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Today's caller wants to keep using his professional skills, but in a way that doesn't rely on trading time for money — a good example of someone thinking about how to move from an hourly wage toward an unlimited one.
Hey, Chris, this is Mike from Boothbay, Maine. I found your show after buying the Money Tree book. I really love what you're doing. I'm an architectural drafter and I've been designing and drawing for over 30 years. I draw construction plans for new homes, cool rustic barns, as well as a lot of kitchen and bath and closet remodel projects. I draw using CAD software and I work independently for a handful of architects, custom builders, and homeowners. I'm thinking about starting a side hustle, and here's why: I currently trade my billable hours for dollars and need better leverage for my financial future. I don't really want employees. So my question is, what ideas would you have for me to offer a service or a product that would let me leverage my skill set in a new and better way?
Mike is on the right track — he's defined a clear constraint, which helps narrow the options.
A few ideas: sell a series of templates ("X easy ways to redo your kitchen and bath," "Remake your bonus room for $1,000 or less," "Create your ultimate man cave"). Take it further and sell complete plans for something like a tiny house or ADU. And if he wants organic traffic and a following, he could brand himself — something like "The Makeover Guy" — building free content through YouTube tutorials or blog posts. That's a longer road, but potentially more fulfilling.
Have a question? Visit SideHustleSchool.com/questions.
