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

1
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
2
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
3
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
4
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
5
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.

Website Twitter Instagram CBD Products

– Why Shereen Started Side Hustling

After being laid off in 2009, Shereen realized companies have no loyalty and wanted a safety net. She also felt pigeonholed in corporate roles and used side hustles to build new skills and prove herself.

I dedicated my whole life at that point to this company and it didn't matter at the end of the day, they just let me go.
– Shereen Kassam

– The Power of Framing Your Own Job Description

Side hustling lets you control your earning potential and be your own boss. Tiffany notes that freelancers on Upwork are in high demand for services like email marketing and SEO.

You get to frame your own job description.
– Shereen Kassam

– Turning a Side Hustle Into Full-Time During Furlough

Shereen was furloughed in April 2020 and used the time to scale her CBD e-commerce business. She grew revenue 3x by studying free resources on email marketing, digital marketing, and social media.

There's such a wealth of information out there on the internet and I just never had the time to sit down and go through all that material.
– Shereen Kassam

– Extracting Free Expertise From Sales Consultations

Shereen turned vendor sales calls into free consulting sessions. After a $6,000 email marketing pitch, she learned the system herself by studying competitors' sequences and saved the money.

I can do this myself. What is stopping me from signing up for the emails from these companies, seeing what they do, taking notes?
– Shereen Kassam

– Dealing With Difficult Vendors and Gender Bias

Shereen's biggest learning curve was managing relationships with vendors and customers. She faced skepticism from male vendors who questioned her $5,000 orders and delayed shipments.

I gave you my credit card. I need that order. Plus I need you to double it now.
– Shereen Kassam

– Professional Systems: Google Voice and Persona Strategy

Shereen recommends Google Voice ($20/month) to separate business calls and create professional voicemail greetings. She also uses different personas (Susan, Sam) to appear more established when answering calls.

Resources

Topics

side hustlese-commercefurloughentrepreneurshipCBD businessemail marketinggender biasfreelancingGoogle Voicevendor management