For some drivers, rideshare driving is a way for them to pursue other goals, like starting their own business or funding a passion project. For guest contributor Tyler Philbrook, rideshare driving enabled him to attend one amazing conference and completely transform his life.
“You Win”
That was the subject of an email I received in 2016. At first, I thought it was another scam, but I noticed who it was from and thought better. When I opened it I couldn’t believe I had just won a free ticket to FinCon16, a conference I had wanted to go to for years.
There was just one problem.
I live around 2,500 miles away and I had no money to get there.
But I was determined to get there, and when I did, it changed my life forever.
But First, What is FinCon and Why Is it So Incredible?
If you have never heard of FinCon, it is a financial conference put on by PT Money each year. It’s where money nerds unite and have a good time.
Most people think it’s just for people interested in finance, but the truth is it’s for everyone. Each year it gets better, they have sessions for YouTubers, bloggers, and podcasters. The conference helps you sell more products and services. Most of all, the conference is a lot of fun.
So many people I followed online had told me how amazing FinCon was, and how they got their start because of it, so I had to get there.
Interested in seeing what FinCon is all about? You can get access to all of the speakers, sessions and more here.
How I Got To FinCon
I already had a business that was making money, as well as a stable 9 to 5 job. But I was heavily in debt and every penny was going to cover basic living and debt payments.
The business I had been running is called Retail Arbitrage. To see the entire process I use to sell on Amazon, check out my guide here. Essentially I would buy items on clearance or sale in a Target, Walmart, or Walgreens and resell the item on Amazon for a profit. I had started doing this about 6 months before, but it wasn’t making much money at the time, only a few hundred dollars a month.
I had, however, figured out the business and how to make money, but the problem was I needed more money to put into the business in order for it to make enough money for me to go.
Thus, I started rideshare driving again, the first side hustle I had ever done that made money.
How Rideshare Driving Got Me There
Selling with Amazon FBA (the retail arbitrage I mentioned above) is a great business. It isn’t a get rich quick thing by any means, but it is a business that anyone can do if you put enough time into it. Step one though is getting seed money, and with how tight our finances were I couldn’t justify spending any personal money on a business. That’s where rideshare driving came in.
While working my 9 to 5 job, I started rideshare driving (in Florida) before and after my shifts. If I started work at 12:30 pm, I would drive from 7 to 11 am and then go to work. If I worked from 9 to 5:30 pm, I would start driving at 5:30 pm and get done around 10 or 11 pm. I also drove every Friday and Saturday night.
While waiting for rides, I would go inside the stores that I would buy merchandise from, like Target, and look for merchandise to sell on Amazon. Sometimes I would get a ping, and run to the front with whatever I found hoping the whole time the passenger didn’t cancel the ride, which, for the record, never happened.
Eventually, the money I was getting from Amazon made it so the only thing I needed to do to bring money in was run the Amazon business, which was great because I was able to use this money to pay for my plane ticket, hotel stay, and food while at FinCon16.
Interested in FinCon? It’s still several months away, but you can check out FinCon19 (and previous) presentations and talks with the FinCon Virtual Pass here.
The 3 Best Benefits Of FinCon
Getting to FinCon was a dream come true. I must have studied the agenda around 100 times a day to make sure I knew exactly what sessions I wanted to go to and what I wanted to learn.
Some of my decisions were based on who was speaking, others on the topic, but I don’t regret a single thing that I did on that trip. Here are the three main things that FinCon16 did for me.
I Became A “Real Person”
When you start an online business, you’re almost not a “real person” at first. People will look at your stuff, they may comment, talk to you on social media, or respond to your emails, but you’re just some guy on the internet.
Being at a conference like FinCon puts all of that work you’ve done and throws Miracle-Gro on your business.
Now you’re not just a person they met online but you’re a real person they’ve spoken to, they’ve eaten with, maybe even drank with.
People are much more likely to work with you and remember you later.
Met My Heroes
The number of people I met at my first FinCon was amazing. There were a few people I really wanted to meet and I got to meet almost all of them.
The biggest one for me was Pat Flynn. I also got to meet Chris Ducker, Jordan Harbinger, and your very own Harry Campbell, all of whom were very down to earth and great to talk to.
My Heroes Became My Friends
Of the list above two of which I would now consider friends. Pat and I have hung out a few times at some events, and he even mentions me in his latest best selling book Superfans.
Harry has been on my podcast, and now has me here on his blog, and I got an advanced copy of his amazing book The Rideshare Guide.
I’ve worked with others I met there like Joseph Hogue, Steve Stewart, Taylor Kathleen, and so many others. But, the biggest thing is I don’t consider these people “clients” or associates, they are legitimate friends I can reach out to.
Don’t Go To FinCon, Or Do
I personally recommend every single person go to FinCon, even those I think would find it “boring” because it’s anything but.
That being said, not everyone should go. Maybe your goal is just to start a business and get some seed money to do that. Rideshare driving is the perfect way to get that started.
If you want to receive training, mentoring, or anything else in a field completely unrelated, use the money from rideshare driving to get that.
If you get nothing else from this tale, please get this:
Use the money you can get from rideshare driving and put it into something important to you.
Not your friends, family, coworkers, to you. Something that will increase your joy, your life, and yes your finances.
Doing that, something that means that much to you that you’re willing to put that much work into, and eventually you may get to the point you don’t need the rideshare driving anymore.
Though, you’ll probably still do it from time to time.
Interested in FinCon? It’s still several months away, but you can check out FinCon19 (and previous) presentations and talks with the FinCon Virtual Pass here.
Tyler Philbrook is a Facebook Ad Manager, Freelance Writer, and Blogger. He documents his journey on his blog I Am The Future Me.
Readers, what questions do you have for Tyler? Ask away about selling on Amazon, driving in Florida and more!
-Harry @ RSG
