SUMMER SIDE HUSTLES YOU CAN START TOMORROW

Summary

Summary of "SUMMER SIDE HUSTLES YOU CAN START TOMORROW" Episode of The Carpool with Kelly and Lizz

Release Date: June 10, 2025

In the "SUMMER SIDE HUSTLES YOU CAN START TOMORROW" episode of The Carpool with Kelly and Lizz, hosts Kelly Stumpe and Lizz St. John delve into the world of side hustles, showcasing real-life examples from fellow moms who have transformed their passions into profitable ventures. This episode features two inspiring guests, Katie and Caitlin, who share their unique side hustles, the motivations behind them, and practical insights for listeners looking to embark on their own entrepreneurial journeys.

---

Introduction to Side Hustle Summer

Kelly and Lizz kick off the episode by emphasizing the accessibility and flexibility of side hustles, especially for moms seeking additional income streams without compromising their family commitments.

Notable Quote:

Kelly: "It's not too late to enter your side hustles this summer. There's room for everyone to shine." [20:56]

---

Guest Introductions

Katie - Lake Area Storks

Katie, hailing from Louisiana, runs Lake Area Storks, a creative side hustle that provides stork signs for new parents to celebrate the arrival of their babies.

Inspiration & Concept: Katie was inspired by the tradition she observed among friends in Houston and Baton Rouge, where stork signs are a popular way to announce the birth of a child. Recognizing the absence of this trend in her small town, she decided to bring it to her community.

Notable Quote:

Katie: "I just noticed like everyone. And then I was like, we live in a small town, everyone has babies like this. I think this is something that would be popular." [22:20]

Operational Details:

• Initial Investment: Approximately $3,000, covering six stork signs and necessary equipment like a Cricut machine.
• Pricing: $105 per week rental, including a custom bundle piece with the baby's details.
• Process: Clients can book via her website, choose between packages, and Katie handles setup and delivery, often involving her young child in the process.
• Growth & Challenges: While initially gaining clients through organic means and word-of-mouth, Katie acknowledges the potential for scaling up and adapting her business as her family grows.

Notable Quote:

Katie: "This side hustle sounds like a really low commitment and it's a great way to get a few hundred extra dollars and kind of open your oyster." [29:00]

Caitlin - The Laundress

Caitlin from Minnesota operates The Laundress, a laundry service catering to busy families who need reliable and efficient laundry solutions.

Inspiration & Concept: As a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic, Caitlin sought a safe, home-based job that aligned with her existing skills. Managing her family's extensive laundry needs inspired her to offer similar services to other families.

Notable Quote:

Caitlin: "I found this laundry stuff, and I was like, I can literally do this from home. There's no risk." [32:43]

Operational Details:

• Services Offered: Pickup and delivery laundry services, including washing, drying, and folding, with options for sorting and special requests like hanging clothes.
• Pricing: Charged $1 per pound, supplemented by generous tips averaging over 20%.
• Process: Utilizes a commercial washing machine, sorts laundry by family member and type, and ensures quality through meticulous handling.
• Growth & Challenges: Caitlin balances the demands of a growing family with her side hustle, scaling her business based on her availability and family needs.

Notable Quote:

Caitlin: "It's a good job for me because I stay home too with my kids." [35:28]

---

Practical Tips for Aspiring Side Hustlers

Both guests offer valuable advice for listeners considering starting their own side hustles:

• Flexibility is Key: Choose a side hustle that aligns with your current life stage and can adapt as your circumstances change.

  Notable Quote:

  Katie: "It's perfect." [25:42]

• Start with Organic Growth: Utilize word-of-mouth and social media to build your client base before investing heavily in advertising.

  Notable Quote:

  Katie: "Word of mouth through." [37:19]

• Manage Time Effectively: Balance your side hustle with family responsibilities by setting clear boundaries and expectations.

  Notable Quote:

  Caitlin: "You can't be out." [37:05]

---

Ditch the Drive-Thrus: Kitchen Hacks

Towards the episode's conclusion, Katie and Caitlin share their favorite kitchen hacks to bypass traditional drive-thru options:

Katie's Chuck Roast Recipe

Katie introduces a simple yet delicious chuck roast recipe inspired by Olivia Adrian, emphasizing its ease and versatility.

Notable Quote:

Katie: "It's the best roast I've ever made. It cooks in its own juices." [41:21]

Caitlin's Smash Burgers

Caitlin shares her method for making smash burgers at home, highlighting the integration of flavorful ingredients and efficiency.

Notable Quote:

Katie: "We do it at least once a week, right? Now, that's a great." [43:37]

---

Conclusion

Kelly and Lizz wrap up the episode by expressing gratitude to their guests for sharing their entrepreneurial journeys. They reinforce the episode's theme that with creativity and determination, anyone can start a successful side hustle tailored to their skills and lifestyle.

Notable Quote:

Kelly: "Thank you all for highlighting moms doing this. I feel like if you hear about another mom doing it, like, sometimes that's all it takes to be like, I can do that too." [29:30]

---

Final Thoughts

This episode serves as an encouraging blueprint for parents looking to balance family life with financial ambitions. Through Katie and Caitlin's stories, listeners gain practical insights and the motivation to explore their own side hustles, proving that entrepreneurial success is attainable with the right mindset and dedication.

Transcript

[Kelly]

Welcome to the carpool podcast with Kelly.

[Liz]

Because I don't mean to. I'm not meaning to yell. I'm just. I don't know, I guess I've been yelling at my kids all week.

[Caitlin]

And Liz, and not only that, I know you so deeply to your core that I would easily be able to spot the lie. It would have to be something so minor, like, I had toast with grape jelly this morning.

[Kelly]

Your mom time off starts now.

[Caitlin]

Side Hustle summertime.

[Liz]

Welcome back to the Car bowl podcast.

[Caitlin]

With Kelly and Liz.

[Liz]

And boy, do we have a show for you.

[Caitlin]

Do we ever. We just wrapped our side Hustle summer recording with two side Hustle girly pops who were so darling, so interesting. Like, couldn't be more different. Couldn't live like in two most different areas of the United States. Couldn't do two totally different side hustles, both of which anyone could just go and start today if they wanted.

[Liz]

No, I'm so. First of all, I love conversations with regular people. And like, I mean, I just think I love hearing what just regular moms are doing. Like, I just thought the whole thing was fascinating. I thought both are just the drive throughs were fire attainable, realistic. And these girls, Katie and Caitlin, I'm obsessed. Like, hey, if I ever need to. If, like next we have a baby, like, they're coming on as a co host.

[Caitlin]

Yeah. And Caitlin did drop us with like the biggest just cliffhanger. Well, you. I'll give you a cliffhanger singer, so you have to listen to it. So we're definitely gonna have to give a little, little life update for her after that. But they were precious. That episode has come. Or that part of the episode is coming. But before we get to that, it's been a week since we've talked.

[Liz]

It's been a week since we've talked and so much has happened. Summer's in full swing over here.

[Caitlin]

Yeah.

[Liz]

Which is so exciting. We're kind of getting our summer legs. You know, I'm understanding, you know, getting out of the house, getting to camps, to daycare. I'm also working less so spending more time at home with the kids, trying to get creative with things to do. We've implemented two rules in our house that have already saved my summer sanity. Okay, what are they that I'd like to share? And I actually got this tip from, I think the carpool Facebook page. And it's just, it's just one of those tips where you're like, yeah, that's obviously the best idea I've ever heard. Because when you are with kids all day, the two questions that keep coming up is can I watch tv? Can I watch my iPad? Can I have a snack? And just like the mental gymnastic. And it's hard when you have so many kids because then it's like you want to say yes to somebody and then like you can't do that and like it's just very confusing. And then they, they are really good at keeping score, especially George and Hattie with each other. So I have just made it my mission to. I just. I've decided one time like what the rules are. And the rules are snacks at 10 and 3. So no need to ask. If it's 12:30, nope, we just had lunch. If it's 9am Nope, we just had breakfast. Like we eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and we have snacks at 10 and 3 and like that's, that's the answer. Water and fruit bowl is always available within reason. I mean I did have to cut Fred off of bananas the other day because it was like three bananas in an hour is too many at some point. And then when it comes to screen time we are doing, they're allowed to watch a little screen time in the morning like while I'm trying like get like the big kids or the little kids fed. And Libby down for her first nap. That's the worst part of my day is when Libby has to take that morning nap that I don't want to lose.

[Caitlin]

Yeah.

[Liz]

So I want like all the big. I want all of the kids home. So before Libby takes her nap, which Libby wakes up at 5:40 and goes down at 8:30. So by the time big kids get up, they eat breakfast, they watch a show, whatever. They get to watch whatever they want in the mornings. And then there's no more screen time until Fred takes his nap which is at like 2. But during that time they're only allowed to watch. George is only allowed to watch like reptile educational things. And Hattie's only allowed to watch the Great British Baking show, the kids Great British Baking Competition. Because like I need something that's slower and like semi educational and semi. Not even had. His isn't really even all that educational. But at least it's like inspiring to her. And then that's it.

[Caitlin]

Well, and I think there's something too about it. Just like not being a cartoon and like not the super bright overstimulating colors and fast tracks.

[Liz]

Quiet time. Yeah, it's quiet time. And so like that's. So that's their window. And then you know the evenings are what the evenings are. Sometimes I watch movies, sometimes we don't. I'm kind of just, like, telling them, but just even, like, having, like, those snacks and screen time rules in place, it was hard for, like, the first two days. And it wasn't hard that because my kids, like, even get all that much screen time. It was just, like, the constant asking and then me having to, like, do the mental gymnastics. Like, well, you did just play outside for two hours. And we do have. It's like, no. Like, those are the times. And I'm very excited because my kids this week, George and Heidi, finally told me they were bored. And I said, perfect. I love this. I love when a kid is bored because now I just know the creativity is about to start blooming. And I think it's so good for children to be bored. I think it's good actually for everyone to be bored. I don't think even adults get bored enough anymore. And that's a problem.

[Caitlin]

Totally.

[Liz]

So you could see my summer is running pretty smoothly right now. I'm on my laundry grind.

[Caitlin]

So what are you telling them when they're bored?

[Liz]

Oh, well, find something to do.

[Caitlin]

Yeah.

[Liz]

You know, and I give them some ideas. I'm like, you know, you could, you could go play with the Magnetiles. You could play outside. You could read a book. You could listen to a Tony. You can color, you can play school. And I do make them. I, I, I will. Sometimes they're, they're allowed to play separately, but I do sometimes times make George play with Hattie because Hattie always plays with George. And I'm like, sometimes George, I'm like, hey, you got to play school now. Because she plays with you all the time.

[Caitlin]

Totally.

[Liz]

But there is just, this is just a little encouragement for anyone who has a lot of young kids right now. Was, I'm looking at you. When they can play together, it makes all of it so worth it.

[Caitlin]

Yeah.

[Liz]

So worth it.

[Caitlin]

Yeah, I bet.

[Liz]

Not only is it darling and heartwarming, it's so much easier. And then they're doing stuff together. And kind of my new thing is when they, if they need any, like, discipline, you know, as kids do, sometimes I make them just run up to the barn and back. I'm not the biggest fan of, like, time out and laying your bed, especially if they're just at each other's, like, throats, like, nipping at each other. I say run up to the barn and back two times.

[Caitlin]

They, they need to get it out.

[Liz]

They just need to and, like, go do it together. But I like making them do hard things together.

[Caitlin]

Or you're the. You're the enemy.

[Liz]

Or I say, hey, go put a bunch of sticks in this pile and we'll light a bonfire later. But, like, I want you to find every stick in the yard and put it in this pile.

[Caitlin]

I like that. I think that's healthy. I think that working together. I mean, think about anytime you were in school or, like, how to work a work project. Like, you would bond with people that you were working with because, like, you were going through this common hard thing together and then also wears them out a little bit more. So maybe they would be less.

[Liz]

Sorry. Yelling. For a second there, I was just getting really passionate.

[Caitlin]

You. You were. But we like passion.

[Liz]

Well, I was listening back to our last episode, and I was also passionate, and I was yelling a lot. And I just think I need to bring down my octave a bit because I don't. I don't mean to. I'm not meaning to yell. I'm just. I don't know. I guess I've been yelling at my kids all week.

[Caitlin]

Yeah, it's hard to turn where. It's kind of where you just stay nowadays.

[Liz]

It's hard to turn that down. But anyway, how's your summer been?

[Caitlin]

Yeah, no, my summer. Not much. I mean, not much has changed. I don't have kids in school, so I'm not, you know, adjusting to that. We are. This is our last week at home before we move out, and then we move in with mom and dad, and that will.

[Liz]

How long are you thinking you're gonna be with mom and Dad?

[Caitlin]

I. I fear it's gonna be, like, three months. Yeah, I fear it is too, and I fear that might be conservative. It's a big. It's. It's a big project, and I'm in no rush to really move my family back in when it's, like, halfway finished and livable because Sloan is starting to crawl and James gets into everything, and I have to have a baby. Proo. That's what. That's what we're doing. I am consuming everything that I can on pool safety because mom and dad do have a pool, and I have a toddler, so I have a pit about that. But I know people do it, and I'm getting all of the. The safety stuff, but if anyone has any tips, would not. Would not shun them away. Yeah, but no, that's what we're doing. Everything's. Everything's fine over here.

[Liz]

So exciting.

[Caitlin]

Yeah.

[Liz]

Anyway, something else fun that I did was we had a mom camp this past week. Yeah, I saw we were supposed to go on a float trip and that didn't happen because of weather, which I was actually okay with because the thing is about a float trip and if you don't live in an area where you float, you, like, just go down the river. But, like, there is some, like, canoeing involved. I'd never been on a float trip with all girls. And there's something I like about a man there for a multitude of reasons. One, to row. Yeah, like, it's a. They're like, yeah, it's a six hour float. And I'm like, I cannot. You want me to row for six hours?

[Caitlin]

No.

[Liz]

And like, you just feel. I don't know.

[Caitlin]

Just.

[Liz]

I don't know. So I was kind of nervous about it anyway. And then like, once the weather wasn't great, we decided just to cancel it. But we still, like, all had sitters lined up for the day. So we're like, well, let's just get together and we'll just have like, mom camp. And it was such a fun day. It is. I.

[Katie]

It was just.

[Liz]

I had. I felt feelings I haven't felt since college. Just like just being just kind of like loose and like with friends and just doing nothing. So you have to find something to do.

[Caitlin]

You guys got bored?

[Liz]

We got bored. We got bored and we went to like this farm of. That of one of my friends. And we go there a lot with our kids. But it was fun to be there without kids because normally when I'm there, I mean, I'm just chasing this child around this, like, sand pit. But I would like.

[Kelly]

I sat.

[Liz]

We felt like dads. I sat there. Wow. No, I'm just kidding. Tyler's. Tyler's. I won't say that Tyler's very active, but there wasn't any kids there, so I. We just sat. We got bored and we played Two Truths and a Lie, which is such a fun get to know you game. And we all know each other, but not all that well. And I do think if you think hard about it, I could do Two Truths and a Lie with you. I'm not gonna do it. But like, I think there, there are.

[Caitlin]

Some things that I don't think so.

[Liz]

You don't think so? No, I'm not gonna. I'll. Maybe I'll bring it for next episode. I think I could. I think I could stump you.

[Caitlin]

No, definitely not. No shot.

[Liz]

You don't think you would have to.

[Caitlin]

Come up with three things, one of which is a lie. And two of them are truths about you that I don't know. And not only that, I know you so deeply to your core that I would easily be able to spot the lie. It would have to be something so minor, like, I had toast with grape jelly this morning. And you're like, no, I had toast with strawberry jelly. And I'd probably say you didn't have grape jelly because I looked in your fridge and I know you don't have any because you only have fresh jam from Tyler's grandmother.

[Liz]

And you'd be right. Okay, so I won't do it with you. But anyway, we did it with each other. And how about I tell you which ones I did and we can see if the car pullers guess. Okay. I feel like it's going to be really easy. Okay. I can twist my arm all the way around. I love hot dogs. I have been skydiving three times.

[Caitlin]

Oh, gee, I wonder what the lie is. The girl. So I'm sorry, the girl who just said I was kind of scared to go on a float trip with a bunch of girls for six hours has gone skydiving three times, huh?

[Liz]

No, I've never been skydiving. I literally never will. I can't think of a dollar amount that I would go skydiving for.

[Caitlin]

Also say all the time how much you hate traveling and hate getting on planes. Like, Kelly. That was the worst one. Skydiving three times. When do you have the time?

[Liz]

But I can't. Was my arm all the way around and I should maybe do that. Do you think I'd go viral if I did my arm trick? I've never done my arm tricks for the gram.

[Caitlin]

Kelly's got freaky arm tricks.

[Liz]

I've got. Should I try to do it?

[Caitlin]

And like what? Like what? I don't know. People might unfollow you because it's kind of gross to watch.

[Liz]

Yeah. I can bring my arms all the way over my head. Like I'm. I have very double jointed arms.

[Caitlin]

Kind of surprised. Kind of surprised. It seemed like it came up all the time in, like, grade school and high school, and it feels like it hasn't come up in a while.

[Liz]

I know. And the other day I had to make sure I could do it.

[Caitlin]

Yeah.

[Liz]

Yeah, I can.

[Katie]

Freaky.

[Liz]

I should have stretched before, though. Gosh, that just hurt.

[Caitlin]

Oh, gosh.

[Liz]

Well, anyway.

[Caitlin]

Well, anyway.

[Liz]

So that's. So we had that. It was a fun game to play. And then we played, like, some drinking games and we played the game with the whipped cream on the Hand that you try to get into your mouth. It was just a good old time.

[Caitlin]

Did you. First of all, I just, like, love girls getting together and just like being silly billies.

[Liz]

I love girls getting together. It was really fun. It was. It was a blast.

[Caitlin]

Good. I'm happy you did that.

[Liz]

We all had to wear funny hats. We all got each other funny hats.

[Caitlin]

And it was a little.

[Liz]

I mean, it was a little. It was a little PG 13.

[Caitlin]

Yeah.

[Liz]

We're so wild. We all wore hats. My hat said rachi hats. My hat said play well with others with an upside down pineapple. And everyone on Instagram was like, do you know what that means? It's like, yeah, that's the point. It's funny.

[Caitlin]

Yeah. You do seem like the type that would, like, buy something like that and not know what it means, though.

[Liz]

That's so. Honestly, I disagree. And that's really rude that people don't think that I. Some people just don't get my humor. Like, I remember. Do you remember that one time where I ended up deleting the story? Cause I was getting so much hate for it.

[Caitlin]

I know exactly what you're gonna say.

[Liz]

There was this photo of my dad and our three of our siblings. And on this, like, ladue news on this, like, magazine in St. Louis. And I posted to my story, I said nepotism heart. Like, as a joke, because it was funny. Everyone was talking about nepo babies at the time. Like, it was of.

[Caitlin]

It was like, yeah, it was of the culture.

[Liz]

I said nepotism heart. Like making a joke at the fact that it's nepotism on the COVID Like, I. I'm self aware enough. It was a joke.

[Caitlin]

It was a joke.

[Liz]

Everyone's like, oh, my gosh. You don't know what that means. Like, you think that's a good thing. Well, I don't think anyone think nepotism is a good or a bad thing. I think it's just a thing. I think it can be a good thing, and I think it can be a bad thing.

[Caitlin]

People love to throw nepotism around. Like, it is the worst thing ever. And it's like, sometimes it can be a bad thing. Sometimes you are. Okay, guys in car sales, when you're literally. What are they doing? They're selling cars. They could go get a job and sell cars anywhere. Like, it's not like they're granted. Like, they're. They're VPs and they didn't deserve it.

[Liz]

Like, they're all working. They're all working Saturdays.

[Caitlin]

They're all Working on Saturday and selling cars. So like, calm, calm down.

[Liz]

No, it is interesting when nepotism is good and when it's bad because sometimes I, sometimes I like to say I'm third generation and sometimes I think people like to use it as a way to discredit anything that, that we've built. Like, I've only built it because.

[Caitlin]

But you know what I think about too? You think about nepotism and just carrying on what your family's been doing for so many years. That's like how culture has been brought up. Like, you think about the blacksmiths. Well, grandpa was a blacksmith, so then his son was a blacksmith. And then he took it over and then he had his kids become blacksmiths. And it went on and on and on. And like you value the family name that they've been doing it for so long. Like, that's not a bad thing. That's a good thing.

[Liz]

It's not a bad thing. It's a good thing. When is it. So when is it a bad thing?

[Caitlin]

I think it's a bad thing when like it's like a huge, huge company and you're like, granted, like a very high up position having not worked for.

[Liz]

It totally, but what about like within like celebrities and stuff?

[Caitlin]

Yeah, like, I, I don't know.

[Liz]

I think it's unfortunately the way the world works. Like people network, people do favors for their friends and if their friends have a daughter, sometimes that daughter gets a role in a movie. Like, I don't know. I think it's just kind of the way the world works.

[Caitlin]

I think it's just the way the.

[Liz]

World and I think like a level of acceptance on that is good. Not again, not to say that it's that, that it can be abusing. It can be a bad thing. How did we get here? Oh yeah, because I was making a joke.

[Caitlin]

Yeah, because you're just making a joke.

[Liz]

And I get that it wasn't that funny of a joke and it was a bad joke. But to your point, I get I, I would know what a funny hat said. Like, please don't say that. Like I'm some like, loser who wouldn't get the joke. I get the jokes.

[Caitlin]

No, people just like love to point things out.

[Liz]

People just love to point things out.

[Caitlin]

But I did, I do have access to your Amazon and I did see that you had ordered it on Amazon before I. About this party and I, I was a little bit concerned in question.

[Liz]

I hate that so many people have access to my Amazon account. Honestly, like you do the girl who runs our affiliate does, my assistant does. And there is days where it's like maybe I just wanted to order something. I have to look at everything I order.

[Caitlin]

Yeah, sorry, no privacy here. That's the life you chose. Today's episode is brought to you by Clean Simple Eats. You guys know our obsession for Clean Simple Eats is so real. Kelly and I both have multiple Clean Simple Eats products in a day. It's the most delicious protein powder I've ever had. It is always grass fed with no seed oils or artificial ingredients. It's third party tested, non GMO and gluten free and each serving has 20 grams of protein. The protein powder is also very creamy and smooth. It doesn't have that chalky texture that you find in most other protein powders. We're always trying to get enough protein in our day and it's really hard to meet those goals just eating protein. So I find making a shake or just mixing it with water is a really good way to get just 20 extra delicious grams of protein powder. And we do have a code here at the carpool. You can visit cleansimpleats.com and use code CARPOOL10 at checkout for 10% off your order. That's clean simple eats.com code CARPOOL10 for 10% off your order. The link is also in the show notes. Today's episode is brought to you by Zoc Doc. Before I do anything, go anywhere, I'm reading reviews. I'm reading reviews for restaurants, for hair stylists, for nail salons, for everything. So really I should be reading reviews for the most important thing and that is my doctor and my health. So ZOC Doc is a free app and website where you can search and compare high quality in network doctors and click to instantly book an appointment. It is so so easy because you can see which doctors are near. You have appointments available, take your insurance and can also read real reviews from real patients. Appointments made through Zocdoc also happen fast, typically within just 24 to 72 hours of booking. You can even score same day appointments. So stop putting off those doctor's appointments and go to Zocdoc.com carpool to find an instantly book a top rated doctor today. That's z o c-o c.com carpool zocdoc.com carpool Anyway, I feel like the interviews that we have that we just recorded are much more interesting than anything that we could possibly come up with to talk about. So I do want to get to that for sure.

[Liz]

Let's get to it.

[Caitlin]

I Do think we need to have Chat gbt, Right? It's like a jingle for side Hustle Summers because I want to have, like, a fun intro, so.

[Kelly]

No.

[Liz]

And it's not too late to enter your side hustles this summer. I mean, I have been dming with some people, and there's. There's just been a lot of submissions, and I'm very much trying to make side Hustle Summer something that anyone can do. So there are some very, like, skilled people who have started side hustles, and I'm so happy for them, but it just doesn't feel relevant to, like, the whole audience. I'm looking for the things that anyone can do that people just started and then have turned into successful businesses or side hustles. But it's not too late.

[Caitlin]

Okay, well, I just asked Chat GPT to write us a jingle, so if you don't mind. Side Hustle Summer, it's your time to shine. Turning passions into dollars. One dream at a time. For Mom's on a mission to makers and doers, we're spilling the secrets from the summer's top movers. Without further ado, welcome Kate and Caitlin. Katie and Caitlin.

[Liz]

Okay, Carpool podcast. I am so excited because we have two guests today, two moms who are going to share about their side hustles. We have Katie and Caitlyn. They couldn't sound more different. I think you guys are both going to love their accents. But we have Katie from Louisiana who has a side hustle called Lake Area Storks. She actually rents out those storks that people put in their yard after they have a baby. And then we have Caitlin from Minnesota, who her husband calls her the laundress, which she doesn't love that name, but essentially she used to work for the Poplin laundry service, just, like, you know, picking up, like, laundry loads here and there. And she got so many clients that she quit doing that and just kind of went out on her own. So, Caitlin and Katie, welcome to the carpool podcast.

[Katie]

Thank you for having us.

[Kelly]

Hello. Happy to be here.

[Liz]

And we're going to start with Katie of Lake Area Storks, and I'm going to ask the first question.

[Caitlin]

Liz?

[Liz]

Yep.

[Caitlin]

Sure. Yeah, go for it.

[Liz]

Okay, Katie, where did the idea of the side hustle come from?

[Kelly]

Okay, so I had a baby about five years ago, and we've moved around a little bit, but when we moved back to my hometown, he was 2, and I noticed I would. I would, like, be on Facebook, and I had friends from other, like, two hours away. Three hours away. Every time they would have a baby, they would post the picture like home from the hospital in their cute little dresses, holding the baby with the six foot stork. This was like three years ago. I looked at my husband and I was like, nobody does that where we're from. All my friends in Houston have that sign or Baton Rouge. So I was like, we should do that. And then we literally sat on this idea for years. And at first it was like, I don't even know where the signs come from. Where do we get it? It turns out it's like a woman, she has the patent, she makes the sign, you buy the package from her, and then you get started. So it. I just noticed like everyone. And then I was like, we live in a small town, everyone has babies like this. I think this is something that would be popular.

[Caitlin]

So I see those all the time. And I always wondered where they came.

[Kelly]

From, why they all look the same. It's because a woman in like the 80s 90s started it and patent it.

[Liz]

First of all. Good for her.

[Caitlin]

Good for her.

[Liz]

So essentially she like, you buy the rights to it or you so you. So you literally buy your storks. So I think when I was talking to you in your voice memo, you said you could choose between like buying four or six and you had to do like two pink and two blue.

[Kelly]

She has like a business package. You can actually go on her website and look, right now it's like thestorklady.com and then you click the business package tab and you can pick to start with four or six. We chose six. So we have three pink, three blue. And then you just kind of get your website, your Facebook, your. All that stuff up and running and word of mouth and Facebook shares really got me going when I was nine months pregnant, by the way.

[Caitlin]

Good for you. So what's the financial commitment? What did it cost you to get.

[Kelly]

Six storks for six storks? It was about. It was just, I think under $3,000. And then with the like Cricut machine, it's like a cricut. It's called a cameo silhouette. I think it brought me just over 3,000. So that was my initial investment and I am just like a few storks away from paying that off.

[Caitlin]

That's awesome.

[Liz]

So how many storks are you doing monthly and how long do they sit in the yard for a week. Yeah.

[Kelly]

A one week rental. Yes. So for one week it's $105. And you get to keep the little. I Have it here. Oh, you get to keep the little bundle piece. So this one was not custom, but it's a custom bundle piece with like your baby's name, date, weight and all that. You get to keep it at the end. So like ours is on my baby's nursery right now.

[Caitlin]

That's so cute.

[Liz]

So cute.

[Caitlin]

How long have you been doing this for?

[Kelly]

So I had my baby in August, middle of August. This was up and running at the end of July. So we're coming up on a year next month. I never answered Kelly's question about how many I do a month. It ebbs and flows a lot. And I have a nine month old baby who doesn't sleep and a five year old who doesn't nap. So I am not like, I could probably promote it more. I could probably do more advertising. I could probably push it more. Right now I'm just getting organic calls as I like. People will Google does this. Is there a stork sign in my area? And I'll get calls. I think if I, you know, in the next few years, if I want to ramp it up, and I do, I will. But right now I'm just getting a few a week or even a few a month, some months. And it's still just as much work as I'd like to have right now. So it's perfect.

[Liz]

It's such a fun, flexible side hustle. I also like that you get to be a part of, of someone's like, you know, special moments like bringing home their baby from the hospital. I just think that's really, really sweet, Katie.

[Caitlin]

I want to hear a little bit about the logistics of what it looks like. So when does someone call you? When do they, when do they tell you the height in the weight? And then like, are they, are you putting in in their yard before they come home? Like, what does it look like from the moment you get a call?

[Kelly]

Yeah. So it's kind of a wide range. If I tell people, like some moms, I'll get a text and it's like, hey, I can't tell you my name, but in nine months I need a stork res for, you know, like nine months out. And I'm like, you got it. Pink or blue? They're like, I don't even know yet. I just need. I'm like, okay, you're on my books. If you know pink or blue. When you know, let me know. And if you don't find out, I will try my best to have one reserved for you. And then some people, like, I'M picking one up today. The mom called me. She must have been at her house. She was like, hey, I need it today if you can. And I was like, yeah, actually I. And I could. That day my husband was home and so I was able to just go print out the little sign and my 5 year old likes to help. The baby was sleeping and I literally had it in her in her yard that day. So it's a wide range and with me not being like fully booked out, I have a lot of flexibility. And I'm gonna be honest, I'm a last minute girl. So I kind of love the last minute ones. I think they're fun, exciting. And then there's these little add on signs like proud big brother or the little, you know, your dog fetched a sister. And the big brother, like the big brothers and sisters, they absolutely love seeing their name on a sign because, you know, so much is about the baby. So I enjoy.

[Liz]

Oh, it's so fun and such a good. I feel like, you know, I mean, has it been pretty easy to drum up clients in business? Just like, have you been mainly used social media, word of mouth, flyers, like, how did you kind of get your first couple?

[Kelly]

Yes. So what's so funny is a girl in town a few years ago, a friend of mine started like a bounce house business, a bounce house side hustle. And I was like, that is so cool. Like, she honestly inspired me years later to start this. Her mom was my second client. Whenever she had her third baby, her mom called and said, hey, I want to put this sign in her yard. And I was like, what a full circle moment. She inspired me to do a side hustle. And now she's my second client. And it was the cutest blue stork with two blue brother signs and they had blue shutters on their precious house. It was so cute.

[Liz]

That is so cute.

[Caitlin]

Oh my gosh, I want to get a stork next time I have a baby. This is.

[Liz]

I know.

[Caitlin]

I love seeing it. It brings me such joy when I see people have it in their yard.

[Liz]

I know. I feel like I don't see a lot in St. Louis, Liz.

[Caitlin]

No, I. But I agree. I saw them all the time in Dallas. Like, it's a very southern thing.

[Kelly]

It's a Texas girl thing. All my Houston, Dallas friends, like, I feel like they love them, but also.

[Liz]

Like, what opportunity, if you don't live in a southern area, like, to bring this to your community. It's super fun.

[Kelly]

That's the cool thing is once you, you have to check and see if someone in your area does it. If someone in your area does it. Like, I get a 20 mile radius around my house. She won't sell the signs to anyone in a 20 mile radius just for competition, which is. Is nice. So you have to see if someone is already doing it. And then a lot of times people like me will do it for 10 years and they'll say, my kids are out of the house. I, you know, I have different goals right now. I don't want the extra few hundred dollars a month and they'll sell it to a new mom who wants to get it started.

[Caitlin]

This side hustle sounds like really low commitment and it's a great way to get a few hundred extra dollars and kind of world your oyster. It seems like, you know, you can make as much as, you know, as many stores as you have and you can either ramp it up or you can bring it down, depending on what your life stage looks like. Love it. Katie, thank you so much for, for telling us more about lake area.

[Kelly]

Thank you all for having me and thank you all for highlighting moms doing this. I feel like if you hear about another mom doing it, like, sometimes that's all it takes to be like, I can do that too, or something different or similar or whatever. So thank you all for highlighting this and for having me on.

[Caitlin]

And Katie, where can people find you.

[Kelly]

See the little stork signs? I am at Lakearea Storks on Instagram.

[Liz]

Love it.

[Caitlin]

All right, it's time for the laundress.

[Liz]

Caitlin. Caitlin, I am so excited about this. I have such, like a love hate relationship with laundry, so I obviously want to hear about how you've turned it into a side hustle. I also want to make you give us some, like, laundry tips. You know what I mean? Like, how you just keep up with your laundry enough to also do other laundry I think is so inspiring.

[Katie]

I feel like most moms either love laundry or hate laundry, but there's really no in between. And so I start what I. So I have four boys, four and under. And so I already do a ton of laundry. But I. The more laundry I did for my family, the more I actually enjoyed laundry. So after my second kid, I was like, I don't want to go to work all the time. I rather stay home. So then I found this poplin app and got going on that and I was like, it's all family laundry. Like, it's two parents, usually a bunch of kids. And so I was like, I'm already doing this I do it every day, so I was like, I might as well just do it for. For these families and get paid for it while I do it. So that's kind of how it started.

[Caitlin]

Wait, you have four boys? Four and under.

[Katie]

I do, and I'm pregnant with my family right now.

[Caitlin]

Oh, my gosh. Wait, wait. Did you say what you're having? Did you say boy?

[Katie]

I don't know.

[Caitlin]

Oh, you don't know? Are you gonna find out?

[Katie]

The test? I'm due in December, so we should be finding out any day now.

[Caitlin]

Leave.

[Katie]

Everyone. Cliffhanger. Everyone here is hoping for a girl, but if it's another boy, that's how I identify now as a boy mom.

[Caitlin]

So it would just. It would honestly be harder. You know, it's like, you have the stuff. You're a boy mom. That's so exciting. Congratulations. Now, yeah, everyone's got to follow you on Instagram, so we know.

[Katie]

Yes.

[Caitlin]

Or you're gonna have to report back. So we can. We can tell everyone.

[Katie]

Yeah.

[Caitlin]

Okay, so let's talk about your side hustle. What inspired you to start?

[Liz]

It.

[Katie]

Just. I think so. I'm. I'm a nurse, so I think it was, like, around Covid time. There's all these crazy rules. No one knew what was going on, like, if you were gonna get sick and die or if you were gonna be fine. So I think I was just nervous. I had two little babies at the time because my first two are 13 months apart. And so I was just kind of stressed. And I found this laundry stuff, and I was like, I can literally do this from home. There's no risk. And at first, I was a little nervous about bringing other people's laundry into our house about, like, bugs and germs. But then I realized it's all families who are sending their laundry out because the parents don't like to do laundry. And so then I was like, oh, this is right up my alley. It's like kids stained with, like, dirt or food and paint, and parents just their everyday clothes, which are very not dirty.

[Caitlin]

Okay, Caitlin, I want to hear a little bit more about the process. Like, I want to hear. I want to hear about everything. For any mom who's like, that kind of sounds like something I could be interested in. I want to know the process. Are you picking up? Are you dropping off? I want to hear how much you're charging. I want to hear how many you're doing in a week. Like, I want to hear about everything. No details too small.

[Katie]

Okay. So through the app, I do pickup and drop off. So I have my radius. When I started and just needed to build clients and reviews, I had my radius pretty far out. So that wasn't ideal. And then now that I've gotten more that I don't need to drive so far, it's probably like 10 miles. And I do a lot of driving throughout our area and so that's reasonable for me. But everyone can set their own mileage of how comfortable they are going out. And so I go pick up and then I bring it home and I have a huge laundry room. So I bring it in the laundry room, I start sorting. Some of my families now are really good to me and they'll actually sort it before they send it out to me. So they'll do like mom and dad's clothes and then buy kid. Because sometimes, you know when you have a bunch of toddlers, like they're in the same size. So it can be really hard to get it back to people if they don't pre sort it. Some do, some don't care. So, and then I'll sort it by like towels, I like to wash by themselves and then otherwise it's like kid clothes, parent clothes, all go together if they have enough light colors, I will sort light and dark. But otherwise I bought shout sheets that take out all the color bleeding that happens and they actually work. I've never had that review and I've been doing this for years now. So I do that and then wash, dry and fold. I don't do any extras like no ironing, no anything crazy steaming, nothing. It's just wash, dry, fold. I bag it in clear plastic bags so that everyone can see, like I can see that it looks good, they can see it looks good and then there can't be like false complaints. Bag it up and then I try and sort it again by family member to my best guess. And then I deliver it. And now the people that I've taken off the app though are like the clients that I've attained by myself. Some of them aren't so picky. So I'll just bag it up and like put it in their hamper back to them or however it's easiest for them to get it back. But on the app you have to follow very specific rules. So then now with my ones off the app it's kind of just. It's more casual so I can get it back however. And then all some people do prefer to get like they hang all of their clothes so that if they send me hangers, I'll hang all their clothes and then send them back on hangers too.

[Caitlin]

Now what are you charging a fam a family to do parents laundry and kids laundry?

[Katie]

On the app it was a dollar a pound and I have just stuck with that because people, a lot of my clients tip me very well. Yes. So I mean usually over 20% tips.

[Liz]

Do you, are you happy that you did the route of going the app or now like would your advice to be someone who wanted to do this just to start on your own?

[Katie]

I don't know. Because the app like they do do a lot of like customer service kind of basics of like expectations in the laundry world if you don't know because like for when you're doing it for your own family, it's definitely a much lower expectation than when you're sending it out to someone who's paying money. So like they just like, it's like retail neat is their standard, but there's not really like you have to fold shirts this way or that way. So I've just kind of come up with my own style now of how they best look, I think especially packed in bags. So yeah, I would, I would start on the app. You don't have to stay on it for long, but it is a good way to just kind of meet people, get reviews, that kind of thing.

[Liz]

I'm surprised the app doesn't have like any like non compete rules.

[Katie]

They do. If they find out you're taking clients off the app while you're doing it, they can, they'll kick you off the app.

[Liz]

But since you had already left the app, it was fine.

[Katie]

Yeah. So I like still have my account on the app because I do do like a couple people who are seasonal golf courses actually they like their towels washed because they obviously don't have laundry service at their golf course clubs.

[Liz]

That's interesting.

[Katie]

And so them I have just left on the app because they're seasonal. Like I don't really talk to the actual owners of the place so it's just easier. So I saw my account on there, but I don't take any of my clients off of the app and then it's just word of mouth through.

[Liz]

Yeah, that's so cool.

[Caitlin]

How many, how many families are you taking on like a week or a month? What's, what are your numbers?

[Katie]

Like I was really busy for a while before my fourth kid. I was super busy, probably making like 500ish a week, give or take. And that's a lot of time like you have to be home too to do this. Yeah, you can't be like out. I don't. I mean, some people probably do it if they're up all night. That's just. I need my sleep. And so I. I do it a lot because I stay home too with my kids. So this is a good job for me. But if it's like a mom who works full time and then is home in the evenings, I don't think this would work. Or maybe just for a couple of small, like ounce. But yeah, so I was doing a bunch and then my fourth kid kind of had some health issues that I was in and out of the hospital with him for a while. And now that I'm pregnant, I kind of slowed back down because I was not feeling good. This was a doozy. And so now I just like have started to reach out to all my clients. Like, I'm back in action again. So send me your laundry until I'm on maternity leave.

[Liz]

Wow. I love it.

[Caitlin]

So what. What washer dryer do you have? I have to know.

[Katie]

So I. I will preface this. My husband was really good to me and went out and bought me a commercial washing machine. But I don't like it. I've had to tell him. I'm like, the size is phenomenal because I can wash like all of me and my husband's king size bedding in one load, which, that's a game changer. But it just, it's too tech. You don't want technology in a washer and dryer. You just knobs. You want the. Hit the start button.

[Liz]

That's why I like my speed queens. They are so. They're just workhorses. They don't do it. There's no bells and whistles on those girls.

[Katie]

So I'm actually eyeing up a commercial size speed queen. My husband's like, why don't you scale up your business a little bit more and then we can pay cash for one. Because he's like, this is crazy. This is like you could buy a old used car for a washing machine.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Caitlin]

Wow.

[Katie]

Yeah.

[Liz]

That's so cool.

[Katie]

Dryers are. I don't know. My. The, the washer that I have, it's a Maytag commercial thing, but it spins the clothes so dry that I've been able to use our regular dryer that came with our house. It's like a rope. It's an off brand dryer, but it keeps up so I haven't had to replace it.

[Liz]

That's so awesome.

[Katie]

Yeah.

[Caitlin]

So are you planning to do this for the, for the long haul, even when you've got five kids running around. Are you sticking with it?

[Katie]

I'm hoping so. It does get a little bit more challenging as my boys get older because my oldest will be going into kindergarten, so our life will kind of.

[Liz]

Oh, my gosh. I cannot believe you have that many kids. Four.

[Caitlin]

Four under four.

[Katie]

Four under four. It's. And they're all boys, so it's just.

[Liz]

Like, oh, my gosh.

[Caitlin]

Yeah, Kelly. For everyone listening, Kelly lost her wi fi for a moment and fell off. And, I mean, Caitlin's such a star that she didn't even, like, let it. She just kept going. So no one knew that Kelly had fallen off. But, yeah, we. We had this pregnant. She's doing December.

[Liz]

I'm sorry. I'm hearing this for the first time. Okay, we'll catch up after. Well, girls, I'm equally inspired. Like, I just both think these are such. And they're just not the side hustles that, like, you typically hear about and that get passed around. And that's exactly why we wanted to do side hustle summer, because I think there are so many ways to make money that people just aren't always thinking about. So I'm so grateful to both of you for sharing your story. Before you guys go, though, I need to know, after, like, a day of storking and after a day of laundry, what is your ditch the drive thrus? Katie, do you want to go first?

[Kelly]

Yes. Okay. So mine is, have y' all tried this viral Chuck roast? I'm gonna give the creator credit. Her name's Olivia.

[Liz]

I love Chuck roast.

[Kelly]

Okay. We. We just split half a cow with friends too, so we have lots of meat to make. Olivia Adrian, she's a pretty big creator. She has a million followers. But, y' all, this is what she does. She gets her Chuck roast, she puts it in a casserole dish, salt, she covers it. It goes in the oven on 300 all day. That's it. And it is the best roast I've ever made. My husband requests it weekly. It is the best roast we've ever made. It cooks in its own juices. You take the top off and broil it at the end. It has a crust like you did something fancy. It's incredible. And then you could do whatever you want. You could turn into tacos. You could do a box of mashed potatoes. It's insanely easy. It is a stay home thing, but it's delicious.

[Liz]

So not. See, I've only ever done it in the crock pot, but I feel like there's something so elevated about, like, having a roast in the oven. Like, what a vibe to have a roast in the oven, you know?

[Kelly]

And you didn't slice an onion. You didn't grate garlic, like, not even salt and pepper. She salts it, covers it sticks in the oven. I've done it twice, and every time we're like, how is that the best roast I've ever made? And, like, if you're so wait, how.

[Liz]

Long does it go for?

[Kelly]

So I always start around 10am the two times I've done it. And it's done by three or four, but it just depends on your roast, your size.

[Liz]

I'm trying it. I've got one thawing out in the fridge right now, and I was just gonna do my classical Mississippi, but I. I would. I think I'd enjoy the versatility of just having meat that's well cooked and then, to your point, do whatever you want with it from there.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

Instead of just, like, you know, kind of giving it its flavor profile in the crock pot. Okay, That's a good one.

[Kelly]

Easy. Especially if you're doing laundry all day. Easy, easy.

[Caitlin]

Yeah, There you go. All right, Caitlin, what's your Ditch the drive through.

[Katie]

Right now, we're on a smash. Burgers, kid. I mean, I feel like this is really common when I brought it up. So we just do it on, like, a griddle top, a nice, like, size of your palm burger ball, flatten it out with a tortilla over it, and then fry it up both sides. But you start with the burger down, and then all the juice kind of gets into the tortilla. It's really good. And then we do it, like, Big Mac style. So my husband makes homemade Big Mac sauce for it, and then we do pickles and lettuce. It's just quick and easy, too. And it's so good.

[Liz]

So you're doing, like, a Smashburger taco kind of thing?

[Katie]

Yes. Yes.

[Liz]

Okay. Liz. Yeah.

[Caitlin]

Oh, my gosh. I love them.

[Katie]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

They're so.

[Caitlin]

They have no. They have no business being as good as they are. You're like, it can't be. It can't be that good. And you're like, oh, this is the best thing I've ever had.

[Katie]

Yeah. I didn't think they were gonna be that good. My husband was like, come on, let's do it. Let's do it. I'm like, no, it looks like it'd be real greasy, but it's not at all. It's. Yeah. So we do it at least once a week, right? Now, that's a great.

[Liz]

And I'm sure it's quick, too.

[Katie]

Yes, very.

[Caitlin]

It's very quick.

[Liz]

Wow, that's amazing.

[Caitlin]

All right, ladies. Well, thank you so much for joining us. It was such a joy.

[Liz]

Do we ask where we could find Caitlin or. Caitlin? Do you like when people find you or. No?

[Katie]

Yes. So I'm just. My. Mine. I'm very easy to find. I'm at Caitlin sent on Instagram and Facebook. And then I am starting to build at the laundry crew, and that'll be my laundry page, but it's in the work, so right now it's just a profile picture.

[Caitlin]

It's not too late to change it to laundress.

[Katie]

I know.

[Caitlin]

It's not too late. I like it. But. Yeah, we don't know what kind of clientele you're gonna go with that, so. Yeah. Laundry crew. Yeah.

[Liz]

You don't know if you're gonna want dirty laundry.

[Caitlin]

Yeah.

[Liz]

All right, you guys, thank you so much for joining.

[Katie]

Thank you.

[Kelly]

Thanks for joining us. Bye.

[Katie]

Bye.

[Kelly]

Thank you for listening to the carpool podcast with Kelly and Liz. Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode. And if you enjoyed riding with us, tell everybody you know there's room in the car for everyone.