Side Hustle to Small Business

Joshua Lipkin on transitioning from freelance to founder

08 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With a background in media production, Joshua Lipkin, like many people in the media space, found himself freelancing. When he landed a large contract,...

Gary Mendelson’s shift from Broadway to healthcare

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Gary Mendelson is currently on his seventh career. After working on Broadway, Gary transitioned to retail ownership, before becoming a Massage Therapi...

Turning fun into profit: Paul Baillie on Shift Arcade’s growth

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What does it really take to build a profitable arcade business from scratch and scale it into a franchise? In this episode of Side Hustle to Small Bus...

Creating sensory-safe spaces with Stephanie Lee Jackson

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Side Hustle to Small Business, Sanjay speaks with Stephanie Lee Jackson, founder of Practical Sanctuary, about how sensory-aware in...

Mic Foster launches No Gifts Please to solve toy clutter

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Mic Foster is the founder of No Gifts Please, an online registry platform focused on creating meaningful experiences for children, over gift-giving. M...

Chris Brady on turning a single location into a franchise

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What does it really take to turn a food truck into a franchise? In this episode of Side Hustle to Small Business, Chris Brady, co-founder of Timber Pi...

Greg Cantori builds an accessibility business from nonprofit roots

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Sanjay speaks with Greg Cantori, founder of Little Deeds Accessibility Solutions, about how his background in the nonprofit sector le...

Marisol Colette on merging her two passions into one business

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Marisol Colette, founder of Sol Reflections, shares how she combined two seemingly different passions, therapy and fashion styling, i...

Rachel Lundberg leads Thrive Yoga and Wellness through community building

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel Lundberg is the founder of Thrive Yoga and Wellness in Oregon City, Oregon, a wellness center that aims to reconnect and nourish your body and ...

Jodi Peterman builds a client-focused interior design practice

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Jodi Peterman is the owner of Elizabeth Erin Designs, a full-service interior design firm known for creating timeless, functional spaces tailored to e...

Lesle Lane expands a family enterprise

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Lesle Lane is the third-generation owner of Studio 13 Corporate Photography, which began as a family business founded by her grandparents and has evol...

Miriam Schulman built a life around her creative work

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Miriam Schulman is the Founder of Schulman Art, which began as a resource for creative entrepreneurs and has evolved into a comprehensive coaching ser...

RERUN: Bartender Launches Restaurant Empire: Brian Parenteau's Story

31 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Brian Parenteau never planned to work weekends, but bartending sparked his passion for the restaurant industry. Rising through the ranks and gaining e...

RERUN: How to leverage AI for your small business

24 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Joselyne Walter has seen her fair share of corporate jobs. In these environments, even with large budgets, she found that there was a gap in resources...

Aquila Mendez-Valdez scales through franchising and community

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Aquila Mendez-Valdez is the Founder of Haute in Texas, which began as a personal blog and has evolved into a full-service public relations agency empo...

Patty Durrell transforms physical therapy into a thriving gym

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Patty Durrell is a Physical Therapist and the Founder of Rock Solid Fitness, based in Dunedin, Florida. Having seen gyms close around her while workin...

Katherine Klimitas built a career from her childhood passion

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Katherine Klimitas is the Founder of KAK Art & Designs, which began as a childhood hobby painting animals for her parents’ veterinary clients an...

Robert Carnes grows a freelance writing business while working in marketing

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Robert Carnes is a freelance copywriter and author who started his copywriting business while working full-time in marketing. What began as a creative...

The importance of networking in small business

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After more than a decade leading operations and project management, Keith Williamson decided it was time for a new challenge. He founded Order and Sca...

Building The Donut Trap from scratch

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bradley Taylor is the founder of The Donut Trap, a donut, coffee, and ice cream shop in Saint Paul, Minnesota. After returning home from college in Lo...

Inside the proposal planning business

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ash Fox is a New York City–based proposal planner and photographer. With a background in fine arts, she began her career taking on freelance commerc...

Managing growth across multiple companies

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Amy Anaiz has spent over 25 years building a career as a professional photographer. When the pandemic paused events and disrupted her usual work, she ...

Sleeping on success: How affiliate links built a business

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Derek Hales was working in marketing and SEO when he and his wife set out to buy a new mattress. Frustrated by how hard it was to choose the right one...

Building and scaling an app: Advice from the WineLikes founder

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Gillis, founder of WineLikes, turned his lifelong passion for wine into a tech startup designed to change how people discover their next bottle. ...

Marketing made simple for contractors and landscapers

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Josh Blakeley began his career in teaching before moving from Australia to the United States. After coming across an ad for a digital marketing course...

From pitching products to building a personal brand

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Merit Khan has been an entrepreneur for as long as she can remember. Her first taste of business came as a young girl selling greeting cards door-to-d...

How to run payroll like a pro

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Payroll is one of the trickiest parts of running a business, but for Christina Hageny, it became her calling. She first discovered payroll while worki...

How Farmer Nick grew a viral business

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Garden guru Nick Cutsumpas, better known as Farmer Nick, is a Michigan-based plant coach, urban gardener, and landscape designer. He talks about how h...

How the right bookkeeper can boost your growth

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Remuzzi entered the accounting industry twenty-five years ago when he founded CapForge. What began as a solo venture launched from a spare bedroo...

Saving the shore, one product at a time

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cat Lepetit has always had a deep love for the beach. After spending 20 years in the cosmetics industry, she felt it was time for a new chapter. That’...

How Cause of a Kind was built by opportunity

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Justin Abrams is a lifelong salesman, with a career in the industry spanning over a decade. However, when Justin and his friend Michael tried to pivot...

Turning a decades-long hustle into a full-time business

20 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nikky Wainwright has been reselling anything since she was in college - books, clothing, shoes, you name it. However in 2020, in the midst of the pand...

Building a fashion brand for STEM-loving kids and adults

13 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Jaya Iyer couldn’t find science-themed dresses for her daughter, she realized that other parents must be feeling the frustration. Wanting to em...

Awkward, fun, and profitable: Building a card game brand

06 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Brittane Rowe is an off-Broadway actress by trade, but when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Broadway, she found herself with time for deeper, more mea...

Finding the right price for handmade goods

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kwadwo Som-Pimpong founded Crafted Glory, a handcrafted furniture company, after buying his first home in Asheville, North Carolina. Drawing on his en...

Globowl’s mission to make kids’ meals more exciting

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Erica Levin is a serial entrepreneur, having started three businesses in her life. During the pandemic, while her daughter was starting to eat solid f...

Designing for social impact with Creative Director Jo Skillman

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jo Skillman is a Houston-based Creative Director and the Founder of Jo Skillman LLC. Known for her thoughtful, cause-driven work, she’s partnered wi...

Managing finances better as a small business owner

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jennifer Bower is a mom of two, a veteran, grad student, and the Founder of Fortuna Money. After a career in the Air Force, Jennifer got into the bank...

From postpartum to product line: The birth of Le Lolo

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After the birth of her first child, Courtney Boylan quickly discovered that postpartum essentials, such as nipple shields and nursing pads, were typic...

Funding your dream: Crowdfunding advice that works

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kathleen Minogue is a creative at heart and a former educator who never imagined a future in finance. But during the dot-com boom, an unexpected oppor...

A therapist’s guide to copy that connects

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After several years working as a licensed psychotherapist, Arianna Smith launched a copywriting side hustle in 2019. Her goal was to help fellow thera...

Smarter training for small businesses with Dr. Carrie Graham

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With a background in college athletics and academia, Dr. Carrie Graham pivoted her career after earning her Ph.D. in Adult Education. As a professiona...

Organizing a life you love with D’Nai Walker

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

D’Nai Walker is not a naturally organized person. It wasn’t until she discovered professional organizer Marie Kondo that she got into the practice...

Tape it until you make it: Solving a sticky problem

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Doug Bard and his father, Bob, have been inventing for most of their lives. However, their greatest idea yet is that of tape. Specifically, moving tap...

Turning your creative outlet into profit

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jordan Lawson has always loved drawing, coloring, and creating art as a whole. When he was in college, he was inspired by an art entrepreneurship clas...

How Ethan Bull redefined the Executive Assistant world

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After spending many years as an Executive Assistant, Ethan Bull unexpectedly faced layoffs, forcing him to reconsider his career path. With his severa...

How to hit a hole-in-one with your side hustle

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While browsing the Golf subreddit, David Paxton saw a lot of people posting deals on golf gear. Looking through these deals was fun, but it was also t...

Failing up: From frustration to success

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kris Louis entered the world of audio/visual by chance while job hunting during the 2008 recession. After several years in the industry, his frustrati...

Learn how to scale your small business

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel Donnelly was just starting her career and raising two small children when her parents passed on. As she struggled with settling estates, bank a...

Mastering productivity for your small business

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Monisha Longacre has many titles. She is an author, a fractional COO at two different companies, and the founder of priorigami, a productivity app aim...

How past injuries inspired Bobby Aldridge’s business journey

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bobby Aldridge, a sports kinesiologist based in California, has been an athlete and has worked with athletes for as long as he can remember. After hav...

Maintaining effective leadership during challenging times

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As an experienced marketer, Amy Moudy Comeau has seen her fair share of marketing emergencies. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit while Amy was w...

How to use sketching to make your meetings more effective

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

00:00 - Intro 7:38 - Entrepreneurial History 8:51 - Transition into a full-time business 10:56 - Finding your first customers 12:40 - Overcoming nerve...

Mastering nonprofit fundraising with Grace Nelson

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With a background in the nonprofit and fundraising space, Grace Nelson was pursuing her MBA when she started taking on consulting jobs on the side. Af...

How to leverage AI for your small business

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Joselyne Walter has seen her fair share of corporate jobs. In these environments, even with large budgets, she found that there was a gap in resources...

Candess Correll's pandemic pivot from NFL Cheerleader to Realtor

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Candess Correll started her career as a Software Engineer by day, and NFL cheerleader by night. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Candess found...

Ready to accelerate your business growth? Learn how from expert Diane Helbig

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Diane Helbig, the Founder of Helbig Enterprises and host of the Accelerate Your Business Growth podcast, specializes in helping small business owners ...

Building community and connection for seniors through music

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2007, Sarah Martin McConnell founded Music for Seniors, a Nashville-based nonprofit, inspired by her mother’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s diseas...

Navigating work-life balance: Advice for entrepreneurs and beyond

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are joined by two entrepreneurs to discuss work-life balance. Dr. Alice Rizzi is a Psychologist based in New York City, specializing in helpi...

The importance of failure within business with Kevin Sandlin

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin Sandlin is a Serial Entrepreneur based in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the course of his career, he has started eleven businesses, and as a result, is...

How Josh Russell built success on his own terms

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Josh Russell is a musician-turned-photographer. After touring for ten years in the country rap space, building his skills as a musician, as well as ph...

Empowering educators from beyond the classroom

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ashley Mikkelsen is passionate about teaching Spanish. However, when she had her first child, she realized that it was difficult to balance teaching a...

Entrepreneurs Roundtable: Marketing for Small Businesses

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode kicks off a three-part series where we take a deep dive into a topic alongside seasoned professionals. In this episode, we’re focusing ...

From bartender to multi-million dollar restaurateur

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Brian Parenteau never wanted to work weekends. However, when he found himself bartending at a local restaurant, he quickly fell in love with the indus...

RERUN - How D.R. Fay found entrepreneurial success later in life

01 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

D.R. Fay is the Founder of Mouthy Broad Media, a podcast production company that specializes in editing, graphic design and strategy. Beginning her ca...

RERUN - How to turn past experiences into entrepreneurial success

25 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Gluckman has worn many hats. From working at a produce stand to running a real estate company, Matt has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Now...

How writing recharged Aaron Ryan’s creative spirit

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Aaron Ryan loves all things creative, but has found that writing has been his number one source of inspiration and drive. He is the author of The Diss...

Growing a partnership in life and entrepreneurship

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Wallace and Blake Chasen first met while working at the same startup. Through their work together, not only did they come to realize that they ha...

How Winnifred Tataw went from author to publisher

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Winnifred Tataw has been writing for as long as she can remember, and has been a professional author for eight years. During the pandemic, Winnifred w...

How a Christmas gift turned into a six-figure business

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dawn Kennedy is an attorney, author, and podcaster. In 2020, her husband Mike received a roaster and some coffee beans for Christmas. After tasting hi...

Building a supportive community to benefit your children

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Michelle Choairy’s son was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, she found that there were not enough resources out there for parents going t...

How Stephanie Shanks increased her revenue by tenfold

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Stephanie Shanks has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, from selling livestock in her youth to owning a message therapy practice. It wasn’t until...

Creating a global community through podcasting

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Revilla started his entrepreneurial journey in the early 2000’s by opening a mail order skateboard shop. After that business went under during ...

Amity Gleason’s journey from Attorney to Jewelry Maker

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Formally a courtroom attorney, Amity Gleason first gained an interest in jewelry design when she was getting married. As someone with an appreciation ...

How Bonnie Conrad went from furniture builder to marketer

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As a military spouse, Bonnie Conrad was tired of starting at a new job everywhere she moved. In 2018, she decided to take the leap into entrepreneursh...

How Ryan Klee leads with purpose through thought leadership

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan Klee is the Co-Founder of Rootstock, an organization dedicated to helping ambitious leaders and businesses expand their brands and scale their op...

​​How your perspective on entrepreneurship can evolve over time

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With a background in marketing, Chris Van Nostrand never envisioned himself becoming an entrepreneur. It wasn't until his late 30s, seeking a change, ...

Navigating numbers and networking as an entrepreneur

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Samantha Mittman Besnoff started college, she had dreams of being an accountant at a one of the big 6 firms. However, after having children, she ...

How Monica Helvie helps herself and others navigate burnout

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Monica Helvie started her career as a licensed therapist in community mental health, but found it challenging to balance her personal life with her wo...

Healing from addiction and empowering others to thrive

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tiffany Hopkins is a certified health coach and nutrition specialist. Having experienced substance abuse in the past, Tiffany has found her passion in...

Leveraging existing skills to launch a business

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bryson Tarbet is an elementary school teacher turned entrepreneur. While completing his Masters, Bryson discovered that many programs do not give you ...

Launching a business to make a lasting impact on the world

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Holmes is the founder of Kingdom Quest, a toy company based in Columbus, Ohio. While working for another business, he discovered 3D printing and b...

How to turn past experiences into entrepreneurial success

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Gluckman has worn many hats. From working at a produce stand to running a real estate company, Matt has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Now...

How D.R. Fay found entrepreneurial success later in life

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

D.R. Fay is the Founder of Mouthy Broad Media, a podcast production company that specializes in editing, graphic design and strategy. Beginning her ca...

Turning a pandemic passion project into a full-time business

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Paige Stuart had been renting a storage locker for eleven years when she decided it was time to sort through and organize her belongings. This experie...

Nick Courtright's shift from academia to entrepreneurship

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nick Courtright envisioned a life for himself in academia. However, after losing out on a teaching position in 2018, he was forced to dive deeper into...

Launching a new business in the midst of a maternity leave

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Dominique Elkind became a mother, she noticed a lack of third spaces available to parents of very young children. While on her second maternity l...

How David Gaz is the "Nice Guy" in business

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

David Gaz has always wanted to be a nice guy. As a partner at his previous branding firm, where his client base included many Fortune 500 companies, h...

How Joe Koufman built a career as a business matchmaker

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s no wonder Joe Koufman sees himself as a matchmaker; three couples have gotten married after being introduced by Joe. In 2014, Joe realized that...

Climbing the steep entrepreneurial mountain

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

COVID-19 was a turning point in many peoples lives, including Kate Jacoutot’s. After working as a marketing freelancer for various companies, Kate n...

How Justus Hillebrand accidentally became an entrepreneur

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Justus Hillebrand never planned on becoming an entrepreneur. After graduating from a Ph.D. program, he had wanted to become a history professor. Howev...

Embracing grief and vulnerability in entrepreneurship

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Kera Sanchez’s mother passed away in 2022, she felt that there was much left unsaid and grieved the conversations her and her mother would neve...

Becoming an entrepreneur to improve your work-life balance

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After the birth of her first daughter, as well as the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nivia Lopez knew that she didn’t want to go back to her in-per...

How past trauma helped Shawnti Refuge find her purpose

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Shawnti Refuge is the founder of Shawnti Refuge Journals, a collection of journals she created after navigating a mental health crisis in 2018. With t...

​​How Michele Riechman is empowering women over 40

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After Michele Riechman had her third child, she started to notice that it was challenging to keep up with her children, and that even going up one fli...

Taking a college passion and turning it into a career

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ethan King founded stuff4GREEKS.com after joining the Greek community at his college. What started as a school project is now a successful business th...

The Journey of Starting a Business as a Couple

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Erin Sims and John Mills established Connect-Empower when they noticed a significant gap in the system, particularly in the accessibility of support a...

Leaving the C-Suite to start your own business

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As a C-Suite Executive working over 60 hours a week and doing contract work on the side, Lindsay May found herself facing burnout. Looking for a chang...

Finding your niche when starting a new business

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Westfall had two different careers prior to starting his business: a tank mechanic in the military, and an IT Specialist. Now, Sam is combining th...

Passion to profit: Transforming hobbies into side hustles

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us as we explore the unique journeys of three passionate individuals who not only found joy in their hobbies but also managed to turn them into t...