Back in 2009, like so many during the Great Recession, I got laid off. I had been working 9-to-5 as an audio engineer, and working as a freelance music producer for indie bands on the side I decided to take the setback of losing my job and use it as a chance to devote time … Read more
Artist Omar Obaid with his wife, Summer. The pair quit corporate roles to run their art business Abstract House. Abstract House Omar Obaid has enjoyed painting and drawing since he was a child. As an adult, he would wind down from work at the weekend by creating abstract art on canvas, hanging his pieces in … Read more
Two decades ago, Seth Berkowitz was a college student with a late-night craving for a “warm, delicious treat.” Today, he’s the CEO of Insomnia Cookies, the company he co-founded as a college junior and grew into a chain with more than 260 locations by satisfying that very craving for customers around the world. Insomnia was … Read more
The resort town of Mazatlán, Mexico — where I lived from 2006 until last month — is one of the best spots to witness the total solar eclipse on April 8. Hordes of people are traveling there to experience the event. There was a 1,000% surge in searches for Airbnb listings in North American cities … Read more
Jenny Woo came up with her seven-figure side hustle in a classroom. She was working on her master’s degree in education at Harvard University, learning about emotional intelligence and child development. The former C-suite consultant and school director thought just about everyone could benefit from learning more about both. She wasn’t sure how to make … Read more
Some people run lucrative six-figure side hustles from their backyards. Others, off their cell phones. Launching one of your own can be that easy if you know where to start. That’s according to Kathy Kristof, whose blog has reviewed over 500 different side gigs, and Cody Berman, who co-runs an online course called Gold City … Read more
This story is part of CNBC Make It’s Six-Figure Side Hustle series, where people with lucrative side hustles break down the routines and habits they’ve used to make money on top of their full-time jobs. Got a story to tell? Let us know! Email us at [email protected]. Some kids play sports and practice instruments after school. 17-year-old Bella … Read more
At age 12, Bella Lin had a problem. Her guinea pigs were disappearing. In those days, Lin let her three guinea pigs roam her parents’ grassy, fenced-in backyard just outside of San Francisco. It was better than the alternative, she thought: The two-pound creatures “looked miserable” in their cramped, “prison-barred” cage, Lin, now 17, tells … Read more
