Turning travel into a $10k a month side hustle

Hey There Freedom Seeker!

Can your travel adventures really be the foundation for a successful side hustle?

The answer might surprise you. This week, we'll follow the path of an enterprising nomad who built a $10k/month business in the yachting niche and break down the seven key steps he took to make it happen.

In this weeks Working Traveller;

1. Travel Trivia - abandoned underground city…

2. Mini Mastery - Turning travel into a $10k a month side hustle

3. Blog Bites - 44 ways to make money on the road, packing light and more…

4. Mindset Matters - From scarcity to abundant thinking

5. That’s All Folks!

Read time: 4 minutes

Travel Trivia

In which U.S. state can you explore an abandoned underground city that once housed over 10,000 people during the Cold War era?

(answer at the bottom of the newsletter)

Mini Mastery

Turning Travel Into a $10k a Month Side Hustle

Hugo Marcelino, the founder of Super Yacht Sunday School, was featured in an interview on Side Hustle Nation, where he shared his inspiring journey from working as a yacht crew member to building a thriving online business in the yachting niche, and I wanted to share his story and the valuable lessons he learned along the way.

Hugo's journey began when he discovered the yachting industry while backpacking through Southeast Asia. He noticed a trend of people wanting to work online and leverage their existing skills and knowledge, which sparked the idea for his business.

Step 1: He identified a niche based on his unique experiences and expertise

Hugo's experience working as a yacht crew member allowed him to identify a gap in the market for resources and training for aspiring yacht crew members.

Actionable Step: Reflect on your own experiences, skills, and knowledge to identify a niche where you can provide valuable insights and solutions to a specific audience.

Step 2: He created valuable content and engaged with his target audience

Hugo began by creating basic resources such as PDF guides, checklists, and lists of recruitment agencies. He engaged with his target audience in Facebook groups, answering questions and providing value.

Actionable Step: Develop valuable content that addresses your target audience's pain points and questions. Engage with your audience on platforms where they are active, such as social media groups or forums, and establish yourself as a helpful resource.

Step 3: He built an email list and offered valuable lead magnets

Hugo offered his resources as opt-in incentives to grow his email list. He used a "free upfront, paid content later" funnel to gain trust and prepare for future paid offers.

Actionable Step: Create lead magnets, such as guides, checklists, or mini-courses, to encourage your target audience to join your email list. Use email marketing software (like Beehiiv) to manage your list and deliver value to your subscribers.

Step 4: He developed a signature course or program

As Hugo's email list grew, he paid attention to which content resonated best with his audience and developed a signature course offering priced at $997 or $99 per month for 12 months.

Actionable Step: Based on your audience's needs and preferences, create a comprehensive course or program that provides in-depth training and support. Consider offering payment plans or discounts to make your offering more accessible.

(NB: You could exchange digital course for physical products here if you’re leaning more towards the ecommerce business model)

Step 5: He leveraged webinars and live training sessions

Hugo found that switching from a pre-recorded evergreen webinar to live weekly training sessions doubled his conversion rates.

Actionable Step: Host live webinars or training sessions to engage with your audience in real-time, build trust, and promote your signature course or program.

(NB: This is only one way to engage with your audience, you may instead choose to host a weekly podcast, launch a blog, create a presence on social media. Choose the content marketing system that suits your personality)

Step 6: He utilized organic marketing strategies

Hugo leveraged cheap or free marketing strategies, such as creating short-form videos on Instagram and TikTok, writing blog posts, and participating in Facebook groups to attract his target audience.

Actionable Step: Build out your content marketing strategy. Create engaging short-form video content, write SEO-optimized blog posts, and actively participate in online communities to drive traffic to your lead magnets and paid offerings.

Step 7: He’s now exploring partnerships, user-generated content, and additional revenue streams

Hugo is working on building partnerships with influencers, sourcing user-generated content from successful students, and exploring additional revenue streams such as staffing and recruitment services.

Actionable Step: Look for opportunities to collaborate with influencers or experts in your niche, showcase your students' success stories, and diversify your income by offering complementary services or products.

Key Learnings:

• Identify a niche based on your unique experiences and expertise.

• Create valuable content and engage with your target audience on platforms where they are active.

• Build an email list and offer lead magnets to attract subscribers and nurture relationships.

• Develop a signature course or program based on your audience's needs and preferences (or create/launch products)

• Leverage webinars and live training sessions to build trust and promote your offerings (or host a podcast/start a YouTube channel etc)

• Utilize organic marketing strategies to drive traffic and attract your target audience.

• Explore partnerships, user-generated content, and additional revenue streams to grow your business and diversify your income.

You can listen to the whole interview here - https://www.sidehustlenation.com/superyacht-sunday-school/

I hope it sparks some inspiration. 😎

Blog Bites

New on the Blog

If the above post has inspired you to action but you’re not sure what side hustle suits you, here are 44 ideas to get you started!

If you love the idea of long term travel, but have no idea what to pack, this post is for you! 24 ideas for packing light, even if going on a longer trip;

Get a bit bored on long road trips? Here is a big list of games you can play on a road trip, in a plane, on a long ferry ride, or even just sat by the pool. And don’t be fooled by the ‘for couples’ in the headline. They also work for families or bigger groups;

Mindset Matters

From Scarcity to Abundance

Quote I'm pondering this week:

As a fellow human, I know how easy it is to fall into a scarcity mindset, focusing on what we lack rather than what we have.

Every day we’re bombarded with images & stories that perpetuate a scarcity belief system.

But it's a common (dare I say calculated) trap that holds us back from realizing our full potential and enjoying the abundance that life actually has to offer.

When we constantly dwell on what we don't have, we overlook the incredible resources, skills, and opportunities that are already within our grasp.

If however, we choose to ignore media led fear, and instead focus on shifting our mindset from scarcity to abundance we can open our minds to possibilities we may not have previously considered.

Action Step;

This week, take a moment to reflect on all the assets you have available to you.

• Consider your unique skills, knowledge, and experiences.

• Think about the relationships and connections you've built over the years.

• Reflect on new technologies, how they can help and what you’ve already learned.

• Acknowledge the opportunities that surround you, even if they may not be immediately apparent.

Remember abundance is not just about material possessions or financial wealth. It's a state of mind that recognizes the inherent richness and possibility in every aspect of life.

Questions to ask yourself this week:

• How can you leverage the assets you already have to create more abundance in your business and life?

• What steps can you take to cultivate a mindset of abundance and gratitude, even in the face of challenges or uncertainty?

Without getting too ‘woo woo’, I’m a huge believer that when you ask the universe with great intention, it usually answers. 😁

Trivia Answer

If you guessed Kansas's Subtropolis, you'd be correct!

Located in Kansas City, Subtropolis is a massive underground complex that was developed in the 1960s as a nuclear fallout shelter. Built in a former limestone mine, this 55-million-square-foot space was designed to house up to 10,000 people in the event of a nuclear attack.

Today, the complex is used for commercial storage and business spaces, but visitors can still explore parts of this fascinating underground city on guided tours, learning about its unique history and architecture.

Sounds like something out of a Batman movie!

That’s All Folks!

That’s it from me this week. I hope it’s been useful!

In the meantime, make sure to come and connect on the FB Page, have a fabulous week, live your best life and as always get out there and make it happen!

Jo 😊 

Also if you have any specific questions that you’d like me to address in a blog post, podcast episode or mini mastery, please click here and ask your question! I look forward to hearing from you. 😁