Business
Side hustle must-knows from a 26-year-old with a profitable $170k business
Published
3 years agoon
Gabby Beckford, like many workers in 2020, quit her engineering job in the middle of the pandemic. Joining many individuals in the Great Resignation, the now 26-year-old travel blogger took a giant leap of faith. Today, she reaps her rewards. She brings in $170,000 from sponsored posts, blog articles, and marketing consultations. She shares her side hustle must-knows, and tips to making it in the industry.
Her blog, Packs Light, is a travel information blog that seeks to empower solo women travelers, especially Black female ones, to let go of their fears and see the world. Since bootstrapping her blog two years ago, Packs Light has become an authority in travel and scholarship.
Here are her side hustle must-knows:
1. Embrace ambiguity and change
The most profitable side hustles don’t just happen overnight. If you are working in the gig economy, you would know plenty of side hustles at home. In the first few years of your freelancing career, you have to take risks and be comfortable in jobs that you didn’t even know existed.
While this can be scary and horrifying to hear, Gabby thinks this is a crucial way to be a well-rounded freelancer. It is also a great way to understand how every team member contributes to the final output. This will help you delegate tasks more efficiently.
2. Take time in finding the right people
Anyone knows that teams make or break you. If you work in a collaborative industry, you know how important it is to invest in synergy. Gabby admits she can’t do everything on her own. If you’re a full-time business owner, you can’t be everywhere at the same time.
Investing in the right people can take time, but it’s worth waiting and paying for. If you want to turn your side-hustle into a successful venture, you have to manage a team of writers, managers, and other contractors. And to be a good boss, you also have to try to fit in their shoes.
3. Don’t listen to your haters
Many side hustle must-knows will tell you that not everyone will be supportive of you at first. When Gabby first tried her hand in full-time blogging, she found that many people thought that she had wasted her engineering degree.
Of course, the same can be said if you were trying to make a leap of faith. However, occupying your head with doubts will only make you sabotage your business overnight. When it comes to criticism, choose the ones you’ll listen to, and let the others fade into the background when it comes to criticism. After all, they aren’t the ones working hard to make their dreams come true.
4. Find other sources of happiness other than money
Of course, it’s great to chase money. There are a lot of benefits to that. You can live comfortably knowing that you don’t have to live paycheck to paycheck. However, if you are stuck in a cycle where you are wondering when the next dollar is coming in, you’ll never be able to find peace and healthy growth.
It’s great to celebrate your milestones, but don’t forget to care for your mental well-being as well. Chasing key performance indicators can’t compare to living your life to the fullest.
There are many ways to make money on the side with a full-time job, but without these side hustle must-knows, you might be breaking your back with little returns. Like Gabby, you can try your hand on different side hustle ideas before settling on something you feel comfortable pursuing.
You may like
TLDR: Penji beats Design Pickle with faster delivery, unlimited revisions, and a more intuitive platform that business owners actually enjoy using.
Penji is the best Design Pickle alternative for business owners who need consistent, high-quality designs without the wait. Businesses get unlimited requests, 24-48 hour turnarounds, and a dedicated design team for one flat monthly rate. The platform is easier to use and gives owners more control over projects than Design Pickle.
Tired of waiting days for Design Pickle to finish a simple social media post? Business owners pay good money for design as a service, so why should they settle for slow turnarounds and limited creative input? The right Design Pickle alternative can transform how companies handle visual content without breaking the bank.
1. Penji – The Smart Choice for Busy Owners
Penji gives businesses everything Design Pickle promises, but actually delivers on it. Designs come back in 24-48 hours (not 2-3 days), and clients get unlimited revisions until they’re happy with the result. The dashboard is dead simple to use—just upload a request, add some notes, and designers get to work.
What really sets Penji apart? Clients aren’t stuck with random designers each time. The team learns brand preferences, remembers style choices, and gets better with every project. Plus, if businesses need to pause during slow months, they can do that without losing their spot. See how Penji compares to other services.
2. Designjoy – Premium But Pricey
Designjoy offers high-end design work, but at nearly double the cost of most services. They’re great if budget isn’t a concern and companies only need one designer working on projects. The wait time can be longer since clients work with a single designer who might be juggling multiple accounts.
3. Superside – Better for Agencies
Superside is built more for agencies and large teams than individual business owners. They do solid work, but the onboarding process is complex and companies need to commit to higher-tier plans to get reasonable turnaround times.
Conclusion
After comparing all the major graphic design services, Penji remains the best Design Pickle alternative for business owners who want quality, speed, and value. Companies get professional designs without the enterprise pricing or frustrating delays.
Stop waiting around for designs. Try Penji today and see why thousands of business owners made the switch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Penji really faster than Design Pickle? A:
Yes. Most Penji designs are completed within 24-48 hours, while Design Pickle typically takes 1-2 business days or longer.
What if businesses don’t like the design?
Clients get unlimited revisions with Penji. Just leave feedback and designers will make the changes until everyone’s completely satisfied.
Do businesses need to sign a long-term contract?
Nope. Penji works month-to-month, and companies can pause or cancel anytime. Learn more about flexible plans.
Business
Top Marketing Podcasts for 2025 You Should Be Following Today
Published
10 hours agoon
October 17, 2025By
Skylar LeeBeing a marketer means constantly being on the lookout for the latest in marketing trends and news. You’ll be surprised how fast trends come and go, along with the tools that you commonly use for your campaigns. If you’re looking for a trend that never goes out of style, it’s podcasting. Here are the top marketing podcasts to tune in to in 2025:
1. Marketing School
Marketing School is hosted by one of the famous names in the marketing industry: Neil Patel. Eric Siu is also another popular figure hosting the show. They update listeners on the newest marketing and SEO trends and information. Plus, they interview content creators and marketers to share their marketing secrets and tips to achieve their goals. It’s a great starter podcast for new marketers in the field. Listen to the famous hosts every day!
2. Social Media Marketing Podcast
The Social Media Marketing Podcast should be your go-to podcast if you’re focused on social media marketing. Listen to Michael Stelzner weekly to get the best tips on marketing on social media with the latest tech and trends. If you’re also running out of content ideas, the podcast host also provides tips and insights to help you get started on new strategies. Plus, he interviews marketers and business leaders on how they achieved success with social media marketing.
3. The WARC Podcast
The WARC Podcast delivers marketing insights to help you know the latest in marketing for the week. You’ll learn what marketing challenges marketers overcame. Listen to them twice a week for recent trends, interviews, and event recaps.
4. Duct Tape Marketing
Another big name in the marketing sphere is Duct Tape Marketing, which made an impact in 2005. Listen to John Janstch three times a week to listen to interviews with small business owners and marketers, and how they grew their businesses through marketing strategies. Don’t miss out on the trends and tips to supercharge your marketing.
5. Perpetual Traffic
If you want tips from expert marketers Ralph Burns and Kasim Aslam, listen to Perpetual Traffic! They specialize in paid traffic tips to help you increase sales and leads! Expect interviews from various experts in different niches. You can also get insights from case studies to help you grow your business. Listen to them twice a week!
6. The Digital Marketing Podcast
Do you want to be updated on everything digital marketing? The Digital Marketing Podcast is the best podcast to listen to. Know the latest news, updates, stats, and future of marketing. The hosts also discuss current tech trends in marketing to grow your business. Listen to the hosts twice a week!
7. The Affiliate Guy
Are you an affiliate marketer and need expert advice and the latest updates on affiliate marketing? You should listen to The Affiliate Guy. Hosted by Matt McWilliams, he has trained over 320,000 affiliates.
Think of The Affiliate Guy’s podcasts as engaging audio versions of How-To blogs. Additionally, he interviews entrepreneurs and leaders. Plus, he also references case studies to help you understand how they achieved their goals.
8. Marketing Trends
The very apt Marketing Trends podcast updates you weekly with new information and insights about marketing! You can listen to CEOs, CMOs, and other thought leaders share best practices and strategies to grow the biggest brands! Know how you can grow as a leader or an ambitious marketer when you get the latest tips for achieving success.
9. Stand The F*ck Out™
Are you tired of hearing or reading the same marketing tip or trend and don’t want to use that strategy anymore? Stand The F*ck Out™ gets straight to the point and doesn’t dilly dally when discussing marketing. Louis Grenier hosts the show and provides evergreen topics. You also get to hear from experienced marketers how their teams executed strategies and got the desired results. Listen to this podcast weekly.
10. Social Pros Podcast
Are you interested in learning how social media marketers execute their campaigns for big brands? The Social Pros Podcast should be on your radar. Jay and Adam host the show, which you can listen to weekly. Not only do they discuss recent trends and strategies, but they also discuss team management and other personal conversations on being a marketer.
11. Marketing Over Coffee
Do you prefer listening to podcasts in the morning during breakfast? Why not listen to Marketing Over Coffee on the side while enjoying a hearty morning meal? Like other podcasts, you’ll hear the latest tech trends like AI and improved marketing tools. Plus, get insights from the experts like Seth Godin, Rand Fishkin, and Ann Handley! Episodes come out weekly!
Business
What are the Best Social Media Post Design Services for Startups?
Published
1 day agoon
October 15, 2025While startups have limited resources, it doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy high-quality graphics for their social media channels. Here are the best social media post design services that are affordable, fast, and efficient:
Penji
An on-demand graphic design service, Penji tops this list, thanks to its high-quality work, fast delivery times, and flexible pricing plans. It has a team of professional designers that can craft the most amazing social media graphics, logo designs, custom illustrations, and more for as low as $499 per month.
Kimp
A subscription-based design-as-a-service, Kimp offers unlimited graphic designs and videos for as low as $448 (for a limited time only). You can send as many design requests as you can in a month, revisions included. Its turnaround time is 1 to 2 business days, ideal for startups that need to post content regularly.
ManyPixels
With all-inclusive plans starting at $599 per month, ManyPixels is an excellent option for startups seeking a reliable design solution. A subscription plan includes unlimited design requests, revisions, brands, free stock assets, native source files, and many other graphic design services.
Fiverr
One of the more popular platforms for social media post design services is Fiverr, a freelancer marketplace. Its global platform lets you choose a freelance graphic designer from around the world. You can find one based on their location, rates, expertise, and many other factors. Social media post designs usually start as low as $5 to $20.
Canva Pro
A cloud-based design platform, Canva Pro, has tools to let you create professional-quality social media posts for less. It has thousands of customizable templates, brand kits, and drag-and-drop features to help you boost your social media marketing. It offers a free trial, but if you want to enjoy more of its features, a $15 per month subscription fee is all you need.