This said essay is based on a conversation with Chisom Okwulehie, who started advising the agency Member of the Board like one side hustle when she was an employee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The piece has been edited for length and clarity.
In 2017, I started working at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where I design and manage infrastructure projects. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, I had my first child and was told we wouldn't get a merit-based raise at work, so I wanted to find ways to supplement my income. My dad always told me and my siblings that if your spouse dies, you have to be able to cover the mortgage and support your family. I'm a big advocate for diversified income.
So, I started Juntero as one side hustle with my husband. Now, it is a corporation that we co-own, divided into two subsidiary companies or studios: Juntero Design and Juntero Technology. My husband owns Juntero Technology; I own Juntero Design. Today, Juntero is a full-fledged design and technology business, but it all started with me taking small projects on various platforms and paying as little as $20.
At that time, I saw a lot Instructions on YouTube prepare and experiment with my various talents – web design, photo editing, Graphic design, architectural design and interior design. People gravitated towards my architecture and interior design services. Initially, I kept my prices low to build a portfolio and accumulate strong testimonials. That credibility is the biggest currency and it helped me increase my visibility; for every 10 positive reviews, I would increase my hourly rate by $20. Eventually, I learned not to trade time for money and switched to flat rates.
I made about $55,000 that year and over $200,000 the next year. Then, in 2023, I passed $400,000.
Then, near the end of 2021, I realized that I couldn't help as many clients as I wanted, so I had to put my ego aside and trust other people. I started hiring other designers in a project-based model. They are not employees; they are contractors. So, as of 2022, I have outsourced more than 90% of the work. This helped me scale the business even more. I made about $55,000 that year and over $200,000 the next year. Then, in 2023, I passed $400,000.
At the Port Authority, my salary is $125,000. The net earnings at Juntero alone are higher than my 9-5 salary, but I plan to stay at the Port Authority. Some people think I'm crazy, but I'm in public student loans pardon program and three years left. Also, I learn a lot from the expertise of my colleagues.
Now that I'm not on the production side of Juntero, I spend more time on marketing and customer management. We have two payment structures: a one-time payment model and a subscription-based model. I spent a lot of time on subscription model marketing. It's an idea that came to me last year. One of my main clients is a developer, so with the subscription model, she can pay the monthly fee and access our services for a variety of tasks.
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A marketer can hire a designer for $100,000 a year or sign up for my service and see even more results. So it's a huge cost savings.
I'm really passionate about the subscription model because it's a game changer: It's allowing companies that don't have creative teams to sign up for a membership program and get access to my creative team for a steady stream of output, whether it's drawings or 3D models. And that helps these businesses DEGREES, too. One of my clients uses my listings to consistently sell multi-million dollar homes above asking price. With the subscription model, these companies can have five people doing the work for the salary of one; for example, a trader can hire a designer with $100,000 per year or sign up for my service and see even more results. So it's a huge cost savings.
It is essential for him diversify your income, especially in this economy. You have to plan for your future and retirement, and you can't rely on your 9-5. If you have the patience, due diligence, and organizational skills, you should find ways to monetize your talents. Find the time to focus on your craft, but only do it if you enjoy it – because you don't want to face burn out.