Side Hustle Hero

What if a single talk a month could add $2,500 to your income?
It could be a boost to the side hustle you already have, or a brand-new side hustle of its own.
My guest today says that's realistic by the end of your first year if  you're willing to put in the work.
One of the speakers she manages now earns $100,000 for a single hour on stage. When she started working with him, he was getting a mere $500 for a gig.
Li Hayes is the founder of the speaker management agency Go Leeward and host of the Path to the Main Stage podcast. 
Today, Li walks us through;
the path from that first free talk to $2,500 per gig
the thing to figure out before you write a single word of your talk
when speaking for free is a really smart move
how to price virtual gigs (yes, there is a difference!)
how to handle travel costs, and
the biggest mistake new speakers make on stage. 
And if you're an introvert like me who thinks this isn't for you, Li might just change your mind!
Plus, I share how one piece of honest feedback during a sales pitch led me to Toastmasters, and why practising in front of people who will tell you the truth, is one of the best ways to prepare for paid speaking gigs.
Do you like what you're hearing? Consider giving it a caffeinated thumbs up. We'd really appreciate it!
Need a little (and sometimes big) push to start and stay focused to grow your side hustle? Dive into my online Masterclass: How To Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things.
For the full show notes head on over to the home of Side Hustle Hero. https://www.sidehustlehero.com/204
Connect with Li:
Path to the Main Stage Podcast
Connect with Joan:
Instagram
Facebook
About Joan
Be on the show!
Do you have a side hustle success story to tell?
We want to hear from you.

What do AI vending machines, sound baths, faceless YouTube videos, and mystery shopping have in common?

They all made it into the Top 9 most loved side hustle episodes from Year 3 of the show…as chosen by you!
Welcome to this encore episode!
It first aired back in June 2025, and a lot has changed with AI since then. When I looked back at the side hustles featured in this episode though, they're all still strong choices. Some have since been tweaked or enhanced by AI to varying degrees, but with the right approach, every one of them is still viable today.
This encore brings back the top 9 most loved episodes - as chosen by audience downloads, watch time, comments, feedback, and heaps of analytics across all major podcast apps and YouTube.
"AI Vending Machines" took the #1 spot on both platforms, but after that, listener and viewer favourites went in very different directions.
This recap features top episodes on everything from:
Starting a sound bath business
Becoming an Amazon Influencer
Making faceless viral videos
Hosting profitable craft workshops
Mystery shopping for real income
Renting out luxury restroom trailers
… and more.
Discover what made these episodes stand out, and which one you might've missed that could inspire your next side hustle.
Do you like what you're hearing? Consider giving it a caffeinated thumbs up. We'd really appreciate it!
Need a little (and sometimes big) push to start and stay focused to grow your side hustle? Dive into my online Masterclass: How To Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things.
For the full show notes head on over to the home of Side Hustle Hero. https://www.sidehustlehero.com/203
Connect with Joan:
Instagram
Facebook
About Joan
Be on the show!
Do you have a side hustle success story to tell?
We want to hear from you.

With hundreds (thousands?) of side hustle ideas out there, the hard part isn't finding one, it's figuring out which one actually is a fit for you. Today I walk you through the process I've successfully used over the years to help people cut through the noise and land on a side hustle that fits their life, strengths, and goals.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to mine your own interests and hidden skills for side hustle ideas, and why AI can help but can't do this part for you
The lifestyle-alignment questions, and why skipping them is one of the top reasons side hustles fail
Whether you should ever turn a passion into a side hustle (including a story about a friend who turned down buying into a ski hill)
A simple way to break a tie when you're stuck between two or three ideas you genuinely can't choose between
By the end of it, you'll have a real answer, or at least a real shortlist, for which side hustles are actually worth your time.
Do you like what you're hearing? Consider giving it a caffeinated thumbs up. We'd really appreciate it!
Need a little (and sometimes big) push to start and stay focused to grow your side hustle? Dive into my online Masterclass: How To Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things.
For the full show notes head on over to the home of Side Hustle Hero. https://www.sidehustlehero.com/202
Connect with Joan:
Instagram
Facebook
About Joan
Be on the show!
Do you have a side hustle success story to tell?
We want to hear from you.

Think your email list is too small to matter?
Copywriter Tanya Brody says think again. In this episode, Tanya makes the case for why a small, engaged list can outperform a massive disengaged one, whether you're starting from zero or already have a hundred subscribers, fifty, or just three.
We cover:
Why showing up each week beats list size
How to start building an email list from scratch (and grow from a small one)
The "serve first, sell second" approach to writing emails people actually want to open
What a strong welcome sequence looks like
How to keep your list healthy and deliverable over time
How Tanya uses (and doesn't use) AI in her own email writing
Tanya also shares why treating your list like an ongoing relationship, not a broadcast, shapes how people respond to what you send.
Whether you're just starting your side hustle or have been putting off building an email list until you have "enough" people, this episode will change how you think about the list you already have.
Do you like what you're hearing? Consider giving it a caffeinated thumbs up. We'd really appreciate it!
Need a little (and sometimes big) push to start and stay focused to grow your side hustle? Dive into my online Masterclass: How To Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things.
For the full show notes head on over to the home of Side Hustle Hero. https://www.sidehustlehero.com/201
Connect with Tanya:
Her copywriting website
Subject Line Generator
Connect with Joan:
Instagram
Facebook
About Joan
Be on the show!
Do you have a side hustle success story to tell?
We want to hear from you.

Is being a virtual assistant still a viable side hustle in this age of AI?
Today's guest, Rachael Davila, is here to show us why the answer is yes, and how you can turn your existing skills and experience into a VA business.
Rachael has been a virtual assistant for more than 20 years. But today, she's also a VA mentor, author, and the founder of Extra Hands! Virtual Assistance. In our conversation, she draws on her decades of experience to share valuable insights on finding and working with the right clients, why the best VAs think beyond simply completing tasks, and how the right mindset can help you confidently charge what you're worth.
We also get into practical details, from pricing and the best billing model, to the different ways you can structure your business so it actually pays you, and how to get started without having to know everything before you begin.
In this episode:
Why AI hasn't replaced virtual assistants ... and what it still can't do
The difference between a "doer" VA and a "collaborator" VA
How to price your services and get comfortable charging what you're worth
A prepaid billing system that solves the "you're almost out of hours" problem
What to ask (and listen for) in a discovery call before taking on a new client
How to get started as a VA without already knowing everything
Do you like what you're hearing? Consider giving it a caffeinated thumbs up. We'd really appreciate it!
Need a little (and sometimes big) push to start and stay focused to grow your side hustle? Dive into my online Masterclass: How To Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things.
For the full show notes head on over to the home of Side Hustle Hero. https://www.sidehustlehero.com/200
Connect with Rachael:
Extra Hands! Virtual Assistant
Connect with Joan:
Instagram
Facebook
About Joan
Be on the show!
Tell us about your side hustle success story!