Get Rid Of Angry Bosses And Toxic Culture With Side Hustle

Get Rid Of Angry Bosses And Toxic Culture With AI Side Hustle

Hey there! I’m Mahad Kazmi, and I’ve been on a wild ride from the traditional 9-to-5 life to the exciting world of side hustles and passive income. I’m not just talking theory here – I’ve personally tried every side hustle I’m about to share with you. So buckle up, because I’m about to take you through my AI-enhanced, side hustle-filled journey to financial freedom!

The Wake-Up Call: Why I Needed a Side Hustle

Let me paint you a picture: It’s 2019, and I’m stuck in a soul-crushing 9-to-5 job. The pay was decent, but I felt like a hamster on a wheel. That’s when I realized I needed a change. I needed a side hustle.

But why a side hustle, you ask? Well, let me break it down for you:

  1. Financial Freedom: I was tired of living paycheck to paycheck.
  2. Creative Outlet: My day job wasn’t cutting it in the creativity department.
  3. Future-Proofing: With AI and automation on the rise, I wanted to diversify my income streams.
  4. Personal Growth: I was hungry to learn new skills and challenge myself.

Side Hustle #1: Blogging and Affiliate Marketing

My first side hustle was starting a tech blog. I’ve always been a gadget geek, so it felt natural. Here’s how it went down:

  1. Choosing a Niche: I focused on AI-powered gadgets and smart home tech.
  2. Setting Up the Blog: I used WordPress and a sleek theme called Astra.
  3. Content Creation: I committed to writing two in-depth articles per week.
  4. SEO Optimization: I learned the ins and outs of keyword research and on-page SEO.
  5. Monetization: I joined Amazon Associates and other tech-focused affiliate programs.

Personal Experience: My first month was tough – I made a grand total of $3.50. But I didn’t give up. By month six, I was consistently earning $500 per month from affiliate commissions.

Key Takeaway: Consistency is king in blogging. It took time, but the passive income eventually started rolling in.

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Side Hustle #2: AI-Powered Print-on-Demand

Next, I dipped my toes into the print-on-demand world, with a twist – I used AI to help me design products.

  1. Design Creation: I used Midjourney and DALL-E to generate unique designs.
  2. Platform Choice: I set up shops on both Etsy and Redbubble.
  3. Product Selection: I focused on t-shirts, mugs, and phone cases.
  4. Marketing: I leveraged Pinterest and Instagram to showcase my AI-generated designs.

Personal Experience: My first AI-generated design was a bizarre mix of a cat and a spaceship. Surprisingly, it became my bestseller! Within three months, I was making an average of $300 per month from this side hustle.

Key Takeaway: Don’t underestimate the power of unique, AI-generated designs. They can really set you apart in a crowded market.

Side Hustle #3: Stock Photography with an AI Twist

As an amateur photographer, I decided to try my hand at stock photography. But I added an AI element to stand out.

  1. Shooting Photos: I invested in a decent DSLR and started shooting everything from landscapes to portraits.
  2. AI Enhancement: I used AI tools like Topaz Labs to enhance my photos.
  3. Keyword Research: I used AI-powered tools to find trending keywords in the stock photo world.
  4. Uploading: I created accounts on Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, and Getty Images.

Personal Experience: My first month was slow, with only $20 in earnings. But a series of AI-enhanced cityscape shots suddenly took off, and by month four, I was earning $400-$500 monthly.

Key Takeaway: AI can be a game-changer in making your photos stand out in the crowded stock photography market.

Side Hustle #4: Creating an AI-Focused Online Course

With my growing experience in AI-powered side hustles, I decided to create an online course to share my knowledge.

  1. Course Planning: I outlined a course on “Using AI to Boost Your Side Hustle”.
  2. Content Creation: I recorded video lessons, created worksheets, and developed practical exercises.
  3. Platform Selection: I chose Teachable to host my course.
  4. Marketing: I leveraged my blog audience and used Facebook ads to promote the course.

Personal Experience: Launching the course was nerve-wracking. The first week, I had zero sales. But then, a popular AI blogger mentioned my course, and suddenly I had 50 students! By the end of the first month, I’d made $2,000.

Key Takeaway: Your experiences, even from other side hustles, can become valuable content for teaching others.

Side Hustle #5: AI-Assisted Freelance Writing

As my blog grew, I realized I had developed some serious writing chops. So, I decided to monetize this skill through freelance writing, with an AI twist.

  1. Niche Selection: I focused on writing about AI and technology for B2B companies.
  2. Portfolio Building: I used my best blog posts as writing samples.
  3. Client Outreach: I used LinkedIn to connect with potential clients.
  4. AI Tools: I used GPT-3 for research and outlining to speed up my writing process.

Personal Experience: My first gig paid only $50 for a 1000-word article. But as I built my portfolio and reputation, I started landing higher-paying clients. Within six months, I was making $2,000-$3,000 per month from freelance writing alone.

Key Takeaway: AI tools can significantly boost your productivity in freelance writing, allowing you to take on more clients and increase your income.

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Investing My Side Hustle Earnings

As my side hustles started generating significant income, I knew I needed to make this money work for me. Here’s how I invested my earnings:

Dividend Stocks

I started by investing in dividend-paying stocks of tech companies I believed in.

Personal Experience: I invested $5,000 in Microsoft, Apple, and NVIDIA. In the first year, I earned about $150 in dividends. Not life-changing, but it was exciting to earn money from my investments.

REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts)

I loved the idea of earning from real estate without the hassle of being a landlord.

Personal Experience: I invested $10,000 in Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ). In the first year, I earned about $400 in dividends, plus the value of my investment increased by 10%.

AI-Focused ETFs

Given my interest in AI, I also invested in some AI-focused ETFs.

Personal Experience: I put $5,000 into the Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ). This was more of a growth play than an income one, but it’s exciting to have a stake in the AI revolution.

Automating My Side Hustles with AI

As my side hustles grew, I needed to work smarter, not harder. Here’s how I used AI to automate and scale:

  1. Content Creation: I used GPT-3 to help generate blog post ideas and outlines.
  2. Social Media: I used Hootsuite with AI-powered features to schedule and optimize my social media posts.
  3. Email Marketing: I implemented AI-powered email segmentation and personalization using Mailchimp.
  4. Customer Service: I set up an AI chatbot on my blog to handle basic reader queries.

Personal Experience: Implementing these AI tools cut my workload by almost 50%, allowing me to focus on strategy and expansion.

The Challenges of Juggling Multiple Side Hustles

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Here are some challenges I faced and how I overcame them:

  1. Time Management: I used the Pomodoro Technique and time-blocking to make the most of my limited time.
  2. Burnout: I learned the hard way that I needed to schedule downtime. Now, I have strict “no work” hours.
  3. Imposter Syndrome: As my side hustles grew, I sometimes felt like a fraud. Connecting with other side hustlers in online communities helped me overcome this.
  4. Financial Management: Keeping track of multiple income streams was challenging. I started using QuickBooks to manage my finances.

The Impact on My Life

After two years of building these AI-powered side hustles, here’s where I stand:

  1. Income: My side hustles now bring in more than my 9-5 job.
  2. Freedom: I’ve been able to cut back to part-time at my day job, giving me more time for my passions.
  3. Skills: I’ve learned more about AI, marketing, and business in two years than in my entire career before that.
  4. Mindset: I’ve shifted from an employee mindset to an entrepreneurial one.

What’s Next? Expanding into AI-Powered SaaS

As I look to the future, I’m excited about the possibilities of AI-powered Software as a Service (SaaS). I’m currently working on developing an AI tool that helps side hustlers like me automate their businesses. It’s early days, but I’m thrilled about the potential.

My Top AI-Enhanced Side Hustle Recommendations

Based on my personal experience, here are the side hustles I’d recommend exploring, all with an AI twist:

  1. AI-assisted blogging and affiliate marketing
  2. AI-powered print-on-demand
  3. AI-enhanced stock photography
  4. Creating online courses about AI
  5. AI-assisted freelance writing
  6. Developing AI-powered apps
  7. AI-enhanced dropshipping
  8. AI-powered social media management
  9. Virtual AI assistant services
  10. AI-focused YouTube channel
Mahad Kazmi
Mahad Kazmi

College was tough. As a Mechatronics Engineering student, the coursework kept me busy around the clock. To make ends meet, I tried different side jobs between semesters. That's when I discovered selling online could be lucrative.

At first it was just little things - old textbooks, unused gear. Anything I could list for a few extra dollars. Before long, I realized I had a knack for finding products people wanted. Writing listings came naturally too. Soon those side sales grew into something serious.

It was fun playing around with marketing strategies in my free time. I always had curious mind so learning new skills came easy. While classmates stressed over exams, I looked forward to testing out emerging tools. That's about the time chatterbots like Claude were taking off.

I remember the first conversation I had with an AI. It blew my mind how quickly the technology was advancing from simple scripts. I started using dialogue agents to enhance my sales process. Customers loved how smooth it made purchasing. More sales meant more income to support my academics.

Fast forward a few years and I had the engineering degree but my heart still called to marketing. I took a "real" job out of practicality but the entrepreneurial itch never left. Then one day, I discovered GPT-3 and it changed everything. The possibilities this new language model created inspired me like nothing before.

Suddenly I had an idea. Why not fuse my engineering expertise with my passion for selling? If I could develop applications using AI like GPT-3 to solve problems in unique ways, maybe I had an opportunity others didn't see. And thus, a new journey began in my spare time outside that 9-5 job.

I don't know where this path may lead...but I'm excited to find out!Today’s date is June 20th, 2024. There will be failures but every mistake will teach me. I'm curious to see how far we’ve come together in a year from now!

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