Hello, hello, friends, listeners community. I hope you are. We. As we are heading into the holidays, I am now underway with my annual review, which I have been doing for ten years now, I think, actually more than ten years just kind of looking back over the year and looking ahead setting goals in a number of different Korea is creating a theme, a mission statement for the years to come, and as I do this reflection, I continue to be aware and grateful that you are out there and that I had the chance tell you these stories every day and if your new to our community, basically, what I'm doing is telling stories of real people who Find a way to create a new source of income for themselves, and so on do any kind of crazy where and unconventional way or just something that seems really off the wall it might be more normal, but the key theme is that most people are using a skill they already have just perhaps in a different way,

they're, not spinning Oughta money or at least are not going into debt and sincerely trying to quit their jobs. So this is something that is truly unique to satisfy school and once again, I am glad that you are part of it. So a jump in in today, story a spousal birthday gift becomes a forty thousand dollar card game or tabletop came. If you will, it starts as a creative gift for this guy's wife but the game is up making a lot of other people happy too. Now it's not an overnight success. There's a tonne work that goes into this, and just about every other crops did I tell you about, but this hard work is paying off now that the guy this out in the world and being played not just played, but also purchased at his critical by a lot of people. Last at least. This is also a family story. Are protagonist realises he can't go it alone. Two ends up hiring it to the people closer to him to work alongside him in the business. Let's say thank you to sponsor. I appreciate them allowing the show to be completely free to you and then I'll tell you

about this spousal birthday gift. It turns into a forty thousand dollar card game Casey, hillside hustle started as a gift to his wife. Every year. One of them makes a creative present for the other partner in twenty fifteen. It was Casey's turn we wanted to see. If he could create an in depth. Tabletop came the two of them could play in listing. The of his dad Casey set out to create a game. Many of us might recognised as being similar to magic. The gathering you'll be set in a rich environment, filled with folklore and stories all channel through a custom set of playing cards. The Father and son team work to run their day, jobs to put together the initial version of the game which they called Archive, derived from the greek word for ruler. Our current centres on the story of a once bountiful and prosperous land, which is now divide.

And at war with itself through four major factions. Players have to use their cards and powers. Each faction possesses to obtain control of the land and camp, the new and rightful ruler, the initial version? game was easy to play and simple and design when Casey found they get it it to his wife. She absolutely loved it so much so she kept wanted to play. They eventually hosted game nights with friends so that they could experience the game too. It was during his game rights, the case he really began to feel he had eight business idea, not just a gift, that's when he began what become a two year journey to bring our call to the wider gaming world. He knew it and tackle this project along what working as full time job as a marketer. So he founded the hill gaming company is less damosel, comprised of his father dog and his brother Tom neither side. Note I see here on my screen that Tyler is a professional magic, the gathering player, and I have no idea how that works. We should probably to a story on Tyler himself at some point, but for now we're focused uncasing, so the newly up

a team began to test our car on the smallest possible scale. They would take the gains, look gaming stores picture to the owners and then run a small play through together feedback. They are looking for ways to improve the game, build credibility and see if it had commercial potential. Its initial phase took a number of months, but was critical to the long term. The success of the product over time. The tea began to refine archives, game play and judge players reactions. They love the balance between the game, simplicity and debt. The possible strategy had enabled it was when gamers were chopping at the bit to play again that the newly formed company knew they were ready for the next phase, to look for a manufacturer to create and print the carts they used a company called panda which was recommended by many veterans in the gaming industry. I like it up in the show the neighbourhood into this initial samples they could centre of yours and used for product photography. They knew they couldn't just go straight to market with a product. They had to first build a following and generate interest

Casey uses skills as a market or to create a plan which will hopefully built to a successful crescendo arc What officially launched on Kickstarter in February twenty eighteen, the teams jobless- built an army of followers, so that when that launch happened, they be able to ship enough. You said. The love of the game would spread on its own. Kitty's a lot of time reverse engineering everything they could to make that happen. They built a blog for the website where the inner, prolific gain designers. They sent samples to Youtube channels, so people could see live action, pleasures and reviews, and they appeared on pod cast to reach people they otherwise wouldn't the most effective strategy. Casey found partaking in discussions and offering solutions on industry message boards. This took a lot of preparation. It was months before and felt immersed enough dimension is product but being outside and where the community would do more to market archive than any other channel. So have you been I think this episode so far you thinking while case you must have invested a lot of time into this. Well, he did, but he did that over the course of two years and during that hope.

I am, he maintained a balance between his day job, his family life and growing this project. He says he did it without revising the other areas of his life. In fact, he says if anything, it's important, is more your day job, because that's how you pay your bills that support your family. That's really good advice for somebody out there when the launch finally arrived in February, twenty eighteen, it brought in forty thousand, Five hundred dollars from more than twelve hundred customers in fifteen different countries, they'd invested thirty- five thousand dollars and the creation of the product and the artwork, so it was around a five thousand dollar, profit least an initial profit. Now, of course, as long as demand remain strong, they can make much more money going forward and part of our kinds. High earning potential comes from its pricing Casey Price, a deck of cards, which is often called a tough box at twenty dollars, which is higher than normal.

He wanted a position it as a premium brand and he knew the high level artistry they used would ensure they stood out so far. It seems the market has agreed. Looking to the future. Casey wants to take our converter, it maybe develops and more games. Now that he's got a track record. Success. He wants to know if there are other magical worlds, just waiting to be discovered. Ass. I may strike story with lights, a lesson there, especially about life work balance. I don't always like that Brace Lifeward balance. I think it's kind of problematic. But the concept of having your life aligned doing work that you believe in while also maintain I'll be relationships. Course that's important and that's why I came to yours I D go slowly and deliberately here's a fun fact about his day. Job tat case: you actually works for technology platform, called entrepreneurs

and his employer was actually really supportive of aside hustle, they even saw the potential benefits it could have for their. In house marketing clients, so I mention that, because I often from people who have questions like what you are these peoples, employer or a boss or company. What do they think about this project that they're doing? in reality, as there is a range of outcomes for sure but hearing at him, we support an aside. I saw is not abnormal, like I do here that fairly often also hear from people who have to keep their project a secret from thereby sound, but that's a whole other thing, so, hopefully, whatever situation neuron is more positive line like And if not, what you're probably working on changing something anyone right, because nobody listens to satisfy school unless they want to do something for themselves. They believe in these values of independence, of creativity, of funny, a different way to express yourself and ideally, funding a different way to get paid through that expressed It is ultimately all about freedom and independence and autonomy. No matter what it is. You decide to do next My friends, I hope you enjoy this episode. As always in

Duration is good, but inspiration with action is better. My hope is that you like these stories, but they also can teach you something get you thinking, perhaps in a way that helps with a project of your Do you like to check out the show on for today's episode, got links to everything I mentioned? Go to satisfy school dot com, slash, seven, zero! Three that represent seventy three I'll, be back. Once more tomorrow with just what episode seventy four, I hope, you'll join. Be sure you subscribe once again. My name is he'll about, and this is site I school.