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Entrepreneur
04-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
How a 'Scrappy' Side Hustle Led to Over $150 Million in Revenue
It's the era of the side hustle, and if you've ever considered starting one to earn some extra cash outside of your 9-5, you're in good company. These days, more than one-third of U.S. adults have side hustles, and their supplemental gigs make an average of $891 a month, according to recent research from Bankrate. Of course, the most successful side hustlers see much higher earnings, especially when they start a business that brings in nearly as much as — or significantly more than — their full-time sources of income. Billy Candler, 39, is one of them. Learn more about the business the Los Angeles-based entrepreneur and his co-founder, Noah Russell, started in 2012, here. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Image Credit: Courtesy of Absolute Merch. Billy Candler. What was your day job or primary occupation when you started Absolute Merch? Absolute Merch started as a side hustle during my early entrepreneurial days. When I was 24, I quit my job at a concert venue to work for myself and ended up starting a music management company with some friends. We were managing some great artists in the Vans Warped Tour world who were in need of better merchandise solutions. Absolute Merch was born out of necessity, originally just to help service the bands we were already managing. Within a year, we realized the side hustle we created was actually our main business and went all-in on building and developing it. Related: She Quit Corporate Life to Pursue a Side Hustle With Her Sister. They Saw Over $100,000 During Launch Weekend — and Now Have an 8-Figure Brand. What were some of the first steps you took to get your business off the ground? We bootstrapped this thing from day one: no investors, no real resources. We were literally stealing Wi-Fi from Fearless Records and working out of a closet down the hall from them. It was pure hustle: pitching creative merch ideas to bands we already had relationships with and trying to convince them to launch sales on ecommerce. As money started coming in, we reinvested into our own equipment, upgraded our space and scaled from there. We focused on delivering the best creative work possible to set ourselves apart early on. Are there any free or paid resources that were especially helpful when starting and running your business? When I started Absolute Merch with my co-founder, Noah Russell, I was obsessed with the podcast How I Built This by Guy Raz — anything entrepreneurial that I could get my hands on. Hearing other founders' stories was incredibly motivating and helped give me the inspiration I needed to keep pushing through the early days. Image Credit: Courtesy of Absolute Merch If you could go back and change one process or approach to save time, energy or headaches, what would it be? The biggest piece of advice I'd give anyone starting a company is to make sure your accounting is dialed in from day one. We bootstrapped everything and didn't establish great systems or keep great records early on. By the time the business got big enough that proper accounting became essential, we had to start from scratch, and it became messy, causing a lot of unnecessary internal problems. Looking back, having solid accounting from the start would have saved us a ton of stress. Related: This Mom Used an 'Overlooked' Ingredient to Grow a 6-Figure Side Hustle From Her Kitchen: 'Like an Intensive MBA Program' What's something particularly challenging or surprising about this industry that newcomers should be prepared for? When things are going well early on, you tend to assume that nothing bad will ever happen. Unfortunately, that's not how it works. You have to be prepared for issues with employees, lawsuits, economic downturns — all the usual things that come with growing a business. I wish I had learned earlier to "hope for the best, but plan for the worst." That mindset would've saved me from a few tough lessons, but ultimately, the only way to learn is to go through it. Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you handle it? During Covid, our business pivoted heavily to ecommerce as touring shut down, and our revenue spiked fast. In trying to keep up with demand, we started throwing money and resources at problems without really understanding our margins, largely due to the lack of proper accounting I mentioned earlier. We lost a lot of money without realizing it at the time. The way we got through it was the same way we started: grit, hustle and cutting through the noise. A lot of the problems came when my co-founder and I had handed off too many key responsibilities to new executives. We learned the hard way that nobody will care about our business the way we do, so we took back control, leaned on our instincts and course-corrected. That tough year in 2021 actually led to the three best years we've ever had. How long did it take to see consistent monthly revenue, and what does growth look like now? It was a long grind. People talk about the "snowball effect," and it's true: You work hard for a long time without seeing much, and even as revenue starts coming in, you're constantly reinvesting. For a while, we didn't make any money ourselves — it all went back into the business. Eventually, the revenue grew to a point where we could pay ourselves and build real infrastructure, and that's how we've made our living for the past 12 years. Since launching, Absolute Merch has generated over $150 million in revenue. We've grown from a scrappy side hustle into a full-service merchandise company trusted by some of the most impactful touring artists in the world. But we've stayed lean and grounded. Even now, the business is worth maybe $5 million, and that's fine by me. What matters most is that we've built something real, sustainable and meaningful. Related: This Former Microsoft Consultant Started a Side Hustle After a Frustrating Vacation Experience — It Hit $250,000 Fast and Makes Millions Now Image Credit: Courtesy of Absolute Merch How much time do you spend working on your business? What does a typical day or week look like for you? That answer has changed a lot over the years, but the one thing that hasn't changed — and something every entrepreneur needs to understand — is that when you own the business, every waking minute of your life, you're working. That doesn't necessarily mean sitting in front of your computer doing spreadsheets or sales calls, but when you're responsible for everything that happens, you're always on guard, always on call, always thinking about tomorrow's problems. You're never fully checked out. When we were first starting, I was probably in the office 60 to 70 hours a week. During rough patches, I was working 80 hours a week, legitimately waking up and logging on until 1 a.m., sending emails. Now that we've built a strong team and solid infrastructure, my day-to-day is closer to a typical 9-to-5 in terms of active hours, but from the moment I wake up to when I go to bed, my mind is still on the business. That's just part of the deal when you care about what you've built. What do you enjoy most about running this business? I love the people I get to work with, from my incredible internal team to some of my favorite artists and their managers, many of whom have become close friends. Getting to collaborate creatively with people I respect and enjoy being around is something I never take for granted. Related: This Mom's Side Hustle Selling a $600 Children's Toy Became a Business Making Over $1 Million a Year: 'There Is a Lot to Love' What's your best piece of specific, actionable business advice? If we're talking actionable, the first step is: Take action. So many people I've met who want to start a business are just too afraid to start. My partner and I say all the time that what made us successful is that we were too stupid to fail. We didn't overthink it, we just dove in headfirst. No guardrails. No backup plan. We just kept going, even when logic said we should've stopped. The truth is, nobody's going to teach you how to be an entrepreneur. You learn through doing. You'll mess things up. You'll make bad decisions. But that's how you figure it out. My advice: Just start. Dive in. Don't look back. The only way to solve hard problems is to face them, mess up and then get better.
Business Insider
01-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
LinkedIn wants a bigger slice of the creator economy
Have you noticed more professionally produced videos in your LinkedIn feed recently? It's by design, and you can expect to see more. LinkedIn on Thursday said it's launching a new slate of five original shows from business-focused creators, including the entrepreneur and "The Diary of a CEO" podcast host Steven Bartlett, the fashion designer "Real Housewives of New York" star Rebecca Minkoff, and Candace Nelson, who founded Sprinkles Cupcakes and the Pizzana pizzeria chain. LinkedIn's new video push comes as tech companies, from Spotify to YouTube, scramble to lock down top creator talent. Davang Shah, LinkedIn's VP of marketing, told Business Insider that the effort is also part of the platform's increased focus on video. Total video viewership is up 36% this year versus last, and video creation is growing at twice the rate of other post formats, he said. The new LinkedIn shows will focus on topics such as female entrepreneurship, the CEO playbook, and artificial intelligence. The other creators taking part are Shelley Zalis, founder of The Female Quotient; Guy Raz, host of the "How I Built This" podcast; and the author Bernard Marr. LinkedIn said more shows from additional content creators are in the works, though the company plans to keep the selection highly curated for now. The new shows mark an expansion of LinkedIn's Wire Program, which has been renamed BrandLink. The initial 2023 to 2024 launch partners were professional news publishers like The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Business Insider. LinkedIn said it's also bringing on new publishers this year, including The Washington Post, Front Office Sports, and Adweek. The expansion to creators, however, shows how influencers are becoming an increasingly important part of social media, especially when it comes to news topics. While LinkedIn was once seen as a largely self-promotional tool for job seekers, more corners of the business community — from venture capitalists, to CEOs, and marketers — are regularly coming to the platform to riff on the latest news and other trending topics in their industries. The BrandLink program lets the publishers and creators monetize their videos through pre-roll ads on their shows, which appear in the feed as users scroll the app. Like YouTube, users can skip the full ad after watching for a few seconds. Advertisers can choose which shows they want to appear in and use LinkedIn's data to target specific cohorts of users, with pricing determined by an ad auction. LinkedIn has typically kept a 50% cut of the ad revenue through the BrandLink program, a publisher exec told BI. A LinkedIn spokesperson said the company couldn't share specifics about the revenue share model. Creators own the intellectual property of the content they create for LinkedIn, and they are free to distribute the content on other platforms — but they must post it to LinkedIn first, the spokesperson said. LinkedIn's professional, affluent audience is attractive to advertisers LinkedIn has long courted creators. In 2012, it launched its Influencers program, encouraging famed businesspeople like Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Arianna Huffington to post to the platform. But its efforts have ramped up in recent years, as it's rolled out tools for famous and everyday creators alike, designed to help them showcase their expertise and boost their followings. Creators told BI last year that they had seen early success by posting videos to its TikTok-style vertical video feed. Shah said advertisers are drawn to content on the platform that has credibility and authenticity. "When you produce authentic and trusted content, it leads to connections, it leads to conversations, and ultimately, it leads to closed deals, and that's what marketers care about the most," Shah said. For LinkedIn, any uptick in user numbers and engagement boosts its advertising business. Research firm EMARKETER, a sister company of BI, forecasts that LinkedIn will generate $8.06 billion in ad revenue in 2025, up 12.4% year-on-year. LinkedIn's video ambitions face stiff competition from YouTube and TikTok, which already host oodles of business and finance-focused content. YouTube, in particular, has become a top destination for podcasts, including the aforementioned "Diary of a CEO." Brendan Gahan, the CEO of Creator Authority, an influencer marketing agency focused on LinkedIn, said the platform has its advantages, however. It ticks off attributes that many marketers want: A large audience (more than 1 billion users, per LinkedIn), strong ad tools, and a largely brand-safe environment. Gahan said what sets the platform apart is its professional, affluent niche. "This is where decision-makers and executives actually spend time," Gahan said. "Probably more time than any other platform." As LinkedIn goes all in on video, Nick Cicero, founder of Mondo Metrics, an analytics platform and data consultancy, said the platform should avoid chasing volume over value. "LinkedIn must curate high-signal content that matches the platform's professional intent, not just push engagement bait," Cicero said. "The goal isn't scale, it's signal. You don't need a million views. You need the right 10 decision-makers."
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Square Teams Up with Guy Raz to Launch "The Way Up," A New Series Celebrating Local Business Innovation and Hard-Earned Wisdom
Award-winning podcast host Guy Raz partners with Square to spotlight journeys and lessons from growing, thriving businesses across America OAKLAND, Calif., April 30, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Square announced the launch of "The Way Up," a new video series hosted by Guy Raz that celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and showcases the real stories of grit, vision, growth, and heart behind some of America's most innovative local businesses. The series features in-depth conversations with business owners who have transformed their dreams into thriving enterprises, sharing their pivotal moments and the lessons learned along the way. Made in collaboration with Guy Raz, the acclaimed interviewer and creator of "How I Built This," the series features six remarkable Square-powered businesses that represent the diversity and resilience of American business ownership as they use technology and ingenuity to grow: Nixta Taqueria, featuring Chef Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi, evolved from a pop-up to a James Beard Award-winning 50-seat restaurant in Austin, Texas, showcasing the power of culinary innovation. Charles Pan-Fried Chicken, helmed by two-time James Beard Award nominee Chef Charles Gabriel and Chef Quie Slobert, brings Harlem's soul food legacy to new audiences across their three locations. The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, founded by Jenny Nguyen and the first-ever sports bar dedicated to women's sports, is expanding its footprint and giving back to advance future generations of women athletes. Vala's Pumpkin Patch, featuring Tim and Kelsey Vala, has grown from a modest 17-acre rental to a 450-acre cultural landmark in Gretna, Nebraska, with 20,000 people visiting per day during peak season, run by the Vala family for over 40 years. Green Apple Books, a San Francisco institution since 1967 owned by Pete Mulvihill, demonstrates how independent bookstores can adapt and thrive in the digital age. Rustler Hat Co., founded by Alex Samuels in Nashville, Tennessee, transforms hat-making into an experience, crafting up to 200 custom hats daily. "Throughout my career, I've been drawn to the human stories behind successful businesses – the moments of truth, the critical decisions, and the community connections that shape their journeys," said Guy Raz. "With 'The Way Up,' we're going deeper into these stories, showing how local businesses across America are reimagining their industries and using technology to bring their unique visions to life. These aren't just business stories – they're stories about human ingenuity, perseverance, and the transformative power of successful businesses on their broader communities." "At Square, we're proud to support the millions of bold, imaginative sellers redefining what local business looks like today," said Lindsey Irvine, Head of Marketing at Square. "'The Way Up' shines a light on their stories – of resilience, reinvention, and impact. Through Guy Raz's lens, we see how empowered business owners don't just build successful companies – they shape the future of their communities." The series will be distributed across multiple platforms, including full episodes on Square's YouTube channel, audio versions on Raz's "Wisdom From the Top" podcast, and exclusive content through The Bottom Line, Square's publication for business owners and operators. Each episode explores how these businesses navigate change and challenge, implement solutions, and scale their operations using Square. The first episode of "The Way Up" launches today on The Bottom Line. Learn more about how Square can power your growth at About Square Square makes commerce and financial services easy and accessible with its integrated ecosystem of commerce solutions. Square offers purpose-built software to run complex restaurant, retail, and professional services operations, versatile e-commerce tools, embedded financial services and banking products, buy now, pay later functionality through Afterpay, staff management and payroll capabilities, and much more – all of which work together to save sellers time and effort. Millions of sellers across the globe trust Square to power their business and help them thrive in the economy. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts press@
Axios
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Your D.C. weekend: Smithsonian Craft Show, Georgetown French Market
Feelin' crafty? Lucky you — it's the Smithsonian's annual craft show this weekend. The big picture: The gathering is all about artisanal, contemporary American craftsmanship and showcases 120 artists picked by a jury. And when we say crafts, we mean work like handcrafted furniture, ceramics, jewelry, wearable art or basketry (not pipe cleaners and googly eyes). This year's theme is "Visionaries," with artists creating pieces about what they think "might be" as they craft raw elements into new objects. State of play: The craft show runs through Sunday at the National Building Museum. It's part exhibit, part market, with the artists showcasing their crafts in booths. (Tickets are $25 for a single day, $35 for unlimited.) Tix are currently sold out for Thursday's conversation with the artist Nick Cave, who's this year's recipient of the 2025 Smithsonian Visionary Award — but fear not! You can get your Cave fix at his upcoming exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. More weekend fun: 📖 Local celeb chef José Andrés will discuss his new memoir, "Change the Recipe," with "How I Built This" podcaster Guy Raz at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium on Thursday. (Tickets start at $45.) 🌻 Drool over Pinterest-worthy backyards during Virginia's Historic Garden Week kicking off Saturday and running through May 3. Local spots on this weekend's lineup include Old Town and Middleburg. (Ticket prices vary.) 🎶 Get groovy at Petworth PorchFest on Saturday. Hop between jam seshes hosted on neighborhood porches from 2-6pm, then head to the main stage by the Petworth Rec Center for tunes from 5-8pm. (Free.) 😋 Come hungry to Saturday's New Kitchens on the Block, which lets attendees sample menus from several buzzy restaurants soon opening in D.C. On the list: Concepts from the likes of Moon Rabbit's Kevin Tien and celeb chef Marcus Samuelsson. (General admission tickets are $119.)
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kidenza Unveils "Let's Explore: Piano" - A New Interactive Book for Young Learners
Las Vegas, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - February 19, 2025) - Kidenza, a leader in early childhood music education, is thrilled to announce the launch of "Let's Explore: Piano," a groundbreaking interactive book designed to captivate young learners. Co-founders Jason Levi from Las Vegas and Noelle Fabian Dragon from Los Angeles, both parents, professional musicians, and entrepreneurs, have combined their passion for music and education to create this unique learning tool. Let's Explore: Piano teaches fun facts and information about pianos "Let's Explore: Piano" is more than just a book; it is an invitation for children to embark on an immersive musical journey. The book features QR codes on select pages, allowing readers to access videos and audio clips that bring the piano to life. This innovative approach ensures that learning about the instrument is not only educational but also exciting and memorable which for young minds. "Our mission is to spark kids' curiosity about music early on," says Jason Levi, co- founder of Kidenza. "This book brings together storytelling, education, and technology to create something truly special for young learners which helps create bonding moments over music. This is really the core principle of our business." Recently featured on the popular podcast "How I Built This" with Guy Raz, Kidenza is gaining widespread attention for its fresh and engaging approach to early childhood music education. The company's commitment to making music accessible and enjoyable is evident in every page of "Let's Explore: Piano." Noelle Fabian Dragon, co-founder of Kidenza, emphasizes the importance of making music fun and accessible. "As parents and musicians, we know how crucial it is to inspire a love of music in children. 'Let's Explore: Piano' is our way of sharing that joy," she explains. For more information about "Let's Explore: Piano" and Kidenza's growing collection of innovative music education resources, visit QR codes link to supplemental that engages children with audio/visual examples About Kidenza Kidenza is an early childhood music education company that makes learning about musical instruments fun and engaging. Press Inquiries Kidenza Jason Levi hello@ N GREEN VALLEY PKWY STE 440Henderson NV 89074 To view the source version of this press release, please visit Sign in to access your portfolio
