Homies the holidays are here and this is the time to make some bread, and I know of a fairly easy hustle to get going for little to no money. Everyone is getting in the Christmas spirit and that means Christmas lights. Right now there are several new and old homeowners who either don't know or don't want to get up on the a ladder and hang those lights which translates into a great opportunity to make some money and buy gifts for your loved ones. I know I know, this is not your typical hustle but according to www.homeadvisor.com the average job is over $400 per house and depending on how detailed you are and the type of services you provide you can earn up to $1200 per home. So now comes the second question How do I get started? Well I will always speak on what "I" would do and not giving advice, so what I would do is:

1. Start with You Tube: You tube is one of the best resources to learn how to do something, the fact that there are people who create free "How to" videos can be a goldmine for you for example try  these (How To Hang Exterior Christmas Light, How to Hang Outdoor Christmas Lights | Lighting Design Tips and whatever comes up in search)
2. Figure out your pricing, do a google search in your area and canvas the neighborhood for signs which generally have the price, and see where you stand. Because I am new I would probably come in a little lower until I develop more experience or hire someone to work with me for speed. So maybe start with family for $100 until you figure out how to get better, but start.
3. Determine the tools needed for the job for the most part from watching you tube videos and watching my grandpa put up the lights on the house, I noticed: Ladder, Hammer (at that time but I see clips are more efficient) and some elbow grease and hustle. If your money is funny see if you can borrow from someone or try to rent the ladder from Home Depot if they have them available.
4. Market your product, the absolute best way to get business is by referral or word of mouth, however if you are just getting started you might be limited by lack of jobs, so start small. You might have to do someones house for free (if you know them) to get pictures of your work so that you can set up a Google business page (How to set up a google business page click here). You can also get a business number through google so that you can begin coming up when people are looking for local providers.
5. Finally if its working expand your hustle, venture off into other home services, like window washing, power washing , and trash can cleaning just to name a few.
   

And finally this is the way I would begin, there are several more steps to be successful business not mentioned in this post, however I will address those "must do's" in business in future post. Happy Holidays Hustlas!

I deal with this more often then not, I put out content such as a blog post, video or something that I think people would love and I get...No likes, comments, shares or any movement from the people who I thought I connected with on a much deeper level. Some of these people I was in the streets with, share some "real" moments with and some I even worked with for years. I said to myself, well at least my family will share or at least like my stuff so that I feel better and that my ego does not take a emotional blow to the gut. I think I did 2  of the 4 agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, I made assumptions and took it personal  when I did not get the results from the people I "expected" to applaud me, not because my content is good, but for all the reasons I mentions above. It made me reflect on why I was doing what I was doing, was I doing it because it was needed or because I needed confirmation from my peers, family or whoever?  Over the past few weeks I have been raving about Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss, which has an article recommendation,1000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly, which talks about how to develop a loyal following by simply focusing on obtaining 1000 True  fans. Also in the book Tools of Titans was a story about an burlesque dancer who performs in a strip club next to other girls who go completely nude. Most would would assume that the burlesque dancer would lose the majority of the fans in the strip club by not stripping down, however she has one fan willing to pay her $50 to see her show. What I learned from both stories is that you should not try to please the masses (to which I have never really done) and focus on super serving your audience, even if it is an audience of 1. The truth is that most of us who are really out there creating art are or at least at some point feel like an impostor, also known as Impostor syndrome, which is state of mind where it is very difficult to internalize accomplishments, you always feel like someone will expose you. As you step into new and different domains and settings your comfort, knowledge, and experience is tested and you want some type of confirmation that you are on the right track, Those who have the luxury of having mentors to confirm your steps and accomplishments have an asset some of us struggle to attain if ever. I have found that not having a mentor is not a deal breaker and in some cases actually makes you more clever in obtaining advice, knowledge and confirmation that you are in fact making the correct steps and headed towards success. I use books, videos, podcast and articles to get my competitive edge back and I continue to look at my track record for my confirmation and focus on the one person who needs my content and as for my friends, family and others who do not think my content is not that great or even good, I want to thank you for confirming I am on the right track because if you (being so many different personalities) like it, its mass and I am not mass. I show up every week, sometimes I am on and sometimes I am not, but I ship. 

When I first began doing my motivational speaking back in 2008 to juvenile offenders I would often get asked how was I able to transfer "Non-Marketable" skills to business and entrepreneurship. The fact that they actually believed that the things they learned in the streets would not be applicable in a business or professional setting is in fact a myth and one that I believed for quite some time. That belief paralyzed me mentally until I went to community college and learned that everyone starts somewhere and skills and experiences can be applied to several industries. When I would survey the crowd to find out what they knew how to do it would range and from taggers to car thief's to burglary and what I would tell them next would absolutely shock them. I would go to tell them how those skills can be transferred into a potential business for example:

• Car Thieves are also Car Security experts on how to protect it
• Burglary Suspects are also Home Security Experts
• Drug Dealers are Great Salesmen and Supply Chain Managers 
• Taggers are Great Artist and/or Architects 
  

and there are other examples for everything that you think is a waste of a skill.  One of the best exercises that assisted me in doing a skills audit was when my undergraduate professor Dr. Newman made us do a 25 page resume in his professional sales course, yes you heard me right 25 page resume, yikes! He wanted you to list every job or responsibility that you have had since you can remember, which I found that if you do it everyday you will not only complete the 25 pages, but exceed it. So if you are wondering if you have the skills for a certain job and/or industry please do a 25 page audit and do it daily until it is filled. 

As a former Drug Dealer and business school graduate I know that I have a unique skill set and advantage over any of my competitors even the Harvard and Princeton graduates, as like Jay-Z said "They only graduated from one school".  Stay tuned for my "Drug Dealer to Businessman" video series coming soon, where I will be sharing my experiences and tips on how I went from being a 6 figure Drug Dealer to a 6 figure online businessman so please subscribe to the channel.