🌟 Tony Whatley became known as “The Side Hustle Millionaire” after his book with the same title became a #1 best-seller on Amazon. But, this book title isn’t just fiction; it is based on his actual story.
🌟 Tony once led a successful corporate career for over 25 years, but that is less interesting than the side-businesses that he created, which generated millions in profit.
🌟 As an active entrepreneur himself, he still owns a few businesses. But, his real passion is teaching entrepreneurs how to start, scale, and sell their business, within his podcast and consulting brand 365 Driven.
🌠Community builder of 500K+ members
🌠Built multiple 7-figure businesses
🌠Sold a side business for millions
🌠 Featured on Forbes, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Parade, Thrive Global and over 300 podcasts Notes
✅ Built a company and sold it in 6 years.
✅ People started approaching him
✅ Building a business for longevity vs building a business to sell
✅ Built a business with $400,000 a year in profit. -Valuation of $2 million. -All Cash. Earn out for 2 years
✅Take me through the process of the sale -Year long process from initial contact to phone calls to due diligence -Had hundreds of thousands of targeted members in the automotive -Hundred thousand unique visitors EVERY SINGLE DAY. -#1 website in his space -Sold advertising for $500/month even though magazine and print charged $5000/month and he had 30X more traffic than them. And he made $400k/year in net profit selling advertising space.
✅ Who did you sell the company to? -Sold it to internet brands -Started in 2001, and it is still alive today
✅ What made him decide to sell it? -He was already #1, so there’s no way to increase his market share. -Felt it was a good time to exit. Sold the company in 2007. In 2008 the financial crisis hit.
✅ What is the day in your life like when you were running this company
✅ 2 sets of customers -Users -Business owners who wanted to advertise
✅ Did you integrate with google ads? He did not because he did not want to degrade the user experience even though he could have made $200,000/year more in net profit.
✅ Was your website from user generated content? It was both.
✅ Had all the media credentials
✅ 10% of members were creators who would produce content. -Made 75 of them his staff members. -They did it for free! -They got perks, discounts etc. -Helped 12 people become millionaires
✅ The only 2 people on his payroll were himself and his business partner.
✅ Did he integrate with Google ads? Nope, even though he could have made an extra $200,000/year. Here’s his reason why.
✅ What is Side Hustle Millionaire? -Start with mindset. Everything has to be professional. Don’t treat it as merely a hobby
✅ Reinvesting in the business.
✅ Started company with $350. To buy the software license.
✅ What is 365driven about? -Umbrella company that owns all his content -Interviewed Brad Lea, Ed Mylett, Andy Frisella
✅ What is a day in your life like now? -Takes Friday’s off -He works half days. Alternates between working in the afternoon and in the morning, -4-5 meetings with 1:1 clients every day -mastermind with 6-8 clients a week
✅ How do you normally get clients? -Podcast -Book -Facebook group -Clubhouse
✅ Entering 4th year of his business
FOLLOW TONY WHATLEY:
https://www.instagram.com/365driven/
https://www.facebook.com/tony.whatley.1
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonywhatley