Oh, my gosh, you guys welcome, decide us. Will school got something pretty cool for you today are first of all its fourteen days to go until beside us. A book is out in the world, but also did you yesterday story was awesome about that target, store manager, that's making forty by Thousand dollars a month on the side, I did too, but guess what This is amazing, weak on Sicels WAR, because today story is also pretty incredible way. Back on episode, forty six, I told you about the life cricket drop shipping one of our most popular earlier episodes about this guy who ships crickets all across the country, without actually handling any amatory, while two hundred episodes have gone by since then, it is time to revisit crickets, but this is a little different because one, if you can eat crickets, does not sound great. No, of course, I not it's terrible, but apparently cricket are the new protein powder. This is not a joke. It's a money, far made of crickets, which literally cannot Albert.

Itself anymore, because it keeps running out of inventory. I'm not making this up. Folks today, story protein, shake lover, chops, crickets for six figure side: hustle is coming right up support for this punk ass comes from progressive. What would you do with an extra eight hundred others by a plane ticket pay down. Your student loan treat yourself to those shoes. You ve been eyeing with progressive. You can find out drivers who switch and save save an average of seven hundred. Ninety six dollars on car insurance get your quote online at Progressive dot com and see how much you can be saving national average. We'll car insurance savings by new customer surveyed who saved with progressive in twenty nineteen Alex Drakestail was serious about getting fed and staying healthy, tired of being the skinny I spoke he adopted a strict regiment of diet and exercise

Chile, jumping into body building and brazilian jujitsu to everyone around him. Alex was a man of discipline and drive is full time. There's a railway specialist, however, was not on his bucket list. It didn't help him stay healthy. Fed. Nor did it allow him to exercise his creative muscles spent nine long years working on the railroad, but when his friend in Spain offered a mentor him on starting an e commerce business? He knew it was time to leave a bold leap of faith. He pack some belongings into a backpack on a one way ticket to Spain and was In Barcelona, he learned to set up an e commerce website, all the while keeping an eye out for an idea. It would turn into a business. He knew he wanted to focus on something that would be environmentally sustainable, but other than that he was pretty open and nothing really seem to stick out at first but eight months into his move. He came across inspiration.

Unlikely place his facebook feet. It was around that time that are respected friend published an article on protein bars containing a unique ingredient. Crickets curious, Alex, read the article and he claims he was sold in less than two paragraphs. The cricket protein used in the bars was far more nutritious and sustainable than any protein never encountered as a bodybuilder. He was pretty sure nobody was making cricket protein powder and a thorough Google search confirm this. His path seemed clear: This was the idea. He was gonna turn into a site hustle, if not a full. On business. Alex move back home to Canada, ordered some dried and ground crickets and gathered some flavouring agents from the supermarket and then the experimenting began. He tested protein blends on reluctant friends and family no word on whether he had to pay them to try it. He says they were sceptical at first, but the flavorful and supposedly delicious. Protein, eventually one them over. He spent the next three or four days.

Researching how protein powders are produced and distributed. He discovered that most are created through CO, packers, which we talked about several times on the show go back. There is basically a company that will take your recipe and compile the Finnish not for sale, excited to get the ball rolling. He assembled a massive list of co packers in started, calling them up at first he was rejected. Then he was rejected again for some reason Actors did want to add thousands of insects to the same facilities where they mixed other food, and he says that a few there and got angry because they thought he was prank. Calling you finally arrived at the final cope hacker first and dialed. Their number guess what happened they said no to, but just before hanging up, they told Alex to call another facility, demonstrate from them. So he did. And the rest was history. This facility was pro cricket eager to take on the project. So by now things are falling into place. Yet is product a co packer in a vision to change the world, he also had a square space website and a shop. If I store any pay, just twenty five dollars braces

but logo in fact, is total start up. Costs were under two thousand dollars, most of which was used to develop the protein powder. Now it was time to turn his idea, which had acquired the name. Crick nutrition, HU, a revenue generating project he set up. A Kickstarter campaign was approved, but then six hours before the launch Kickstarter deleted his campaign without giving any reason it was another example of the Anti cricket bias. He continue experience, but he didn't give up. Instead, he turned to indigo who said chirped Europe bring it on and they agree to handle a crowd sourcing for his first major production order upon launch. He called in texts at every single person is network. The first few sales came friends and family, but later in the day, strangers started ordering. In fact, by the end of the first day, Crick Nutrition had raised the goal of ten thousand dollars by the time. The camp. Was complete yet over sixteen thousand dollars and orders from tutored backers in twenty two different countries. The cricket revolution could not be stopped

Around this time, Alex began, exploring adwords and Facebook adds Adwords ended up being a complete flop. It was too complicated and fickle for Alex to learn in a short, If time Facebook saw some reward, but not anything worth talking about then turned to advertising on influential podcast, where he saw great order. Spikes besides aired. In fact, on average, for ever one thousand dollars he spent on podcast ads. He generated one thousand five hundred dollars. It was a true no brainer. By the way, I should probably say that quick nutrition is not a sponsor of side. Hustle school, my closet, is definitely not stocked. Full of complementary cricket powder Much to my great disappointment. In those early months of starting out, Alex began to travel to pitch crick nutrition to retailers. Shockingly most were sceptical and agreed to sell his product only on consignment, which meant that he wouldn't get paid for six to nine months. Alex didn't love that idea. So in his mind, all that searching was a colossal waste of time. However, We started advertising on podcast and the business began growing at a strong pace, retailers, who are genuinely interested, had been approaching him and he said

These brands are much easier to negotiate with, since they understand the merits of cricket based protein. There already on the cricket train, which, by way this year. The cricket protein hustle will clear six figures, and this tremendous growth has also said. An interesting problem at an incredible solution, because the traction Marketing has generated as actually outpaced, Alex's production, a powder. His suppliers can't keep up they ve. Never. Demand for such quantity before apparently but Alex's on a mission in soon he's gonna start his own cricket farm, so that he can literally grow his ingredients. He'll be able to produce all the protein powder. His customers can ever want It really is a money farm made of crickets Alex just wait till this episode airs and also along the way, he's changing how people think about means Moody's forever Wow, what to add to the six bigger cricket, hustle story, minutes talk this story. Has it all in origin story, a unique product crowd funding

Worse, crickets honestly have very little commentary, I can add, except to say Alex, congratulations and the next time I buy protein powder make sure I checked the label carefully. Reject entitles for this episode included. Turn your crickets into cash. Europe is that money. I hear my backyard and sorry for all the dead crickets and your snooty. That really is nutritious. Today, show notes are it's out school dot com, slash to four eight inspiration is good. Inspiration with action is better on critical about four side also school. No.