Side Hustle to Small Business

Ryan Klee is the Co-Founder of Rootstock, an organization dedicated to helping ambitious leaders and businesses expand their brands and scale their operations. Rootstock achieves this by harnessing the power of strategic thinking, refining compelling narratives, and sharing those stories with broader audiences. With a background in PR, Ryan grew tired of the traditional 9 to 5 routine and, along w...

With a background in marketing, Chris Van Nostrand never envisioned himself becoming an entrepreneur. It wasn't until his late 30s, seeking a change, that he decided to transform his lifelong passion for powerlifting into a full-time career. This shift coincided with the pandemic, bringing numerous learning opportunities along the way, including owning a virtual business and customer acquisition....

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 discovered that she wanted the flexibility that a traditional 9 to 5 cannot offer. She then turned her side hustle of helping folks with their taxes into her full-time gig. Now, Samantha runs Your Financial Maven, a successful accounting business. Sh...

Monica Helvie started her career as a licensed therapist in community mental health, but found it challenging to balance her personal life with her work, causing her to experience intense burnout. In 2018, she decided to open her own private practice, giving her the freedom to set her own hours and choose her clients. Using the skills she learned with her burnout experience, Monica specializes in...

Tiffany Hopkins is a certified health coach and nutrition specialist. Having experienced substance abuse in the past, Tiffany has found her passion in helping individuals, and more specifically mothers, take back control of their lives by quitting alcohol. She is the founder of two companies: her own private counseling practice and Mind and Body Restoration LLC, a sober health coaching business.  ...

Bryson Tarbet is an elementary school teacher turned entrepreneur. While completing his Masters, Bryson discovered that many programs do not give you the necessary skills to become an elementary school teacher. To help solve this issue, Bryson founded That Music Teacher, an online platform that supplies elementary school music teachers with educational resources for their students and personal dev...

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 began creating small pieces that he would use dowel rods to connect. Initially, he didn’t think this would interest anyone, but after visiting local schools and STEAM events, the product, which is called Nurkl, gained traction fast and officially laun...

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, Matt owns Think Fitness Life, a remote personal training company, with his business partner Eric. From his past job experiences, Matt has mastered the skills of communication and thrives on helping individuals become their best selves through perso...

D.R. Fay is the Founder of Mouthy Broad Media, a podcast production company that specializes in editing, graphic design and strategy. Beginning her career as a musician, D.R. travelled Asia for close to a decade before coming home to the States and transitioning into corporate roles. When she was 62, while those around her were retiring, D.R. ventured into entrepreneurship and hasn’t looked back....

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 experience left her feeling so inspired that she founded Neat Organizing. Neat Organizing specializes in decluttering spaces, providing unpacking assistance for those who have recently moved, transforming rooms into more functional and pleasing areas, and m...

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 his side hustle, book publishing. From this, Nick founded Atmosphere Press, an author-forward publishing company that has published over 1200 books. Now, Nick says losing out on that position in 2018 was the best thing that could have happened to hi...

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 leave, Dominique decided to take on a entrepreneurial venture vastly different from her career as a UX Designer, by founding Nixi City, a play centre for children aged 0-5. Not only is Nixi City a space for children, but includes a cafe for parents to...

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, he quickly realized that he still wanted to provide branding services, but for organizations that he saw as doing good in the world. It was at that point that he started The Bureau of Small Projects, a branding company that provides services to entrep...

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 matchmaking is not only for couples, but can be used in the business world as well. Within 19 days of leaving his last job, Joe landed his first client for what would become Setup, an organization that matches marketing agencies to established brands....

COVID-19 was a turning point in many peoples lives, including Kate Jacoutot’s. After working as a marketing freelancer for various companies, Kate noticed that she was making more money and had more control over her schedule than working a traditional 9 to 5. However, to learn more, she worked at a few different marketing agencies until deciding to launch ModusMark, a brand and messaging consultan...

Justus Hillebrand never planned on becoming an entrepreneur. After graduating from a Ph. D. program, he had wanted to become a history professor. However, after becoming a research assistant, Justus found himself doing contract work for large-scale clients such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. After falling in love with the work, in 2022, he decided to incorporate his business, Digi...

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 never get to have. After jotting down some topics she felt she will miss out on, Kera decided to build and publish a journal specifically for those grieving, the Letters Legacy Journal. In February, Kera also published the first edition of her magazine, Ge...

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-person 9 to 5. After trying a few different gigs, such as dropshipping and virtual assisting, Nivia realized her passion lies in digital marketing. Now, Nivia has grown a company where she has the freedom to work remotely and have a healthy work-life bala...

Shawnti Refuge is the founder of Shawnti Refuge Journals, a collection of journals she created after navigating a mental health crisis in 2018. With the help of therapists, she found journaling to help her heal, and now wants to help others do the same. With the hope of ensuring no one feels the way she did, Shawnti launched the business in 2021. Now, she hopes to take it full-time in the near fut...

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 flight of stairs would leave her breathless. With a background in Physical Therapy, Michele decided to start her business as a personal trainer for women over 40. Michele says that by going back to the basics of fitness, women can feel empowered to take...

Ethan King founded stuff4GREEKS.com after joining the Greek community at his college. What started as a school project is now a successful business that has been around for over 20 years. The company offers advanced personalized apparel for those in fraternities and sororities on college campuses. On top of stuff4GREEKS.com, Ethan founded Zeus’ Closet, a retail location offering personalization of...

Erin Sims and John Mills established Connect-Empower when they noticed a significant gap in the system, particularly in the accessibility of support and resources for the elderly. Recognizing that senior individuals often struggled to tap into the full array of available services, Connect-Empower was founded with the primary goal of enlightening clients about various healthcare services at their d...

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 change, Lindsay decided to fully commit to her marketing side gig. Now, she operates Happy Marketing Co., a thriving marketing agency. Within just four months of this transition, Lindsay not only achieved her revenue targets but also surpassed the salary...

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 those two experiences by starting Archery N Motion, an archery range and equipment supplier based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Archery N Motion specializes in moving target platforms, which give shooters the practice they need without wounding an...

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 thriving businesses. John, the Founder of Unite Creative Company, helps organizations build connections through video production. Sam advocates for autism awareness with Autism Rocks and Rolls, a non-profit he founded when he was just 20 years old. Jo...