He's Going To Make $100k Selling Rocks
Read Time: 2 mins
Today's side hustle is...
I met Sean through a FaceBook hobby group for 3D printing enthusiasts.
When he shared that he owns a high-demand and fast growing side business, I was expecting small 3D printed trinkets.
Yet, I was dumfounded when I realized how much more simple it is.
Sean sells rocks (and accessories to rock collectors).
But it’s nothing like the Pet Rock fad of 1975.
What’s nuts? His side hustle is on pace to earn $100k in revenue in 2024.
Sean’s story is a beautiful reminder that:
- You can turn your hobbies and passions into a cash-flowing business
- The riches are in the niches (an oldie but goodie)
Let’s dive into it.
Sean's $4500 Monthly Online Store Selling Fluorescent Flashlights to Rock Enthusiasts
Sean’s always been interested in collecting rocks.
As a student of geology and glaciation periods, Sean discovered his niche after a profound realization: he loves rocks that glow.
In his spare time, he would wander onto the moraine fields in South Lake Erie to collect buckets of fluorescent rocks.
What started as a hobby to feed his personal rock collection turned into a small Etsy shop, launched in 2020.
Today, it’s a full blown side business. Sean is the owner of Perky Boxes, where he provides the rock and mineral community with quality products at great prices.
While his full-time job takes an enormous time-investment as a Senior Project Manager of Software Implementations, he consistently wakes up at 4AM each day to fulfill customer orders from his online store.
Why it works
As a mineral collector, Sean joined six different rock and mineral organizations to connect with rock and mineral collectors around the world.
He found his niche after doing what expert marketers call “social listening.” It’s when you analyze passing conversations and online comments that uncover information about your target audience.
When he noticed his fellow rock hobbyists start to complain about the high cost of fluorescent flashlights, he decided to create a solution.
Not only did he stumble on strong evidence of the same recurring problem, but Sean’s involvement in these hobby groups gave him a direct sales channel with potential customers.
Starting costs
Sean has invested about $7000 into his business. This bought him premium tools to use in the rock fields, a photography setup, and inventory from his oversea suppliers and wholesalers.
Marketing Strategy & Skills
It’s easy to learn how to build a website and list an item for sale.
but genuine curiosity isn’t so much a skill, as it is a natural phenomenon birthed from passion.
Word of mouth is Sean’s main marketing and growth strategy. But it wouldn’t work as effectively if he wasn’t an avid rock collector himself.
In these groups, Sean has built a strong reputation around a willingness to help. Profit is an afterthought. There’s no faking a passion for collecting rocks – otherwise, it’s easy to sniff out.
However, his skills in dealing with people kicked in when he started partnering with manufacturers in China to create his own private label fluorescent flashlights.
Time investment
Currently, Sean spend about 20 hours per week running his side business.
Earnings
In 2023, Sean’s side hustle earned him an additional $55k in revenue with an estimate 30% net profit margins.
With strong momentum and growth carrying him into 2024, he’s forecasting $100k in revenue for this year.
We’ll share Sean’s full, in-depth interview on our website (along with dozens of detailed side hustle stories) in the near future.
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Tool of the Week
This week I stumbled upon a fancy new AI tool, called Journalist AI.
New AI tools surface every day. It’s such a hot topic that catching my attention with a new AI tool is nearly impossible.
But this one literally sold itself to me.
If you’re writing SEO content to increase organic traffic to your website, Journalist AI allows you to do it AT SCALE.
That means mass creating and publishing SEO optimized content that’s 96% original (according to Grammarly’s plagiarism checker).
Pause. Think about the potential…
Google has already said they don’t penalize AI written content.
And if you need to grow your business traffic, it’s a sh*t ton of effort – from keyword research, drafting content, editing, optimizing for SEO, publishing, and making it look nice.
This lets you start with the “making it look nice” step.
How I plan to use it: Keyword research > Mass produce blog posts > Use AI plagiarism checker > Get 100% OC > Publish and Wait
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Join side hustlers who are earning beyond their full-time jobs. Unlock side hustle ideas and tips to earn an extra $500–$10,000 a month by building a legitimate side business.
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Join side hustlers who are earning beyond their full-time jobs. Unlock side hustle ideas and tips to earn an extra $500–$10,000 a month by building a legitimate side business.