187: From Furloughed to $560K Agency
Rachel Minion was furloughed from Ticketmaster and shares that she turned her side hustle into a $560K marketing agency. She explains how she went from side hustle to full time and what it takes to attract clients and grow a business.
What would you do if your job disappeared tomorrow?
After six years at Ticketmaster, that’s what happened to Rachel Minion. She was suddenly furloughed during the pandemic. At the same time, her husband had just been laid off.
There was no backup plan.
But Rachel had something that many of you have or are wanting to have ... a side hustle with a small handful of clients.
So she made a decision.
She called those clients and told them she was now available full-time. She shares that since then, her marketing agency is now generating about $560,000 a year.
We also learn from Rachel,
- how she made the leap from side hustle to full-time business,
- how she turns expertise into offers clients will pay for, and
- why marketing your own business, can feel harder than marketing someone else’s.
If you’re currently building something on the side or thinking about starting, this conversation with Rachel may expand what you think is possible, for you.
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Need a little (and sometimes big) push to start and stay focused to grow your side hustle? Dive into my online Masterclass: How To Turn Your Thoughts Into Wanted Things.
Valatam - Hiring platform Rachel mentioned
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From Furloughed to a $560K Agency
Rachel Minion’s story shows how a side hustle can turn into a full time business faster than most people expect. After being furloughed from Ticketmaster during the pandemic, the clients she had been helping on the side became the starting point for what is now her full time marketing agency.
How a Side Hustle Became a Full Time Business
Many businesses do not begin with a grand plan. They begin with work someone already knows how to do well.
In Rachel’s case, that work was marketing. Years of experience gave her the ability to help companies communicate their value and grow their client base. The projects she had been doing on the side gave her the opportunity to apply those skills directly with real businesses.
When that work became her main focus, the business started to grow.
Instead of fitting projects around a full time job, she could devote her time to helping clients solve meaningful problems and delivering results they cared about. That focus strengthened relationships and opened the door to more opportunities.
Many successful businesses follow a similar path. What begins as a few projects or clients can grow into something much larger once it receives consistent attention.
Rethinking Security
For Rachel, one of the biggest challenges was reconsidering what security really meant.
Like many people, she had been raised to believe that a traditional job provided stability. A steady paycheque, benefits, and a predictable career path were seen as the responsible choice.
Losing that job forced a different perspective.
The experience made it clear that stability can disappear faster than people expect. Rather than focusing on what had been lost, the focus shifted to what could be built.
One realization helped guide that transition. Looking back at difficult situations in life revealed something important.
When a problem needed to be solved, the effort to solve it had never been the issue.
Turning Expertise Into Paying Clients
Another lesson from Rachel’s experience is that expertise alone does not automatically lead to clients.
Many professionals have valuable knowledge and skills. The challenge is presenting that expertise in a way that clearly explains the value to potential clients.
The focus becomes outcomes rather than tasks.
Instead of simply listing services or activities, successful businesses describe the results they help clients achieve.
Why Marketing Your Own Business Feels Hard
One challenge many entrepreneurs face is promoting their own work.
Marketing someone else's business often feels straightforward. Marketing your own can feel more personal. Talking about your accomplishments or explaining why someone should hire you can feel uncomfortable.
But it's essential, and you should be proud of what you have to offer.
If people do not know what you do or how you help, they cannot hire you.
Communicating clearly, sharing ideas, and demonstrating expertise are all essential parts of building a business.
The Lesson for Anyone Building a Side Hustle
Rachel did not set out to build a $560,000 agency.
Like many people, she started with a few clients and the willingness to help them solve problems.
Her experience highlights an important point. The distance between a side hustle and a full time business is often smaller than people think.
Skills you already have, clients you are already helping, and projects you are already completing may represent the early stages of something much larger.
Sometimes the difference between a side hustle and a thriving business is simply the decision to treat the work as something valuable and worth building.
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