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Side hustle income does not require startup capital, a business degree, or a grand plan. It requires you to look at what is already in your life and ask one question: how can I monetize this?

In Part 2 of this conversation, serial entrepreneur and Side Hustle Samurai Bart Merrell picks up exactly where he left off, with the cliffhanger. In March 2024, Bart lost his lower left leg. Before the surgery even happened, his first thought was: how do I monetize this? Six months post-op, he was sitting in his prosthetist's office pitching himself as a patient liaison on retainer. He is now building apps for the practice using AI, without a single line of coding experience.

That story sets the tone for everything that follows. Bart walks through his nine active income streams, including real estate, dog training, weight loss program promotion, AI-generated music on Spotify, vehicle imports from Japan, and the Side Hustle Samurai coaching and speaking work that grew out of his book Monetize Your Mindset. Every single one started with something already in his life.

He introduces the three-list framework he uses with every client: what do you like to do, what do you need to do, and what are you already doing. He explains why you should make the lists before asking whether you can monetize anything on them, and why giving your brain permission to ask the question is itself the first step to opening new income possibilities. He tells the story of a bus driver named Stephanie who called him at 3 in the morning two days after making her lists because she was too excited to sleep.

He also shares the Acres of Diamonds story and his family's version of it, Acres of Pig Poop, which delivers one of the most memorable and practical closing challenges in the episode.

In This Episode:

• How Bart turned a below-knee amputation into a retainer income stream before he left the operating room
• The three-list framework for identifying side hustle opportunities in what you already know, do, and enjoy
• Why dog training, AI music, Japanese vehicle imports, and a weight loss program all became income streams from things Bart was already doing
• The Acres of Diamonds principle applied to your own backyard, and how most people walk past their own diamonds every day
• The free 1K Blind Spot Assessment and where to access it

Free gift for listeners: 1K Blind Spot Assessment  Takes about 30 minutes. Tells you exactly what is blocking you from your first thousand dollars in a side hustle.

The Quiet Gift: A Journey of Self Worth and Resilience is now available for download as an audible.  Check it out!

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The co-hosts of this podcast are not medical professionals. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided by the podcast hosts or guests is solely at your own risk.

Pamela Cass is a licensed broker with Kentwood Real Estate
Natalie Davis is a licensed broker with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC