Episode•October 29, 2020•21 min

From Furlough to Full-Time Entrepreneur with Shereen Kassam | Ep. 52

Have you been furloughed this year? COVID-19 has really turned our worlds upside down. Unemployment reached an all-time this year. Tiffany sits down with serial entrepreneur, Shereen Kassam, who used the opportunity to turn her side hustle into her full-time gig. This episode is full of gems! About Our Guest Shereen Kassam is a national touring stand-up comedian. She has performed worldwide on stages from New York to Saigon, as well as appeared on HBO and opened for Arsenio Hall. Shereen is also the host of Creative Breakthrough, a podcast that features in-depth conversation with creatives across entertainment, business, fashion, design, and the arts. When Shereen is not performing or podcasting, you can find her at Walt Disney World where she is a Strategy Manager. In addition, she recently started an e-commerce business in the CBD space. Prior to WDW, Shereen has worked at Amazon, Deloitte Consulting, and JPMorgan. She received her BA from Brown University and her MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Shereen currently resides in Orlando, Florida, and has a difficult time saying no to chocolate and chicken wings. Follow her on Twitter: twitter.com/funnybrowngirl Follow her on Facebook: facebook.com/funnybrowngirl Follow her on Instagram: instagram.com/funnybrowngirl Shereen's website: www.funnybrowngirl.com CBD product website: www.mypaincenter.com Links Tie-dye clothing company: www.flydyeco.com G-Suite (Google Voice): https://refergsuite.app.goo.gl/ieSM (Ask Tiffany how you can get 20% off!) Connect with Tiffany on Social Media Facebook: Money Talk With Tiff Twitter: @moneytalkwitht Instagram: @moneytalkwitht LinkedIn: Tiffany Grant YouTube: Money Talk With Tiff Channel Pinterest: Money Talk With Tiff This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn -...

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Key Takeaways

Side hustles create freedom and a safety net against job loss

Shereen was laid off in 2009 and realized companies have no loyalty

Side hustles allow you to control your own earning potential and job description

You can build new skills outside your day job pigeonhole

Furlough time can be leveraged to scale a side hustle into full-time income

Shereen grew her CBD e-commerce business 3x during furlough by dedicating time to learning

Free online resources (Shopify, consultations) provide massive value if you research first

Learning email marketing, digital marketing, and social media marketing became actionable through free content

Use vendor consultations strategically to extract free expertise

Shereen saved $6,000 on email marketing by learning the system herself after a sales call

Research beforehand so you can ask informed questions and reverse-engineer strategies

Apply learnings immediately and add new skills to your resume or freelance offerings

Women entrepreneurs often face gender bias from vendors and must assert authority

Shereen had to push back when a vendor questioned her $5,000 order and delayed shipping

She emphasizes using "I" instead of "we" to own accomplishments confidently

Professionalism is required even when dealing with difficult people

Fake it until you make it with professional systems

Shereen uses different personas (Susan the secretary, Sam the manager) to sound established

Google Voice ($20/month) routes calls professionally and separates business from personal

An IVR system makes small businesses appear larger and more credible to customers

Intro

Tiffany interviews Shereen Kassam, a national touring comedian and strategy manager at Walt Disney World who turned her CBD e-commerce side hustle into a full-time business after being furloughed in April 2020.

Shereen Kassam is a stand-up comedian who has performed worldwide, appeared on HBO, and opened for Arsenio Hall. She hosts the Creative Breakthrough podcast and runs www.mypaincenter.com. She previously worked at Amazon, Deloitte, and JPMorgan, and holds degrees from Brown and Wharton.

From Furlough to Full-Time Entrepreneur with Shereen Kassam | Ep. 52

Key Takeaways

Intro

– Why Shereen Started Side Hustling

– The Power of Framing Your Own Job Description

– Turning a Side Hustle Into Full-Time During Furlough

– Extracting Free Expertise From Sales Consultations

– Dealing With Difficult Vendors and Gender Bias

– Professional Systems: Google Voice and Persona Strategy

Resources

Topics