752: $500/week as a Mystery Shopper
Getting paid to eat at restaurants, tour apartments, and run your car through the wash 20 times in an afternoon? That's mystery shopping — a $2 billion industry most people have never heard of. Mercedes Eckert has been doing it for 13 years and has helped over 25,000 shoppers get started through her company, iShopAGP.com. Her personal best: $600 in a single day without getting out of the car. She also runs ShopQuest, a free site where you can browse mystery shopper jobs in your city. Tune into Episode 752 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: how mystery shoppers actually get paid how to stack jobs together into a $600 day the common scams to watch out for Full Show Notes: $500/week as a Mystery Shopper New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Quo (formerly OpenPhone) — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Gusto — Get 3 months free of the leading payroll, benefits, and HR provider for modern small businesses! Wealthfront — Start earning up to 4.30% variable APY today! Terms and conditions apply. Monarch — Get an extended 30-day free trial! About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation. Wealthfront Disclaimer This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Nicholas Loper and Side Hustle Show podcast (collectively "Media Partner") are not clients of Wealthfront. The Media Partner receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for this paid endorsement placed in their podcast, creating a conflict of interest. More details available via the referral link. The Direct Deposit Plus Investing Program from Wealthfront Advisers LLC and Wealthfront Brokerage LLC provides eligible clients a 0.25% APY increase above the base APY on eligible Cash Account balances (up to an overall boosted rate of 4.30% for a limited time when including the three month 0.75% APY boost for new clients) when you direct deposit $1,000 a month, plus open, fund, and maintain an investing account. Wealthfront may change or end the program at any time and determine eligibility at its discretion. Terms apply. Full details at wealthfront.com/promo-terms. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Securities investments are not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser.
751: The Most Random Ways You’ve Made Extra Money
Last month, I put out a call for listeners to share the most random ways they've made extra money, and the responses did not disappoint! Some side hustles start with a business plan. Others start with a stranger in a parking garage asking if you want to get paid to drink beer. That one actually happened to me in Atlanta. The woman worked for a market research company, and they needed taste-testers for a product that hadn't launched yet. I invited a couple of friends along, and we each made about $75 sampling what turned out to be Miller Chill. Later we lived near a place called the National Food Lab, so I went over and did a few more paid taste-testings. Tune into Episode 751 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: the strangest things listeners have been paid to do how a few of those random gigs turned into real businesses where to find unusual rental and marketplace opportunities Full Show Notes: The Most Random Ways You’ve Made Extra Money New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Quo (formerly OpenPhone) — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Gusto — Get 3 months free of the leading payroll, benefits, and HR provider for modern small businesses! Wealthfront — Start earning up to 4.30% variable APY today! Terms and conditions apply. Monarch — Get an extended 30-day free trial! About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation. Wealthfront Disclaimer This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Nicholas Loper and Side Hustle Show podcast (collectively "Media Partner") are not clients of Wealthfront. The Media Partner receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for this paid endorsement placed in their podcast, creating a conflict of interest. More details available via the referral link. The Direct Deposit Plus Investing Program from Wealthfront Advisers LLC and Wealthfront Brokerage LLC provides eligible clients a 0.25% APY increase above the base APY on eligible Cash Account balances (up to an overall boosted rate of 4.30% for a limited time when including the three month 0.75% APY boost for new clients) when you direct deposit $1,000 a month, plus open, fund, and maintain an investing account. Wealthfront may change or end the program at any time and determine eligibility at its discretion. Terms apply. Full details at wealthfront.com/promo-terms. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Securities investments are not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser.
750 - We Bought a “Boring” Business … Then Revenue Tanked
Buy a boring business, they said. It’ll be easy. It’ll be fun. That’s the dream Andrea Palacio and her husband chased when they bought a landscaping company. The road got bumpy fast, but they still added around $300,000 in equity value in just a couple of years. Andrea Palacio runs AndreaPalacio.ai, where she helps other business owners put AI to work. But before that, she and her husband lived on a sailboat for 4 years while running an e-commerce business selling pet supplies on Amazon and Shopify. When that business stalled, they sold it and went looking for something new. They landed on a South Florida landscaping company, thinking it would be steady and mostly hands-off. Instead, almost everything went wrong at once. Tune in to Episode 750 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: how Andrea rebuilt after losing most of her team and clients how simple AI tools gave her back 20+ hours a month what buying a business taught her about leadership Full Show Notes: We Bought a “Boring” Business … Then Revenue Tanked New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Quo (formerly OpenPhone) — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Gusto — Get 3 months free of the leading payroll, benefits, and HR provider for modern small businesses! Wealthfront — Start earning up to 4.30% variable APY today! Terms and conditions apply. Monarch — Get an extended 30-day free trial! About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation. Wealthfront Disclaimer This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Nicholas Loper and Side Hustle Show podcast (collectively "Media Partner") are not clients of Wealthfront. The Media Partner receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for this paid endorsement placed in their podcast, creating a conflict of interest. More details available via the referral link. The Direct Deposit Plus Investing Program from Wealthfront Advisers LLC and Wealthfront Brokerage LLC provides eligible clients a 0.25% APY increase above the base APY on eligible Cash Account balances (up to an overall boosted rate of 4.30% for a limited time when including the three month 0.75% APY boost for new clients) when you direct deposit $1,000 a month, plus open, fund, and maintain an investing account. Wealthfront may change or end the program at any time and determine eligibility at its discretion. Terms apply. Full details at wealthfront.com/promo-terms. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Securities investments are not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser.
I Rent Out Other People's Stuff: How to Build a Six-Figure Business (Greatest Hits)
Have you ever thought about renting out other people's stuff for profit? That's exactly what Garr Russell from firesidervrental.com did with RVs (recreational vehicles), and he's turned it into a thriving business. Could you do the same thing? Could you apply this idea to a different niche? I think there are some valuable lessons here for aspiring side hustlers in any niche. Tune in to Episode 625 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: how to profit from renting out other people's RVs the numbers behind a successful RV rental business creative ways to boost income with add-on services strategies for scaling to a nationwide operation Full Show Notes: Renting Out Other People’s RVs: How to Build a Six-Figure Business New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Quo (formerly OpenPhone) — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Gusto — Get 3 months free of the leading payroll, benefits, and HR provider for modern small businesses! Wealthfront — Start earning up to 4.30% variable APY today! Terms and conditions apply. Monarch — Get an extended 30-day free trial! About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation. Wealthfront Disclaimer This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Nicholas Loper and Side Hustle Show podcast (collectively "Media Partner") are not clients of Wealthfront. The Media Partner receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for this paid endorsement placed in their podcast, creating a conflict of interest. More details available via the referral link. The Direct Deposit Plus Investing Program from Wealthfront Advisers LLC and Wealthfront Brokerage LLC provides eligible clients a 0.25% APY increase above the base APY on eligible Cash Account balances (up to an overall boosted rate of 4.30% for a limited time when including the three month 0.75% APY boost for new clients) when you direct deposit $1,000 a month, plus open, fund, and maintain an investing account. Wealthfront may change or end the program at any time and determine eligibility at its discretion. Terms apply. Full details at wealthfront.com/promo-terms. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Securities investments are not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser.
749: $150/hr from Home: Upskilling to Work Less and Earn More
Here's a proven path to $150 an hour, right from home. Maybe you've got a good job you like. But when you look ahead, the salary ceiling feels capped, the red tape runs deep, and the chances to move up are slim. At some point it hits you: this path won't get me where I want to go, and nothing changes unless I change it. For Hermela Felten, she carved out a new path with better pay and far more time freedom, and she's here to walk you through it. Hermela runs easeintoearnings.com and Feltech Digital Solutions. A few years ago, she was a college advisor in the DC metro area, spending 2.5 to 3 hours a day just commuting. When COVID sent her remote, she suddenly had about 2.5 hours of her day back, and that small taste of freedom set everything in motion. Tune into Episode 749 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: how to upskill into a high-paying, in-demand skill for free how networking can help you skip the job-application line how to turn that new skill into your own part-time freelance business (Curious if a Salesforce pivot could work for you? Here's a free 5-day challenge: sidehustlenation.com/salesforce) Full Show Notes: $150/hr from Home: Upskilling to Work Less and Earn More New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Quo (formerly OpenPhone) — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Gusto — Get 3 months free of the leading payroll, benefits, and HR provider for modern small businesses! Wealthfront — Start earning up to 4.30% variable APY today! Terms and conditions apply. Monarch — Get an extended 30-day free trial! About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation. Wealthfront Disclaimer This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Nicholas Loper and Side Hustle Show podcast (collectively "Media Partner") are not clients of Wealthfront. The Media Partner receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for this paid endorsement placed in their podcast, creating a conflict of interest. More details available via the referral link. The Direct Deposit Plus Investing Program from Wealthfront Advisers LLC and Wealthfront Brokerage LLC provides eligible clients a 0.25% APY increase above the base APY on eligible Cash Account balances (up to an overall boosted rate of 4.30% for a limited time when including the three month 0.75% APY boost for new clients) when you direct deposit $1,000 a month, plus open, fund, and maintain an investing account. Wealthfront may change or end the program at any time and determine eligibility at its discretion. Terms apply. Full details at wealthfront.com/promo-terms. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Securities investments are not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser.