Latest news with #Darien
Independent Singapore
06-07-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘We make S$5000/month!' — Singaporean couple turns their S$1M condo into a passive income machine with 10 side hustle recommendations, working from home
SINGAPORE: What if your condo could make you money while you bake sourdough, play with dogs, or teach a workshop — all without stepping out of your front door? Meet Darien, a former tech sales professional from Singapore who quit the 9-to-5 life to travel full-time, live on his own terms, and help others do the same. Alongside his partner Joanna, Darien has transformed their home into a multi-stream income engine, generating over S$3,000 to S$5,000 a month through practical, proven side hustles that are perfect for 2025. In a video that has been making waves among aspiring entrepreneurs, Darien breaks down 10 legitimate side hustles that Singaporeans can start right now. Some require skills, others need hustle, but all are achievable. Here's the breakdown, ranked by the time you need to put in and how tough it is to earn your first S$100. Home-based hustles: No office, no dress code, no problem 1. Home Café — Your oven could be a goldmine Before he was jetting off on full-time adventures, Darien and his partner Joanna were stirring up profits right at home. Their first taste of profit came from the smell of freshly baked goods. 'We started baking from home and expanded into two physical retail outlets, doing baking workshops even while we were still students,' Darien recalls. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna Thanks to platforms like Acuppa , anyone can start a home-based food business with zero licensing hassles. TikTok and GoBusiness tools help build your brand fast, without the high overhead of a retail space. Home-based cafés are booming in Singapore. Acuppa even lists neighbourhood food entrepreneurs, and the good news is that you don't even need a licence to get started. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna Time investment: 3/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 3/5 Get your first few customers, prove your product works, and you might just rise like your best sourdough loaf. 2. Workshops — Teach what you love (and multiply your income) Why bake for people when you can bake with them — and get paid more for it? It takes you four hours to bake a cake. But if you host a workshop and get four participants to bake with you, each paying S$80, you just quadrupled your earnings, Darien explains. That's S$320 for the same four hours. 'This is also why we pivoted our business from selling cakes to doing workshops,' says Darien. Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only) Baking, pottery, floral arranging — whatever your craft, workshops let you earn more while sharing what you love. Workshops are one-time efforts that become repeatable events. Once you've built the curriculum, it's wash, rinse, repeat — just like those dishes after class. Time investment: 3/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 2/5 You can also conduct other workshops, from pottery to flower arrangements, to make your weekend hobby earn you enough to pay your rent. 3. Carousell — The marketplace that keeps surprising! Darien's dive into sourdough baking led to an unexpected epiphany: there's real demand for sourdough starters. He listed an extra sourdough starter one night and got his first sale within hours. 'You can't buy it from the store. So I managed to get it from a friend, multiplied it, and listed it on Carousell . That night, someone bought it.' Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna You can list anything valuable — vintage clothes, books, old tech… even your workshops. And add four items lying around worth S$30 on the list, that's your first S$100! So you see, you don't need a warehouse full of products — just a few things people want. Even your fermented flour can work. Carousell is still king! Time investment: 1/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 2/5 Four listings at S$30 each, and you're already there. Skill-based hustles: Hands-on, heart-in, high reward 4. Pet-sitting — Paws, play, and paydays! If you love dogs or any animals, for that matter, you might already qualify. Your spare room could turn into a pet daycare. Darien knows someone who became one of the top pet sitters on Pawshake , hosting up to 10 dogs a day at S$40 each. That's S$400 a day! — No barking mad math there. Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only). 'It hardly feels like work,' Darien says, 'especially if you love animals.' Time investment: 3/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 1/5 One weekend of furry fun and wagging tails could already hit your target. 5. Tuition — Because Singaporeans will pay for A's Singaporeans don't mess around with education. That's why tuition — especially in core subjects — remains another goldmine. If you're strong academically, tuition's a no-brainer. Even better, you don't have to go solo either because home-based centres let you franchise their curriculum. 'There are home-based tuition centres that let you franchise their materials, so you don't have to start from scratch,' says Darien. Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only). Time investment: 2/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 1/5 One or two quick sessions, and you're already in the green for triple digits. 6. Commission-based tech sales — No salary, just straight hustle If you're not into kids or calculus, but you've got the gift of persuasion, then commission-based tech sales might be your playground. Early-stage tech startups are always looking for people who can sell and close deals. You're not paid for your time, though — you're paid for your results, Darien notes. But the upside is massive! Master cold outreach on LinkedIn , learn the tools, and your S$100 becomes a foot in the door for bigger deals. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna This one isn't easy, but it pays dividends in income and network. Time investment: 4/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 4/5 Again, master cold calls and outreach, and it might just become your full-time gig. 7. Community sales rep: Sell what you believe in through WhatsApp, not stores If you prefer something more human and less hustle culture, community-based sales are perfect for introverts with a cause. No cold calls, just warm referrals. Many niche brands prefer reps to retail. Think wellness, skincare, or household products sold via personal networks and weekend pop-ups. 'Pick brands you truly believe in — most are always recruiting,' Darien advises. Photo: Freepik Some brands really don't want retail space — they want people who can sell through WhatsApp, social media direct messaging, or word of mouth. From essential oils to ergonomic chairs, just pick what you love and start talking. Time investment: 3/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 3/5 Your inner circle could become your first customer base. 8. Coaching — Share the knowledge; your story could become someone else's solution Whether it's life coaching, career coaching, content coaching, or mindset mentoring, if you've done something impressive, chances are, someone wants to learn from you. When Darien left his job, he became a career coach in Bali. 'In the first two months of leaving my job, I went to Bali, and because I had a proven track record in tech sales, I became a coach for people who wanted to switch into (tech sales),' Darien shares. 'Each cohort lasted eight weeks with weekly Zoom sessions.' Photo: pikisuperstar Start with one-on-one sessions and scale to groups. If you've done something others want to achieve, this is your lane. And then go on to live your Bali dream. Time investment: 3/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 2/5 The transformation you've made could be someone else's breakthrough. 9. Start a micro-agency: Sell solutions, not hours If you know how to run ads, have skills in design, create social content, marketing, or build websites, consider packaging those skills into a service business. Skip freelancing — start an agency. Darien launched livestream services during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping small businesses stay visible. 'During COVID… I reached out to top livestreamers in Singapore, partnered with them, and started offering livestreaming services to small businesses. We (even) sold durian… during National Day,' he shared. Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna Focus on results, not the hours. Clients care more about conversions or outcomes than your calendar or time sheets. Done-for-you packages are key. Time investment: 5/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 3/5 Takes time, but once it clicks, it scales—serious payoff if you really stick with it. Creative and content-based hustles: Create. Publish. Repeat. 10. Content Creation — From TikTok to passive profits; build once, earn forever (hopefully) Just like any other hustler we've heard from before, Darien also doesn't sugarcoat it. Content creation is slow, hard, and often thankless — at first. 'This one takes a lot of time, but it has an insane upside,' he says. So, whether you're on YouTube, TikTok, or doing UGC (User Generated Content) for brands, content is also king, and getting crowned does take time. But the goal is simple: create content people care about. If you're shy, then just go faceless. If you're outgoing, then build a personal brand. 'It takes a long, long time to build your audience… The first S$100 could take months. But the next S$1,000 could be passive.' Photo: YT screengrab/@darienandjoanna Time investment: 5/5 Difficulty to make first S$100: 5/5 Go faceless with storytelling, or build a personal brand. It's not quick, but it's powerful. Darien's parting advice 'The best side hustle is the one that you can stick with for at least 6 to 12 months to really see it pay off.' Whether you're making muffins, managing mutts, or mentoring future tech bros, consistency is the real money-maker. Darien and Joanna didn't get rich overnight — but their decision to design life on their own terms is paying off in spades (and sourdough). And when it comes to surviving the Lion City, where hustle often meets burnout, Darien's message is a refreshing shift: design life around what matters. Earning more and working less isn't just a dream — it's a strategy. So then, which one will you start with first? To learn more about Darien's full breakdown and personal journey, watch his inspiring video below. You'll get even in-depth details, real-life examples, and tips to kick off your 2025 with a smarter hustle. Read related: 5 genius ways Singaporean Gen Zs can turn side hustles into six-figure careers with just $5 or less and a smartphone
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Travel + Leisure
30-06-2025
- Travel + Leisure
This Hidden Gem Is Called Georgia's 'Little Amazon' With 120+ Endangered Species—and It's Just 1.5 Hours From Savannah
The river rolled beneath us as sheets of rain lashed down. I sat in the stern of our canoe with my friend Madeline in the bow. My dad, Joel, followed in his long red sea kayak. We sped past drooping branches that bobbed as the current tried to tug them downstream. I couldn't help but laugh. I had traveled to Georgia to see how wild the Altamaha River still was. Now, on day four of our six-day source-to-sea paddle, the river was showing its might. About an hour and a half south of Savannah, paddlers can find a forgotten gem. Nicknamed Georgia's "Little Amazon," the 137-mile Altamaha River meanders through hardwood forests and old-growth cypress swamps, past river-cut cliffs, and along cordgrass marshlands before emptying into the Atlantic. Undammed, crossed by roads just five times, and home to more than 120 endangered species, The Nature Conservancy calls this river one of the 75 'Last Great Places' in the world. Joel while out kayaking. Jordan Charbonneau/Travel + Leisure The best way to enjoy the Altamaha is by boat. In 2010, the Georgia River Network launched the Altamaha River Canoe Trail. Today, this trail stretches the length of the river and offers 29 access points. We started our trip with a night at a primitive campsite at Towns Bluff Park. A guide at Three Rivers Outdoors helped us shuttle our car down to the takeout in Darien before seeing us on our way at the put-in at Hinson's Landing. Three Rivers offers everything from shuttles for 10-day trips to kayak rentals to two-hour guided excursions. Setting up for the night at Woodland Camp. Jordan Charbonneau/Travel + Leisure I'd spent a year researching the Altamaha, reading tales of winding, difficult-to-navigate tributaries, dense swamplands, strong currents and tides, big catfish, and enormous alligators. The trip didn't disappoint. On our first night, we set up camp on a wide beach at one of the river's many dispersed camping areas. I picked dewberries while Madeline fished the shoreline, pulling a large redbreast sunfish and smallmouth bass from the water. For dinner, we feasted on fried fish, pasta, and berries. We lounged on the soft sand, watching the sun sink as snow-white egrets strolled through the shallow waters, their long strides offering flashes of their bright yellow feet. A snowy Egret along the river bank. Jordan Charbonneau/Travel + Leisure During the next few days, we fell into a pattern. We rose early and paddled hard, watching solitary sandpipers run along the misty shores as ospreys eyed us from their nests atop dead trees. We spent our lunches relaxing on the Altamaha's sandbars, casting lines and darting into the water for a quick swim, watchful for the outline of an alligator moving through the depths. In the afternoons, silvery mullet leapt out of the dark water next to our boats. On one memorable occasion, one bounced off my dad's kayak deck with a loud thump. A Barred Owl seen in the trees surrounding the river. Jordan Charbonneau/Travel + Leisure Each night, we listened to barred owls echoing their familiar song, 'who, who, who cooks for you,' as they soared between Spanish moss-covered branches. Our largest alligator sighting came on the afternoon of our third day. 'Madeline, Madeline, Madeline!' I nervously chanted as what I had taken to be a log began charging down the bank beside us. It broke through the tangled willows and plunged into the water, its massive form making waves that lapped against the canoe. Madeline grinned back at me. 'What did you expect me to do?' she said. We spent our last night on the river at Altamaha Regional Park. After another round of torrential thunderstorms, a hot shower and a cup of coffee never felt so good. The next morning found us in the park's store, which hosts a tasty diner tucked into the back corner behind shelves of fishing tackle and camo shirts. Over a breakfast of waffles with local sorghum syrup, fried eggs, crisp hash browns, grits, and sausage, local anglers told us we had to check out Rifle Cut. This narrow, mile-long canal offers relief from the currents and tides at the mouth of the river. It's adorned with bright wildflowers, tiny scuttling crabs, and shorebirds. Though beautiful, it has a dark history. The canal was hand-dug by enslaved people in the 1820s to shorten the route to the timber mill in Darien. After coasting through the cut, the river pulled us back out into a ferocious mix of wind, current, and tide as we entered Darien. We'd caught our first glimpse of another group of paddlers on the river before making the last bend. Now, straight ahead of us, they were in trouble. Caught in the strange mix of current and tide, they had flipped their canoe. Without life jackets on, they clung to the capsized canoe, and we hurried to help. My dad swooped in to tow one on the back of his kayak. With the help of another kayaker, we were able to get the other man and their canoe to a nearby muddy bank opposite and just upstream of the takeout. The trip ended with Madeline and me in separate boats. I took one man in their canoe, while Madeline and my dad coaxed a nervous, exhausted man into the bow of ours. He perched on the balls of his feet and clung to the gunwales, making the gear-laden canoe shudder in the swirling water. Somehow, Madeline made it across with him. The Altamaha was an adventure to the very end.
The Independent
05-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Protesters and police clash in eastern Panama
Authorities and protesters were injured Wednesday in eastern Panama when border police tried to open a highway blocked in an Indigenous community as part of monthlong demonstrations against changes to the country's social security system. Border police in riot gear launched tear gas and fired rubber-coated metal balls to disperse balaclava-wearing protesters firing rocks from slingshots and throwing Molotov cocktails. The National Border Service said in a statement that three of its members were taken for medical treatment. Among the protesters, at least one man's back and arm were studded with a constellation of wounds from pellets fired by police and another appeared to suffer a serious injury to one eye. An Associated Press journalist saw at least one home burned when police fired a tear gas canister onto its thatch roof. The roadway was covered in felled trees. A resident who requested anonymity because they feared retaliation, said they feared one protester was going to lose his eye after being struck in the melee. The small community is in the Darien, the remote province that borders Colombia and that has seen hundreds of thousands of migrants pass through until the flow effectively stopped earlier this year. Protests have persisted in parts of Panama for a month and a half. They've covered a range of issues including the changes to social security and opposition to a security agreement giving U.S. soldiers and contractors access to some facilities in Panama. President José Raúl Mulino has said he will not reverse the social security changes, nor will he allow protesters to obstruct roads. __
Associated Press
05-06-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Protesters and police clash in eastern Panama
ARIMAE, Panama (AP) — Authorities and protesters were injured Wednesday in eastern Panama when border police tried to open a highway blocked in an Indigenous community as part of monthlong demonstrations against changes to the country's social security system. Border police in riot gear launched tear gas and fired rubber-coated metal balls to disperse balaclava-wearing protesters firing rocks from slingshots and throwing Molotov cocktails. The National Border Service said in a statement that three of its members were taken for medical treatment. Among the protesters, at least one man's back and arm were studded with a constellation of wounds from pellets fired by police and another appeared to suffer a serious injury to one eye. An Associated Press journalist saw at least one home burned when police fired a tear gas canister onto its thatch roof. The roadway was covered in felled trees. A resident who requested anonymity because they feared retaliation, said they feared one protester was going to lose his eye after being struck in the melee. The small community is in the Darien, the remote province that borders Colombia and that has seen hundreds of thousands of migrants pass through until the flow effectively stopped earlier this year. Protests have persisted in parts of Panama for a month and a half. They've covered a range of issues including the changes to social security and opposition to a security agreement giving U.S. soldiers and contractors access to some facilities in Panama. President José Raúl Mulino has said he will not reverse the social security changes, nor will he allow protesters to obstruct roads. __ AP journalist Alma Solís in Panama City contributed to this report.
CBS News
23-05-2025
- CBS News
Southbound I-55 shut down near Cass Ave. in Darien for fatal crash
At least 1 person died in a crash that shut down I-55 near Darien and left a semi upside-down in a ditch beside the highway. All southbound lanes are closed at milepost 273 at Cass Avenue, Illinois State Police said. Troopers responded to the location just before 12:30 p.m. for a report of a fatal crash involving multiple vehicles. A semi tractor, without a trailer, was still rolled over beside the highway as of 4 p.m. The ramp from IL-83 southbound to I-55 southbound and the ramp from I-83 northbound to I-55 southbound will be closed for an extended period of time, ISP said. Tow trucks are on the scene waiting for investigators to finish reconstructing the crash at the site. It is not known how long the road closures will last. State police have not released any further information.
