charlie poznek

Thanks to my mastermind friend Charlie Poznek, I had the complete pleasure of being formally introduced to Nick Loper, Chief Side Hustler at Side Hustle Nation. Nick is the author of the popular book Work Smarter: 350+ Online Resources Today’s Top Entrepreneurs Use to Increase Productivity and Achieve Their Goals.

We had a great conversation about how he built a side hustle to create a risk-averse way to start a business while he was still working full-time. Nick encouraged us to view our entrepreneurial journey as a scientist conducting a lab experiment. Check out our fun-filled conversation to find out what Nick encourages side hustlers to do to build real financial freedom.

Watch the show (uncensored & unedited)

Listen to the podcast

SHARE SOME SHUT UP LOVE:

The 9 to 5 will make you a living, the 5 to 9 will make you alive. @nloper #sidehustle via @_TheShutUpShow #shutupshow (click to tweet)

FUN FACTS:

Nick speaks Spanish–only after few beers.
Nick wants to play for the Mariners when he grows up (inside joke).
Nick is a family man, traveler and online entrepreneur.
He knows way more about shoes than anyone should.
He has a giant shih-tzu named Mochi. So do I! Well, minus the giant part and my dog is not named Mochi.

DEFINING SHUT UP MOMENT:

Nick had his first stint in sales and business back in college when he answered an ad to start an independent painting company. This experience taught him how to cold-call as a door-to-door salesman. After college, Nick got a corporate job. He moved from Seattle to Washington D.C. not knowing anyone outside of work. He was bored from 5 to 9 and didn’t want to waste that time watching TV. So instead, Nick decided to make an investment in learning affiliate marketing and launched his first side hustle.

NICK’S SHUT UP TIPS:

Once you’ve had that taste of closing a deal–the entrepreneurial bug–it’s real tough to go back. @nloper

The 9 to 5 will make you a living, the 5 to 9 will make you alive. @nloper

Side hustle is a lower risk to become an entrepreneur. It gives you time to build a buffer. @nloper

If you can work on something you care about, the process of creation has inherent value. @nloper

I blogged for four years and no one ever read it. The process of writing on a regular basis gave me practice. @nloper

Know your why. If you’re just chasing the next dollar, it’s not going to work out. There are faster ways to earn income that are not as time-leveraged as starting a business. @nloper

The idea of helping people who are working corporate and want to find an escape route is fun for me; I get to experiment how to do these things. @nloper

Making the wrong choice still scares me. It’s probably not going to be life-threatening. It could be life-changing. There’s big upside and very little downside to a lot of the decisions we look at. @nloper

School was a formula. Ninety percent of it was showing up. @nloper

If you don’t ask, don’t be surprised if nothing happens. @nloper

Think like a scientist. A scientist’s experiment never fails. He has a hypothesis he has to prove or disprove. It lessens the fear of failure. @nloper