Full-Time Uber Worker’s Aspect Hustle Made $10K in 48 Hours

This Aspect Hustle Highlight Q&A options Nicole Glabman, 30, a New York Metropolis-based entrepreneur. Glabman presently works full-time at Uber in promoting whereas constructing her protein and prebiotic sauce model She’s The Sauce. She attracts on knowledgeable background in retail and meals, beginning her profession at Jet.com/Walmart as a purchaser, adopted by a stint at Gopuff in advertising. Responses have been edited for size and readability. 

When did you begin your aspect hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?
The concept for She’s The Sauce and motivation to begin it as a aspect hustle got here from a really actual frustration. I’ve all the time cherished sauce, however as I turned extra well being aware whereas coping with hormonal imbalances (PCOS) and weight fluctuations, I saved listening to the identical factor: “skip the sauce, it’s empty energy.” That by no means sat proper with me. I didn’t wish to lower one thing I cherished, I needed to make it higher. So I created sauces that truly do one thing for you — with protein, fiber and components you be ok with. 

Earlier than protein turned the pattern it’s right this moment, I used to be already desirous about how one can make condiments extra purposeful — not simply decrease energy, however truly additive. Protein and fiber weren’t a advertising angle. They have been a part of fixing the issue from the beginning. Because the broader market began to catch up and protein turned an even bigger focus, it solely bolstered that I used to be onto one thing. However for me, it was by no means about chasing a pattern, it was about rethinking what sauce could possibly be. 

Beginning a scrappy, hands-on aspect hustle

What have been a few of the first steps you took to get your aspect hustle off the bottom?
The primary steps to launch the aspect hustle have been scrappy and really hands-on. On the finish of 2023, I began in my very own kitchen, testing how one can incorporate protein and fiber into sauce with out compromising style or texture. On the similar time, I used to be doing lots of analysis on analysis and improvement (R&D) consultants who may assist take the product past a kitchen prototype and into one thing that might truly be produced at scale. From there, I moved into sourcing, discovering a producer and constructing the visible identification of the model. I’ve bootstrapped the enterprise and began with about $20,000 of my very own cash.

Are there any free or paid assets which have been particularly useful for you in beginning and operating this enterprise?
A mixture of each, however the greatest unlock has been individuals. Truthfully, probably the most useful assets has simply been different founders. Having individuals you possibly can textual content when one thing breaks, once you’re caught on a choice, or once you want a intestine verify, has been invaluable. 

I additionally labored with Kelly Bennett, a shopper packaged items (CPG) model strategist, who helped me map out the model early on, together with positioning, messaging and the way I needed She’s The Sauce to point out up. That gave me a a lot clearer basis. 

On the finish of the day, it is a very “study as you go” business, so being surrounded by people who find themselves a number of steps forward makes an enormous distinction. Honorable mentions to communities and assets like Startup CPG, Specific Checkout and Snaxshot, which have been nice for studying and staying near what’s occurring within the area. 

Bringing in manufacturing companions early on

In the event you may return in your enterprise journey and alter one course of or strategy, what wouldn’t it be, and the way do you would like you’d achieved it in a different way? 
I feel the most important factor I might change is how I approached manufacturing early on.

I used to be making a product that doesn’t actually exist available in the market, so there wasn’t a transparent playbook. Due to that, I bumped into lots of sudden manufacturing challenges. There have been moments the place even skilled companions didn’t totally know what it might take to supply our product constantly. 

If I may do it once more, I might spend extra time upfront stress testing the formulation particularly for scale, not only for style. I might additionally contain manufacturing companions earlier within the course of as a substitute of attempting to excellent the whole lot by myself first. 

I realized that what works in a kitchen or a small batch doesn’t all the time translate to manufacturing — and bridging that hole is the place lots of time, vitality and cash can go for those who’re not cautious. That mentioned, it’s additionally a part of constructing one thing new. Once you’re creating a brand new class, it’s a must to be prepared to determine issues out the laborious manner a bit. 

A profitable aspect hustle requires greater than a good suggestion

Relating to this particular enterprise, what’s one thing you’ve discovered significantly difficult and/or stunning that individuals who get into any such work needs to be ready for, however possible aren’t? 
How operationally intense it’s and the way a lot of it’s utterly out of your management. 

From the skin, CPG can look very brand- and marketing-driven. And whereas that’s necessary, the truth is that an enormous a part of the enterprise is operations, manufacturing timelines, ingredient sourcing, packaging delays and logistics. 

What stunned me most is that even once you do the whole lot proper, issues can nonetheless go mistaken. A delay from one provider can push the whole lot again weeks. A small formulation change can affect manufacturing in methods you didn’t count on. 

I’ve needed to study persistence in a manner I by no means had earlier than, understanding that some issues simply take time, and you may’t pressure velocity in a system that doesn’t assist it. 

It’s not nearly having a good concept. It’s about with the ability to navigate fixed friction, keep affected person and preserve transferring ahead anyway.

The aspect hustle hit $10k in simply 48 hours with two SKUs

Are you able to recall a selected occasion when one thing went very mistaken — how did you repair it?
One of many greatest issues that went mistaken truly began as seemingly an enormous win. 

In September, our pre-order went reside and did about $10,000 in income in simply 48 hours throughout two SKUs (Honey Mustard and Ranch). It was an unimaginable second, but it surely shortly uncovered a significant difficulty. Our producer wasn’t capable of produce the product on the scale we wanted, which meant we had demand we couldn’t fulfill. 

I needed to pause, discover a new co-manufacturer and basically rebuild our provide chain whereas managing buyer expectations. It took about three months to resolve. Throughout that point, I targeted on being extraordinarily clear with clients and sustaining belief. 

We relaunched this previous January, fulfilled pre-orders, and are presently working with solely Honey Mustard whereas the Ranch and some new flavors are being finalized. 

The aspect hustle now generates about $10k a month

What does development and income appear to be now? 
We’re now producing round $10,000 monthly in income for our Honey Mustard alone, primarily via direct-to-consumer. And up to now, all of our development has been utterly natural; we haven’t used paid media. It’s been pushed by content material, phrase of mouth and constructing in public. 

For me, the most important takeaway was that the preliminary launch validated actual demand. Now, I’m targeted on rebuilding in a manner that’s truly scalable and repeatable. 

Balancing the aspect hustle with a full-time position at Uber

How do you steadiness the aspect hustle together with your full-time position; what does a typical week of labor appear to be for you?
I’m constructing She’s The Sauce exterior of my full-time position, so most of my time goes into early mornings, evenings and weekends. 

On weekdays, I usually spend a number of hours at evening targeted on key priorities, whether or not that’s operations, content material or strategic planning. Weekends are extra versatile however often contain longer blocks of time for issues like product improvement, logistics and outreach.

I attempt to be very intentional with how I take advantage of that point. Throughout the week, it’s about sustaining momentum and dealing with what’s pressing. On weekends, I focus extra on bigger-picture work and something that requires deeper pondering. 

Balancing each has undoubtedly required self-discipline, but it surely’s additionally compelled me to be extraordinarily environment friendly and targeted with each hour I put into the enterprise. 

Leaning into buyer connection and suggestions

What do you take pleasure in most about operating this enterprise? 
The neighborhood, definitely. 

Getting messages from individuals saying the sauce has genuinely modified the way in which they eat, or that they used to really feel like that they had to surrender sauce altogether — that’s the whole lot to me. 

I really like speaking to clients, listening to their suggestions and studying how they’re truly utilizing the product of their day-to-day lives. It makes the model really feel like a two-way dialog, not simply one thing I’m constructing in isolation. 

And actually, they’re shaping it simply as a lot as I’m, from suggestions to taste concepts to how we take into consideration innovation. It’s not simply my model: It looks like ours. 

That connection is what retains me going. It turns this from only a product into one thing individuals truly really feel part of. 

“Progress comes from momentum, not perfection”

What’s your greatest piece of particular, actionable enterprise recommendation? 
It sounds easy, however the perfect recommendation I may give is: Simply begin. 

This can be a very execution-driven enterprise. You’ll be able to spend months researching, planning and chatting with different builders however, in some unspecified time in the future, the one factor that strikes you ahead is definitely doing the work. 

There’ll all the time be people who find themselves extra skilled or extra educated. The distinction is that most individuals don’t act.

So as a substitute of attempting to determine the whole lot out upfront, do one thing tangible: Speak to actual clients. Get a model of your product into individuals’s arms. Ask for suggestions and iterate.  Progress comes from momentum, not perfection. 

And one of many greatest mindset shifts is studying to not over-index on what different individuals suppose. In the event you’re constructing one thing new, not everybody goes to grasp it straight away — and that’s okay.

This Aspect Hustle Highlight Q&A options Nicole Glabman, 30, a New York Metropolis-based entrepreneur. Glabman presently works full-time at Uber in promoting whereas constructing her protein and prebiotic sauce model She’s The Sauce. She attracts on knowledgeable background in retail and meals, beginning her profession at Jet.com/Walmart as a purchaser, adopted by a stint at Gopuff in advertising. Responses have been edited for size and readability. 

When did you begin your aspect hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?
The concept for She’s The Sauce and motivation to begin it as a aspect hustle got here from a really actual frustration. I’ve all the time cherished sauce, however as I turned extra well being aware whereas coping with hormonal imbalances (PCOS) and weight fluctuations, I saved listening to the identical factor: “skip the sauce, it’s empty energy.” That by no means sat proper with me. I didn’t wish to lower one thing I cherished, I needed to make it higher. So I created sauces that truly do one thing for you — with protein, fiber and components you be ok with. 

Earlier than protein turned the pattern it’s right this moment, I used to be already desirous about how one can make condiments extra purposeful — not simply decrease energy, however truly additive. Protein and fiber weren’t a advertising angle. They have been a part of fixing the issue from the beginning. Because the broader market began to catch up and protein turned an even bigger focus, it solely bolstered that I used to be onto one thing. However for me, it was by no means about chasing a pattern, it was about rethinking what sauce could possibly be.