THE SIDE HUSTLE UNIVERSITY

MY JOURNEY TO SUCCESS - LESSONS AND INSPIRATION

So here’s a bit of an origin story of the founder of The Side Hustle University.

So, where to begin huh? Well for starters, I was just like you. I was working a regular 9 to 5 job where I was under-appreciated, undervalued, underpaid, overworked, stressed, and always found myself to be broke even though I made a decent wage. I really mean it when I say, I was just like you. I also didn’t live an extraordinary life either. I kept to myself and stayed home most of the time. I was a single father who just dedicated my time to work and my kids, and nothing more. I drove a 10-year-old broke AF car, wore the same clothes, and had a pair of work boots with a giant hole in the bottom. I didn’t hate my job, I actually really enjoyed it. I studied for years to become an engineer, and I even furthered that by obtaining other licenses and credentials, thinking it would put me ahead of the rest.

Time went on, and the company I worked for went through so many drastic changes in a short period of time. Even though I made my suggestions to upper management, they didn’t listen. They didn’t care. Mistake after mistake, terrible decision after terrible decision, bad hire after bad hire, I watched this company that I personally took from 3 million dollars in revenue a year to over 30 million dollars a year in revenue start to crumble. I didn’t give up on it though. The original manager that hired me had quit. He knew things that were happening that I was not aware of, so he threw in the towel. Not me though, I thought this company still had a very bright future ahead. A short while after my original manager quit, they hired my new boss. Now, you can choose to believe this or not, but they hired this person because he was capable of “changing his oil in his driveway.” He had no other experience in being a manager, or even working in a manufacturing company. So you can imagine what direction that company, and more specifically the department, took. It was a slow, painful, and gradual decline.

Fast forward to 2020. One day at work as usual, I was doing far more than I should have been doing and my knee gave out. I ended up tearing my ACL and my meniscus and required surgery as a result. This was also around the time when hospitals around the world were starting to become overwhelmed due to the pandemic. It took some time but I healed up and returned to work in just under 2 months. To my surprise upon my return, nothing was different. Well actually let’s be honest, I was not surprised at all. My injury did not change a thing, even concerning safety. And safety was something that the company would constantly say was its top priority. Everything was the same and in some cases a little bit worse and even more disorganized since I wasn’t there to oversee things. Nonetheless, I just sucked it up and carried on working. I kept listening to their lies and false promises, smiled, and collected my pay cheque every 2 weeks as a good loyal employee should. 

Time passed and then in 2021, I suffered another injury. This time it was a lot worse and put me off of work for over a year. Still not fully recovered, I was forced back to work by my employer and insurance. Even though I gave it my best shot to return to regular duties, I couldn’t and eventually was let go roughly a month after my return. Can you believe that? After all I did for this company and how much I sacrificed, and how I set up that company to become known as one of the best manufacturers in North America for a very specific type of construction product, they thanked me by showing me the door. 

I wasn’t mad or upset about this. I can explain in detail the events leading up to it, but it would turn this into a multi-volume encyclopedia. I will admit though I was more hurt than anything. I did so much for this company and they fired me. I increased their business by over 10 times, I was able to get the company to invest well over 1.5 million dollars in equipment and facility upgrades, I secured contracts with firms all across North America, and the list goes on. And they still fired me. Just goes to show you the reality of being an employee.

So now what? Well at this point, the world was not looking too good. The economy was terrible, inflation was at a 40-year high in my country, and the cost of living was going up. One day it hit me; there are no guarantees in life. I mean I did so much for this company and they got rid of me without hesitation. So I got the bright idea that instead of working for someone else who doesn’t care about me or my well-being, I decided then and there that I needed to work for myself.

Back in 2019, I started an engineering consulting firm, where I offered a variety of services. I told myself I need to put more effort into that and get that business going. I knew I had a lot of skills and experience and expertise that many people find valuable, so I started marketing myself out there. I put up ads everywhere I can think of, I reached out to friends and family to get the word out, and surprisingly, I got a few gigs. Not enough to keep my head above water, but it was a start.

Again, time went on and I quickly began to find myself with my back against the wall. It was well over a year since my accident and injury and I was not bringing in a lot of money. As a single father with 2 young children, I had to do something quickly.  So one day, being at one of the lowest points of my life, I came across a video on YouTube about starting something called a side hustle. Now that particular video was pretty sketchy just like the majority of videos on YouTube about starting a business, but I found myself in the wormhole that YouTube sucks you into. Eventually, after hours and hours of videos, I came across a few ideas that I thought were worth trying out.

And here I am today. I run 2 businesses. One is my engineering firm, and one is this website and blog. 

Nothing is impossible. You put your mind to it, you put your effort into it, and nothing can stop you. Believe in those words. I work for myself now wholly. I make money on MY terms, I set MY hours, I do what I want to do, and it is an amazing feeling. 

I strongly believe that you can do it too! I have no doubt in my mind. If I was able to do it, for sure you can do it. And you have come to the right place to learn.

 

I created this website to share my experiences, tips, and techniques I have learned over time with you so that YOU too can become your own boss. I have tried and tested many different websites, methods, watching videos to get paid, surveys and so much more that promise loads of money to you. I have done my best to weed out the scams, the low performers, and the over-promises. I have spent the time and money investigating and experimenting with different sites and schemes so that you don’t have to. 

On this site, you will find case studies of MY personal experiences in my adventures of trying to make it online. You will find payment proofs from some of the sites that I use. I did not set out with the intention of becoming filthy rich. I intended to make enough money to survive. Most importantly, it is a recession-proof source of income. With the world still recovering from the COVID pandemic, and the economy in shambles, this was my only way out of the grind.

Please take a look at the various articles, blog posts, case studies, and everything else posted on this site. Find something that appeals to you. Give it a try. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

 

To your success,

A.K

The Side Hustle University