What I Learned About Passive Income in 2016

A while back, I asked the Passive Income for Designers Facebook group “what is your biggest passive income question?” — and the winner by far was the following question. “If you were starting from scratch today with no list and no friends, how/where would you start?” I thought for quite a while about what I would do. And the answer surprised me a bit. Note: Please forgive my raspy voice in the recording.

Jason Carne was about to give up his design career to do construction. A string of bad freelance work and the monthly struggle to get by had sucked all the fun out of design. That was when Jason, on a whim, made a small tweak to his business Lettering Library (a subscription for rare vintage lettering books).  The result was $15,000 over the course of three days. But that was just the beginning. Over the next few years, Jason would make over $100,000 from his side hustles. Learn how he did it without traditional marketing but instead focusing on his friends and the work he loved.

Creative Market Pro was released last week. The release generated a lot of excitement and for many shop owners a lot of questions. In this exclusive interview, Creative Market CEO Aaron Epstein answers all your questions about the new platform. 

A lot of people follow trends on sites like Creative Market to make sales. But did you know that almost any well-made product can sell well if you use the tactics discusses in this episode? 

This week we’re continuing our two-part interview with Jeremy Vessey of Hustle Supply Co. If you missed last weeks episode I highly recommend going back and listening to that episode first. It will add some context to today's episode. Today, we’re going to dig deeper into Jeremy’s business. We'll talk about: What Jeremy would do if he was building a new passive income business from scratch today. The importance of getting in early when you see market opportunities. Jeremy’s rituals that he follows in his life that help grow his business (without getting overwhelmed). If you want to get a first-hand account of how a successful passive income business owner is making a killing you're going to love this interview! For exclusive insider content on building a passive income (plus, access to your private Passive Income for Designers Facebook Group) subscribe for updates at www.passiveincomefordesigners.com

A lot of designers and creatives assume you need to be a business genius to make a passive income. But the truth is that you just need to practice making a simple shift in your mindset. If you want to make an income online you need to make a habit of carefully studying what sales online and why.  In this episode, I talk to Jeremy Vessey, owner of Hustle Supply Co. about how he built a six-figure font foundry by starting by solving a small problem for himself. Here're some of my favorite takeaways from the interview: Study products selling online regularly. Think critically and ask yourself "Why?" they're doing so well. Create things that help your customers make the work they aspire to create. Don't hold your cards too close to your chest. Share your secrets and you'll gain loyal fans and customers. People fear if they sell what they do best no one will hire them. But creating products that showcase your best work actually whets clients appetites for custom work. Enjoy! Want to start building your own passive income business? Visit www.passiveincomefordesigners.com and subscribe to get my email training series "5 Essential Lessons for Building a Passive Income"

I love running my own business and creating digital products. There's always something new to learn.  In this episode, I'll share with you the top 11 lessons I learned about creating a passive income in 2016 including the value of partnerships, why sticking to stuff is more important than talent, how to eliminate the stress of running your business and more.  

I’m really excited about today's show. Why? Because I love success stories, especially ones that happen on Creative Market. Creative Market quite literally changed my life and I love hearing about other people that have had a similar experience. Lisa Glanz had a successful career as a graphic designer. But she knew she wanted to do something different. Then one day when browsing through a stock images site it occurred to her: “If these people can do it why can’t I?” This eventually resulted in Lisa building one of the most popular stores on Creative Market. And although we didn’t get into the exact numbers, I think it’s safe to say that the amount she makes from her shop is more than she’s ever made in her life and transformed both her financial situation and her creative situation. Enjoy the episode!

I’m really excited about today's guest. He’s the CEO of one of the top design goods sites in the world (and in my opinion easily the best. His name is Aaron Epstein and he’s the CEO of CreativeMarket. I’m excited to share this interview with you because we dig deep. Aaron shares a massive amount of information about making an income on CreativeMarket. Here’re just a few of the things we’re going to discuss: How Aaron created his first business, and in many ways the seed that would grow into Creative Market over a college break. What the most important characteristics are of successful Creative Market shops. How designers on Creative Market have literally influenced culture and trends. If you sell on Creative Market or plan to sell on Creative Market bookmark this interview. You’re going to learn a ton. But before we get started I want to invite you to visit: www.passiveincomefordesingers.com/free-cheat-sheet On that page, you can download a 5-page cheat sheet that contains all the obvious and not-so-obvious ways to create your first passive income product. In fact, one of the ideas in the sheet is an idea I used to start my own business which led to a full-time income creating design goods. So check that out at www.passiveincomefordesingers.com/free-cheat-sheet Alright, let’s get into this interview. Special thank you to Aaron Epstein for being so generous with his time and knowledge. Enjoy you guys.

I met David O'Hara in 2015 while attending Creative South. waiting for a table at Mario's Restaurant and Pub in Columbus, Georgia. I was waiting with a large group for a table at Mario's Restaurant and Pub in Columbus, Georgia - but there wasn't enough room at the table. So David and I decided to have dinner together.  This was my first meeting with David. We talked about my business (RetroSupply Co.) and an app he was building. He also mentioned an idea he had for a t-shirt company.  It was just an idea. And like so many ideas people have I wondered if it would ever become something.  But I quickly learned David was someone who makes stuff happen. Within a year he built 50 States Apparel into a successful t-shirt brand unlike any other. If you've never heard of 50 States Apparel you've got to check it out.  http://www.50statesapparel.com In this interview you'll learn exactly how David got a good idea and built it into an amazing t-shirt business in less than a year.  If you're trying to build a business and feel overwhelmed you should listen to this. David's story will remind you that huge things can happen if you work hard and and build relationships.