been collecting comic books since 6 years old
4. Was on an episode of MTV’s Next
5. Donates time with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program
2 - Clutterbug (Cassandra Aarssen)
Meet Cas Aarssen, professional organizer and founder of Clutterbug Organizing Services and host of HGTV's Hot Mess House. Cas talks about her many, many jobs she took before she realized she had a knack for organizing and YouTube. Cas is a wealth of knowledge about how to leverage the power of your passion, build a business with recurring revenue and keep the opportunities coming. She has a YouTube Channel, a podcast, written books, and hosts Organizing Classes and Workshops. Check out her website: https://clutterbug.me/.
She's currently offering a FREE 30 Minute Masterclass! Click HERE to sign up!
5 Fun Facts about Cas:
1. 90's HipHop is my favorite type of music.
2. I have a dog, two birds and a bearded dragon.
3. Disney World is my favorite place on earth. I'd visit monthly if my husband would let me.
4. One of my many failed career choices was a clown. I painted faces and made balloon animals while in full costume.
5. I'm a huge homebody. My perfect weekend is staying in bed and watching Netflix the entire time.
1 - CALYgirl STYLD (Jennie Stehli)
This episode we chat with Jennie Stehli...powerhouse lifestyle & clean beauty blogger. Jennie shares her journey from a blog that started as an outlet for talking about her life to what has now evolved into a full time, lifestyle brand and business (she just secured a partnership with EXPRESS as their Style Editor). She shares the steps she took along the way to take it from a basic blog, to the revenue generating business it is today. https://calygirlstyld.com/
She also just announced her winter STYLD box that is available to sign up for from 1/16-1/21. Sign up here: https://calygirlstyld.com/styldbox/
5 Fun Facts about Jennie:
1. My grandmother had 14 kids
2. I’m Hawaiian, Italian and Irish
3. If it was an option I’d have more kids
4. I drove cross country 2x in one year with 4 kids and a dog
5. I launched my own business in 2020 that provides women with on trend accessible style for their everyday lifestyle