Photo submitted by Summer Sieller
Teachers don’t live in their classrooms? Mrs. Summer Sieller
What is your side hustle?
“I sell makeup and skincare through a combination of in-person events and social media for a direct sales company.”
When did you start your side hustle and how long have you been doing it?
“I started selling these products back in February of 2017. I can’t believe it’s already been five years.”
Why did you start your side hustle?
“I started my side business for several reasons. Mainly it was because I was a young mother at the time who felt like she had lost herself in the day-to-day of raising young children. My daughter and son were 5 and 2 years old and I just wasn’t sure of myself. I wasn’t confident in who I was, and quite honestly, I lost my identity early on as a mother. After months of reflection, I knew I needed something for myself that wasn’t “wife, mom, teacher.” I also felt like during these years I had lost some of my creativity and passion as an educator. Ironically, it was right around this time that I was given the opportunity to teach our Women’s Voices courses in the English Department. Between finding this business and teaching Women’s Voices, I was able to discover many of my passions once again. I am so grateful I took a leap of faith, put myself out there, and launched this endeavor.”
Talk a little bit about your side hustle and what exactly you do.
“I work for a direct sales company but am able to create so much content of my own to share my love of the makeup and skincare products I love and wear daily. Many nights and weekends are spent sharing about my love for long lasting, smudge-proof lip color and tinted moisturizer–yes, even under the daily masks of the pandemic. I set personal sales goals of around $2-$3K in sales every month. Since I buy our products at 50% off and resell items at full retail value, I am keeping about half of that as profit each month. I also help to manage a team of 300 women and am blessed with a sales commission through that avenue. One of my favorite parts of the business is the daily interactions I have with many of my customers who have become like friends over the past 5 years. I have also met so many talented and incredible women who do what I do. I am truly empowered by watching women financially support themselves and their families. You get to control how often or how much or little effort you put into selling. If I have a busy week with school or my childrens’ sports schedules, I pull back. If I am caught up and feeling motivated, I will share, share, share. The power of social selling and word of mouth has made my business what it is today. I am incredibly grateful to have led a team of women who collectively have sold over $6 million dollars in makeup and skincare since 2017. That figure just doesn’t seem real, but it is and I am inspired to live my best life daily because of it.”