Sustainable Side Hustle is an interview show for people building a one person business while still working a day job. The ones stretched thin, doing this mostly alone, scared they're either burning out for nothing or running out of time before they have to choose. Every episode comes back to one moment: when a guest's side income finally became real money, and the decision they made right after it.
You'll walk away knowing what that moment actually looks like, and how to think through the same decision when it's your turn, instead of guessing alone. And I'm not asking these questions from the finish line either. I'm still working my own day job right now, still facing this same decision, using every conversation to work it out alongside you. Life first business, not hustle first. Hosted by Vinayak Ramesh.
EP13: When Your Side Hustle Starts Burning You Out with Janay Trevillion | Part 1
Host Vinayak Ramesh interviews Janay Trevillion about recognizing burnout and managing information overload while building a side hustle alongside a full-time job.
6 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
EP12: How Adam Ward Built a Product Review Side Income on Nights and Weekends
Host Vinayak Ramesh interviews Adam M. Ward about building a profitable product review side hustle on nights and weekends, revealing strategies for content creation and income generation.
29 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
EP11: How to Make Money Without Thousands of Followers with Jill Hart | Part 1
Host Vinayak Ramesh interviews Jill Hart, a business strategist, about building a profitable side hustle with a small, engaged audience by focusing on offers and positioning.
22 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
EP10: How Do You Run 3 Newsletters at Once? | Jessica
Host Vinayak Ramesh interviews Jessica, a multi-newsletter creator, about managing three distinct newsletters and overcoming perfectionism to build a sustainable online writing career.
14 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
EP09: 55K Subscribers, 2,100 Paid: The Substack Masterclass with Philip Hofmacher
Connect with Philip Hofmacher & Write Build Scale: https://substack.com/@philiphofmacher
Welcome to the Sustainable Side Hustle Podcast with Vinayak Ramesh.
Today’s episode features Philip Hofmacher, co-founder of Write Build Scale, which has grown to more than 55,000 Substack subscribers and 2,100 paying members after becoming a bestseller in under 60 days.
We go deep into how they grew the publication, what actually converts free subscribers into paying customers, why paid subscriptions make up less than 10% of their overall revenue, and how they built courses, coaching, digital products, and community around their audience.
Philip also breaks down exactly what he would do in his first 30 days on Substack if he had to start from zero today, including his 10-5-1 networking rule, content strategy, collaborations, niche positioning, and the path from your first $100 to $10,000 and beyond.
>>> Don't forget to follow the Sustainable Side Hustle Podcast and drop us a rating and review.
31 Aug 2026
EP08: The $6K–$8K/Month “Minimalist Side Hustle” with Jamie Northrup
Connect with Jamie Northrup: https://substack.com/@minimalisthustler
Welcome to the launch of the Sustainable Side Hustle Podcast with Vinayak Ramesh.
Today’s episode features Jamie Northrup, the creator of Minimalist Hustler, who built a portfolio of digital assets generating around $6,000–$8,000 a month while working a full-time job.
We talk about how he built it in roughly 10–12 hours a week, why he prefers simple and low-stress side hustles, and how books, newsletters, and digital products can work together to keep earning over time.
>>> Don't forget to follow the show, download these powerful launch episodes, and drop us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
>>> Claim your FREE gift for supporting the launch — the Substack Notes Starter Pack + Substack Growth Engine. Leave a review and DM me on Substack: https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1 (https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1)
31 Aug 2026
EP07: She Lost a 17-Year Digital Business Overnight and Rebuilt From Zero with Alli Gatlin
Connect with Alli Gatlin: https://bit.ly/writing-identity
(This is an affiliate link. Full disclosure: if you sign up through it, I may be paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
Welcome to the launch of the Sustainable Side Hustle Podcast with Vinayak Ramesh.
Today’s episode features Alli Gatlin, a business and brand identity coach with more than 17 years of experience and the creator of the Write Ugly Method.
We talk about how she rebuilt after losing her entire digital presence, why your identity should shape the business you build, and how ethical selling can help you create offers that actually feel aligned.
>>> Don't forget to follow the show, download these powerful launch episodes, and drop us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
>>> Claim your FREE gift for supporting the launch — the Substack Notes Starter Pack + Substack Growth Engine. Leave a review and DM me on Substack: https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1 (https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1)
31 Aug 2026
EP06: The AI-Powered Side Hustle: Build More Without Burning Out with Janay
Connect with Janay Trevillion: https://substack.com/@curateyourbestlife
Welcome to the launch of the Sustainable Side Hustle Podcast with Vinayak Ramesh.
Today’s episode features Janay Trevillion, who spent 10 years in the travel industry and is now combining that experience with AI to build multiple income streams around travel, education, books, and community.
We talk about how she uses AI to automate repetitive work, make a side hustle more sustainable, and why taking action quickly matters more than endlessly consuming information.
>>> Don't forget to follow the show, download these powerful launch episodes, and drop us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
>>> Claim your FREE gift for supporting the launch — the Substack Notes Starter Pack + Substack Growth Engine. Leave a review and DM me on Substack: https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1 (https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1)
31 Aug 2026
EP05: How Jessica Built 3 Substack Publications & Became a Bestseller
Connect with Jessica: https://substack.com/@jessthecreator
Welcome to the launch of the Sustainable Side Hustle Podcast with Vinayak Ramesh.
Today’s episode features Jessica, a Substack bestseller who went from just 50 subscribers to building three separate publications.
We talk about how she grew through consistent publishing and collaboration, why she believes in creating opportunities instead of waiting for them, and why starting before everything is perfect can be your biggest advantage.
>>> Don't forget to follow the show, download these powerful launch episodes, and drop us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
>>> Claim your FREE gift for supporting the launch — the Substack Notes Starter Pack + Substack Growth Engine. Leave a review and DM me on Substack: https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1 (https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1)
31 Aug 2026
EP04: The #1 Takeaway From 1.1 Million Podcast Downloads with Jill Hart
Connect with Jill Hart: https://bit.ly/client-acquisition-for-coaches
(This is an affiliate link. Full disclosure: if you purchase anything through it, I may be paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
Welcome to the launch of the Sustainable Side Hustle Podcast with Vinayak Ramesh.
Today’s episode features Jill Hart, also known as the Coaches Alchemist, who has hosted more than 600 podcast episodes and generated over 1.1 million downloads.
We talk about why she believes you should build the business before chasing an audience, how to create a clear path from attention to revenue, and why sticking with one strategy long enough to actually make it work matters.
>>> Don't forget to follow the show, download these powerful launch episodes, and drop us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
>>> Claim your FREE gift for supporting the launch — the Substack Notes Starter Pack + Substack Growth Engine. Leave a review and DM me on Substack: https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1 (https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1)
31 Aug 2026
EP03: The 6-Figure Amazon KDP Publishing Playbook with Krista Brea
Connect with Krista Brea: https://bit.ly/kdp-publishing (https://bit.ly/kdp-publishing)
(This is an affiliate link. Full disclosure: if you sign up through it, I may be paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
Welcome to the launch of the Sustainable Side Hustle Podcast with Vinayak Ramesh.
Today’s episode features Krista Brea, who built a six-figure Amazon KDP publishing business while still working her day job.
We talk about how she got started with KDP, what helped her turn one book into a repeatable business, and what she would do if she had to start all over again from scratch.
>>> Don't forget to follow the show, download these powerful launch episodes, and drop us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
>>> Claim your FREE gift for supporting the launch — the Substack Notes Starter Pack + Substack Growth Engine. Leave a review and DM me on Substack: https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1 (https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1)
31 Aug 2026
EP02: How Yana Built a $20K/Month Substack Business Alongside Her 9-to-5
Connect with Yana G.Y: https://substack.com/@yanagy
Welcome to the launch of the Sustainable Side Hustle Podcast with Vinayak Ramesh.
Today’s episode features Yana G.Y, who built a six-figure Substack business generating roughly $20,000 a month — entirely on the side of her 9-to-5 job.
We talk about how she became a Substack bestseller in just three months, grew to over 1,000 paying subscribers, and uses AI and automation to run the business in just a couple of hours a day.
>>> Don't forget to follow the show, download these powerful launch episodes, and drop us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
>>> Claim your FREE gift for supporting the launch — the Substack Notes Starter Pack + Substack Growth Engine. Leave a review and DM me on Substack: https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1 (https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1)
30 Aug 2026
EP01: The “Portfolio Career” That Turned Veronica’s Expertise Into Multiple Income Streams
Connect with Veronica LLorca Smith: https://substack.com/@veronicallorcasmith
Welcome to the launch of the Sustainable Side Hustle Podcast with Vinayak Ramesh.
Today’s episode features Veronica LLorca Smith, who left more than 15 years in corporate leadership and built a portfolio career around writing, courses, coaching, public speaking, and her personal brand.
We talk about how she went from selling $9 books to building multiple income streams, working with over 200 coaching clients, and creating speaking opportunities worth thousands of dollars.
>>> Don't forget to follow the show, download these powerful launch episodes, and drop us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
>>> Claim your FREE gift for supporting the launch — the Substack Notes Starter Pack + Substack Growth Engine. Leave a review and DM me on Substack: https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1 (https://substack.com/@vinayakramesh1)
16 Aug 2026
Welcome to Sustainable Side Hustle
Sustainable Side Hustle launches September 1st, 2026. Every episode, I sit down with someone who built real income from a side hustle while working a day job, and we get into the exact moment it became real, and what they decided to do next. It's completely free. Tap Follow so you don't miss the first episode.
Inside a recent episode
EP13: When Your Side Hustle Starts Burning You Out with Janay Trevillion | Part 1
Published 13 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Like I've talked to people before, especially older people, and they're like, oh, you just got to go to church or something like that. And I'm like, I don't know if that will help me. I'm really going through something. So just make sure you're in tune with your own self. And if you start feeling stressed, or having high anxiety, hard time sleeping, just take a step back and say, is there something else going on? Is it that I just can't sleep because I just can't sleep? Or is it because my mind is racing? I'm putting too much on myself. I'm trying to get too much done in a day. Remember, it's just 24 hours and you got to sleep. […]
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
