Side Hustle Pro

Today in the Side Hustle Pro guest chair is Dionna M. Dorsey, a gifted designer and brand development strategist and the creator of apparel line DISTRICT of CLOTHING. 

After graduating from Villanova University in 2002, Dionna moved to Italy to study fashion design and pursue a job in the fashion industry. 

She ended up relocating to New York City and designed outerwear for Oscar de la Renta and men's apparel for several other licenses. After rocky times hit the retail industry, she was eventually laid off from her job. She applied for job after job, but no one would hire her, so she made a decision to hire herself. 

She went on to open Dionna Dorsey Design, a design boutique that specializes in being creative – from graphic design to art direction, brand strategy, and website development. Then, she launched DISTRICT of CLOTHING, a signature apparel line developed with the conventional and avant-garde dreamers and doers in mind. The rest is HERstory.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher.  

This episode is brought to you by:

Acuity

For a limited time only, you can get 45 days of Acuity Scheduling absolutely free - no credit card required - by going to acuityscheduling.com/hustlepro. 

Skillshare

Get 2 free months of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/sidehustlepro

 Links mentioned in this episode

• DionnaDorsey.com
• DISTRICTofCLOTHING.com
• Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE

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Send questions to “Ask Nicaila”

You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email [email protected] and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. 

Dionna Dorsey (Instagram) - @dionnadorsey 

Dionna Dorsey (Twitter) - @dionnadorsey

DISTRICT of CLOTHING (Instagram) - @districtofclothing

DISTRICT of CLOTHING (Facebook) - @districtofclothingco

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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Today in the Side Hustle Pro guest chair we welcome Lorraine West, the Founder of Lorraine West Jewelry.

Lorraine developed an affinity for creating and donning unique jewelry at a young age and says she’s been an artist since she was in the 1st grade. Her mother's love for ornate pieces was the inspiration for her to delve into jewelry design while studying Illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

After teaching herself how to manipulate various metals into beautiful original jewelry pieces, and with the increasing demand from family and friends to create custom designs, Lorraine West Jewelry was conceived. Understanding that she needed a steady income to support herself as she grew her business, she worked for 4 years as a full-time employee then another 6 years freelancing as an illustrator, as an assistant fashion and prop stylist on video shoots and through other part time gigs besides selling her own work on the side. She became a full-time entrepreneur in 2010.

Lorraine met Erykah Badu, early in her career, who attended the same poetry event as her. Lorraine’s work spoke for itself and she was commissioned to make pieces for Erykah Badu, Andre 3000, Common, among many other artists.  

As a full-time entrepreneur, Lorraine started bringing in consistent income by selling her jewelry at the Brooklyn Flea from 2010-2014, launched her brand e-commerce website in 2015, launched the custom fine jewelry division in 2011 which grew the business exponentially since.

In episode 195 of Side Hustle Pro, Lorraine shares:

• What led her to start selling her jewelry
• How she came to design custom pieces for artists like Erykah Badu, Common, and more
• How she side hustled before she could work on her jewelry business full-time

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher & sidehustlepro.co/lorrainewestjewelry

This episode is brought to you by:

Causebox 

Go to causebox.com/hustlepro and use the code HUSTLEPRO to get your first box for 30% off

Blinkist 

Go to blinkist.com/hustlepro to try it FREE for 7 days AND save 25% off your new subscription.

 Links mentioned in this episode

• Lorraine West Jewelry
• Multiply Your Profits - Flourish & Thrive Academy
• Everything is Figureoutable: How One Simple Belief Can Help Us Overcome Any Obstacle and Create Unstoppable Success

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

Send questions to “Ask Nicaila”

You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email [email protected] and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. 

Lorraine West Jewelry (Instagram) - @lorrainewestjewelry 

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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

Petrushka’s Co-Founder is her husband, Nicholas, and prior to opening the shop, she worked as Vice President for Programs & Education at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and Program Director at the Laundromat Project. Even with her successful career, she had dreams of being an entrepreneur that started when she was in the 3rd grade and those dreams remained with her as she got older. 

The opportunity for entrepreneurship eventually presented itself when her husband unexpectedly lost his job in the culinary industry. They began thinking about how to develop a business based on foods they love, and it was an experience at a pop-up ice cream shop while on a trip in Washington, DC, that sparked the idea to open an ice shop in Harlem. Petrushka and her husband went all in and found a location, secured a loan, got permits, and opened Sugar Hill Creamery in only 10 months! 

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, Stitcher, 

This episode is brought to you by:

Skillshare

Get 2 free months of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/sidehustlepro

 Links mentioned in this episode

• Sugar Hill Creamery 
• Gusto 
• Your Money or Your Life 

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

Send questions to “Ask Nicaila”

You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email [email protected] and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. 

Sugar Hill Creamery (Instagram) - @sugarhillicecream 

Sugar Hill Creamery (Facebook) - @sugarhillicecream

Sugar Hill Creamery (Twitter) - @sugarhillcream

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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Today in the guest chair we welcome Kesha Watkins, a true side hustler! Although she has a successful 13-year career in the Human Resource profession, she is also passionate about entrepreneurship and being her own boss.

Her latest venture, BPolished Beauty Supply offers an array of hair care needs and provides an unparalleled level of beauty experience to customers in Arlington, TX and online. Kesha’s hope in opening BPolished Beauty Supply is to provide representation as an African American Owner in the beauty supply industry and promote entrepreneurship to other women. 

Prior to opening, Kesha didn’t have any experience in beauty retail, so she decided to work at Sally’s Beauty Supply to learn the ins and out of running a store. She knew she was heading in the right direction because she loved the in-store experience, especially interacting with customers. Only a few months later, she was able to leverage her learnings and open a store that her community loves. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, Stitcher, 

This episode is brought to you by:

FreshBooks

Try FreshBooks FREE for 30 days. Go to freshbooks.com/sidehustlepro and enter SIDE HUSTLE PRO in the how did you hear about us section to get started.

 Links mentioned in this episode

• BPolished Beauty Supply
• Black Business Owners Network
• Profit First: A Simple System To Transform Any Business From A Cash-Eating Monster To A Money-Making Machine

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

Send questions to “Ask Nicaila”

You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email [email protected] and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. 

BPolished Beauty Supply (Instagram) - @bpolishedbeautysupply 

BPolished Beauty Supply (Facebook) - @BPolishedBeautySupply

Kesha Watkins (Instagram) - @bpolished_ceo

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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

Today in the guest chair we welcome Kyara Uqdah, the Co-Founder of Charm City Buyers. Her Co-Founder is also her husband, Khalil Uqdah and they started investing in real estate only one year after graduating college.  

They had an idea that they wanted to build their own empire, so they developed a plan to do it! They’ve gone from that first investment in a property in a depressed neighborhood in  Connecticut to investing in over 20 properties in Baltimore. They are literally buying the block.

Almost eight years later they have been able to officially retire from their jobs and focus all of their efforts on maintaining their empire and helping others to build their own, in addition to being loving parents to their beautiful daughter. 

They aren’t just keeping the knowledge to themselves, they lead a coaching program that teaches fellow Millennials and Gen Xers how to build a tremendous amount of wealth in a very short period of time as well.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, Stitcher, 

This episode is brought to you by:

FreshBooks

Try FreshBooks FREE for 30 days. Go to freshbooks.com/sidehustlepro and enter SIDE HUSTLE PRO in the how did you hear about us section to get started.

Skillshare

Get 2 free months of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/sidehustlepro

 Links mentioned in this episode

• Charm City Buyers
• Slack 
• Think and Grow Rich 

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

Send questions to “Ask Nicaila”

You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email [email protected] and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. 

Charm City Buyers (Instagram) - @charmcitybuyers 

Charm City Buyers (Facebook) - @charmcitybuyers

Charm City Buyers (Twitter) - @CharmCityBuyers

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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

Today in the guest chair we welcome Brittani Allen, a Professional Home Organizer, and CEO and Founder of Pinch of Help-Home Organization based in Atlanta, Georgia. 

I came across Brittani’s business on Instagram and was instantly hooked! She is passionate about creating environments her clients love living in, with her expert ability to match functional organization with aesthetically pleasing solutions.  

The entrepreneur bug hit her while she was studying biomedical science in graduate school and substituting teaching. It was an overheard conversation between high school students that sparked the idea for her first business, Strategic Academic Planning. She eventually pivoted to blogging but was still feeling stuck until she read the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.

Would you believe that Brittani used to struggle with keeping her house clean and organized? She used the processes and tips from the book to declutter her home, and friends started to take notice. As she continued to help friends and family, she realized she could turn her side hustle into a profitable full-time business.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, Stitcher, 

This episode is brought to you by:

FreshBooks

Try FreshBooks FREE for 30 days. Go to freshbooks.com/sidehustlepro and enter SIDE HUSTLE PRO in the how did you hear about us section to get started.

HoneyBook

HoneyBook is offering Side Hustle Pro listeners 50% off when you visit tryhoneybook.com/hustlepro. Payment is flexible, and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually. 

 Links mentioned in this episode

• Pinchofhelp.com
• The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
• Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
• How I Built This Podcast 
• Audible 
• The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure

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

Send questions to “Ask Nicaila”

You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email [email protected] and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. 

Pinch of Help (Instagram) - @pinchofhelp 

Pinch of Help (Facebook) - @Pinchofhelp

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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

Today in the guest chair we welcome Mattie James, a full-time content creator and the influencer behind MattieJames.com. 

After being crowned Miss Liberia USA in 2009, Mattie started her blog as a hobby, but it was consistency and a great first hire that helped her grow her blog into the business it is today. She now creates lifestyle content for her blog, podcast and YouTube channel while working with brands like Samsung, TJ MAXX and J. Crew. 

In addition to blogging, she has taught over 1,000 bloggers and entrepreneurs the business of blogging with her online courses and masterclasses. 

In this episode, Mattie shares a ton of information about how to approach brand partnerships, the difference between a content creator and influencer, and how to share your story.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, Stitcher, 

This episode is brought to you by:

Zip Recruiter 

Side Hustle Pro listeners can try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE at ZipRecruiter.com/hustle.

Skillshare

Skillshare is offering Side Hustle Pro listeners 2 months of unlimited Skillshare classes for FREE. To sign up, go to Skillshare.com/sidehustlepro

FreshBooks

Try FreshBooks FREE for 30 days. Go to freshbooks.com/sidehustlepro and enter SIDE HUSTLE PRO in the how did you hear about us section to get started.

 Links mentioned in this episode

• MattieJames.com
• Mattie James YouTube 
• Pitch Please Course 
• InstaStyle: Curate Your Life, Create Stunning Photos, and Elevate Your Instagram Influence  
• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones 
• Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine

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

Send questions to “Ask Nicaila”

You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email [email protected] and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. 

Mattie James (Instagram) - @ themattiejames 

Mattie James (Twitter) - @themattiejames

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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

Today in the guest chair we welcome Tammeca Rochester, the owner and founder of Harlem Cycle, Harlem's 1st and only indoor cycling studio. 

Tammeca's journey to opening an indoor cycling studio in Harlem started when she was looking to find a workout that would both get her back in shape while putting her in a positive frame of mind. After exploring the various workout options, she found herself drawn to indoor cycling.

Her entrepreneurial spirit and her passion for all things Harlem inspired her to start researching how to open a cycling studio. Her entrepreneurial spirit and her passion for all things Harlem inspired her to open the doors to Harlem Cycle in 2016. 

In episode 189 of Side Hustle Pro, Tammeca talks about: 

• How her academic background and career helped her secure the space for Harlem Cycle 
• What it took for Harlem Cycle to become profitable 
• How she brings in new clients and strengthens brand loyalty  

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify! 

This episode is brought to you by:

HoneyBook

HoneyBook is offering Side Hustle Pro listeners 50% off when you visit tryhoneybook.com/hustlepro. Payment is flexible, and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually. 

FreshBooks

Try FreshBooks FREE for 30 days. Go to freshbooks.com/sidehustlepro and enter SIDE HUSTLE PRO in the how did you hear about us section to get started.

 Links mentioned in this episode

• Harlem Cycle
• The Renaissance Group International 
• Canva 
• The Alchemist 

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

Send questions to “Ask Nicaila”

You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email [email protected] and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. 

Tammeca Rochester (Instagram) - @tammeca_rochester 

Harlem Cycle (Instagram) - @harlemcycle

Harlem Cycle (Twitter) -  @harlemcycle

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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

As a busy working mom and wife, Chantel Powell found herself shuttling her son Kameron between summer basketball camp and football practice. She quickly noticed that he was starting to smell like a grown man because he was sweating buckets under his armpits, and that’s when her innovative mindset kicked in.

Chantel decided to develop an all-natural deodorant for her son. And so Play Pits the brand was born. 

Play Pits is a 100% all-natural deodorant for active kids. It’s free of aluminum, parabens, synthetic fragrances and other harsh chemicals. While it can be used on the most gentle skin types, it also packs a strong punch against odors. 

• In today’s episode, Chantel breaks down:
• • How she tested out Play Pits on family to get feedback
  • How customer demand led her to evolve from children’s deodorant to an adult deodorant component as well
  • How she did it all while side hustling

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify

This episode is brought to you by:

Skillshare

Get 2 free months of Premium Membership at skillshare.com/sidehustlepro

FreshBooks

Try FreshBooks FREE for 30 days. Go to freshbooks.com/sidehustlepro and enter SIDE HUSTLE PRO in the how did you hear about us section to get started.

 Links mentioned in this episode

• Play Pits
• Fiverr
• Big Magic

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

Send questions to “Ask Nicaila”

You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email [email protected] and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. 

Play Pits (Instagram) - @playpits

Creator (Instagram) - @chantellovestyling

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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

Today in the guest chair we welcome Imani Ellis, Imani Ellis, the Founder of CultureCon and& The Creative Collective NYC (TheCCnyc), a community and creative agency dedicated to facilitating brave spaces for multicultural creatives. 

Born in Imani’s one-bedroom apartment as a means to foster meaningful connections, TheCCnyc has since become the fastest growing community devoted to creatives of color in NYC who are looking to cultivate relationships that go beyond the business card.   

TheCCnyc’s marquee event is CultureCon, an incredible conference that celebrates the influence creatives of color make on society and the culture that fuels it. Previous speakers have included Tracee Ellis Ross, Will Smith, Regina King, Spike Lee, and John Legend!

Through all of this, would you believe that Imani is still a side hustler? Yes, she still has a full-time job as a publicist! Let’s get right into the episode to find out how she’s juggling an impressive career and a game-changing side hustle.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify

This episode is brought to you by:

Thanks Bombas. 

Get 20% off your first purchase by going to bombas.com/SIDEHUSTLE 

FreshBooks

Try FreshBooks FREE for 30 days. Go to freshbooks.com/sidehustlepro and enter SIDE HUSTLE PRO in the how did you hear about us section to get started.

 Links mentioned in this episode

• The CCNYC
• CultureCON
• Fivver 
• Dear Founder: Letters of Advice for Anyone Who Leads, Manages, or Wants to Start a Business 

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

Send questions to “Ask Nicaila”

You can now send questions for the new “Ask Nicaila” segment that’s coming to Side Hustle Pro. Once I get a critical mass of questions, I can start rolling out this segment. Just email [email protected] and put hashtag #AskNicaila in the subject. 

TheCCnyc (Instagram) - @theccnyc 

TheCCnyc (Twitter) - @thecc_nyc

Imani Ellis (Instagram) -  @imaniimani

Imani Ellis (Twitter) - @imaninaomi

Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro

#SideHustlePro

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