Side Hustle Pro

Side Hustle Pro

Side Hustle Pro spotlights bold black women entrepreneurs who have scaled from side hustle to profitable business. Join Chief Side Hustler turned full-time entrepreneur Nicaila Matthews Okome for your weekly installment of Side Hustle Pro and learn actionable strategies to start small and get going–wherever and whoever you are. Side Hustle Pro features interviews with inspiring Black women entrepreneurs who started out as side hustlers, including interviews with Myleik Teele, Morgan DeBaun, Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

April 24, 2024 56 mins

This week in the guest chair we have ​Kimberly Waters, founder of Modern Urban Sensory Experiences, or MUSE​, a luxury boutique fragrance house based in Harlem, NY. When Kimberly realized her role in corporate America was not providing her room to grow into her potential, she launched MUSE out of the parlor floor of a friend’s brownstone on Convent Ave in Harlem and has been growing ever since.​


  • Why tapping into her communit...
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This week in the guest chair we have Germanee Gerald, founder of GG&Co Styling Firm, a brand and image styling company. Getting her start in the fashion corporate world, Germanee realized she thrived in offering her talents as a personal stylist and started side hustling. 


In this episode she shares:

  • How she went from living with family and driving DoorDash to make end’s meet to hiring a team for her styling firm
  • How ...
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This week in the guest chair we have Robiar Smith, CEO of R.B. Pest Solutions. In a male-dominated field, she is trailblazing her way to the top and building a legacy business for her family and community. Juggling two rapidly growing companies in an unexpected industry, she's redefining success and breaking barriers.


In this episode she shares:

  • How she developed an exclusive retail deal with Home Depot
  • What skills from her ba...
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Today we have in the guest chair Selina Howard, founder and CEO of Vanglorious Brides. Getting her start as a teacher and side hustling as a wedding planner, Selina found her passion and niche in dressing brides. Today, Vainglorious Brides offers custom bridal shopping experiences, day of dressing services, bridal fashion event production, and more.

 In this episode she shares:

  • How she went from working for free and building...
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This week in the guest chair we have DeNeitra Burnett, the Founder and CEO of Savvy Events, a Los-Angeles based event production and creative agency. DeNeitra has used her creativity and grit to climb to the top of the events industry, working closely with entertainment titans and Fortune 500 companies like HBO, Netflix, and Hulu, among others.

DeNeitra shares how when the events business was shut down during the Pandemic, she pivot...

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This week in the guest chair we have Alexis Barber, a lifestyle influencer and founder of Too Collective, a modern wellness and loungewear brand. At just 25 years old, Alexis is the host of the top-rated Too Smart For This Podcast and has worked with brands like Lululemon, Rare Beauty, Microsoft, and Miss Dior as a content creator. 


In this episode she shares: 

  • How growing up low-income provided the foundation for h...
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This week in the guest chair we have Reyna Noriega, a multifaceted visual artist. Being encouraged to pursue her talents by her parents, she was led to become an art teacher. It was there she discovered her true passion for art and a confidence in herself that would lead her to becoming a full-time artist. With her newfound belief in herself, she began manifesting dream projects and securing brand partnerships with big names like A...

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This week we are back with Wilglory Tanjong, the Founder and CEO of Anima Iris, a technology-driven luxury bag brand that is industrializing Africa through retail. Starting with a personal investment of $5K, in under two years Wilglory has scaled Anima Iris into a multimillion-dollar valued company. 

In this episode she shares:

  • How she worked alongside artisans in Dakar, Senegal for their craftsmanship and ended up supportin...
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This week in the guest chair we have Ashley Reynolds, Founder of Cloth & Paper. After Ashley left her corporate finance job of 9 years, she decided to take a chance on herself. She started designing planner inserts from scratch with no previous background or education in graphic design. Shortly after, a stationery business blossomed and the line grew to offer leather planners, luxury pens, and more quintessential styles. Today ...

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This week in the guest chair we have Jasmine Taylor, founder & owner of Baddies and Budgets, a financial education platform that aims to make products & provide a community for black women who are struggling with their finances. By addressing her own personal finance issues and sharing her experiences on TikTok, Jasmine built a strong audience of people who resonated with her journey. 

In this episode she shares about:

<...

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This week I’m back to give you an inside look at a new marketing strategy I’m testing out. You guys know, I love to try new ways to provide value and keep my audience updated. One of the best resources I have is my email list, a valuable way to connect with my audience outside of social media. 

 In this episode I’m sharing:


  • How to cultivate an email list of your own, and continuously grow it
  • How to figure out the bes...
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This week in the guest chair we are back for an update episode with Arsha Jones, founder of Capital City- the DC-based company behind the wildly popular Mambo Sauce. Stemming from Arsha's desire to create a product that she could sell multiples of, Arsha describes her journey from starting as a web designer, shifting into e-commerce, and finally venturing into entrepreneurship.


In this episode Arsha shares:

  • How starting an in...
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January 31, 2024 23 mins

This week I’m back with a solo episode to share some insights on finding your niche to help you narrow down your side hustle. There are endless paths you can take with side hustling, it’s important to get specific. Finding your niche will put you in line with your ideal audience or help you discover where you need to pivot and make changes. 


In this episode I share:

  • The best place to start deciding what niche will work f...
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If you’re looking for a sign to finally start that podcast you’ve been dreaming about, this is it. In this week’s episode, I’m sharing tips I’ve tested to grow my podcast to millions of downloads. I’ve been able to gain sponsorship, grow an audience of over 160K across social platforms, and even appear on a magazine cover.


In this episode I share about:

  • Building an audience and how to keep them coming back
  • Overcoming the chall...
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There is an overload of info and tips for entrepreneurs on the internet, it can be hard to filter through what is actually helpful. In this week’s episode, I’m giving you the real deal with 7 tangible tips to scale your side hustle to a full time business. Having been at this for over 7 years now, I’ve learned that scaling a side hustle is a journey of constant learning and pivoting, but having a solid starting point is key. 

<...

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This week I’m back with some life updates, and yes, that includes me having a baby on y’all! Time can move so quickly, it’s so important to take time to reflect on the challenges, milestones and accomplishments in life. I’ve learned to tune out other opinions and appreciate my own journey in motherhood and entrepreneurship. 

In this episode I share about:

  • Now being a mom of 2 and how entrepreneurship has allowed more freedom...
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Third time’s a charm with 'The Budgetnista’, Tiffany Aliche. We’ve been able to witness her journey from unemployed and living with family at 30, to having multi-million dollar years as a full-time entrepreneur. She returns to the guest chair to discuss the maintenance of side-hustles while advancing as a business owner, and her focus on achieving financial wholeness and the critical role of intentionality in success. ...

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This episode we’re getting a masterclass from The Toy Coach herself, Azhelle Wade. At first second-guessing herself, Azhelle eventually found confidence in her talent, leading to her working for big toy companies like Mattel and Toys R Us. She's climbed up and across the ladder in the toy world, starting out as a designer, later gaining 3 toy patents, and eventually becoming a VP at a toy company. Her online course, To...

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It’s always a great episode when we get to see the evolution a previous guest has made in their business. We’re back with Charis Jones, CEO of Sassy Jones, an empowering fashion and beauty brand. She shares how she prioritized impact over traditional business metrics, establishing a colorful and elegant brand with a loyal following, or as she calls it, a “sticky” brand. 

In this episode she shares about:

<...

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What started as unexpected unemployment at 52 years old turned into an incredible journey of finding purpose and alignment through absolute self-confidence. Dawn Kelly masterfully tells the story of how she became CEO of The Nourish Spot, a family owned, quick serve healthy food, smoothie and natural juice bar located in Jamaica, Queens, NYC. Relying upon her determination, faith and own resources, Dawn is now a courag...

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