As a side hustler myself, I often talk with people who want to start a side hustle, but don't have any ideas of what they could offer. They usually think they have to have a product to sell and I quickly share stories of so many other hustlers who began with just their voice and a message.
This is the beginning of the Side Hustle Series I'm starting where I will be showcasing women who have successfully ran a side hustle and ultimately left their day job to pursue it full time. First up is wife and mom of three, Shawnda Patterson, author, vlogger and motivational speaker. She began with her voice and her message.
Shawnda started a YouTube channel, Bronzegoddess01, as a hobby a few years ago when she was working full time as Quality Management Coordinator.
In her spare time she would make videos on her channel and eventually her subscriber base grew to nearly 100,000 subscribers and over 12 million views. As her subscriber count grew, so did the business opportunities which included brand deals and sponsorships. Shawnda began talking about her faith and sharing motivational and inspirational videos when she received a letter from a woman whose husband had been cheating on her. The woman wanted her advice so she answered the letter on video. The response from her viewers was overwhelming. And the letters just kept coming. She's now done over 200 YouTube videos answering letters from women all over the world.
I noticed that a lot of the letters I was receiving were starting to sound the same. That's when I decided to write my book. I got tired of feeling like I was getting there too late. By the time these women wrote to me they had already wasted their good years on a no good man. I thought someone should tell them they deserve better. Then I realized that someone was me.
She published her first book, The Dating Game: Mr. Right, which is currently on Amazon's best sellers list. She also started a coaching business, "he Ultimate Woman, LLC. and hosts a single's retreat called, "High Heels High Standards".
Shawnda has since quit her day job and hasn't looked back. Her advice for other aspiring vloggers is to grow their channel or business through social media and cross promotion.
There are some things more important than money. As cliché as it sounds, you have to do what you love. Once I discovered my purpose I had to figure out how that purpose could sustain me financially. Now, I'm happier than I've ever been because I'm doing what I love and they actually pay me for it. Do that thing that you would do for free and find a way to do it for money. I just know that you are either working on your own dream or your working for someone else's dream. Last summer I held an event called, "Dating with a Purpose" and the attendees were giving me their books to sign. I could see my 3 daughters ages 2, 4 and 9 watching me with such pride. They are my biggest inspirations.
Up next for this mogul in the making is another book Breaking the Man Code: The Key to Unlocking His Heart which is now available on pre-order.
Starting like Shawnda can be as simple as turning on your camera and sharing your message. She worked very hard to make sure she updated all of her social media channels with her YouTube information to help build her audience. If vlogging isn't for you, stay tuned for more ideas and stories; I'm sure you'll find something that inspires you.