At first, you don't succeed, make d! I why journalists are you a journal, or are you a dollar a planner too? You have a notebook and writings down. I carry my stuck with me as a security, blanket of sorts and I'm off and running down different ideas and tasks. Things to do or just things that are on my mind, friends, listeners, community, welcome to side hustle school at my name is crystal about today. Story is all about two friends who try to start an online wedding platform, but they end up with something totally different, actually end up with a monthly subscription service offering a personalized diy journals.

We have featured different people, making different kinds of journals. A couple times on the show, apparently, journals are the new app there's gold in them. There journals, just like George Washington, used to say, and a couple of episodes that we've had before number two hundred and six is about a law student who creates a six thousand five hundred dollars a month morning, routine journal and episode. Four hundred and ninety four, a communications teacher who turns the love of journaling into an Etsy shop. So what does surfeit of journals out there in the world? How does someone get an idea to create something that is unique? to stand on its own and to reach enough of a target audience to be sustainable or if you are new to the show. We use a case study model where every damn telling a different story of somebody who is creating a second income for themselves, usually without cutting their day job and in today's story. I'll tell you all about these two friends who make this journal idea come to life. Here's a quick thank you to our sponsor. They allow the show to be completely free to you, and then we will die right in support for this. Podcast comes from octet. What's your mother's maiden name?

What's the name of your first pet? We have another question: why are security solution still asking the same verification questions its twenty twenty? It's time you business, which is to a security solution that not only is bill for this decade, but can guide you into the next one. With an identity, centric approach to Security ACT, Naples organizations to choose any technology integrated rapidly and deliver a security solutions that provides a seamless experience without making it harder for your employees, often not pushes you security forward, but it pushes your business it is well, so we Ask you one last question: what's your favorite security solution, learn more about how you can improve your security PA share with the leader and identity, german security at Oxford, DOT, com, slash the answer: that's ok, tee a dot com, slash the answer

the Agro Wall and Joe yeah go way back to a friendship in college. I graduated the two friends with their separate ways, but that separation didn't last long a few years into their careers me how decided to start a side hustle in the form of a luxury wedding platform that would connect brides with vendors online. Her friend Joe had just finished a coating boot camp, so it may perfect sense to partner up launching that project took quite a bit of planning and they figured bullet. Journaling would be a great way to organise their thoughts and next steps. The idea bullet journaling is to take a journal with dotted paper in sketch beautiful designs that you can use to track things like your weekly calendar to do less, and perhaps a few things you are

for each day. Taking the time to hand draw your plainer is supposed to be soothing. Mindful and clarifying. The only thing was Joe and me hot were both terrible at it. They just couldn't recreate a gorgeous page designs that were trending on Instagram and the time they spent trying over and over again to make everything with nice and pretty was actually destroying their productivity. In me, how's words it was to fighting there had to be a way to capture the Personal wellness and productivity side of bullet journaling without being an expert artist, but me Anja really couldn't find any pre May journals that worked the limited options out. There were boring one dimensional and just bland. They seem like they were made by

operations not by creative people, so into life. Two thousand and seventeen a table their wedding platform idea and immediately got to work on a new hustle, but they called silk and Sonder. The goal was to blend the best bullet journal, concepts, lifestyle and productivity, thought pieces and plan our designs to create a monthly themes journal that would inspire self care for the less artistic. It would include, features like habit. Trackers gratitude prompts weekly planners productivity, hacks

inspirational quotes and my fulness exercises. After two weeks they had a minimum viable product or in BP for short, that products had a few designs, articles trackers and a calendar printed out on regular sheets of printed paper. They folded paper into journals and gave them to a few friends, but then play with him for a few days and collected all the feedback they cut. If he back was overwhelmingly positive, so behind show continued, giving their free time to the project. They were fine. Their digital graphic skills set up a website from scratch, using their coating skills. That was Joe thanks Joe and found a printing partner in Oakland who had worked with small production runs. They also set up social media accounts and started engaging

the bullet journal and lifestyle community by commenting on pictures of journal designs, particularly on Instagram, some of the more influential people later ended up, sharing silken Saunders designs with their own followers, which helped gains and pre launch traction all in all their start. Up costs were just a few hundred dollars each since they didn't have to place an order with the printer until they had sales. Finally, in September twenty seventeen, they launched a project in preparation for their first monthly journal in October. Thanks to that early social media attraction, they actually got there first sale that same day on their website. A few weeks later, they successfully fulfilled that first months, a few dozen orders finished up the journal for November and began to ramp up marketing. What happened next was just a lot of hard work, more social media post, reaching out to influencers doing giveaways on Instagram, submitting guess, postal lifestyle blogs, nothing fancy just

tried and true methods that are uneasy, but usually work with enough patients and month to Silken saunter broke one thousand dollars in sales for the first time, but they also hit a major roadblock. Their California printer was producing high quality journals, but it was taking them far too long. You see me high and Joe weren't printing hundreds of journalism month and I felt like they were, Always the last priority that printer, rather than taking two to three days to print their monthly journals? It was taking seven to nine. This big logistical problems ended up with customers receiving their journal several days into the month, and I just wasn't acceptable in the long run to the hunt, for

Other partner began, thankfully they found a printer and New York that was happy to guarantee short turnaround times and was easier to work with the journey since then hasn't been smoothed sailing or back breaking. It has been a lot more disciplined hard work, more strategic marketing, more cold emails to people more. Creating these slow and steady tactics are generating growth over the long term and starting to pay off the June twenty eighteen journal of silk and sounder ship to twenty five states. They recently brought three thousand dollars a month and sales. They have ever three monthly subscribers and are seeing thirty percent growth month after month. They know they're doing something right because gives subscriptions make up twenty five years of all orders and those recipients almost always subscribe on their own after the gift subscription ends decide. Income is great, but for me how the ability to facilitate self caring, personal growth for hundreds of people around the country is a reward on its own. More than anything, she says: that's the part, she's most excited about crime,

or even worse. You dont succeed, make D. I why journals, or perhaps let's say if it first, you don't succeed, just try something else don't give up. I don't hesitate. Watch it up? If I go back to my early entrepreneurial days more than twenty years ago, back in the days of the cave men, I never thought I would sell Lego. Are you to sell leg? Another toys online on Ebay. I sought coffee for a long time. I didn't group as a kid and say: ok, one day I went to grow up and sell Lego and coffee on Ebay or anything else that I saw twenty years ago or any of the businesses that I've had since then never thought it have a podcast. Even after podcast you ve been out for several years Zack. I wasn't an early a doctorate. Ah, so some.

Actually, let's say very often one project can lead to something else. If you start going down one road and you find okay, this might not be a terrible idea, it might be, but it is not a project for right now by along the way. I discovered this other thing and that's what I wanna do actually and to me. This is another great benefit. Having aside hustle because the stakes are allow. This is not like your day job or a long career in which are making this life transforming move. If it doesn't work out you something else and- and I think it also not. The same thing is getting distracted, it's more about being willing to explore different ideas when you're just getting started in finding your way. But you party found your way. You found your direction. Will then dont be distracted, but a lot of us,

so in this process of exploration, and we re not phase. Probably the worst thing you can do is commit to something for the long term when you're not really sure if it's gonna work or if it's what you really want to do in the first place, so congrats to me, hot and Joe seems like a fun project. I will check it out myself in. Perhaps maybe you well as well. If you like to see these journals just come check out the show notes, those are at sight of swill school dot, com slashed five, eight five is this episode, father and eighty five of the show, as always, inspiration is guide, but inspiration with action is so much better. Thank you for listening to day I'll be back tomorrow. My name is critical about, and this is site SL school.