Want to learn how to easily get your first 5,000 subscribers? Download this free eBook to learn how.

2016: How to Make Real Progress This Year
Last Updated January 4th, 2016

I had a conversation with a friend. It went like this:

Friend: “I’m tired of my job. I need to make some moves.”

Me: “What do you have planned?”

Friend: “Well, I have a few side hustles… I do some consulting. I’m also working on an iphone app. And when I can, I’m actively looking for a new job. Oh, I’m also doing some investing!”

What’s really going on?

People have the main thing they do to earn a living.

And they have these other things they do on the side that they hope will pan out.

The media calls this Sidepreneurism…

…and when you plot it out on a simple graph, their life looks a little like this:

2016 Goals

5 different projects. All in various stages of completion.

One project might be some volunteer work for a charity. Another project might be a new business idea. Another project might be a side income. And another project might be their fulltime job.

In some cases, people want the thing they do on the side to become their new main thing. In other cases, people are multi-passionate, and they want to work on all of these projects.

Sound familiar?

I’m betting it does.

I mean, it sounds familiar to me too.

Back when I was just getting started, I had the main thing that I did, which at the time, was school. I also actively worked on a night life website, an college humor website, and a celebrity gossip website.

Plus, I also played poker because I wanted to become a professional poker player. I also played competitively in other collectible card games (not sure what they are? Think Magic The Gathering).

Oh, and I also landed an internship at a financial company.

Needless to say, I had a lot of stuff on my plate. And I was making progress on EVERYTHING.

It felt good.

The question is, how can you FINISH these projects?

How can you finally release one of these projects into the world and see the change you’ve always hoped for?

I’ll share more about that in my next email.

For now, here’s what I want you to do…

Leave a comment…

Here’s what I want you to write:

#1. My main thing is this:

#2. My side project is this:

#3. My other side project is this:

And share all the details.

It doesn’t matter what types of projects you’re working on. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re close to launching it or not. What matters is this: I want to see what you’re currently working on (or plan on working on) this year.

Why?

So I can show you how to make progress on each of these things this year.

And again, in my next email, I’ll show you a simple technique you can use to make more progress FASTER. If you’re not on the email list, sign up for it right now. If you are, don’t worry, you don’t need to do anything right now.

Spread the love!

Join OVER 200,000 subscribers

GET FREE UPDATES

Click here to sign up

Need more? Choose your path below

277 comments Leave a comment
NAOMI

#1. My main thing is this:
Am currently working as an Admin for a start up software company. This gives me a insight in how a business runs and am learning a lot. Building my computer skills, dealing with all the background of human resources section and getting the knowledge of how a business is run from the ground up and how to maintain it.

#2. My side project is this:
Have a passion for fashion, my whole life experiences and education is built around it. But never taken the full steps in building a business, because I always felt that I still was missing something or needed more knowledge in running a business, building my sewing skills, just always something. Till I finally made a step in entering a few competitions in winning some money to buy new equipment to run this fashion brand, which I did win. Now I have the equipment, the skills and been sewing few clothes for people. That’s how far I have gone with it, spreading the word of my brand through word of mouth.

#3. My other side project is this:
Also before getting this job as admin, I was out of a job for about 2 years so decided to do childminding because I love children. Which I made it to a little business and I still do it on the weekend if am not sewing.

parag

Thanks for sharing this excellent information and how to Simple Guide to Bring.

Danika

My main thing is work: I work full time as a creative at VIRTUE Worldwide (in Copenhagen), the in-house creative agency attached to VICE Media. I have been with VICE media for nearly three years, doing everything from editorial to brand partnerships to concept development and marketing. I love my job and am happy to go to work every day.

My side project is: I’m head of community at Watcher, an iOS app that keeps you connected with your friends and family as you make trips alone after dark. I’m passionate about the cause and feel great about the work I do, but I can only really devote about 10 hours per week to this.

My other side project is: I have a personal blog where I write about anything from travel to food to fashion, and share my personal experiences. I started the blog in 2014 as a personal growth experiment in branding, social media and writing. Every week I have less and less time to do my blog and it’s become something I “do” once a month if I’m lucky.

My other other side project is: I’m planning to move to Los Angeles in September, and a lot of my time is spent planning for and researching things for the move. I’m so excited but nervous as well!

Martin

Great post Derek, thanks!

#1. Engineering and project management work

#2. I help people who are stuck in a job they hate to build a business around their passion so they can be free, fulfilled and make an impact in the world. My blog is at http://www.doingworkthatmatters.com

#3. Property Management

I love reading all the comments above and seeing so many people working on their passion. That’s fantastic!

Yousef

#1 The main thing is my #Startup
#2 The side thing is my BA degree (I’m in the last semester)
#3 The other side thing is earn some cash online to survive until my startup start generating income.

Steve

#1. My main thing is this: Pastor of an urban church. This is more than a full-time job.

#2. My side project is this: Christian Leadership Coach, a one-on-one coaching practice which has given birth to #3 and #4…

#3. My other side project is this: Creating life coaching courses, which I teach as live events and plan to offer as digital online courses.

#4. My other side project is this: gathering an online coaching community through my website and blog, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

It’s overwhelming to try to bring my best to my pastoral work and to build a coaching practice at the same time

James Hughes

You really made a good point here. What’s the point of building many projects when you can’t even finish one of them? If you want to succeed you really need to focus on one thing until it’s done.

Martin

Hi Derek,

Please find my gigs below. Very accurate description of me… Love your articles.

#1
Global Digital Marketeer for one of the most powerful brands in the world.
Paying my bills and making me feel ‘safe’…

#2
Working with my technical cofounder in another city, 6 hours flight away to launch our business this year.

#3
Running the Digital Marketing for a friends company. He then equips me with all the gear I need to do my sports.

#4
Weekend / holiday warrior gig: Passionate Kitesurfer, Wake Boarder, Rock Climber, Alpinist, etc….

Looking forward to hear back from you.

Best,
M

Riley

#1. My main thing is this: Nurse Practitioner specializing in Adult / Geriatric Acute Care. Currently managing health care for residents in four long term care facilities

#2. My side project is this: Dominican Travel Blog / Website started about 6 months ago to promote my vacation club membership located in puerto plata and punta canta. Goal is to provide readers with my travel experience, fun excursions and activities while on vacation, and sell Dominican vacations

#3. My other side project is this: Plan to launch blog = the geriatric NP. Geriatric Nurse Practitioner blog focused on health care management of the geriatric population. Educate other nurse practitioners and nurses in the long term care setting

Jessica McClain

My main thing is teaching French and Spanish to high schoolers.
My side thing is my Christian weight loss blog and I want to get more readers (I only have 9 subscribers). I feel like I have zero instinct when it comes to business.
My other side thing is this thing called Promise Purses. I’d like to make it a non-profit org.
My other side thing is singing in my band. I’d like to promote that and get better at what I do.
My other side thing is leading worship at church. There is a ton of work that goes into leading and I’d like become a better worship leader.

Monika

that’s a bit demotivating 😛 because I am exactly that person that you described. Looking forward to reciving your email !

#1. My main thing is this: boring full time job in real, but I try to turn my 2 blog into the main thing

#2. My side project is this: events, teaching, blogs.

#3. My other side project is this: above 🙂

Beth

Thanks for your help, Derek 🙂

My main thing is being an online merchant on Amazon – that’s my bread and butter.
#2: Getting up the guts to outsource much of the work for my Amazon biz so I can focus on other things (like #3).
#3: Inspiring others who have been challenged by depression to be proactive in their self-care, re-discover what brings them joy and create self-bliss. (http://www.BethSawickie.com) <— THIS is what I'd like to be my #1.
#4: Creating free training for #3 that helps others re-discover their joy and bring more happiness into their lives… using what I call "Grati-Feeling".
#5: Creating coloring pages in support of #3 (coloring is great for your mental health – really!)
#6: Restoring vintage patterns and sharing them online.
and…. there's probably a few more things too!

Laura

My first project is: I’m a Sr. Mgr at a financial services firm. I am relatively happy and challenged by it, and am fortunate to work with really great people. This job provides financial support for my family.

My second project is: I’m a CranioSacral Therapist. I’ve had this side business for 6 years. I’ve taught some local classes primarily to naturopathic students from the local naturopathic medical school where I work out of their medical center.

My third project is my husband and I are starting a new holistic health business that will eventually replace the 2nd project.

Finally, my husband and I are starting another business that is still in the development stages and currently not being offered anywhere. I will only say that it’s a modification of the mobile paint & sip businesses that have become very popular in the last few years.

HD

#1. My main thing is this: Studying Commerce at university

#2. My side project is this: Training for badminton

#3. My other side project is this: Web design business

#4. My other side project is this: Creating online courses for clarinet

#5 My other side project is this: Coaching badminton

#6 My other side project is this: Teaching 1 on 1 clarinet lessons

#7 My other side project is this: Maths coaching for highschool students

sarfraz khan

I have three aims and I will do it inshallah and will put as much as effort I can.

Erica

#1. My main thing is this: I need to earn money to pay the bills and keep stability, so I’m in a job I don’t like and get no satisfaction from and stopping me from doing other things

#2. My side project is this: I have set up a Virtual Pa business but I need to get the website up and promote the business but 1 above is stopping me

#3. My other side project is this: I am going to start selling Forever living products but I haven’t really got around to promoting it yet

#4. I have applied to be a peripatetic wedding registrar because I love making people happy

And share all the details

Richard

#1 thing: composing music and music theatre
#2 thing: leading personal growth and developing programs for a global concern
#3 thing: teaching music programs in the schools

Adrienne

Hey Derek,

Well you definitely have a lot of people who have shared what they’re doing so I’ll go ahead and throw mine in too.

This year I’m concentrating on getting more clients. The other thing I’m doing is learning how to do webinars so I can get in front of more people. That’s it, that’s all I have scheduled for this year and I don’t have a lot of side projects. I’m focused but I can always do better.

Thanks for the help and eager to see what your suggestions will be for us all.

~Adrienne

Tim

Oh man. You totally nailed it. I have three or four or five even six things going on… I want to have balance but everything seems so important. Thanks for the reminder.

Selva Kina

Hey there, I never knew how much I actually have on my plate until today. Thinking about it it sounds crazy but I think it’s what you do with your time and how you plan your day in the hours you have that makes it all possible.

I have my education projects to do and my jobs on the sides.
#1. My main thing is this: Completing my Law Degree at a University. At the same time completing my College of Law in the summer session. Also, studying some units online through distance University. Completing my TAE for teaching.

#2. My side project is this: Working at Yazzen Photography http://yazzenphotography.com.au/ for Marketing and Enjoying the Wedding Shoots environment.

#3. My other side project is this: Working at Galaxy Solutions Systems which is a college that provides Diploma Courses for students and planning to teach Diploma of Business in 2016. https://www.facebook.com/galaxysolutions/?fref=ts

#4. My other side project is this: Working as a Regional Manager at Vocational College travelling to Perth and Melbourne to become bigger.

So, pretty much how I manage so far is basically be passionate about every project that I do and every job I attend to, I do with love and hard work. I do get lost at some point when everything is due at the same time but at the end of the day I will be placed to make a choice. Sometimes I have made choices that I wasn’t happy about but having saying that I do not regret making them at all. The best part of my jobs is having the best, understanding managers who support me whenever is required. So, that’s what I store for myself for 2016 so the rest is up to God and what is meant to happen.

Mark

Hey Derek,

My main focus is my full time position with a manufacturing company to support my family.
My second focus is job searching. Looking to get back into the aviation field and in particular aircraft maintenance instruction.
My third focus is learning what it takes to be a successful author. Reading just about everything I can on the subject.
My fourth focus is my dream of becoming a successful author.

Thanks,
Mark

Suzanne

Main thing: Child care duties with nt & autistic children.
Side thing 1: Deleanu’s Delights handmade food treats (chocolates and baked goods). Available by order and delivered.
Side thing 2: The Enchanted Realm children’s fantasy themed giftware, costumes, party supplies and party venue (wanting this to be the main thing in time)
Side thing 3: The Enchanted Tree Cafe. An extension to both Deleanu’s Delights & The Enchanted Realm to give parents a place to relax while they enjoy tasty organic treats. Will be located along side each The Enchanted Realm.
Side thing 4: Blue Moon party hire & Once Upon a Time Costume hire. Both of these are to provide near passive income as there is minimal downtime once the stock is purchased, bar cleaning and minor repairs.

Kara Sorensen

#1-Main thing was Nutrition, then Acupuncture, then both combined. My side gig 9 years ago focused on helping women transform their Cravings with Acupressure done over the phone and LOVED that. Then, I moved into coaching, which I love and am still doing.

#2 However, my current side gig is emerging, that I want to be full time is sharing my Love Your Body Blueprint™ and my Love Your Body Challenge™ to help women love their bodies and let go of diets, deprivation and body shame so they can get on and enjoy their lives.

This has been 27 years in the making. It’s time I stepped up my game, don’t you think Derek?

#3-My other side gig is helping my husband build his online business to provide all non gmo and organic foods online. The goal of that business is to make organic foods the same price as conventional which will help people’s health and the planet.

Sam

Main thing: Software Developer at Nokia
#2: Video producer/marketing for wounded veteran org in Texas.
#3: Texas Outfitters Network owner: offering marketing services to Outfitters, Hunters, Sponsors. Need to build bigger but targeted list(s) and create products.
#4: Producing, shooting TV show Warrior Pursuits on Hunt Channel airing April 2016
#5: Create DVDs for Lake Fork (TX) bass fishing tips. Some sales on Fall, Winter series.
#6: Want to get into aerial video with drones but too much going on.

Tairi

#1: Build family digital products business and coaching program, using zippy. Launch March 1. Replace job income within 3 months. Get to consistent reliable $15k per month by years end.
#2. I currently work nights in the retirement sector. Aim to leave job March.
#3. Have 12 children, ten still at home. Fixed weekly expense $1k.
#4: Focus all-out on #1. Sharing our passions and story to help others around the world find freedom through online business.

Kara

Main thing: energy and nutrition business.

Side thing: teaching energy and spiritual development classes

Side thing: essential oils business

Goal: reorganize all this information so I can work smarter, create residual income, experience less burn out while continuing to help people, and spend more quality time with my kids.

Cheyenne

My main thing is my Content Creation and Marketing Business, Content Reigns. My side thing is my Blog, Darkness Reigns, that started as a Horror interest blog and has evolved to become a Horror/Science/world events daily publication. I have over 11,000 readers and am quite proud of it. As part of the Darkness Reigns venture, I am working on the next Darkness Reigns book, which will be Saint Aidans. The first one is Summertime, available on Amazon, at local bookstores, from Chapters Indigo, Barnes and Noble, etc. Other than that, I care for my family.

Jeanie

Main thing: writing.
Second thing: publishing (my own and other people’s work)
Third thing: editing
Fourth thing: selling

Number four supports the other three. The main thing I am truly passionate about and I no longer let anything get in the way. The second (publishing) is good, but the third thing, editing, is harder. I love it, but it IS harder. The thing is, I’m getting better at it. I have learned to delegate.

Mike

#1. My main thing is working a full-time job. I hate it but the positive side is that I work the overnight shift which frees up my daytime to work on my business or find another job.

#2. My side project is making t-shirts. Since I coached girls basketball for almost 20 years, I know a few coaches, so I focus on team sales.

#3. My other side project is writing a book, my autobiography. I went through a painful divorce in 2010 and the writing was therapeutic. As time went on, the pain went away and so did my motivation to write so it’s “unfinished business”.

#4. My other side interests include: 1) becoming a real-estate investor and 2) learning how to fundraise for non-profit girls basketball team and make an income from it.

Troy

#1 My main thing is a finance and procurement officer job in Government.

#2 My side things are setting up my golf internet business and gaining 5000 subscribers.

#3 My 2nd side thing is learning how to make $5,000 a month passive income from it.

Cheers

Thao

Here is mine:
My main thing is: Get out of univetisity, build a start up which produce monthly profit for about 5000$ (and develop later).
My second project is : Finish learning photoshop and web design then launch a blog for health and beauty.
My third project is: Build a well-known cafe after getting enough money from other projects.

Michelle

#1. My main thing is this: I have an e-course that I want to “get out there”

#2. My side project is this: I’m giving my first webinar this Saturday to offer a service and see if I can transition into selling my e-course

#3. My other side project is this: 2016 marks the 6th annual January 31 Day Self-Love Diet Writing Challenge on Face Book which offers a place for people to change their New Years Resolutions of going on a weight loss diet and increasing their exercise, to resolving to love themselves and their bodies. The writing challenge, the webinar and the e-course are all based on a book I published, Self-Love Diet; The Only Diet That Works.

And share all the details.

James

1. My Main Thing: My day job, which doesn’t pay enough and I want to ditch as soon as possible.
2. My Side Project: Writing and self-publishing. I publish both my own stuff and other people’s, and I’m starting a quarterly fiction digest this year.
3. My Other Side Project: Freelance ghostwriting and content marketing. I’ve done copywriting in the past but never made much money. Now I’m going All In this year to find clients. I may have a ghostwriting client worth three grand. We’ll see.

Kristal

1. My main thing is self-discovery and personal growth.

2. My side project is going an online business.

3. My other side projects is continuing my education,

Dan

1. Full time operations manager at a services company (middle manager)
2. Photography – but I haven’t decided what kind yet. I’ve dabbled in stock, art, and portraits
3. I love to write and working to start a blog (have the domain and hosting) and looking into Kindle publishing

    James Michael

    Dan, drop me an e-mail sometime (james@banderaoutlaw.com); would love to visit about your photography business and see if there’s any way I can help! (nothing for sale, just glad to help!)

Abby

1. I make about the same money teaching people to ride motorcycles (which I love but is really hard on the body) & doing graphic design for a coupon mailer.

2. I also do website development and would like to build that business to the point where I can get an office outside the home and be able to teach for fun and not because I need the money.

3. I want to finish my fiction novel and my cookbook.

4. I used to quilt professionally. I don’t anymore, but I have several projects that need to be finished.

Laura

My main source of income is owner/graphic designer of freelance marketing & design studio. I specialize in logo development and print collateral. From my studio, I also:

Run a Paint & Wine business in the evenings and weekends. This entails small groups (mostly adults, but some children’s parties) coming in to paint canvases that I’ve set up and sketched a composition. I demonstrate and lead the classes in a relaxed atmosphere and the attendees enjoy a glass of wine while they paint.

Teach art to children one day a week. Looking to expand that to include workshops for adults; calligraphy, painting, drawing.

Paint artistic designs on upcycled furniture that I then resell. Have a basement full of eclectic pieces waiting for me to get to.

Paint various commissioned pieces of art; canvases, boards, furniture, murals.

My goals are to paint and design artwork to license or make prints and sell online for a passive income stream. Want to learn website design. Also want to start a blog.

Last but not least, I feel like I have a novel in me.

Brittany

1. Work full-time as office manager for landscaping company
2. Help heart-centered entrepreneurs develop and setup sales funnels.
3. Boyfriend and friends hangout time
4. I want to volunteer for the celtic festival
5. Working out and cooking to lose 50 lbs

Nancy

1. Living life with joy; traveling with my hubby, making home and family time, cooking extrodinary meals (mostly 3xday), hiking, biking, golfing and more. 2. Teach inspiring and empowering yoga 3 plus times a week. 3. Continued education classes and personal growth (meditation) time. Time to apply what I learn to my current courses and materials. 4. Teach Empowerment classes (mostly focused on Enneagram at present). 5. Take client appointments to inspire and teach empowerment to others. 6. Create online courses out of the collection of empowerment classes I have taught over the last 15 years, sharing wisdom and creating additional income while I do all my other fun things. 7. Weekly volunteer and pro-Bono work.

Mark

#1 – Working full-time at large retail home improvement company- Specialty Sales.

#2- Working the rest of my day/week on an eCommerce site for Home Organization products- using affiliate advertising and content development. My goal for 2016 is
to grow Social Media campaigns to drive traffic to main site. In two years this to replace #1.
I have a lot to do…

#3- Get back to reading more and improving my golf.

Brandon

I wanted to do podcasting and create videos, but if I am to choose one, which one would be best to do?

sarfraz khan

my main thing: Studying Religious scriptures
my side thing(Perhaps main thing #2): Blogging
my side thing(Perhaps main thing #3): Karate

actually all these things are main and important for me, I really don’t know if I have some side things.

Yes, I have! and that’s playing Video games on my PC:)

patrick

This article sounded just like me.

My job: Pilot for a large private flight department:

Side project #1: my fledgling software business, review.camp. I’m not spending enough time on this. I started it about a year ago.

Side project #2: digital marketing / web design. I have a few clients I manage for extra income, but not doing this one 100% or thinking about growing it. Just keeping it status-quo.

Side project #3: non-profit flying club that I founded / serve on the board. I love aviation, and instructing. This is a hobby but takes up too much of my time! However I enjoy it, and it’s great for networking & social life.

Side project #4: Becoming a software developer. I’ve been dabbling & I will soon be taking some serious training for web application development. It’s always been an interest & I can see doing this full time as a business.

Side project #5: Classic mustang restoration. Not much happening here, but it’s a start-stop type of project that is always looming over my head!

Side project #6: Helping my g/f launch her career. Helping develop her skills & help her create a direction she wants to go in life.

That’s it…for now…(sigh)

Esther

my first project is getting a job. i’ve been out of job since october 2015.

second project: prepare for my wedding coming up in march this year.

Third project: build my career by writing some professional exams this year. this will require me going through some lectures on a daily basis.

Fourth project: I have a real estate business i started in 2015. i want to take it to another level this year.

Fifth project: I’m into blogging which i started last year. the blog is on how to build small and medium enterprises. i’m passionate about business success.

Sue

My main job is my Phd and part time lecturer
My main job is looking after two teenagers – single mum.
My sub job is supporting disadvantage sport clubs with their sport offer
My side line is creating a company that runs and designs on line webspace – social enterprise
My side line number 2 is creating on line interactive media to support company learning
My sub job in renting a room to students

John

#1. My main thing is: Finding a new job. The company I worked for had a reorg and I left at the end of October. I have a mortgage and 3 kids so need to get my income back up to ensure that they are provided for.

#2. My first side project is: I have a couple of properties that I rent out but they don’t make enough to replace my main income. I could get into property more but I don’t really get a kick out of it so see this as a long term investment plan not a daily income plan.

#3. My 2nd side project is: I volunteer as a business adviser with a national charity that runs an annual competition that offers 16 &17 year olds the opportunity to launch a busines. They learn what it takes and I offer what advice I can to help them. Its really interesting and I live seeing their enthusiasm and passion bring their ideas to life.

#4. My 3rd side project is: I have recently rediscovered my joy of ultra running. I love the outdoors, feeling fit and completing challenges that most others think are impossible. I’d like to write a book about this and then coach or train others to see that these events are not impossible but actually pretty straightforward with some planning and training. The mental shift that completing something like this offers can be life changing.

Brooke

1. Main Thing: I run a web design / marketing company. I mainly design websites for clients.
2. Side Project: I am trying to start a company that teaches bloggers basic ways to market their blogs on social media and how to update their wordpress sites. I am mainly focused on mommy bloggers.
3. Other Side Project: I am also starting a blog where I can promote affiliate products.
4. Other side project: I may possibly start teaching at my daughter’s preschool.

Wow that’s a lot of stuff! I am also a mom of 4 cute kiddos. That’s a full time job in and of itself.

SoftwareJourney

#1 My main thing is: My university studies

#2 My side project is my website/blog (SoftwareJourney): It’s a website that provides a curated directory of resources for Startups and businesses of any kind. I’ve been working on this concept for quite some time constantly changing things, tweaking the idea.

Right now those two things alone keeps me busy full time

Kassandra

#1. My main thing is this: 1a) Training people how to become parenting coaches. Super fun! I’m launching a 6-month training program this Monday Jan 11th. Yay! 1b) My other main thing is coaching clients one-on-one. I love this too. parentcoaching.org is my main website. 1c) I also do shame, vulnerability and joy coaching with info on that at yearofjoys.com. These are all under #1 because they are all coaching people online.

#2. My side project is this: Building my coaching business. Being a coach is different than building the business, learning the technology, figuring out what I can do myself and what I should delegate, what programs to take, and how to find the time (and discernment) to learn the cool things out there.

#3. My other side project is this: Raising my daughters to be strong, sensitive, loving, vulnerable, self-trusting people and figuring out co-parenting that’s often long-distance

#4: My other side project is this: I’d like to move into in-person and hands-on coaching. So much can be learned (or unlearned if needed) through touch. I’d love to know how to move into that work.

#5: My other side project is this: Healing and enlightenment through sexuality which includes learning/teaching/practicing a lot of conscious communication and relationship skills.

There’s more like using my privilege with compassion to help others, living sustainably, volunteering and building community at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, practicing yoga and meditation, growing my own food, learning new ways to preserve foods, dancing and …. 🙂

Lee

#1. My main thing is this: Project Engineer at a beverage manufacturing plant. Focusing on mastering processing systems, including liquid ingredient receiving, dairy separation, product batching, pasteurization, and clean-in-place systems.

#2. My side project is this: AnimeFest. Successfully plan and execute a 10,000+ person, split site anime convention. Focusing on establishing effective, sustainable business and communication systems in a non-profit setting.

#3. My other side project is this: Social-Leadership.com. Helping 25-35 year old people with management ambitions in mid- to large- organizations learn the leadership fundamentals they need to jump start their career. Focusing on building an audience. Website is launched, audience is…I’m working on it.

#4. My other other side project is this: performing in a comedic environment. Focusing on improvisation fundamentals, piano sightreading of popular music, and character creation.

kay

So, my stuff:

#1: Keep my day job. For now. Because i have a daughter who will be going to college soon and I don’t want her to have student loans. And, the house.

#2: Rebuild my house. Yes, we had insurance. But, there seems to be so much that’s not included in the coverage that I’m at my wit’s end.

#3: Write my next book. Blow away my stretch goals for sales so that i can cover the insurance gap from #2 and have an additional source of income for my daughter’s college. And, it would be nice to ditch #1 all-together.

Dave

#1. My main thing is this: Working Full Time in I.T. in investment banking – not enjoying it.

#2. My side project is this: Horse Racing Ratings website called FormBet – 100% complete but in terms of growth it’s flat-lined. Was hoping it would grown enough to give up #1 and become more passive income so I could focus on…

#3. My other side project is this: Training to be Hypnotherapist and Lifestyle Coach including offering Hypnotherapy, MEditation, Mindfulness BAsed Cognitive Therapy, nutrition (training to be a C.H.E.K practitioner, and offering all this + diet, fitness advice online and offline which blends well with….

#4 Practicing and training to become a fully qualified Yoga Instructor and setting up Wellness retreats, my own studio etc etc.

I also am big on conservation projects, want to become a regular volunteer for Trees For Life re-generating the Caledonian Forest in Scotland, also to be a trekking tour guide

The big problem I have is that the #1 sucks, just sucks a lot of my energy that I know could help me move forward a lot more efficiently and stronger on #2, #3 and #4 – bills need to be paid and ultimately I think the key is to grow #2, have it passively generate similar (or even half) the income of #1 so I can quit and move forward.

It’s demoralising to have dreams only partially realised and the path feels a lot longer and harder as a result. Look forward to any feedback.

John

#1 Health and Life Insurance agent – new career after retiring from teaching.
#2 Print supervisor for Office Max – started as a part-time graphic designer and inherited the department after the previous supervisor moved.
#3 Web Design – primarily for non-profits, churches, ministries, with a few small business clients (also a re-seller for GoDaddy)
#4 T-shirt design – formerly art director at a t-shirt shop and still have a few clients who come to me.
#5 High School Band accessory sales – things like flags, shoes, and gloves.
#6 Online Christian Book store (re-seller for 30fold)

Shona

My main job is teacher

My side job is starting an online learning business

The job I want is to create is teacher cpd courses

Mark

#1 Day Job – Wellness Consultant for large organization – love it!

#2 Chrysalis Health Revolution – About to launch Chrysalis Weight-loss and Diabetes Reversal seminar THIS WEEKEND with option for 12-week class. Program combines faith with the latest science, wrapped into a program that anyone, of any age, income or level of busy-ness can do and maintain. It’s about a changing the way we think so that we can change the way we live. WiIl be measuring biometric numbers as well as waist and weight, for participant’s benefit as well as evidence for program success. Will be recording the seminar and the 12-weeks.

Bought your website/online learning plug-in a few months ago, will be using that to organize and post the videos to launch the e-learning part of the project.

Daniela

#1. My main thing is this: Studying Music & Singing at University!

#2. My side project is this: Blog & Youtube channel about modern spirituality for young people in Germany/Austria (hopefully becoming an online biz in the future)

#3. My other side project is this: Becoming enlightened… 😉

Dianne

Main thing #1: my business educating baby boomers on taking care of their aging parents
#2: writing a book
#3: creating healthcare related content for software company

Jessica

#1. My main thing is this:
my day job – which actually is not a big time suck

#2. My side project is this:
launching my custom design and stationery business (I want to make this my main thing!)

#3. My other side project is this:
renovating my house, learning how to cope with all of the moving parts of a business, and working toward achieving debt freedom…

Camsy

#1. My main thing is: Freelance graphic designer

#2. Side project: Blog and Design store

#3. Amazon affiliate blog focused on movie and book recommendations

Charity

#1. My main thing is this: Substance Abuse Counselor

#2. My side project is this: Meditating Together…..making meditation fun to the everyday person

#3. My other side project is this: Loving An Addict – Helping those who love someone suffering from addiction.

I want to combine the addiction world and meditation/mindfulness world. But also want to bring meditation to the everyday person stressed out in a secular manner.

Nivaldo

As I didn’t start most of the following listed projects, I’ll list them the way I’d like it to be.

#1. My main thing is this: Internet Business/projects (Blog,Youtube/Videos)

#2. My side project is this: Diet and Bodybuilding (become leaner & healthier)

#3. My other side project is this: Dancing (Dance classes)

#4. My other side project is this: Developpe my Venusian art and Travelling

#5. My other side project is this: Develope the “Renaissance man” in me

Michael

#1. My main thing is: working full time at a job I don’t like in an industry I’m not interested in order to pay bills and survive…

#2. My side project is: I am 2/3 completed in my accelerated online MBA program and will be completed in June 2016. My concentration is in Finance.

#3. My other side project is: I am considering starting the process to become a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) through the CFA Institute.

#4. My other side project is: To find an internship as a Financial Analyst.

#5. My other side project is: I have a blog that I was keeping up with but has fallen by the wayside. It is a place where I share ideas and my experiences.

#6. My other side project is: I want to start a podcast with my wife.

#7. My other side project is: Helping my wife start a resort business.

Diane

Derek may 2016 be an exceptional year.

My #1 main thing is working at an investment firm to pay my bills.

#2 is contracting for a Wellness comany

# 3 growing my coaching practice so it can eventually become # 1

Growing by creating awareness of my why what and how. Working on Zippy Courses too…slow process but getting there.
Thanks

Stephen

#1. My main thing is this: Completing my business degree

#2. My side project is this: Start a business

#3. My other side project is this: Write a novel

Mathias

Interesting way of looking at your different projects! I haven’t thought about ranking my projects, but if I must, I suppose it goes;

#1: Full-time job
#2: Full-time psychology studies
#3: Running http://www.MathiasOstlund.com
#4: Spanish studies
#5: German studies

Lav

My main thing: finish nursing school
Side thing #1: finish reiki training at the master level , gain clientele and give reiki at the level I have now.
Side thing #2: learn a lot about many different things which interest me so I can figure out my side thing #2.

John

#1. My main thing is this: Finishing my final year in university

#2. My side project is this: a passive income real estate investing website

#3. My other side project is this: a membership website for local real estate

Caitlin

My main project is working at my food service job, which I’m seeking to replace with a meaningful career
My side project is finding a meaningful career (which is ongoing). I hope to replace this with stating an online business in coding and website design
My other side project is getting back into volunteering in my community and give back to programs I support

Domonique

#1. My main thing is this: Help Desk Analyst Intern

This a year-long internship that I will likely have to quit 8 months in to have my son, due in May 2016. I haven’t asked if I can continue the internship after he is born, but I am a top performer as an intern, so it’s likely that they could make an exception for me.

#2. My side project is this: Freelance Computer Support Technician

I have been repairing Windows PCs and Macs for 10 years now and I am a certified technician. I love being hands on, but hate going to someone’s home and don’t want them in mine. I charge a fair rate for what I do and I’m using tactics from Ramit Sethi’s Find Your First Profitable Idea to target new clients who will be able and willing to pay.

#3. My other side project is this: Freelance Writing

I have been writing since 2013 using Upwork (formerly oDesk), and I want to do this full-time. I’ve been investing in copywriting courses and learning how to get recurring contracts so I can have a steadier income for when my son is born in May and the option to stay home if I choose to.

Stacy

#0. Wife and mother.

#1. My main thing is this: Fully developing my company, I Take Success. I’m a health, happiness, and success coach.
a) Have two clients at the moment and am loving helping both of them with the marketing of their new products.
b) I write self-help books as part of my brand
c) create online courses as part of my brand

#2. My side project is this: Teach social media marketing at local community college. (Got one of my clients this way. That’s called getting paid to advertise!)

#3. My other side project is this: Write a fiction book

#4. My other side project: take an online course (Positive Psychology, Meditation & Buddhism to start – but one at a time!)

#5. Thinking of opening a healthy food cafe

#6. Creating other online courses that are not part of my brand

Jeremy

My Main Thing is: Marketing Novels

My Side Project is: Is Providing Email List Services for Authors

My Other Side Project is: Writing Novels

Nischal

Main thing: Find and start in a new full-time job close to my family.

2nd Project : Work on making a reasonable side income through freelancing.

Jose

#1 My main thing is to teach at an Elementary School

#2 thing is to work on my doctoral degree

#3 thing is to develop online class in my areas of interests.

David

My Main project is to finish my Python course

My second is to ace my tests this quarter

My third, well, it’s more of a personal thing. It’s strengthening my current relationships.

Lynette

#1 mother is f 2 preteen kids
#2 full time job in publishing
#3 launching my blog
#4 keeping fit and healthy

Megan

#1 Teaching English to kids in Taiwan.

#2 My recently started blog at travelingmegphoto.com

#3 Mastering my Nikon D7100 and learning all I can about photography

#4 Just ran my first ever FULL marathon

    James Michael

    Congratulations on your new travel blog, Meg! Drop me an e-mail (james@banderaoutlaw.com) – would love to see if there’s any way I could be of help with your photography business. (nothing to sell, just happy to help a fellow photographer!)

Lamhita

#1 My main thing is manage a family blog and create communication project for enterprises who want to sell prodcts or services to family (but i don’t earn enough money from this web-site)
#2 My side project is create a website to sell online courses for family (with a team of 4 and an angel investor, launch it on March)
#3 My other side project is homeschooling my 2 children
#4 My other side project is manage my bed&breakfast with my husband – but he has a full job (open from march to october but having guests especially in june and july)

Mike

Hi Derek,
My main thing is a freelance business and selling coach.

My side project is getting a site up and running with content and courses.

michael

My main thing: finish film school and become a filmmaker.
Figure out a way in which I can start earning from freelance writing to be able to support myself before I can make it as a filmmaker.

Sam

#1. My main thing is this: Digital Marketing Executive (Full time job)

#2. My side project is this: Launching my blog

#3. My other side project is this: Completing my emergency fund.

Gape

Project 1- My job- I am an Optometrist by profession, and am working for one of the franchises in South Africa.
Project 2- My blog which I started in 2015- http://gapemogotsi.com. The idea is for it to become my primary source of income hence I am working hard to market it and get traffic.
Project 3- I have been doing public speaking, training/coaching and mentoring young leaders for the past 3 years, and am planning to start a company so that I can get an income from it.
Project 4- I want to go into property market as soon as I sort my finances out.

DG

Great question and really tough to answer…

My main thing is :
The Unstoppable Podcast – launching this month

My ‘side project’ is:
The Unstoppable Entrepreneur Academy – my 8-week online programme for lifestyle entrepreneurs

My ‘other project’ is:
Team Freedom – my network marketing team

I’m really interested to see what your response is Derek as I’m debating whether having three projects will prevent me achieving mastery in any of them!

Yvonne

Ok first project – well they all seem like the first one!!!

First Project – Getting me out there with what I offer: I’m coming out of hiding!
Tantric Relationship and Sexuality Coaching – one on one counselling and sexual healing.
Reiki courses & sessions
Kundalini Dance Classes
Aromatherapy Massage
Workshops & retreats
Second Project – To get my book out there – Heart of the Flower the book of Yonis – A book to empower women and men with regards to body image and sexuality…My passion, I’m sad this one keeps being ignored – I feel I don’t know where to begin!
Third Project – create new website under my name offering individual sessions…
on this to have video intro, e book all of which I have still to do!!
Four project – all ready this is heaps when you break down the last three!

Antoniya KZ

#1. My main thing is this: My work as a copywriter and inbound marketer for an amazing boss 😀 Ha, I love it because it aligns with my personal desire to help people live a better life.

#2. My side project is this: My blog which is just where I experiment with writing and with everything else in life @ http://mintyhideot.com which I was thinking of turning into a business but then I though naaaaah, no need, lets just have fun with it

#3. My other side project is this: My recycled designs shop at http://perix.etsy.com and http://perixshop.etsy.com which I run for over 4 years now and it has had some success but hardly brings in a full time income

So yeah, my life seems full but I’d rather call it rich and fun!

Sarah

(Quit my full-time job and promotion offer at a great company in September 2015 so I can travel the world with my husband in 2016).

A year ago I was also diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrom (CFS / ME) and burnout.

Currently:

1. My main thing is freelance travel and lifestyle writing;

2. My side thing #1 is online education consulting (my previous full-time gig);

3. My side thing #2 is my full-time location independent Masters programme (finishes in September);

4. My side thing #3 is an online editing business that offers premium online publishers a chance for up to 20 posts / month to be edited and perfected for $100.00 USD.

Will Kaa

1. Quit my day job by July so I can be a stay home dad instead of a overworked labourer.
2. My side passion soon to be main in http://www.tonedtribe.com
So I can help people get started with intermittent fasting so they can build their ultimate body that fits their lifestyle.
3. My third passion is a podcast http://www.churmaori.com/ where we interview maori in business and share their stories and help inspire maori people to be their own Boss. Growing up in New Zealand there were no family in business, moving to Australia I struggled in fitness as I had no business skills. Sharing stories will hopefully inspire them to be great

Gaurav

#1. My main thing is this: Give more Auditions and gain more confidence and finally get some good roles

#2. My side project is this: Continue doing film reviews and other stuff and keep my Youtube channel active

#3. My other side project is this: Recently received an opportunity to work as a freelance Travel Adviser, to work hard on that and generate some good income, and yes do some serious Travel Writing.

Bobby

1st- work 3rd shift… tired of it…plus 1 wife, 3 children

2nd- New album trying to drop in April/plus shoot music video

3rd- finish book

4th- finish writing play

5th- trying to tie everything into a website so I can re-traffic everything

6th-Manage 2 other artist

These are not in any specific order….

Jasmine

First project: Being a loving and devoting girlfriend to my terminally ill boyfriend.

Second project: cosmetology school.

Third project: creating a website that tends to yoga, meditation, relationships and love, art, poetry, life etc.

carmelo

#1. My main thing is this: Office Job working for insurance company, I can not work here forever, and I want to retire before my “retirement age”.

#2. My side project is this: Marketing Designer, I really want to work full time but I need the security of the income from the “main thing” -my job.

#3. My other side project is this: Website Designer, I would like to design websites and become a hosting company.

Serena

#1. My main thing is this: Marketing full-time.

#2. My side project is this: just started my blog, which I hope to grow in order to move to project #3

#3. My other side project is this: Freelance writing.

Kami

Main thing: Full time position doing Tier 1 Support for a tech company.

Second thing: Vlogging about personal empowerment & things I’ve learned in my life.

Third thing: Coordinating a women’s retreat complete with catering, guest speakers, photographers, etc.

Fourth thing: Working with mentoring clients (used to be my main thing but has taken a backseat when I chose to get a day job for financial reasons).

Lee

#1. My main thing is: Freelance graphic design (full-time freelance). Clients keep me busy, but in a way that makes me feel pecked to death. Doing a wide variety of project types is interesting, but keeps me in “gear-changing mode” between using different areas of my brain.

#2. My side project is: studying life-coaching. Precise application of this new knowledge, TBD.

#3a. My other side project is this: figuring out what to do with the rest of my life, considering job offers, etc.

#3b. My other side project is this: trying to stay healthy, exercise, make time for neglected friends, put balance back into a very unbalanced life. I was taking care of a dying father for 2+ years until recently, and only had time for that plus thing #1 (which pays my bills)

Thanks Derek, not sure if you’ll actually be able to read all of these comments, but you rock.

Hadarah

#1. My main thing is this: I work full time as a specialist at Apple. Love the job. It’s actually a lot of fun.

#2. My side project is this: I run a blog with music & motivation for your spiritual journey at http://www.setapartheart.com I could easily divide this blog into two side projects by itself cause the music, which includes singing & songwriting, youtube video making, music recording, music production, music promotion and more takes up a lot of time in and of itself. And then there’s the “motivation” part of the blog, which is something I’m trying to develop further by taking your advice in “Blog that Converts” to help better meet my audiences needs. Down the line I’d eventually like to start a community or membership site based on spiritual growth. Still developing a lot of ideas in this area. I’ve watched all your videos and am going through the worksheets for the course still now.

#3. My other side project is this: My personal life. I’m engaged! Yay!! And my fiancé is American while I am Canadian. So that means we have a lot of things to sort out with our future plans!! Currently we are both travelling back and forth to be together several times a month. And life just STAYS busy ALL the time to say the least. So yeah! That’s what I’m up to lol.

Joshua

1. My main thing is W4TWR a fun 5k run to build awareness for clean water worldwide and raise awareness for the fact that every minute a child dies from a water related disease. We just had our first event Dec. 26th and are working on doing 4 major events this year!
2. My side project is my children’s book that I’m working on getting formatted properly and setting up the audio book and website. I plan to self publish by June 1st!
3. My other side reject (lol) is launching my podcast, which will cover inspirational people and be once a week starting in the first week of March.

Marcus

My main thing is: Gov’t employee

My side hustle is: author-publisher of Learn to Subdue Your Passions: A Guide for Modern Living.

My other side hustle is: director of charity golf tournament.

My book has been out two years. I’ve sold a little over 300 copies through friends, family, special conventions and online sales. However, my target market is about 2 million and I still feel like my product is still unknown to them.

Roseann

#1. My main thing is this: being a mum and giving birth to my new baby in February 2016

#2. My side project is this: my new blog

#3. My other side project is this: eventually making money by selling some sort of online course through my blog…hopefully

Michelle

1. Marketing director for top school.

2. Coaching more women to be female entrepreneurs at http://www.womensdreamvisionnetwork.com

3. Main thing – being super mom and wife

4. Also beachbody/Shakeology coach

Michelle

#1. My main thing is this: Software Developer

#2. My side project is this: http://www.stljobcoach.com

#3. My other side project is this: Learning wine so someday I can go in to the wine business and build up my foodie blog: http://www.stlcheesegirl.com

Kevin

#1 primary – freak out. I quit my job two weeks ago, finally realizing that, after many health issues, the stress of the job was going to kill me. I don’t have a new job yet, so I’m scrambling to find something new to support my family.

#2 side thing – figure out what I really want to do long term. I’m bouncing around like a pachinko ball. I’m torn between freelance magazine and blog writing, fiction writing, non-fiction eBooks,micro niche blogging, authority blogging, copywriting, webinars, online training, etc. It’s all new to me (except fiction writing), so I’m learning what I can for free (since I’m unemployed) and trying to nail down where to start.

Hazel Lau

My main thing: day job as a medical techician
My side thing: design book covers, format ebook, design landing pages and websites, illustrate and produce children’s books for authors.
My other thing: lead generation and email marketing for TCM clinics

Gigi

My main thing: Product Development Assistant
Side project: Branding/Makeup Artist
Other side project: Article Writing, Video Production, Re-Launching a Physical Fashion Line

Ash

#1 MAIN : My day job
#2 SIDE : Reading up and taking online courses to help find a niche or simply a way for me to set up an online business that I enjoy and equally importantly, to replace my day job, pronto.

There is just too much information and courses floating around the internet it’s hard to know what is enough for you to launch forward, which courses to take and what to do.

Joy Healey

Oh dear – sounds just like me…. too many balls in the air!

Main thing – Working in my offline business which pays really well but very time-consuming and I want to be able to replace that income
#2 – Building my affiliate marketing income: http://joyhealey.com
#3 – Building my networking business: http://besthomebusinessteam.com/premiercashback/
#4 – Improving my blogging and online marketing skills to further (2) and (3)
#5 – I have a property business
#6 – Volunteering at a dog rescue home – just completed my training

All in various stages of completion – but, of their nature – they’ll never really be complete!

Joy

Ryan

#1. My main thing is this: Relaunch of my fitness product fat burning breakfast

#2. My side project is this: Youtube channel, facebook videos,, promoting all that stuff

#3. My other side project is this: podcasting

#4: My other side project is this: Quroa video questions.

Mandy

#1. My main thing is this: Mom & Wife (ongoing improvement process but doesn’t earn me any money)

#2. My side project is this: Federal Civil Servant – supervisory analyst (not really going anywhere fast but pays the bills)

#3. My other side project is this: Naval Reserve Officer (only 2 more years until I’m eligible/forced to retire)

#4. My other side project is this: Grad student (supposed to help with promotion in #2 & 3; 2 electives away from graduation; waiting for next class to start)

#5. My other side project is this: Project Management Professional Certification (supposed to help with opportunities in #2 & 3; just have to pass the exam & I’m done; scheduled)

#6. My other side project is this: Making big girl panties disguised as beachy Hawaiian style handmade jewelry- my business is called “Simply Leilani Jewelry” http://www.simplyleilani.com (one person show including craft fairs, content writing, social media, etc.)

#7. My other side project is this: Facilitating a goal setting accountability group on FB to go with my new “Blog that Converts” at http://www.yearofnoexcuses.com (trying to take my years of leadership/informal mentorship and jump to being a coach so that my handmade jewelry gig can stay a hobby; well, that and share my progress or lack thereof towards #4 & 5 with friends and family)

When I took your Assessment, it told me I was a Jack of All Trades. HAHAHA. Surprise! 🙂 Actually, as a result of facilitating my group, I realized I need to do a better job of making time for everything and am looking for a better planner. I’m an insomniac anyway, so I may as well do something useful with my time, right?

Charles

#1 Working on a building site
#2 Starting a website building, social media management and copywriting business for the agricultural industry
#3 Starting a decluttering business

Marty

#1. My main thing is this: Business Development Director for minor league baseball team.

#2. My side project is this: I want to build a brand and make money online and offline.

#3. My other side project is this: I want to write a novel,

nuraini

1. My main thing this year is guiding tourist in my city. It is my part time job.

2. My other project is volunteering in one of NGO who helps HIV children. It is more to be a tutor for that children.

3. Other than that, I also do gardening in my house.

4. I also have another educational project for secondary school adolescent. I have my own tuition center.

5. My other project also facilitating participant for sexual reproductive health

Dog Guy Josh

#1. My main thing is this: ClickerPlus.com. Right now I’m trying to launch a physical product for dog training that has over 2,000 unit pre-orders in over 15 different countries. I don’t make any money from it as it’s been entirely lean through customer funding, but this is where I spend most of my daily hours on various tasks (which I’m working to pass onto new teammates soon).

#2. My side project is this: DogGuyJosh.com. I’ve been a professional dog trainer for ten years and would really like to transition away from selling local services so that I can focus on Clicker Plus full time. However, I feel the need to keep this going in the short term in order to help the lights on while I focus on building a product and team. I’ve even created my first online course to help bootstrap, but marketing requires a lot of productivity time.

#3. My other side project is this: What I really want to do is raise money from investors to speed up R&D for Clicker Ring and possibly even fund several other ideas I have, under one or several companies. What it really comes down to though is having the team, resources and connections to execute.

Cathie

My main thing is consulting to nonprofits, primarily for strategic planning and grant writing.

My side thing is growing the grants management component of the business.

My other side thing is developing the idea for a business that provides backend functions, accounting, grants management, organizational development, recruitment for smaller nonprofits.

My other side is creating in online course.

Janet Star

#1. My main thing is this: Real Estate Agent

#2. My side project is this: Holistic Coach

#3. My other side project is this: Construction Design

Jessica

Main Job: Mama
#1 My business as an Elimination Communication and potty training coach. Just started in August and trying to figure out how I can best serve people online. My best idea at the moment is using Zippy Courses (saw your webinar with Kimra, loved it!) and hosting weekly live q&a sessions using Webinar Ally plugin to provide support and answer questions.

#2 I would like to sell my handmade bags on Etsy (or make my own website)

#3 I would like to sell my handmade pottery on Etsy (or make my own website)

S

Main thing: motherhood/stay at home mom
Side project: launching my business/brand
Other side project: financial services

Amy

#1. My main thing is working full-time as an SEO and communications manager for a web development agency

#2. My side project is volunteer for a new non-profit start-up called Soulmates. It’s about education and matchmaking for animal adoption and rescue. It should be an amazing project; the website launches in February!

#3. My other side project is my own freelance copywriting and blogging. I’d really like to develop this side more this year. Eventually, if I could work as a contractor for copywriting and content development, I’d be a very happy lady. First up is developing my freelance website/portfolio – tenreasonstohireanamy.com . I’d love some feedback or constructive criticism!

Semaj

My main thing is my job (Which I’m planning my escape plan with my following two side projects)

My side thing: Prepping to launch an info product Business

My other side thing: Freelance copywriting (Which I’m using my info product work to gather valuable experience and empirical data)

Sarah

#1. My main thing is this: being a stay at home mum to two amazing children

#2. My side project is this: designing a nursing sports bra for breastfeeding mothers

#3. My other side project is this: getting fit, strong and healthy

Aubrey

Hi Derek!

I really resonated with this post as I have so many things that I have my hands in. I have ADHD, had it all my life, and the main thing I would love you to address is how to stick to it to actually complete projects. I find myself getting restless and jumping from one project to the next.

#1 Main Project: Developing and Launching my first ever website and business Phoenix Grace Living.

#2 Side Project: Teaching intenSati classes (Translating them and giving them in Spanish, I live in Ecuador)

#2 Side Project: Writing my first book

#3 Side Project: Teaching English as a second language to elementary students and tutoring college students

#4 Creating my first meditation albums

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Aubrey

John

My main project right now is Traditional Kustoms Magazine – http://www.traditionalkustoms.com. It’s grown a lot since starting it up in 2014. I expect it will grow quite a bit more this year. My biggest focus will be increasing the automation and looking into VAs and interns to handle some of the overflow jobs.

My first side project is starting a SaaS. My second side project is starting an info product for musicians aimed at beating the “starving artist” mentality.

angela

My main thing is my environmental shows that I take into childcare centres ,shopping malls and schools.
My side thing is my new Online Teacher’s Enviro Pack that I am creating which provides 40 lesson plans to childcare teachers covering each of the 4 seasons. Currently I have Spring and Summer Module completed.
My other side thing is my Eco Store where I sell bamboo bedding.
My 3rd other thing is my 6 hour per week job at a local gym in their creche.
My 4th side thing is volunteering at a school on their kitchen garden 1 x per week.

Hoang

Hey Derek,

Love your stuff.

My main thing is: My full time job. I work as a business analyst at Revinate (a Software as a Service company). It’s a great company, a lot of great people to learn from. I’m learning a lot about business/startups in general.

My side project is: Launching an online course on finding the job you want. I bought Zippycourse mainly for that, am still in the researching phase so the angle I take is actually what’s liked.

My other side project is: selling a physical product through Amazon. I already have a supplier that is willing to create a totally new product line for me to specifically sell. I need to do the other frontload work first.

Thanks,

Hoang

maya

Thanks for this post and happy 2016!
I’m curious to know what you will share with us about how to prioritize and finish our projects and reach our goals this year. Where energy would be best spent, prior to spending it (!) would be most helpful to learn more about, and also so appreciated.

Everything I do is related in some way.
The main thing I am proud to specialize in, is offering a mobile/on-location- eco-beauty (makeup and hair) option to the eco-conscious brides out there, who want a ‘greener’ option for their bridal day beauty. As a makeup artist offering vegan, organic, natural and high performance makeup and skincare for brides on their big day, I am differentiating myself and speaking to a specific client. Sometimes said eco-minded clients and even ‘regulars’ who don’t care much either way, are not always willing to pay my rates- b/c they don’t usually wear makeup and so explaining the value prior to them experiencing it, can be tricky for me. I heard your $300 haircut video and often think about it and how it can apply to my field, b/c for the most part, i go to my client’s location and also, I don’t have my own salon yet but have been doing this for almost 10 years now..

The first thing I do on the ‘side’, is keeping my knowledge up to date with regards to eco-make-up and skincare ingredients that are safe and non-toxic, as well as research branding and design for labelling, in order to formulate my natural skincare and makeup line. I want to convey the idea that real luxury, is a healthy choice that works, when it comes to cosmetics. I research (online and in stores) and look at other brands’ products and marketing, take workshops on formulating and practice making things in my kitchen. I also research eco-packaging and design (online and at trade shows) to find the best way to convey the ethos of eco-luxury I want to get across. My goal is to be able to sell my line to brides and in stores by spring, as well as to men in barber shops (principle area for grooms before the wedding) before wedding season gets in full swing.

The second thing I do on the ‘side’ is work in stores for a ‘green-ish’ skincare brand. I love interacting with people -my colleagues and clients- and selling while educating people about their skin and the best ways to take care of it. This also lets me stay abreast of trends with regards to ingredients and formulations and marketing in the global cosmetics marketplace and try things out and see what my clients reactions are instantly.

The third and fourth things I do, are offer DIY workshops on how to make your own products- which forced me to keep my research up to date and concise and also bone up on my knowledge of essential oils and other ingredients, commonly used to make eco-friendly skincare and makeup and sell essential oils as an independant consultant. This stole a lot of my focus from weddings so I stopped doing it but do not regret it at all, as i think these efforts helped me grow exponentially. One of the locations where I did my workshops, invited me to sell my products there! My main goal is to get the branding solved and get it into shops and learn to track sales and inventory, which I have already done when I managed a cosmetics counter at a luxury retailer ten years ago!

Feeling pumped to reach my goals in 2016! Thanks for your help Derek!

Miguel

Really resonates with me this permanent multi-project way of life

1.- main professional thing: working in corporate world.
2.- main personal thing: my family ( wife, 3 children). Building happy times together and developing my childen
3.- side project: getting into data analysis: completing the courses i am taking and develop projects, at first reports based on open data available, andpublish them in a blog
4.- other projects: launch a blog on activities and travels for families with more than 2 kids. It is not always easy to move around so many children at once in Europe at least 😂😂

Dina

1. My main gig is a nutritional consultant: still need to add marketing tools for increased clientele via http://www.NutritionMontreal.ca and http://www.NutriYoga.ca

2. My side project is finishing up my 2 books: i’m 50% done on both books…can’t seem to finish and complete.

3. My other side project: launching a support group: still in the thinking process

Barry Gipson

1. Currently approaching retirement on active duty military.
2. Created a blog I want to monetize.
3. Long term is open up a sports bar related to my blog.

Marie

So I just left my comfortable corporate job to work for myself – scary but necessary as it had become toxic: so here’s my list

#1. My main thing is this: TrainingWalks.com – this will be my main source of income for a few months. I live in NYC and have 2 pitbulls. I worked hard to train them with good leash manners and its very frustrating when other dog owners don’t get it.

When a person is looking to hire a trainer, they pay a lot for a few sessions once or twice a week – often, the dog reverts back to the unwanted behavior with the owner and everyone is frustrated and resentful.

I am offering a service where I incorporate daily training with the necessary daily walk service for the best of both worlds.

#2. My side project is this: Food Photography and blogging services. I have worked in very high profile NYC restaurants for 15 years, and I have degrees in photography and digital media. Now seems like the perfect time to put these skills together into one business.

#3. My other side project is this: “Know It All” – a trivia based game. Gonna be a sensation.

Johnathan

#1. Water Treatment Specialist
– Technician
– Developing New Products
– Assisting in the development of the company website.
#2. Blogging
#3. Actual Side Projects
– Info Product
– software
– game
I had been working on each project sporadically , but TIME NOW.. working on each one at a time. Once I get each to maintenance phase, I will move on to the next.

Sami

My main thing: I’m an emergency Unit Coordinator at a level 1 trauma center. I’ve been working there about 8 years now.

My second thing: I’m a psychology student. People fascinate me. I’m extremely curious about human behaviour.

My third thing: I’m an aspiring Health and Wellness Coach, certified Zumba Instructor and soon to be Fitness Instructor Specialist. I want to help people lead happier and healthier lives. Prevention is better than treatment after the fact.

My fourth thing: I’m an Event/Wedding Planner. I’m IEWP certified with an AEC in Event Planning and Management. I love the organized chaos of events. Creative problem solving keeps me on my toes.

Cello

My main thing is my diploma in photography that I’m studying, I’ll be finished at the end of the year.

My side project is getting my photography business off the ground.

My second side project that is under way is the creation of my living space and studio, I currently live in a room big enough for a single bed.

My third project is I work 4 days as a Barber.

My fourth project is to get my website better and be seen by customers.

    James Michael

    Best of luck getting your photography business launched! I’ve helped some good people do just this – drop me an e-mail (james@banderaoutlaw.com) sometime and we’ll see if there’s any way I can be of help! (nothing to sell, just glad to help)

Elsa Alexandra

As a multi-passionate mumpreneur, I totally resonate with this Derek.
I’d say I have 2 main things and a couple of side projects:
Main Thing #1: Being a good mum and wife.
Main Thing #2: Building my coaching business.
My Side-Project: Blogging on my own website and for the Huffington Post.
My Other Side-Project: Writing and publishing my first book.
Suggestions on how to get it all done (with a toddler in tow 🙂 ) most welcome!
Warmly,
Elsa

Karen @ The Food Charlatan

#1 Mom.
#1 food blog. (http://thefoodcharlatan.com/)
#2 getting some actual sleep.
#3 delving into “big picture projects” for my blog–pitching brands, etc.

Thanks for this reminder Derek! I immediately forwarded your email to another creative friend of mine. Let’s kick 2016’s butt! 🙂

Caitlin

#1. My main thing is this: CA Real Estate Salesperson noob. (Just got my license. Last day of FT job is this Friday, first day of RE training next Monday.) And coaching club volleyball PT.

#2. My side project is this: simple Smartphone apps (so far we have a gas expense calculator, graphic proportions calculator and upcoming lifestyle burn rate calculator available through http://www.exusiasoftware.com. No/little money so far.)

#3. My future side project is this: an online course on breaking into the RE industry. (future because I need to learn how to do it first!!)

#4. My future side project is this: an online course on learning the basics of volleyball. Learning the skills as well as increasing your volleyball IQ. (future because I need to spend time getting RE rolling before I can take time away to create a vb course).

Donna

#1. My main thing is this: Marketing myself as a funny motivational speaker, stand-up comedian and author. The keynote is written, tested and gets great reviews. Trying to figure out who to call, what to say so I get booked. PAID bookings. No more free gigs. I would like to stay as close to Texas as possible.

#2. My side project is this: Marketing my new humor book. But not knowing how to do this. Its getting 5 star reviews and not just from my mom.

#3. My other side project is this: Finishing my LinkedIn and Blog that Converts classes. In the BTC, I can’t seem to get past module 1 without clarity. Thought I was selling what people wanted but now I am not sure. And then I have to apply all the stuff I learned. Oh boy.
#4: I may have to get a real job. uugghh.

Jennifer Lynn

#1 full time nursing hospital administrator
# 2 Finishing up final editing of my second book.
#3 Started my own business providing workshops for adolescents and young adults
#4 Volunteer at the after school programs in the coounty I live
#5 Developing online courses for sale. Material is what I use in my workshops

Treasure

#1. My main thing is this: I work full-time as a writing professor at a community college

#2. My side project is this: I am also a poet with a new chapbook out. I am invited to read regularly.

#3. My other side project is this: I consult with businesses in the area of diversity and inclusion. I am working to make this my full-time business.

Hayley

main thing: my photography business empowering women to feel beautiful regardless of what they feel about themselves. I currently say this is my main thing because I spend the majority of my time on it and i do get paid for it, this year its time to work on consolidating that income, continuing to grow the business and making sure I am still doing it in a way that makes me happy

Side thing 1: going back to school to finish a degree in fine arts, this one will mostly take up time but i should learn some amazing new stuff to incorporate into my photography

side project 2: yesterday I launched a blog post on a personal project I want to do this year, its a huge undertaking but its basically what I have wanted to be about as a photographer for the last couple of years. Some how I ended up working almost exclusively with 18-25 year olds when my target market has and always will be female. So this year I am looking for 100 women to come into the studio for a photoshoot, one for each age and at the end of it all ill make a book about beauty at any age.

I am sure I could come up with 20 other llittle things but these are the main ones that take my focus

    James Michael

    I love your book project, Hayley! Drop me an e-mail (james@banderaoutlaw.com) – I’d love to see if there’s any way I could help with this or your photography business. (nothing to sell, just glad to help)

Telma

My main thing: consultancy for Green Water
My side project #1: help with Cleantek admin and finances
My side project #2: develop Kaleydoscopio
My side project #3: partnership with Baobá
My side project #4: connection with Stanley and Mozambique

Jason

#1. My main thing is this: English Tutoring/Spanish & Mexican Cultures Studies at UNAM

#2. My side project is this: Blogging
Combined my tumblr, blogger, wordpress efforts into one site and am working on monitizing it.

#3. My other side project is this: Selling Products Online
I have promoted things in the past for work and friends, now I am trying to sell personal items as a start.

John

My main thing is a day job that I am very happy with.

My goal for 2016 is to start a website from which I will teach parents of difficult children the benefits of meditation. It has made a huge difference for me and I feel like I can’t not share this with other parents who are going through the same things as I have. This is a niche that is completely unrelated from my day job and, if realized, will be much more fulfilling.

Farah

#1. My main thing is this:
Presenting an online passive income opportunity & sharing it with others

#2. My side project is this:
Options trading

#3. My other side project is this:
Writing an online coaching course and/or membership site (not decided which or both yet), and possibly writing a book and marketing my coaching business to get new clients. I’ve got products- just have to get them out there and streamline the business.

I’d love to know how to schedule time to get some completions.
(Currently caring for my elderly dad too, since mum passed away last month) and giving myself some self care and healing time too.

Ljubo

I’m focused on one project http://morethanhappy.me my blog and starting coaching and sharing what I learnd.

oh yeah… I have a stady job 😛

Jena

Main gig: working my day job
Project 1: selling ebooks on my site http://www.IndependentClinician.com
Project 2: writing a new book / or should I make it a course / spinning my wheels
Project 3: Working through the Yes Engines content 🙂

Love everything you do Derek.

Jimmy

1 study Eddie drive a truck.
2 Working on website which takes more time then I originally thought but I feel pretty good about 2016 I think I have a better grip on priorities and I’m tiring to stay focused on end results and not run around in circles so here’s to a great 2016

Rebecca U Karlin

Too many projects will only slow down everything for you. The attention you are putting or spreading among your multiple projects are meager and therefore will take forever to finish any one project. Now if you have your paying job plus just one more project, you can be sure you will reach a goal.

Helen

#1 My main thing is: Group Accountant for a property developer
#2 My second thing is: Blogger – my blog betruelivetrue.com has only been running just over a month so as well as writing content I’m working on increasing traffic, marketing and learning the blogging basics!
#3 My third thing is: personal development, my journey of self discovery (which is what my blog relates to)
#4 My fourth thing is: grabbing opportunities to do coaching work with consultants to help others on their journey of self improvement

Laura

Main thing: Full-time single mom
Side thing #1: English tutoring
Side thing #2: Private Montessori playdates in English (I live overseas)
Side thing #3: English teaching website (launching this month)

Mardi

OMG did you write that just for me?? LOL.
1. My main gig is Healing work. I make most of my money helping other people heal, awaken (become aware of what they are creating in their lives), heal from trauma and PTSD, heal the body. Through breathwork, massage/bodywork, shamanic work. I love this work. I launched a year long training program in 2014 to train other people, I was really happy with it for the most part but it fell short in certain areas (getting participants to truly commit to doing all the work on their own healing, before offering it to others). Launching it in 2015 I didn’t have enough committed participants to do the whole program and that’s when I realized I needed help finding my right audience, instead of convincing my clientele they needed group work, I needed to find more of the people ready to do their personal work with commitment, and trusting me when I say the group work is next and an integral part of their personal growth. I am on a huge growing edge right now on how to reposition myself on the internet and your program is helping me sort that out, so I can find those people (putting together a program that appeals to long distance people to fly out is another stage – if indeed that is next).

2. My side gig is Art, and I’d really like it be more melded with my healing profession. I have made art for public spaces, I’ve made art for Burning Man which got me some recognition, my sculptures were even in the lobby at Google in Mt. View for a few years. I’ve really struggled with this side gig with having enough time to pursue it, but in 2015 I rented a huge art studio space and I’ve taken the leap in that direction. I now offer weekly classes but am having trouble filling them, though the people who do come absolutely love them. I offer creative classes that blend creative art making with self-healing work. I also am fired up about making art and would love more time to create art. Down the road I can see wanting to help people with my 14 years of healing experience in a more group way (through books, classes, workshops) and freeing up my time to just be creative myself making art, hopefully more public art down the line.

3. My other side gig is Farming. I have a rabbit farm. Its crazy it just started as a way to grow some of our own food and expanded into conserving rare heritage breeds of rabbit that may otherwise go extinct. I actually spend a lot of time not only caring for the animals but talking to people every day about them, educating, going to shows in order to promote the rare breed as a viable food source, its totally crazy. And fun. And I make a little money but lose a whole lot too its pretty high maintenance. I’d like for it to pay for itself someday and help us with our food bill instead of adding to it.

4. My side-side-side gig is so side I’ve only dabbled in it and that is Writing. I loved to write as a kid and young adult. It was right up there with Art. I have 4-5 books already written in my head for 20 years. How the heck in my crazy life do I find time to sit down and write, with everything else that is going on.

Being self-employed means I have to keep all balls juggling – I can’t just rely on one stream of income coming in without a lot of input. Some of my healing clients stay for a few months at a time, some longer, but I do have to continue to work at finding new clients, and that is my bread and butter. So that takes time from my other gigs that I’m trying to launch.

I look forward to your next newsletter about this.

Jeff

1. My thing is Stage Hypnosis
2. My side project is Mind Coaching for MMA Fighters
3. My other side project is part time sales for Hewlett Packard

Myra

Hi!
#1 My first thing is I am an estate Gardener
#2 horticultural consultant
#3 NEW WORKING MOM
#4 Spiritual Gardening and ecology blog

Love your posts- thank you!

Tom

My main goal is to write better content on my new blog and to get 100 email subscribers. I also want to learn how lobby to get my dream subsidized government golf courses underway. Golf is to expensive, and if we had something like the Affordable Green Fees Act, then everyone could enjoy golf at an affordable price.

Rich

My main thing is my full time job as an associate pastor.
My side gig is I teach adjunct for two different universities.
My passion is writing and I have published two books and numerous national articles, but I have two books that are at about 50% and 90% complete and a screenplay that is mapped out scene by scene and now needs to be written (and one previous screenplay that is done but needs to be formatted correctly to be considered).
I also do some side charity work with an orphanage in Mexico.
Would love for it all the be flipped upside down…writing full time, teaching and speaking regularly, maintaining small teaching load at a university, and doing ministry without the walls. There ya go!

Bob

My main thing is: my energy conservation business, which I am quitting
My side project is: creating a high end online public speaking program about building your keynote
My other side project is: being an officer in Toastmasters

masha

Thank goodness you wrote that post Derek. People say I am scattered but I feel more like a jack of all trades something like a conductor of an orchestra. I just call that orchestra my life. However it does need organization, energy, support, synergy etc..

I am learning now about social media and how to market.. lots to keep up with and writing articles for magazine
side project co-write a dating book
side project consulting on nutrition and consulting on relationships and consulting on concussion awareness( so far it is not money making and might require a certification )
side project complete poetry book
side project complete art projects to maybe sell
side project health: salsa dance lessons, gym , yoga classes
side project comedy show – standup/ theatrical possibly create a youtube channel
Somehow I plan to get it all done!
Thanks for this post of yours

Fabienne Uylebroeck

1./ Getting started my privatised and personalised cocooning (hotel)
2./ Writing and sharing my story…if it helps people
3./ Healing with music

Done so, and for most important, I want to thank you for sharing.

Catharine Brook Anderson

My main gig is Visionary Craniosacral
Work.
My second project is a program
Combining Craniosacral work and coaching.
My third project is creating an online coaching resource for youth in education
My fourth project is teaching movement the and dance to build your creativity and enhance your relationships.

Limor

You totally made me laugh! Not only is this me, but I know so many others like this too. I actually left my full time gig a few months ago and now I’m proud to say, I’m getting way closer to some of my other side projects and actually am fully doing some, but I’m still super guilty of what you outlined. I’m teaching real estate investing across Canada and working on a brand / site to empower women to better understand their finances – now just four weeks from launch – for real! But that project alone has 25 thousand side projects that “I’m working on”. I’m also writing a chapter for a book – luckily it has a deadline imposed by someone else.
PS. love your emails, vids and everything else.

Amanda

This is so me!
So here goes…….
My main thing is my small upholstery business and marketing it to get my customers.
My side project is making curtains and soft furnishings which has nearly become of equal importance to my main project. And lastly my other side project is upcycling old store mannequins for shop boutiques. I find my last project is more of a hobby but has become quite lucrative 😊

laura

#1. My main thing is this: Building my naturopathic medical practice (im a recent grad). This includes a lot of semi-related side projects.. like my personal website, ebook in-progress with a mentor, writing content for other sites etc..

#2. My side project is this: I got stumped on this one…. i suppose it’s my website/supplement store online– its been on the back burner for a while after i finally got the site up.. but it needs a lot of refining. My analytics are pretty good considering im not actively on it.. http://www.naturalhealingforbloodpressure.com

#3. My other side project is this: i run a medical board prep course (like USMLE exam but for naturopathic docs) http://www.nplexcrunch.com — its web-based learning and very rewarding to help students!

Thanks for getting me to ‘cluster’ my projects a bit…. of course my personal wellness/growth is always a project in the works on its own…

Kathryn Burnett

#1. My main thing is this: Designing and facilitating screenwriting and creativity workshops.
#1 (a) – My other main thing is: Script Coach

#2. My side project is this: Writing Screenplays

#3. My other side project is this: Writing plays

#4. My other side project is public speaking about all of the above/facilitating panels on all of the above.

Melanie

Some of the projects mentioned in these comments sound amazing!

1. My main thing is working as a program manager at a not for profit here in Canada.
2. My second thing truly putting in the effort to be the best parent I can be — taking it on as a independent study course with books and online course instead of just worrying that I’m constantly doing the wrong thing.
3. My third thing is finding THE IDEA that would allow me to start a fairly low-maintenance side business — both for fun and to bring in just that little bit of extra that we need as a family of four.
4. My fourth thing, and this is new, to write a tween novel about time travelling back to the past in my small community. To write the book that I would loved to have read when I was 11 about my own town/community.

Mary

Oh dear, you’ve got me bang to rights!
#1 is building my jewellery-making business (which plays to my superpower of clarifying thoughts and ideas and making them concrete)
#2 is doing associate work with a bid-editing consultancy (which also plays to my superpower of clarifying thoughts and ideas)
#3 is doing graphic recording for events (which also plays to clarity and meaning-making)
#4 is some work in development with a group of women looking at what training and development we could offer to people working in the public sector

I love this mix – it keeps things lively and interesting. It can be hard keeping all the plates spinning, though!

Anita

Ok so…been in self focus mode for self wellness after many years of neglect. My prime income hss been Directing/leading sightseeing tours in western Canana, Alaska and globally. This took a toll on my well being. Time to do what I do best.

My god given gift is assisting humanity in aligning with their grestness. I do so through a very forward futuristic form of activation. I access peoples genetic make up..I work with time lines in the future past and alternate realities. I see where patterns of stagnant energy sits and help shift how energy within an individuals field is utilized. I help to disconnect from the collective consciousness of victimization and other constructs based on what is presented. I am clairaudient. Clairscentient and clairvoyant. I work with a vast array of non physical light beings to make these things happen..

I choose for this to be my primary source of income via telephone/skype and in person sessions… as well I choose to offer some sort of on line course for self mastery.

Yes there are many courses out there. But very few that do what I do and offer what I offer.

I have been at a stand still for how to go about setting myself up for this global level of clientele without breaking the bank.

I choose to go on my own vacations rather than lead others on their vacations. It has been great and its time to follow my true life purpose.

I am ready to take the next steps and receive outer guidance on how to make this happen.

Chris Vetrano

Well my situation is interesting. My main thing last year was working in Vietnam making bamboo furniture. I was working for a friend of mine making his cedar rocking chairs out of bamboo. Along the way I started designing my own stuff. Good thing also because he has since lost his investor and left me high and dry in Vietnam with no income. This was in Aug 2015. In September I had a brilliant idea to create a marketplace for anything Bamboo. Hence The Bamboo Emporium (www.thebambooemporium.com) was created.
Back in April of last year I came up with a revolutionary lighter design that I am working on getting a patent. I had an old friend back in NY who is a banker in the city. He saw my post on FB looking for an investor and decided he would get involved. 4 months of jumping through hoops for him gathering info and he bailed on me. Although I was able to get more familiar with the patent process I wasn’t happy with his decision……mainly because he said he wasn’t able to put the time into it that he needed to make him feel comfortable. So long story short I have that on the back burner right now.
I’m unemployed so its been a rough 5 months but as I always say….KMF Keep moving forward. That being said I have been spending 16hrs a day creating, promoting etc. the bamboo project. I designed the website, made the three videos, searched for other bamboo companies to put on the site. I have just partnered and am signing a contract with, the World Bamboo Organization to be their platform for selling bamboo products. In 4 months I had found 23 companies to partner with us and have over 2000 products on the site. We will officially open for business Feb 1 2016. I’ve been getting more hits on the site every month. We are up to 50 hits a day!

Attached to this same project I am also working on side projects with a few companies making their existing products with bamboo. One is a Sulky for a lady in Georgia and the other is a safety gate for a European company that has an office here in HCMC.
My goals are to have Dragonfly Bamboo become a household name within the next few years and also patent my lighter by the end of this year. Considering the growth rate since Sept (we’re growing like Bamboo!) I don’t see that being an issue. The key to anything is persistence, determination and focus and having a brilliant idea helps too 😉

Kelly

This email made me laugh, too. I’m so guilty!!
Main project is creating highly successful fundraising videos for non-profits and videos for educational markets (www.lightfellow.com)
Side project 1-developing a second business creating professional videos for the websites of solopreneurs, individual professionals or very small businesses. (snapwebvideo.com) This is why I’m here-to learn to do content marketing for this business.
Side project 2-Developing a cool show for local PBS called FlavorHood about the ethnic food in Chicago’s neighborhoods. (www.flavorhoodchicago.com)
Side project 3-slowly working on illustrated kids books about my dog and her best dog friend solving mysteries.
Also, I have a business doing container gardening in the summer, strictly for money-can’t do it full time because it kills my body. AND I am a landlord.
Whew! Once I see this on paper, it sounds crazy.
Thanks Derek!

Shannon

How is it that your email topic is my #1 struggle? Yay!
My projects are…
Stepfamily relationship repair
Get a new bridge job
Get first stepfamily coaching client
Create content for consistent delivery of quality information that stepfamilies need
Products and services too
Finish my website so I can start building my list!

… basically, I need 1000.00 more a month to pay my bills while I create a business and a life I love.

Time is precious. Expecting my first grandchild at age 47 in March and I need to have the money and freedom to be able to live a limit free life! Who’s with me?

BTW… THANKS DEREK!!!

Jeremie

I am working on more focus this year. Within my business I have:

Main thing: helping entrepreneurs link together their personal and business finances so they can build their life and business on a solid money foundation, while avoiding technical and complicated “accountant speak”

#2: I am the operations manager, part time, for a non-profit working towards eliminating gender based violence.

#3: I am an associate coach in another person’s business and help run a facebook group and teach online classes.

Out of my business my only major project (outside of being a Dad, Husband, and having fun) is being the President of my son’s swim club and helping run that.

Bojan

#1 I’m a manager in a big company

#2 I just started a website about the EXTRA theme by Elegant Themes http://www.allaboutextra.com
On this website you can find tutorials about the EXTRA theme, get a free child theme and even get a free Extra theme. The site is still under construction but should be finished soon. Probably the reason why I’ll finish it is because i left my #3, #4 and #5 aside 🙂

Dana

First – LMAO! I nearly blew a mouthful of tea out of my mouth when I opened and read your email. This is so true!

But then, it also dawned on me, I’m looking at 2016 with the single focus of simplifying and focusing what I am doing towards mastery. It boils down to:

“LESS WORK, MORE PAY, BEST CLIENT RESULTS”
(And more fun).

With these projects:
-More effective and focused ad/promotions and speaking gigs for client development. (Mastering what I’m doing).
-Focused article writing for promotion (one write, multiple uses).

I’ve been in business ten years and this is probably the shortest and most focused to-do list I’ve ever created. I’m excited because the breathing room I’m feeling is giving me energy for “the more” I’ve always dreamed about.

Magic – D

Jessica Oman

My main thing:

RenegadePlanner.com – I develop business plans for people who need financing and help new entrepreneurs with start-up strategy. I’ve had this business since 2010 and my goal for this year is to double my best revenue year.

My side thing:

StorageWarrior.ca – My husband started this business buying storage lockers (like Storage Wars) and it’s growing extremely fast. As a 50% owner I advise the company, train staff and to some degree still manage operations. My project is to develop the web site, build an audience and eventually sell programs to teach others how to make money buying and selling.

Laura

My first thing: my family+full time teaching job (takes a lot of time and energy)
My second thing: my brand new blog/website, enchantmentkitchen.com, where I hope to add info products eventually (in progress!)
My third thing: making sure I have artistic and expressive outlets, and then keeping it all balanced and running!

Natalia

#1 My daily work to pay the bills is of an account/project manager at an online agency.

#2 Accreditation centre manager at Cinematik International Film Festival.

#3 Create a few websites mainly for friends.

#4 Create a video and write some music for my friends.

#5 Get a license for flying a paraglide.

And I usually want to do a lot more stuff (everything), which is waiting until I have some free time.

ReBeca

Hi! My main gig is “At-home mommy” of four standard poodles, ages 3yrs and 5 mos; maintaining and managing two homes in different states; being an executive’s wife; frequent travel back and forth between homes.

Project #1: My very small business is teaching Hot Mix Yoga and personal wellness from home. Updating my website.

Project #2: Yoga Teacher Training course (not finished); I have 2 students enrolled. Want to convert this over to an online course, hence my presence here.

Projest #3: I lead a band that gigs 2x/mo when I am in that city. We need to update our set list, which requires rehearsal, and previous to rehearsal (as an option), I need to record new songs on Garage band for them to learn.

Project #4: i am writing the story of my experience in a professional music show, which ended in 2012; it was riddled with scintillating drama, from death to shingles, to firings, to love affairs, and more. Trying to decide if I should bring in a co-writer, or just get it all written first, from my perspective.

All these things are hanging over my head daily, in one form or another. I’d like to complete them or can them; just get them behind me so I can enjoy my poodle mama life. Oh, and I have my first grandbaby on the way and a wedding coming up this year!!!

Kody

Main thing: Full-time inpatient physical therapist.

Side thing #1: Creating a local commercial cleaning business with independent contractors that runs itself and allows my wife to stay at home with the kiddos.

Side thing #2: Breaking into the jewelry business via Etsy and other marketplaces with unique Boho jewelry.

Keep the great stuff coming Derek!

– Kody

Greg

1. My Main thing is product management over an IT product for a technology non-profit.
2. My side project is writing music for 2016 to play some live shows and
3. My other side project is helping small businesses with growth strategies through technology

Kristen

My main thing is: I own a Pilates Studio. We’ve been open 10 years and I’m proud of our reputation and high level of expertise. I love my clients and I love my work but running the studio is a drain. There is not enough profit for me to relax and take money for myself.

My 2nd thing is: My website http://www.pilateshomepractice.com is finally starting to feel like something that will create profit. I’ve been working on it for four years and just created and launched a 30 day challenge that is picking up steam.

My other thing is: I intend to become a gait therapist this year. I have the program in mind and I know it is within my reach.

My other thing is: I’d like to get back into theatre, singing and voice-over acting.

Oh yeah, there is also my kids and my husband I’m supposed to cook and clean for and the ever messy house and the endless laundry.

Can’t wait to hear your advice for finishing our projects. You are a gem, Derek.

Tony

Since I was recently let go from a job of 13 years, I don’t really have that “main thing” anymore. However, here is what I would like as my main things, etc.:

#1 – Guitar Instructor. Small student base now with intention on building it up to full time status and beyond to a music school.

#2 – Find some immediate income to get the bills paid while working on #1 (i.e., job searching)

#3 – Rideshare driver with Uber/Lyft. Ok money to get by right now. Side benefit is meeting people and even promote #1. Helps to supplement #1.

#4 – Musician in a band. Mostly for fun but there is a little side income here.

Heidi

Main project – Starting a coaching business
Second project – My Etsy Shop, Wildly Authentic
Third project – Completing a whole bunch of online courses I’ve recently signed up for

Diana

My 1st goal is to create a cooking/coaching business that meets my financial needs. My projects are to declutter my house (getting close to finishing that one!), learn to cook more plant based, deliciously seasoned foods, develop and launch a signature program, continue singing in a rock and roll band, exercise and enjoy my 2 sons.

nakia

I’m working on creating a outreach women’s group. The group will consist of women of all ages and walks of life, wanting to become an Entrepreneur. The group will uplift, motivate and support each other through challenging adventures, community service projects etc.
My second project is working on my paintings & making my candles and candle stick holders, finally my all natural beauty product to sell.

Shanika

Okay doh’kay:

My main thing I’m working on this year is my visual marketing website. I’m making a place where people can finally go beyond a pretty picture and understand how to use graphics to connect, convert, and continue an ongoing relationship with their audience and customers. It’s alsogoing to be my online home for my graphic design showcase skillz.

My side project is being an affiliate for a weight loss company. I love to workout — even though my chubby tummy doesn’t display that well (yet). I want to create an affiliate website where I can sell their products. Most importantly build a community that wants to join me on this journey of getting the extra pounds off, then keeping them off.

I have no 3rd. Two is enough for the hectic personal life I have. I just want these two off the ground and working like a well-oiled machine. So I’m making myself and my business a higher priority this year. Because these are tied to who I am and what I love to do. Good enough?

john

First project is creating and curating the content for Mind Body Freedom, a health program to guide people into uncommon levels of wellbeing @ http://www.lulora.com/program

Second project is becoming certified as a MovNat trainer & PN certified coach to improve my understanding of health, nutrition and natural movement.

Third project is learning Italian so that I can share some words at my Italian wedding this summer.

4th project is shooting photography and video to earn a few extra dollars and stay connected to a love of the arts.

Andrae

My Main thing: Studio Engineer at a government ad agency

Side thing # 1: Music Producer & Record Label Owner. I produce and release christian music compilations and albums for artist. I Also produce music for artist, in addition compose original music when they needed.

Side thing #2 : Podcast editing

Jay

#1 – Mom of 3. Two of which are under age three and at home with me.

#2 – P/T freelance blogger for blue-collar small businesses (about 3 hours a day)

#3 – (my passion/dream job) blogger for jayleenmagill.com, hoping to leverage into a coach/consulting business by June this year.

Lisa

I forgot side project #4 — finish and publish the book I’m co-authoring for people like US:
“The Davinci Dilemma (TM) – How Multi-Talented People Can Get Focused, Get More Done and Get More Joy Out of Life.”

Amanda

#1. My main thing is this: I am a retail buyer of lighting fixtures (think chandeliers, pendants, lamps) for an online retailer

#2. My side project is this: Making my coaching business I recently launched for ambitious females my main thing. http://www.amandabeilke.com – Performance Life Coach

#3. My other side project is this: Working on a freebie online mini course to build my email list for the coaching business

#4. My other other side project is this: Volunteering and growing a local pregnancy center nonprofit I help run

Lisa

My Main Thing is Consulting and copywriting for clients. Working mostly with entrepreneurs now and looking to go back to my roots and do more (and better paying) corporate work.

My #1 side project is: relaunching my 3-Step Copy-to-Cash Machine course using Zippy courses to deliver it, with a grownup 4-part video series plus webinars to launch. I’m revamping an existing course that was very well received a couple of years ago, updating some of the info and adding a few new modules, and re-releasing at a higher price point. I have a list of JV partners I’ll involve once I’m getting good numbers in the funnel. The goal is to get a machine of my own going, where I earn a median five figures per month on this one thing, which will allow me to cut back on private and copywriting work and also allow me time to do….

Side project #2 Become a professional cartoonist! This is a lifelong dream. I’m already illustrating a couple of books, and have an idea for a strip.

Escar Rose

My daily job (which is a part time) so I have time to work on my main project

My second thing is the new part time job I got to replace the first job!

My main project is to run a Business as a photographer and video/audio editor.

Fabien

Hi all, best wishes to everyone! I hope you all emarketers, bloggers, entrepreneurs…are doing well.
I have a few things in to share with you:
1- my main focus in my full-time job as a sales manager in a marketing company.
2- my second focus in my website http://www.excellenceresumes.com, that will become my main focus very soon (deadline is march 2016)
3- my third one is playing sports and working out in order to reach some fitness targets!
4- my forth is spending as much time as I can with my loved ones.

2016 is gonna be crazy busy!
Best wishes to everyone!

Greg

1. My Main Thing is: Personal training, Gym manager
2. My side project is: online personal training
3. My other side project is: getting permanent visa to Australia

Lynn

1st thing. Renovating B&B in France
2nd thing Marketing said b&b (in an area inundated with b&bs in France
3rd thing temp work in Uk to pay bills through the winter
4th thing breeding alpacas
5th thing working on website for said alpacas
6th thing learning French
7th thing getting massage clients (I’m also a massage therapist) for France & Uk
8th thing trying to source products for guests to buy (alpaca)

    Fabien

    Hey!
    Wow that’s a lot! I might be able to give you a hand learning french 😉 good luck!

Saskia

#1. My main thing is this: offering business blog writing workshops (in Dutch)

#1. My other main thing is this: growing my list

#2. My side project is this: launching my online blogging program (in Dutch)

#3. My other side project is this: getting my finances in order

#4. My other side project is this: making a new life for myself and my children (my husband is divorcing me)

#5. My other side project is this: getting the necessary care & support for my elderly parents

#6. My other side project is this: writing my book (helping other adults coping with the loss of a sibling)

Melanie

1. My main thing is being owner-operator of a business that’s the US liaison/distributor for products manufactured and distributed by my family’s German based business and I’m drowning in overwhelm.

2. My side thing is helping people lose weight and get healthy as an online coach using Beachbody products like P90X, Insanity, 21 Day Fix etc.

3. My bunches of sub-side-things is to learn/practice best blogging and social media networking strategies to help build both businesses.

Patrice

My main thing is I’m a baker at a University.
My side project is a home based business in travel.
My 2nd side project is an event planning business I’ve been working on.
My 3rd side project is assisting my daughter in launching a t-shirt line.

I’m trying to figure out how to balance all of this as a single parent of two very ambitious girls. I want to be able to work on my own terms. I enjoy baking, but I want something more. I have so many other things I want to get my hands into, but I don’t want to overload. Thank you for this article.

Jake

1. Primary employment.
2. Own a new (~1 yr) duck call business that we’re trying to take to the next level.
3. Trying to branch out to freelance graphic design work.

Michelle Louise

#1. My main thing is this: My more-than-full-time job at a local nonprofit.

#2. My side project is this: My brand new blog, aimed at raising awareness on mental health.

#3. My other side project is this: I hope to start grad school (online) in the fall, so I’m looking at programs, applications, living options, etc.

JDR

# 1. My main thing is Elementary Art Teacher.

# 2. My side thing is creating a kids’ comic book series.

# 3. My other side thing is creating a kids’ card game.

# 4. My other other side thing is restoring my 1964 VW Beetle.

Bref

Hi Derek,

Powerful post! I’m a working Dad and this resonated with me big time. So…

1. Main thing: I work full time as an advertising sales manager.
2. Side Project: I am making moves to start my own marketing consulting business in 2016. Currently doing a course and taking action. This is my side FOCUS.
3. Other Side project: Blog / website called Planatriptoireland.com
4. Other, other side project: Startupop.com blog where I started writin about my startup progress

Yvonne

I have several projects that take priority during a week. I recently read an article about successful people that said they plan their next day at the end of each day. Sounds like a great habit to form. So, my 2016 Resolution is to plan out my days more efficiently so that at the end of each, there’s major progress on one project and minor attention (something measurable, though, on one secondary project). I use wwwAsana.com for scheduling and fortunately, get email updates when I miss a milestone.

In any case:
#1: Completing a course about social media tools for business start-ups
#2: Marketing a newly formed online shopping site (through Facebook) called “The Wise Girl Shop”
#3: Continuing with selling children’s picture books on Kindle (add one each month)
#4: Designing and selling t-shirts on Amazon

I also have other projects – writing grants for faith-based organizations and other nonprofits, teaching Christian education, and planning to get back to general contracting (where I spent two-years and loved before the market crash).

Candace

1: my main: I’m a restaurant manager at a busy downtown location
2: my project: I have a side health and wellness networking business that I’m building to become my main.
3: studying Holistic Nurtrition

Gill

Main occupation: Database developer
Side line: Developing a Removals company pay-per-use application
Side line: Investment portfolio (currently more research than actual!)
Side line: Learning more about PHP integration

Sam

1. Starting a new job in graduate recruitment next week.
2. Building my blog and spreading my message of how positive psychology can improve academic performance and make career search easier.
http://www.smartchoice-ss.com/#!blog/ggtnr
3. Finding a girlfriend (sadly, I’m not kidding)

Mike in the UK

God… this email just points out the obvious! What’s that saying “Can’t see the wood for the trees”
My Main thing is working in a warehouse, which I hate with a passion & where I know I am just wasting my life. All it is, is picking up a pay cheque to pay the bills… THAT’S IT!!!
My sideline is looking for a job or something else that fits me ideally. When I feel like it!
My other sideline is trying to get something up on the Internet, such as a sales letter type website, going into depth in one area of weight loss. Selling a mini ebook say.
I follow brilliant people like you who know how to get results, yet??????
All the pieces seem to be there for me to get big results but, talk about slow!
Is it something to do with needing a higher motivation & reasons to follow through to completion. 2016 has got to be the year!

Nedi

1. My day job is teaching music – I would rather make my own music than make other people into musicians, but it pays the bills.

2. My passion is my composing and being a singer/songwriter.

3. I am also an energy healing working through Now Healing.

4. I have written and self-published a book on autism and speak on autism acceptance.

Kaley Shorter

LOL Derek, you read my mind! I’ve always got too many full pockets.

#1. My main thing is finding a well-paying, ideally virtual full-time job so my husband can follow his dream to be a business consultant.

#2. My side project is my Gifty Blog (being built by learning and implementing from Derek’s STELLAR course, Blog That Converts 2.0). Its dual purpose is to educate parents on containing their kids’ stuff and to promote my subscription box, http://GiftyToys.com (a toy retail business that is a really fun project in itself).

#3. My other side project is my blog at http://spacetosmile.com, which will contain timely posts in addition to chapters from the book I’m writing, but will be free and open to a bunch of subscribers so I can get some traction for a book deal. Space to Smile is a technique I’ve developed: the Four Pillars of Clearing Your Space So You Can Shine At What You’re Meant To Do.

#4 and my other side project is CRM consulting for real estate agents, because that’s my niche speciality and people keep coming to me to help them. That probably needs a blog too.

And all of this is really so that I can just work minimal hours for maximum pay for my talents, so I can just enjoy being a musician again and be a better parent and spouse.

Camille

#1. My main thing is this: business & software consulting for my clients.
#2. My side project is this: hiring more team members to get me out of the “owner-operator” role.
#3. My other side project is this: increasing my reach so I can find more ideal clients & have the ability to say no to those who are not a good fit.

Kelsey

My main gig is building a fitness company and working towards becoming a sought-after trainer in my community. I have a handful of clients, but not enough to go full time. I would also like to launch a series of training guides and fitness e-books this year.

My main side hustle is doing product demonstrations at grocery stores for a high-end condiment company. I sought out this job because it allowed me to match my income of my previous full time marketing job in half the hours so I could have time to build my fitness business.

My other side hustle is social media management for an automotive company.

My other side hustle is financial services, including selling life insurance and studying for a license so I can also manage investments.

Adam

#1. My main thing is this:
Part owner and manager of a distribution company in NY. I get a weekly paycheck and some profits at the end of every month.

#2. My side project is this:
I am part owner/full owner of 5 different event halls for parties. I mainly handle the marketing on my free time and do operational management. This is a lucrative business for me since I have 12 years of experience and many leads. I plan to grow this business and excel at it this year. The more time I put in, the more the return on investment of time.

#3. My other side project is this:
I am also working on ideas that complement my event rental business to make money off of my “dead” days/weekdays (Monday – Thursday), to revamp the website, to work as a broker for other locations that are not as busy, to piggy back off of the venues and launch a new idea in the tri sate market.

Corey

#1. My full-time job is as a User Experience Designer.

#2. Side project is creating version 2.0 of http://herokeyboard.com

#3. Working on a cheerleading-themed mobile game, branded for my http://cheermoji.com brand of cheer apps, shirts, and some instructional material.

#4. Marketing my http://mixplayapp.com , which is a useful app that I’m not marketing very well. 🙁

Hugh

This is a brilliant topic for January!
#1 my main thing is building our client base for getgos.net to 1,000. We use social media to get bloggers more traffic.
#2 my second thing is preparing to write a second book. The first Give Me A Break was on productivity the next will be advice for people entering the crazy world of paid speaking.
#3 my third thing is to get way more focussed on my philanthropy activities. I’m a member of 1% for the planet, but feel I can and should be doing more.

Nilsa

#1 My main thing is full time Teacher
#2 My side project is launch a website and show women how to develop, nurture and maintain self-love. My website will be ready to go live in the next week or so. I need to get busy building blog content and courting my tribe.
#3 My other side project is to launch a non-profit where I develop curriculum and build courses teaching women to love their selves. I have done some work on content, and by some I mean a mere 10 -20%. I have no time and the time I do have is spent researching and thinking. I need to do more doing.

Tabitha

Hi Derek,

Thank you for that blog this morning! Here are my projects in a nutshell 🙂
Main Business: Personal Training (support me as I work on the following projects)
Second: Cancelling out $18,000 worth of debt by March 2016
Third: Complete Stories for LIVE Storytelling Show & Book, “Secrets In Paradise”
Third: Increase Online Visibility to my FITStoryteller Brand

    Tabitha

    Ha miss count up thought should be fourth project

brownin329

Right now, I have no side hustle, meaning I do not have any additional ways of bringing in money, yet. My current focus is getting out of teaching. It is a horrible career. Unfortunately, teaching and looking for a new job are taking up all of my time.

What I’d like to do is:

1. finish setting up my four niche blog websites
2. write at least one book
3. direct at least one video
4. put them on my websites to sell

Looking for ways to do this is driving me crazy and I feel overwhelmed.

Luke

I believe my three projects may appear very differently to most people here but in the past Social Triggers videos on YouTube have helped so I’m willing to give this a try…

#1. My main thing is this: Solutions Architect for a home automation company.

-This is my Technical “Day Job”
I love this job and would always continue with it.

#2. My side project is this: Special FX Makeup.

-This is my artistic (self paying) hobby.
I currently make no money on this but do gain materials for projects I choose to work on.

#3. My other side project is this: Sculpture Artist

-Much like #2 this Hobby pays for itself.
These items however are pieces I make for myself and wish to maybe one day sell to others.

Taylor

1. My main job is marketing for a small Hospice organization in Wisconsin
2. My side project is writing a book for college graduates presenting everything they need to know for tackling adult life on their own!

Dodie

#1. My main thing is this: I mentor entrepreneurs 1 week each month as my primary and beloved source of income. It’s stable, lucrative, and impactful. But it’s fragile in its dependency on my presence to earn. This year, I’ll continue to fill any program vacancies, which is proven increasingly more automatic thanks to #2, decrease the number of in-person programs while increasing the value/price, and use this rewarding work to inspire new products to develop.

#2. My side project is this: Informed by my own experiences in entrepreneurship, and those with my clients, I’m producing digital media that teaches others how to have the Fun AND Profit we’ve created. Still in my fun wheelhouse, and leverages the ridiculously huge library of content I’ve amassed in the last decade. Setting up the semi-automatic marketing machine now (built around your 80/20 rule, wise advisor!). And licensing and/or selling some of my intellectual assets this year, because I don’t want to distribute/service them all. Growing a firm that large doesn’t fit my lifestyle filter.

#3. My other side project is this: Either podcast or webcast as my new “One Thing” focal point around which all other media products swim. Crowdfunded $47k for the webcast sample episode, but per episode cost was too hight to pursue without further market validation. Meanwhile, podcasting climbs in viability, and new production processes make the original webcast concept more affordable. I’ll leave you on a cliff hanging Derek. Not sure myself. Continuing some LEAN startup marketing research in the interim to see if my target audience breaks this media tie.

Sean

I am a University student and I have got to juggle these following things all to be completed before May

1) Go out and complete a 75 hour work placement for an Art Gallery and then write 3,500 word report on how the experience went

2) Undergo a massive illustration project where I will have to create my own characters and story

3) Create an innovative animation using flash software with weeks of research and developing concepts

4) Learn the process of “Academic Writing” and on week 12 of this project write up a 3,500 word Report utilising all I have learned

I am going to have a heart attack.

Mariah

1. My main thing is Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage.

2. My side project is teaching Ashiatsu barefoot Massage to other massage therapists.

3. My other side project is creating workshops and ongoing programs to coach women and some men to connect more deeply with the mind body and find deeper joy, healing and satisfaction in life.

All of these are housed under my business THE SPACE but I really struggle to get organized and focused enough to get #3 where I want it. So I’m looking forward to the emails!

Will

#1 My main thing is: I work in Financial Planning & Analysis for a public Utility company. Nice salary, but no real opportunities for advancement or promotion. I feel stuck in the role. Biggest positive though, is that it gives me room to work on my side hustles.

#2 My first side project is taking the FPA Certification exam to make myself more marketable from a job perspective. That job, however, has a low probability of being at my current company.

#3 My second side project is developing an ecommerce business. Both from an affiliates perspective and from a black label/drop ship position.

#4 Third – Go through training first and then develop an app in either (or both) the android space or IOS.

#5 Fourth – Go through training and become a software engineer.

Susan

#1. My main thing is this: Life/Health Coaching – currently in an online course and community. On track to complete with certificate in 2 months. I have been coaching people for free and it was time to start charging so I decided to get certified.

#2. My side project is this: Online Marketing for Offline business. This is using an agency on the back end to deliver the services while I act as a consultant. I like consulting but having this a main focus does not excite me. So I stopped a while ago. It is a very good way to make money but I couldn’t sustain enthusiasm just for money

#3. My other side project is this: (Dreaming on this one) I want to launch an online magazine dedicated to subjects, products, services and people that support my mission: To help bring forth an environmentally sustainable, socially just, spiritually fulfilling presence in the world.This will be monetized through affiliate marketing ( I think.) I could really use an expert to help flush this one out as it excites me the most.

And share all the details.

mike

Main thing: Working at a telecommunication in the activation depart.
Side project: Building an email list. This is my first real attempt to make it in the online marketing world. My goal is to build a solid following and help my subscribers reach their goals. Trying to write emails seems to be a challenge. I want to be informative helpful but I find it hard to understand how best to approach people in emails…meaning when to email how many emails to send when exactly to ask for the sale. I mean I know know this stuff but want to fine tune this…guess it will come in time.
Secondary Project: creating a product. I haven’t started creating a product but the next step in list building will be to create one. I’m hoping after gathering survey information from my subscribers I will have a better idea where they are struggling and what is needed.
I only have two projects going on right now……

Shaun

Main thing: Finding a job. I’m close. Will likely be a regular 8-5 job with a company. I do financial management for the companies I work for.

Side thing 1: Blogging on zerotohabit.com where I share how to start habits that stick without relying on willpower. This involves reading, writing and some 1/1 coaching.

Side thing 2: Building a sales page and lead magnet at smoothiedailydose.com to test the market for a new idea – using the principles of new habit creation found on zerotohabit.com to help people use their expensive vitamix and blendtec blenders consistently.

Side thing 3: Building a sales page and lead magnet at thetengame.com to test the market for another new idea – using a game I came up with to help parents get their kids to listen and behave better without yelling, threats or bribery

Andrea Beltrami

My main thing is teaching solopreneurs how to brand their biz like a boss.

My side project is a DIY branding course.

My other project is finding boozey sponsors for a weekly web show.

LOTS to do, soooo little time to do it all in….the life on a SOLO!! 😉

kenneth

Unfinished projects, “The Great Dream Smasher”. I’ve had to learn this the hard way but now that I am retired I have every day to learn and apply skills that will help me earn My Fortune. “Unfinished Projects” good subject to build on.

Barb

#1 – Should be my new website. Determined to make that so.
#2 – Part time bookkeeping for a friend.
#3 – Maintaining my horse property
#4 – A large vegetable garden
#5 – Next spring I have commit to 2 hours a day with my 3 year old horse. She needs training.

Your email totally addressed my dilemma. I need to simplify and focus. And yet all of these things must be done.

Steve

1. I am a business loan broker and help business owners get financing. @CBizMoney

2. I drive for UberBlack and trying to get my private black car service off the ground. @Rocky_Limo

3. Other side projects have been eliminated but pop up occasionally.

Gary

#1 Main occupation-Aircraft Consultant on Navy Boeing 737.
#2 Rental management- Manage my 9 rental properties.
#3 Ecommerce- selling physical products utilizing AMAZON FBA.
#4 Assisting spouse on Kindle E-Books -How to Books.

KJ

1. My main thing is being a full time dentist
2. My side thing is creating a Korean cooking business
3. My other side thing is helping my husband launch his floral business (tried doing it for the past 12 months and has proven very difficult)
4. My other larger side thing is moving out of our current city to improve #1, 2, and 3

A.S.

#1. My main thing is this: started coaching business.

#2. My side project is this: building “passive income” courses that I can offer through my website.

#3. My other side project is this: consulting with organizations and universities to implement the vision/course of my doctoral dissertation.

I finished my doctorate in May 2015 and established my business in November. Want to take things to the next level re: online courses and consulting!

Penny

OK – my main thing is freelance writing – mainly for businesses and magazines in the equine industry. My website for that is http://thehorsewriter.com

My #1 side thing is Find Yourself on a Horse – an online course I’ve developed for midlife women who are either getting into horses or getting back into horses. I help them develop self-awareness so they can improve their communication skills and confidence dealing with their horses. My website for that is http://FindYourselfonaHorse.com.

My #2 side thing is a spinoff of my main thing. It’s a virtual assistant business specializing in helping overworked horse business owners with such tasks as record keeping, billing, social media management, newsletters and scheduling. My (soon to be live) website for that is http://YourBarnOffice.com.

My #3 side thing is working on a book called So The Kids Want a Horse. You can find posts about that at http://thehorseylife.com.

I also write for a non-profit and work at several large horse shows from April through October, including being the volunteer coordinator for a very large dressage show that runs for 6 days at the end of September.

Oh yeah, and I have a husband, a daughter, a horse, 2 dogs, 5 cats and am training for a half marathon and will be showing my horse this year.

That covers most of it….

Shane

My main thing is this: I am a marketing professor that teaches B2B professional sales.

My side thing is this: I am at the beginning stages of creating an online course in teaching people how they can train to become and land a job as a professional salesrep commonly earning six figures +, all the while by being themselves and NOT being a pushy, overly persistent, annoying salesman.

My other projects stem from this: Book, speaking, blog, etc.

Lorrie

Main thing: teaching onsite yoga classes (main income). I am happy with the number of classes I’m teaching each week but could have fuller classes in some locations.
Side project #1: my powhow channel. I’m filming some classes I’m already teaching anyway and selling them online for secondary income. There isn’t a ton of extra work involved here but it’s slow getting established in the online market.
Side project #2: Homesteading. I’m raising chickens, plant a garden and preserve food in warmer months – this is a rewarding hobby that provides fesh, organic, tasty food for us and saves a lot of cash at the grocery store.

Jessica

Main thing: parenting (my life got a LOT better when I finally admitted and accepted that this is really my full-time job, at least for now b/c my kids are really little)

Side project: running my Intuitive Counseling business. This year I want to grow my client list, launch two courses, and make both online and local connections with people who share my interests. Of course within those things are many many smaller projects/tasks and this week I’m working on the planning of how and when everything will get done!

Patrick

Main project- I manage a nightclub on the weekends

Side project – Starting up my own financial consulting business

Side project 2 – own a natural skin care line with my wife

G B

#1. My main thing is this: Launch my architectural business

#2. My side project is this: I am a university lecturer assistant

#3. My other side project is this: PhD students

I have been working on the construction industry for more than 18 years, and recently resigned from the architectural practice that I used to work for since 2004. not it is the time to work as sole practitioner

Nero

#1. Launching my first online course.
#2. Starting my own freelancer website.
#3. Making art stills & films for my 1st exhibition.
#4. Merchandise for my art line.

There’s more, but I think this is more than enough for this year.

Seth

#1. My main thing is this: I’m a digital marketing consultant that mostly works with performing arts organizations, though I’m currently working on transitioning to higher end clients where I can charge the rates I should be getting.

#2. My side project is this: I have a blog called musiciansguidetohustling.com where I help classical musicians make more money from their freelancing. Admittedly, I have been kind of half-assing this since last February and have not gone all in on it and given the project the time and attention it deserves. So far I’ve built a list of about 400 subscribers and plan to create a course that will help musicians make more freelance income and eventually another course based around how to build their own side hustles. This project has been a great platform for getting my name out there and has even led to some connections that turned in to clients and a couple of paid speaking gigs.

The main problem I have with this is that when I create content I always psych myself out by thinking that it ALWAYS has to be a grand slam of amazing content and that really slows down the process and really limits how much I actually post.

#3. My other side project is this: Getting more speaking engagements. This has grown from my blog. So far I’ve done a handful of engagements and have several more things in the works for the next few months. I’ve got one later this month that actually pays pretty well (for me at least) and I also might be a guest lecturer at several music departments of the local universities around the Philadelphia area.

Andy

#1. Woodwork, property improvements.
#2. Nutrition, fitness and weight loss advisor. On a mission to eradicate childhood obesity.
#3. Designing & Producing wooden craft products in Yorkshire with Yorkshire grown sustainable timber.

D

#1 My main thing is this: Full-time job as a project manager.

#2 My side project is this: Finishing up my masters degree in electrical engineering.

#3 My other side project is this: Lainching a successful freelance business in business writing.

mary

Oh, clarity – sometimes so simple but so elusive!
Sooo, NOW I see my (biggest) problem! My main thing used to be teaching with a bunch of side gigs. Now that I’m retired from teaching – I have a bunch of sides…
*health coach building a client base;
*writing an ebook;
*developing health and wellness webinars,
*hosting an on line summit for woman 40 and over;
*Wellness Advocate with an awesome essential oils company looking to build the business and “rank up”,
*being a business coach and helping people grow their online business or find ways for residual income
…with no main course.
No wonder there’s a lot of loose ends!

Josh

My main thing: just started working and trying to gain credit/ pay back loans/ save enough to move out of parents house

Side/ other main thing: I’m a musical artist and I’m working on building my fanbase and increasing content production

Other side: working on my social/love life

Mariken Zuydgeest

Oh wow, so glad you are looking at this because I can sure use some direction and glad to see from the other comments, I am not the only one having (too) many eggs in other baskets:

Main time ‘waster’: being a parent and the to-and froing that takes
My wish main gig: freelance writer
Side hustle 1 /big need: getting the hang of marketing/promoting myself ie really using and understanding both twitter and ‘commenting’ and optimising my website.
Side hustle 2 : writing a weekly blog (not too regular just yet) and an ebook/course on my niche: expat partners
Side hustle 3: getting my childrens book(s) published
Side hustle 4: editing/rewriting my novel so I have a shot at getting that published
Side hustle 5: running/training for a half marathon in June.

It all takes time and I honestly don’t know how to streamline it all to make it work, even if I do make some progress (as you said).

REALLY looking forward to your next email on that !

Taz

#1. My main thing is: Science Teacher (2 Days a week)

#2. My side project is: Launching employability project for my own company Work Gateway (www.workgateway.org/projects)

#3. My other side project is: Programme Manager for Healthly and Living (monthly workshop and excursions)

#4. Father to twins (age 3)!

#5 Science Tuition/Freelance commisioned workshops

Thanks for asking.

Lisa

My main thing is working as a digital marketing designer for a home appliance wholesaler.

My side project is trying to gain exposure for my personal illustration work.

My other side project is painting abstract acrylic canvases.

🙂

Susan

Main thing…teaching part time in a very small school (6 students)
Side thing #1…educational consulting (involves travel, sometimes international)
Side thing #2…getting commissions as a stained glass artist for residential and commercial installations
Side thing #3…teaching private art classes
Side thing #4…copywriting, marketing

DJ Moore

#1. My main thing is this:

Help women attract men and find bliss in love, by firing up his deepest attraction instinct, the thing that makes him feel like her real life superhero! http://www.unleashhissuperhero.com
(Been working on this for almost a year and need to finish the backend to add even more value)

#2. My side project is this:

Helping a friend share his talents and message with the world with those suffering with stress, anxiety and depression.

#3. My other side project is this:

Make and share funny YouTube videos that are fun to make and fun to watch over and over.

Md Sohrab Ansari

My main project. I work in a pharmaceutical company as a sales representative.
My side project is that I recently just 10 days back I launched a website named my city Asansol. My site name is atasansol.com which is for advertisement purposes for local businesses through subdomains and Social networks shares.
My third project is based on a personol blog that is about relationship as I feel I can help other to improve their relationship in better way. I feel cause I have a valid reason for this.

Ikra

#1. My main thing is this: to do well on school

#2. My side project is this: to be fluent in Korean by the end of 2016.

#3. My other side project is this: to manage a blog.

Laura

#1 Main thing: Cheater of Death by PowerPoint at Laura M. Foley Design
#2 Side project: Develop the consulting and teaching part of my business
#3 Other side project: Create a dynamic Cub Scout Pack in my town, getting more parents and kids to participate in the programs I help create.
#4 Other, other side project: Publicize and work with a local grassroots campaign to build a new Senior Center in my town.

Tony

My main project is my web/branding agency, Canny. We build brands and websites for SMEs and can be found at http://www.canny-creative.com

My second project is The Name Train, a fun and exciting kids brand that creates unique and personalised artwork to brighten up children’s bedrooms and playrooms. It can be found at http://www.thenametrain.com (not launched yet but getting closer by the day.)

Christian Lorentzen

#1: My main thing is a 360/VR content startup

#2: My second thing is an electrochemic window film startup

#3: my third thing is getting my personal life ready for marraige and a family

Mel

Main thing – self-employed grant writer and fundraising consultant for non-profits.
2nd thing – in the start up phase of developing an online business to empower and help families transition to a gluten-free lifestyle. This is inspired by my own families struggles to do this following my oldest child’s celiac diagnosis.
3rd thing – Cooking. Love to create new recipes that are unique, healthy and tasty. Six years ago I launched a personal chef business but due to my lack of marketing knowledge and lack of drive to learn it, it only lasted about a year.
4th thing – DIY projects. This is strictly a hobby only for me as I love to create things that make life easier and save money at the same time. The challenge here is actually finishing big projects!

Samantha KB

#1. My main thing is this:
Starting a mentoring program for young professionals in my field that is highly valuable and provides a great return.

#2. My side project is this: Conpleting a podcast that educates older Australians in the complexities of the aged care industry so they can provide insights to their Ageing parents (and start planning for their own transition).

#3. My other side project is this: starting a coursework Masters in Ageing

Justin

My main thing is producing content for My website.

2: My second thing is renewing My mind through Bible study.

My other main thing is focusing on holistic health.

Thanks for asking!

Ellen

#1 – Working full time as consultant in banking.
#2 – Fashion/Lifestyle Blog – trying to build an audience and monetize tthe blog and having very little progress after 2 years.
# 3 – Developing a real estate stagging business.

Mike P.

#1. My main thing is: Day job Hell

#2. My side project is: Physical coloring books for kids & adults

#3. My other side project is: Bold Success Club (it’s only 4 days old…)

Thanks for asking.

Bill Dow

Wow, nail on the head. Nothing more to add but bring on next mail. 🙂

Pauline

#1 – Working at my regular low-paying freelance gigs.
#2 – Trying to increase my work (and pay)
#3 – Running a scrapbook business which involves hosting retreats, sales, classes etc.
#4 – Building a professional writing website.
#5 – Teaching myself social media & SEO
#6 – Writing a novel.

Whew! There’s probably more but I’ll stop there.

David

#1. My main thing is being a doctor. I’m about halfway through surgery residency, which means 24hr shifts 2-3 times per week, 6am-6pm shifts on our normal days, and minimum 80-hr weeks most of the time (it’s against hospital regulations for us to report working more than 80hrs per week…).

#2. My side project is a digital magazine app about tech / medicine innovation geared towards social good. Think TED Talks meets Wired magazine. It’s currently live on Kickstarter, and just crossed the 100% mark with about 2 weeks to go. The link is: http://bit.ly/InventedMag

#3. My other side project is freelance copy writing. I’ve been using the profits from that to fund my magazine venture!

Alexis

Project #1 – Get book into print (it’s tantalizing close and yet not – aaarrrh!)

Project #2 – New theme/redesign for https://www.preciouslittlesleep.com/. As bloggers know, you start getting all sorts of code embedded into things so changing things out is a big complicated mess.

Project #3 – Kick off podcast. Stop waiting for it to be perfect and just put it out there. Life is short right?

Sharon

Great idea to list all of your projects! My main project is my home decor and vintage store. My next project is to liquidate inventory for a previous business and last but not least is to develops an online store in several different venues. Lots to do!

Anysia

Main thing: working as a busuness process analyst. I would like to transition out of this into a coachibg/consulting business of my own.

Side thing #1: Taking courses to become a certified life coach.

Side thing #2: Blogging

Side thing #3: Working on writing 2 books

Side thing #4: Developing business plan and strategy to transition from job to own business.

Leslie

Main gig – Mama!

Side hustle – weekend cashier at Dicks Sporting goods

Side hustle 2 – Team Beachbody coach

Side Hustle 3 – sell stuff on EBay

Side Hustle 4 – fitness trainer & massage therapist- I currently just blog on my website with my knowledge of health and fitness

Side Hustle 5 – writing a freebie clean eating book for said blog to boost sign-ups and interaction

Bonnie

#1. My main thing is this: running an educational services company in Houston. Managing all the day-to-day operations, overseeing tutors, interns, and coordinators, working in the field, planning for expansion, updating the website, editing blog posts and newsletters, etc etc etc.

#2. My side project is this: studying for the GRE and working on applications for MBA programs–I want to start my MBA this fall.

#3. My other side project is this: Finding an organization I’m passionate about so I can volunteer (leaning toward Make-a-Wish currently).

BrittanyR

#1. My main thing is this: Social Media management for a handful of clients.

#2. My side project is this: Marketing & Sales for a volunteer management (for festivals & events) software startup.

#3. My other side project is this: A group coaching program for brides-to-be who are planning their own wedding.

Quite a varied group of projects! 😉 ha

Brittany

#1. My main thing is this: NerdyGirl.co — helping connect businesses and marketers with freelancers so they don’t have to find them talent themselves

#2. My side project is this: Physical/emotional mastery

#3. My other side project is this: Making an album (I’m a singer).

Thanks for asking, Derek! =)

Brittany

    Andrea Beltrami

    Hey girl! EPIC to see you over on Derek’s blog-o-state!! 😉

Alexandria

#1 project Private Home Care Buiness TwoCaringHands.net
#2 Resume Writing and Career Coaching Service
#3 Musician 🙂

Nick

#1 Job earning money to live and support my family

#2 cider see website above

#3 physical product 80% complete for launch

#4 dream project, always on my mind any progress?

Jay Garrett

1. My Main Thing is: Real Estate Agent
2. My side project is: Subscription Based Website for Real Estate Agents
3. My other side project is: Non- profit app
4. My other side project is: Community based website

    Kaley Shorter

    Hi Jay, I’d love to hear more about your subscription-based website for RE agents! My various niches include working with real estate agents to help boost their marketing and client management. I would love to send clients to you if possible! Twitter: @kaleyshorter

Tom

My first project is http://www.digitalrecordingschool.com. I felt lost in starting it and need to refilm the videos and rebuild the website to be my own. This was practice but I feel like it can turn into something when I turn it around.

My second project is owning and operating a recording studio. I am passionate about it but feel like it should be secondary since my income can be better multiplied online.

My third project is doing marketing consulting and helping other blogs start up with friends/colleagues that have gifts but are not sharing them online. I currently have four on my plate with that.

My fourth project is my solo music career as an artist and songwriter. This has no financial value as of now.

My fifth project is realizing that this comment is already too long and I need to skinny some things down immediately!

Leave a comment