When Blogging Gets Real: How Your Blog Can Pay

The “side-hustle” should be a footnote on everyone’s resume.  It makes the person seem dynamic and resourceful.  The “day job” on the other hand, has come to be something we just do to keep ourselves financially afloat.  The meat of a resume is a list of bona fide employment experiences, but the tasty seasoning in my estimation, are the experiences people acquire with their side ventures.

 

Technology makes businesses increasingly adaptive, allowing them to innovate today at breakneck speeds.  Whereas innovation is the lifeblood of a company, it is the death certificate of a specialized worker.  Laying off workers in departments prone to software automation (human resources, IT, sales, legal consulting, e.g.) has come to be the norm in today’s labor market.  For many people the “side-hustle” becomes their “second act,” forced into a business of their own as a result of an unfortunate career (this author’s least favorite word) set-back.

I’ve been fortunate to have steady employment the past ten years, working as a high school assistant principal in southern California.  I’ve been investing in equities (stock picking) and real estate (buying rentals) since I made my move out of the classroom and into an administrator’s office.  I taught myself how to invest by reading extensively, and by virtue of making plenty of mistakes.  About two years ago, I decided that investing as a singular money-making activity, was insufficient in stimulating me and in deepening my retirement pockets.

My ability to write well became the focal point of my initial “side-hustle” brainstorming sessions.  There are skills we all have that we can monetize given the right amount of creativity.  Entrepreneurs alike many companies, have turned to blogging in an effort to promote and market themselves.  In fact, I’d say that blogging or employing a blogger is tantamount to keeping costs down and shareholders happy.  One company doing just that, hiring me to blog for them is the crowd funding REIT, www.Rich-Uncles.com.  Based out of Newport Beach, CA, Rich-Uncles is the brainchild of none other than CBRE Group, Inc., Chairman, Ray Wirta.  Ray’s associates and Rich-Uncles co-founders, Harold Hofer (founder of the Nexregen REIT) and Howard Makler (founder of Excess Space Retail Services, Inc.) complete this impressive trio of commercial real estate experts.

The Nexregen REIT (Rich-Uncles is the brand) is a public, non-listed REIT with a single mission: to purchase single standing commercial real estate buildings and lease them out to well-known companies utilizing a triple net (NNN) lease.   A triple net lease reverses the liability and expenses associated with owning commercial real estate by having the tenant pay all taxes and insurance, utilities, and maintenance.  In 8 Tips for Real Estate Crowdfunding, Community Investor Sep/Oct 2014 edition Online Article, Dan Miller’s seventh tip involves making sure that investors read the fine print before taking an equity position on a deal promoted on the online platform (e.g. Realtymogul.com ).  He states: “Every project is unique, and it’s important to understand what will happen in the event that something goes wrong.”  With Rich-Uncles, you get three proven experts managing a single portfolio currently consisting of 22 Del Taco’s and one Chase Bank.  You leave the acquisitions to those that know what they are doing and in return you get a steady, reliable, and predictable dividend. 

What started for me as a way to market my e-books online and engage a like-minded audience, has strategically turned into a mutual beneficial relationship.  I am compensated every month to cover newsworthy events, merge financial literacy posts into opportunities to promote Rich-Uncles, and assist with writing short but powerful emails to investors on their database.  For company leaders, hiring a blogger whose knowledge of your industry compliments their writing prowess, it may be a good idea to consider a partnership.  For bloggers, opportunities abound to make connections with business leaders.  Start by growing your blogging audience.  Blog about topics that may perk the attention of a small company CEO, and of course, keep thinking of ways you can grow that “side-hustle.”


Until Next Time!  

Please Post Questions or Comments.