For years, I’ve been advocating people forget about their passions for a minute and start an online business the boring way:
- Learn the relevant skills
- Freelance is one of those skills to build income and confidence
- Then, apply it to the more fun stuff.
This video outlines my thoughts on that process:
Why am I such an advocate of this process?
Frankly, because it works.
Things like professional blogging, affiliate marketing, membership sites, dropshipping apps, etc. – are all much harder than most people make them out to be.
I see it repeatedly: someone gets excited about building an online business around one of those super sexy business models – then quickly gets frustrated because they haven’t developed the necessary sales, lose motivation, and eventually give up altogether.
I hate seeing this, which is why I encourage most people to freelance first – because it’s the easiest way for beginners to gain confidence in their ability to be successful while learning the necessary skills in the process.
Did you hear all of that?
If making money as quickly as possible is the most important thing you’re looking for, start with freelancing.
Note: It’s also necessary to mention that freelancing isn’t easy either – and it takes a lot of work. But the process is simple: it is a matter of putting in hours and not getting frustrated by people saying “no.”
Now that we’ve established that, I have a new message I want to put out there:
I think everyone should build a brand around their greatest hobby in life.
This isn’t about making money quickly; it may not even be about making money at all.
But it is about building an asset for yourself that will enhance your enjoyment of your hobby many times over.
Over a decade ago, I started my golf site, Breaking Eighty.
Since doing that, I’ve played dozens of the world’s very best golf courses (often for free).
I’ve built meaningful relationships with some of the most influential people in the golf industry. And even met a few celebrities along the way.
I’ve taken trips that never would have been possible otherwise.
I’m on the shortlist for the latest review products and cool golf products.
Most importantly, having this brand has enhanced my enjoyment of the sport I’m so passionate about on a daily basis.
I’m not special. I didn’t have any connections in the golf world when I started. I’d never taken a golf trip before. I’d never played a private golf course before.
What is the difference between me and millions of other golfers out there?
I started.
It grew slowly, but even from the beginning, I was able to start seeing the benefits of adding my voice to the conversation.
The best part?
I’m not unique, and this isn’t about golf.
Regardless of what your hobby is, there’s a way for you to build a brand around it that will be meaningful in so many ways.
In this post, we will look at ten reasons why I think everyone should build a hobby business around the thing they’re most passionate about.
1) Become Better at Your Craft
Beyond golfing (and cocktails), I love photography.
One of my first forays into a hobby site was around photography. I created a site around HDR photography and took thousands of photos.
Learning the ins and outs of how to do HDR photography the right way has become incredibly beneficial for all of my other hobby projects, especially Breaking Eighty.
Part of what helped me gain recognition with my golf work is because of photos like this:
These are skills I would never have had were it not for the photography site.
To take things a step further, to create content for Breaking Eighty, I’ve had to play more golf, bringing my handicap down from an 18 to about a 7. Had I not started these sites, I’d still be mediocre at best at both!
Regardless of what kind of site you create, improving your photography can give you a huge leg up. Just learning a few basics of photo editing can make a normal post stand out and be much more engaging.
I use Lightroom to do all of my editing on my computer and the phone app. I don’t do many reviews about products like that here on Location Rebel, but this is a great Lightroom review if you’re trying to figure out if it’s right for you.
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2) Gain Access You’d Never Have Otherwise
Less than a year after starting my hobby business, Breaking Eighty, our community manager, Liz, talked about going to a big PGA Tour golf tournament in her hometown of Boston.
I told her I thought I could get some tickets through my site.
We got approved for media credentials, and she got to take in the tournament inside the ropes – which very few people get to do.
Think about your niche, and what kind of access you’d kill for that you can’t get as an ordinary person.
Russ Smith talked in this case study interview about how he’s received invites from tea farmers all over China to come visit their properties and taste their tea, which, for him, he mentioned, has been a dream come true.
This would never have happened were it not for building a brand around tea.
3) Give Likeminded People a Way to Find You
When you’re just starting out with something, you constantly seek out other people like you.
Whether it’s people you want to learn from, commiserate with, or just geek out about your shared interests – we’re always looking for those similar minds.
That’s why online forums can be such a positive thing.
Well, when you start a site, people will start finding you.
How many people I’ve met through my blog and related social media channels has been unbelievable. And I don’t have to do any work – they seek me out!
4) Turn it Into a Business
As I mentioned in the introduction to this post, I don’t think this is the best way to build an online business quickly – but if you’re in it for the long haul, this new brand can become an excellent business with multiple revenue streams.
With Breaking Eighty, I’m now making money from marketing consulting in the golf niche, affiliate reviews, and a membership community.
The site is at a point where, on its own, it provides a full-time income – but part of the reason it’s been successful at doing that is that I didn’t worry about money for the first two years.
I simply worried about building the golf site I’d want to read, and I tried to build trust and relationships with my readers.
5) With a Business Comes…Write Offs…
And one of the best parts about owning a business? Write-offs.
So, do you want to buy all of those fun new toys? Now, it can become a business expense 🙂
6) Get Review Products for Free
As you establish your voice, expertise, and trust with your audience, one of the best ways to start getting tangible value out of the site is to review products you use and enjoy.
I had at least a dozen golf products I liked (clothes, shoes, balls, bags, etc), and I started writing reviews for them – from the average amateur golfer’s perspective.
Not only did I start bringing in a little bit of revenue through affiliate marketing, but golf and PR companies took notice and started offering to send me products to review.
I can’t tell you how surprised (and elated) I was when that first shiny new $500 driver showed up on my door.
7) Become Well Known in Your Industry
A few years ago, I was playing an extremely exclusive golf course in the Hamptons – the kind of place that I have absolutely no business being.
I was playing with a member of the club who found me through my blog, and we were paired up with two other people.
On the 3rd or 4th hole, one of them asked what I did and mentioned my website. And both of them turned to me and said, “Wait, that’s you! I read your site!”
I was shocked. But what’s become even more shocking is that this has happened over and over again.
A couple of weeks ago, I was out at breakfast with my wife. As soon as we walked in, the restaurant manager goes, “Hey! Breaking Eighty!”
The stories like this go on and on. And I never set out to be any kind of celebrity in the golf world, but that recognition helps with so many of the other points listed in this post.
8) Build a Sellable Asset
I had no intention of building a brand I could sell when I started Breaking Eighty (and I still don’t have any intention of selling it), but I have had a few people make me offers on it – which was absolutely shocking.
It’s great to know that as the site grows and I continue to build it, it will only become more valuable.
9) Improve Your Digital Skillset
What’s the first step in the boring way of building an online business, as I mentioned above?
That’s right, learn the relevant skills.
Building a website is the best way to create a training ground that will allow you to get hands-on experience with those skills. You’ll learn how to write posts, write copy, optimize for SEO, create a mailing list (eventually), do affiliate marketing, build an audience, and sell. That’s a pretty amazing skillset that every brand is looking for right now.
So, if you’ve got the free time, building your hobby site in tandem with starting a freelance business will give you another avenue for learning essential skills and give you something to shift gears to when you need a break from freelancing.
10) Have More Fun
Last but certainly not least, what happens when you add all of this stuff together? Simply put? Golf is way more fun than it would have been without the site.
It feels like there’s more of a purpose behind what I’m doing, and if I want to go play 18 holes so I can review a new set of clubs? You feel much less guilty about it when doing it for your business. 🙂
Writing online is the best way to start creating an income around something you love.
This post was updated as of October 2024 for accuracy.
Sean Ogle
Sean Ogle is the Founder of Location Rebel where he has spent the last 12+ years teaching people how to build online businesses that give them the freedom to do more of the things they like to do in life. When he's not in the coffee shops of Portland, or the beaches of Bali, he's probably sneaking into some other high-class establishment where he most certainly doesn't belong.Join over 40,000 people who have taken our 6 part freelance writing course. Sign up below and let’s do this together.
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