Fighting the Millennial Perception-Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation

 

Nick Loper certainly doesn’t fit the perception of a lazy entitled millennial.  

In fact, he is the exact opposite and can articulate why some of us need to shift the way we are thinking about things.

Last year at his TEDx talk, Nick gave light to the many millennials today who are asserting themselves and taking advantage of the endless entrepreneurial opportunities we have in today’s online landscape.

While some may have a negative perception of millennials as an entitled generation, Nick passionately counters and explains how many are continuing to tap into the emerging entrepreneurial movement.  

He describes how millennials are adopting a self reliant and ever more creative mindset in building new and unique online audiences for their respective niche.

His key aspects to entrepreneurship are Creation, Connection, and Contribution which he sees as the catalyst to accelerating new ideas and creating change.

Nick currently is the Founder and “Chief Side Hustler” at Side Hustle Nation, a site he launched back in 2013.

A community resource for aspiring entrepreneurs, but also an educational look into the variety of projects that fuel Nick’s passionate pursuit of online wealth.

Nick and his guests share ideas, action, and results toward building job-free income streams.

The site reaches 75,000 unique visitors a month and over 10,000 listeners tune into “The Side Hustle Show” podcast each week.

I recently caught up with Nick to discuss when it all started and what drives his entrepreneurial spirit.

 

Why/When did you decide to fight the 9-5 and become an entrepreneur?

“I think I was fortunate in that I realized pretty young I had little desire to follow the traditional career path.

Initially there was a cockiness that I could somehow beat the system and make my own way. Figuring out how to actually do that of course was a bigger challenge than my naive 19 year old self imagined.

I’ve always been into independence/self-reliance, which combined with scheming up business ideas made for a good mix.”

 

What drives you everyday?

“These are fun projects!

It’s not always rainbows and unicorns but for the most part, I love what I’m doing, the growing community I get to serve, and the awesome and inspiring people I get to talk to.”

The big picture WHY is the chase for financial freedom, which equates to time freedom.

If I was retired, I don’t know that I’d spend my days much differently, but it would probably be less stressful to be completely “living off interest.”

I see 3 rungs on the ladder to financial freedom:

1. I’ve got a job that covers my expenses.

2. I’ve got a business that covers my expenses.

3. I’ve got investments that cover my expenses. 

 

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from pursuing wealth online?

“Like all business, it’s really about helping people.

When I started out, it was very much a “me-first” mindset. “How can I make money?”

But the original side hustle I had only took off because it was actually providing a helpful service. (It was a comparison shopping site for footwear — that beat the big boys on price 70% of the time.)”

 

Can you speak to what you have seen as the most valuable asset to achieving success online?

“What I’ve come to see as the most valuable asset is the skill of learning new skills.

Almost nothing I do today was stuff I knew how to do 5 years ago.

The building blocks were there of course, but the tools, tactics, and projects are constantly changing.”

 

Best advice for others that are on the fence about starting their online business/brand?

“A year from now you’ll wish you had started today.”

 

You can check out Nick Loper’s TEDx talk here.

He delivers a powerful message that I feel needs to be more at the forefront of millennial chatter in general.

Sure some out there may fit the mold as being entitled and may need a kick in the butt, but in the same breath we can speak to the thousands of startups and young entrepreneurs that continue to be driven to innovate.   

As individuals, we all have a unique perspective and level of expertise that can be tremendously valuable to others if presented in a creative and educational format.

I have connected with thousands of people who have literally created and launched a businesses directly based around themselves.  

They found their niche, developed and audience, and then figured out a way to monetize it.  

Not to mention the ever growing SaaS products we see on the market today that are based around “helping you launch your online business” or “we help build your audience and network”.

It’s amazing the power and autonomy we ultimately have as individuals over our own financial destiny, but you need to start now and work smart.  

And while “side hustles” for extra income have always existed in some form or another, they never have been more structured around the potential of legitimate life changing income and financial freedom as they do now.

And to reiterate again the words of Nick Loper…

“A year from now you’ll wish you would have started today.”