Today’s guest is Arsha Jones, a serial entrepreneur and an emerging leader in the ecommerce industry. She has built multiple, highly profitable brands, with revenues approaching nearly a half million dollars in less than two years .As we speak, she is currently operating and managing Capital City Co, keeping you fly through the Tees in the Trap brand, building iOS apps for Apps By The Pound, all while running the design blog (and Facebook Group!), Brand Build Sell. Her first venture, co-founded ...
Nov 30, 2016•1 hr 2 min
On this episode, I'm providing another check in and update on how my own side hustle is going. How am I balancing my full-time job with my podcast, Side Hustle Pro brand and business AND wedding planning? On this episode I’m talking about: The feeling of overwhelm, what it stems from and the ways I’m pushing through it. Tune in to hear my latest updates in this Side Hustle Pro journey! Links mentioned in this episode: Arsha Jones Tees in the Trap Lamar Tyler Brand, Build, Sell Facebook Group Sid...
Nov 23, 2016•18 min
Today’s guest, is Kelechi Anyadiegwu. Kelechi is the founder of Zuvaa, an online community and marketplace for African Inspired Fashion. Zuvaa helps emerging African Fashion Brands increase revenue, scale operation and streamline their process with our easy to use online platform for social selling and personal shopping. The mission of Zuvaa is to give African Fashion Labels the tools they need to transform their brands, and bring authentic African Inspired Fashion to the main stream. In 2016, K...
Nov 16, 2016•39 min
Today in the guest chair we have a woman who is building a community of creatives all over the country. Melissa Kimble is a Chicago based Social Media Strategist and Writer who believes in using social media for good through education and empowerment. She is the Founding Editor of #BlkCreatives, a platform for young professionals of color. She also created and facilitates the #blkcreatives Twitter Chat Series. Melissa is also the Senior Social Media Manager for EBONY Magazine. In this episode, s...
Nov 09, 2016•1 hr 6 min
A bold decision to pitch myself for an opportunity landed me right next to my business idol. In early 2016, the Signature CEO conference landed on my radar as it was on the list of appearances CurlBox Founder and CEO Myleik Teele had on her website and it was right in my neck of the woods. Initially, I thought a conference specifically tailored to wedding and event planners would not be relevant to me. But when I took a closer look at the agenda, I realized the knowledge that would be shared wou...
Nov 02, 2016•26 min
Joymarie had always been a web and design junkie. Since the age of 13 she was building website and blogs. But after flunking out of design school, she went through an eight year journey to finish her undergrad degree and land her dream job. Now Joymarie is determined to help other young professionals navigate their career journey. As the co-host of Joblogues podcast, a weekly podcast that highlights candid career conversations with young professionals around the world, Joymarie is also breaking ...
Oct 26, 2016•50 min
Evelyn Ngugi is a Kenyan-American YouTube sensation literally blowing up the internet right now, and she can even count Beyoncé (yes, Queen Bey) among her fans (but we’ll get into that story on the episode). What’s it like to amass a huge following on YouTube and Facebook organically while you’re still figuring out your long term plan? On today’s episode, Evelyn shares how she balances being a popular YouTube and social media sensation with a regular 9to5 just like you and me. She is an example ...
Oct 19, 2016•37 min
A rejection from Google was the best thing that ever happened to me. Two years ago I was an MBA intern at Google. I didn’t get the offer. Dejected, I refused to talk about it, unsure of how to unpack the experience. On today’s episode I’m sharing why that experience, along with other “rejections” were really blessings that positively fueled my side hustle mission. Here are just a few nuggets from this episode: Google’s ‘No’ led me to my ultimate purpose: inspiring people to live unboxed and with...
Oct 12, 2016•26 min
Today’s featured guest Emmelie De La Cruz is best known for her ability to empower entrepreneurs, college students and young professionals to become more competitive in the market. Emmelie will be the first to tell you: “Entrepreneurship isn’t cute. It’s not an exit strategy or an alternative to a job you hate.” As a personal branding strategist and brand auditor, Emmelie is here to empower us all to gain clarity around our personal brands, build a credible brand from scratch and make money on o...
Oct 05, 2016•40 min
On this episode, I'm sharing the art of reaching out to potential collaborators, customers and clients via the cold email. While many of many of my guests are people I know or have met, 50% of the women I interview on my podcast were complete strangers before I reached out to them via email. In this episode I’m sharing the art of writing enticing cold emails that get responses. Here are some of my key tips: Preparation Do your research - Google, social media Consider what’s in it for them Elimin...
Sep 28, 2016•14 min
At the age of 5, Denise Sarkor escaped the Liberian Civil War with family and lived as a refugee in Ivory Coast. Raised in a rough part of NJ by a determined mother, she would go on to graduate from The Wharton School on a full scholarship and obtain her Masters in International Finance and Economic Policy from Columbia University. Although entrepreneurship tugged at her heart, she took a safer path, working as an international banker and development consultant at Goldman Sachs and the World Ban...
Sep 21, 2016•59 min
How did a former wedding planner turn her side hustle into a million dollar business? Today’s guest has the answer. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “bias for action” she is the epitome of that. When she thinks of an idea, she doesn’t just sit on it, she acts on it. She’s founded two successful businesses in her lifetime with no business degree and only education from the school of hard knocks. I’m talking about Vivian Kaye, the Founder and CEO of KinkyCurlyYaki, a successful natural hair extensi...
Sep 14, 2016•48 min
What’s it like to be a 13-year seasoned blogger in the age of Instagram and Snapchat Influencers? On this episode I sit down for a conversation with Luvvie Ajayi to talk Branding 101. Luvvie is is a writer, digital strategist and creator of entertainment and humor blog AwesomelyLuvvie.com . As a fellow writer and avid blogger, I’ve always been inspired by Luvvie’s journey to full-time entrepreneur. She started her blog after peer pressure from friends who recognized her talent. After starting as...
Sep 07, 2016•38 min
On this episode, we are welcoming back Meiko Drew, the Side Hustle Pro Entrepreneur-in-Residence. We’re following Meiko for an entire year to chronicle her journey from Corporate America retiree to the Founder of Food and Lifestyle brand MeikoAndTheDish . For those of you who don’t know, Meiko walked away from a six-figure salary at Target to focus on Meiko And The Dish full time. Though it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, her brand is steadily rising and so it’s time to check in with her agai...
Aug 31, 2016•44 min
When you’re starting your own business, the company you keep is more important than ever before. On this episode, I'm answering a listener’s question about how to ignore the haters and find a true entrepreneurship support group. I talk about how I found my own tribe and created a mastermind group, and what you can do to find your own entrepreneurship support system. I also get into updates on my own side hustle journey, including: what I’m doing to monetize and my new Side Hustle Pro Shop. Tune ...
Aug 24, 2016•28 min
In 2009, Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche lost her job as a preschool teacher. Unable to afford her mortgage, she moved back home with her parents at age 29. At her lowest moment, she was 31 years old, with no job, no money, and no home of her own. After hitting rock bottom, she determined it was time to put the financial wisdom she had learned growing up to good use. In this week’s episode, she shares how she bounced back from financial despair to take charge of her own life and help others do ...
Aug 17, 2016•1 hr 5 min
In 2009, Courtney Sanders found herself drowning in debt, bad grades, and almost having to leave college. Three years later, she had paid off all her debt, earned a scholarship, started a business and graduated from college magna cum laude. How did she turn her life around? Find out on this week’s episode. Courtney is an entrepreneur, speaker, and goal achievement specialist. Through her training and development company, Think & Grow Chick, LLC, Courtney provides online & in-person edu...
Aug 10, 2016•1 hr
On this episode, I'm providing an update on how my own side hustle is going. How am I balancing my 9to5 at NPR with my podcast and burgeoning Side Hustle Pro brand and business? I talk about the challenges I’m facing with time management and why I believe time management is a myth. I’m also sharing the best tools I’ve found to help me manage my calendar and organize the Side Hustle Pro process (Shout-out to Amanda Miller Littlejohn for the productivity tips!). I also get into a strategy that I’m...
Aug 03, 2016•31 min
How did the product of a once homeless single mother become the Founder and CEO of a rising startup? This week’s guest, Stephanie Lampkin, shares how an influential aunt led her to coding at a young age, setting the stage for her to graduate from Stanford and MIT Sloan. Later, a surprise rejection from Google would lead her to found Blendoor, a mobile job matching app that hides candidate name and photo to circumvent unconscious bias and facilitate diversity recruiting in tech companies. Blendoo...
Jul 27, 2016•36 min
The number one question I get asked is how to leverage social media to build a brand. When people ask me this, I know that they're really searching for a quick and dirty shortcut to get thousands of followers without having to put in a lot of work. Well I hate to break it to you, but there's no way to build an engaged social media audience without consistent and authentic effort. With over seven years of professional experience as a social media marketing strategist, I've learned firsthand the c...
Jul 20, 2016•46 min
What goes into the making of a YouTube personality? CeeDotCee is this episode’s special guest. Whether it's recapping the latest episode of Love & Hip Hop or reviewing the hottest new music and gossip in pop culture, CeedotCee is an all around entertainer. Trailblazing the internet with her hilarious videos from YouTube to Facebook, she has over four million views combined. Her hilarious videos, like her Beyonce lemonade recap have garnered the attention of the likes of PEOPLE magazine. As i...
Jul 13, 2016•52 min
The words "Side Hustle" means different things to everyone. In this episode I’m breaking down: The real definition of a side hustle How to tap into your talents to determine what your side hustle should be 5 steps you can take to get started on your side hustle TODAY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 06, 2016•17 min
As a Corporate America retiree, Meiko Drew walked away from a 6-figure salary to start a lifestyle and food empire. But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. As the Side Hustle Pro Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Meiko will share the real picture of entrepreneurship after quitting your job. On this episode we talk about: The steps she took to prepare herself mentally and financially to quit her job Her early mistakes as an entrepreneur so far How she pays the bills as she works to build a profitable bus...
Jun 29, 2016•45 min
What goes into the making of a Venture Capitalist? Wharton graduate and Michigan MBA Stefanie Thomas shifted from a career in banking at Citigroup to centering her passions around support for under-resourced entrepreneurs. But the road to VC was not always clear. Learn about the key experiences she gained at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, the steps she took to feed her entrepreneurial fire, and the way she set herself on the path to Senior Associate with Impact America Fund....
Jun 22, 2016•1 hr 19 min
Today’s guest is Genese Jamilah, Founder of I Don’t Do Clubs, a successful events and lifestyle blog that caters to African American professionals across the country. In 2015, Genese also created the popular Must Love Beards Day Party Series and the first ever Black-Owned Restaurant Month. You’ll hear how Genese built I Don’t Do Clubs into a profitable business and how she got her brand and coins in formation to prepare to leave her day job. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...
Jun 22, 2016•46 min
Welcome to the very first episode of Side Hustle Pro. In this episode I’ll share the vision for this podcast and tell you more about me, your host Nicaila Matthews. You’ll hear why quitting my first job at 24, a rejection from Google and taking the path less traveled inspired me to create and grow my side hustle into a profitable brand. Plus, I’ll tell you what to expect each week on the show and give you a sneak peek at our first guest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...
Jun 20, 2016•15 min
