This week I’m excited to chat with someone I go way back with, Sheena McCullers. Sheena is the founder of Della’s Beauty Supply. Della’s was launched to bring a much-needed sense of belonging for BIPOC beauty lovers in Ann Arbor, MI. After moving from Brooklyn, Sheena saw a need for a place for people who look like her and took a chance on opening a storefront.

In this episode she shares:

• How intentionally creating a community through word of mouth was the foundation to building her customer base
• The startup costs and how she’s been able to be profitable in the first year
• The importance of working a full-time job where she was supported enough to be transparent about needing space to focus on expanding Della’s

Highlights Include:

00:00 Intro

08:16 Exploring different side hustles

14:16 Navigating a new city

18:43 Filling the need for a beauty supply

23:18 Startup planning and costs

27:55 Creating a community

30:01 Curating events and collaborations

35:02 Running a storefront as a side hustle

41:20 Expanding and creating a cultural hub

46:43 Setting the tone for the future of the store

56:19 Tips for entrepreneurs

Check out episode 460 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links Mentioned:

• Auntie Della’s Website: https://auntiedellas.com/
• Auntie Della’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntiedellas/
• Auntie Della’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@auntiedellas
• Virtual Assistant: https://theindemandva.com/

Listen on:

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

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8t?si=8daf52a57e054042

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sidehustlepro

Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss

Affiliate Disclosure: I may be an affiliate for products that I recommend or share. If you purchase those items through my links, I may earn a commission. You will not pay more when you use my links.

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

This week in the guest chair we have Kristen Dunning, founder and CEO of Gently Soap - a bathing brand built on her self-developed herbal infusions.

An MBA grad, Kristen hails from a rare five generations of Black Alabama farmers, and she’s continuing the legacy by bringing joy back to bathing experiences for people with sensitive skin, using the medicinal properties of plants.

In this episode she shares:

• Her vigorous passion and research that landed her on Shark Tank
• Her secret sauce to having a rate of 78% repeat customers
• How she won over 300K in investment capital and has a trajectory of $1.2M in sales

Highlights Include:

00:00 Intro

03:24 Generations of Black farmers

06:38 Struggle with eczema

08:45 Studying horticulture and agriculture

14:10 Staring Gently Soaps

18:03 Transitioning to selling at markets

21:31 Importance of formulating for sensitive skin

28:56 Sales growth and Shark Tank impact

32:55 High margins and sales

39:49 Marketing strategies

44:03 Tips for entrepreneurs

Check out episode 459 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links mentioned in this episode

• Gently Soap Website: https://gentlysoap.com/
• Gently Soap Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gentlysoap/
• Kristen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/professionalplantgirl/
• Kristen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristendunning/
• Shark Tank episode: https://gentlysoap.com/pages/shark-tank
• Aveeno start-up pitch competition: https://www.aveeno.com/startup-collective
• Thirteen Lune: https://thirteenlune.com/
• Tech Stars: https://www.techstars.com/

Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss

Join our Facebook Community

If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook

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

This week I’m back with a solo episode where I’m giving you the tools to make money with your podcast. When I became a full-time podcaster in 2017, I focused on my revenue streams like brand partnerships, sponsorships, courses, and VIP programs, leading to having over 10 million episode downloads to date. I’m here to help you get your podcast to that same level.

In this episode I’m sharing:

• Effective Marketing: How you’re going to optimize content planning and to get people to consistently see what you are offering
• Thinking Outside the Box: Exploring non-traditional sponsorships and multi-channel packages like retreats to generate revenue beyond just downloads
• Creating Value: How to produce content and services that your audience genuinely wants to pay for

Highlights Include:

00:00 Intro

02:49 The Importance of Podcast Setup

05:15 Narrowing Down Your Podcast Topics

09:50 Understanding and Serving Your Audience

14:33 Creating a Content Plan

16:39 Effective Marketing Strategies

19:00 Consistent Marketing Practices

21:24 Thinking Outside the Box for Sponsorships

25:54 Create Content People Want to Pay For

28:17 Recap and Action Steps

To learn more about making money from your podcast, join my next live class. Register at sidehustlepro.co/class.

Check out episode 458 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links mentioned in this episode

• Riverside (Use code ‘hustlepro’): https://riverside.fm/
• Podcast Moguls: http://sidehustlepro.co/join
• Lori Tharps SHP episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3EsWprSGu4
• Launching Podcast Moguls 2.0: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d-wkYAcsLo&t=1s
• Free newsletter: http://sidehustlepro.co/newsletter
• You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero: https://jensincero.com/

Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss

Join our Facebook Community

If you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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