Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Podcasts for Aggies - AGCJ366
Podcasts for Aggie students by Aggie students

Episode 2: Here Comes the Sun- The Side Gig

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In this episode of The Side Gig, we will be meeting with the woman behind the Wandering Maverick Boutique, Kodye Neel. 

Kodye started her small business while attending Texas A&M University and has developed Wandering Maverick into a brand that supports women in agriculture, advocates for agriculture, and supports agriculture education! She now offers internships and scholarships through her boutique. 

After success, it can become difficult to keep up with marketing, producing products, managing money, and moving forward with growing your business. With this, mistakes happen and are a part of the journey. However, there are always tips and tricks that business owners wish they would have known before entering into the industry. 

In this chat, Kodye will share her tips and tricks on business management, some of the things she wishes she would have known before pursuing her passion, and lessons she has learned during her time growing Wandering Maverick Boutique.

We will also talk about how to handle burnout after you reach success. When we feel burnout, it is not because we no longer enjoy what we are doing, but because we have been working so hard. How do you find the work-life balance? We will answer this and more in this episode. 

We will also discuss how these tips apply to all sorts of businesses whether you are offering a product or a service, as well as communicating the importance of maintaining your brand as you grow. 

Join us for this coming episode as we empower women, support agriculture, and advocate for small business during, The Side Gig.

Episode 1: The Small Business Journey – The Side Gig

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When starting a business, there are so many things to consider from funding, taxes, branding, and more. This might seem intimidating at first, but don’t let it deter you from starting your journey. 

In this episode, we will discuss the do’s and don’ts of small businesses and cover the basics from branding to business practices. We will be meeting with my best friend and the owner of EKWesternDesigns, Emmy Walley, to talk about the journey of small business, changing your brand, and discovering your identity. 

 

We cover the pillars of defining your brand:

  • What will you be selling? A service or product?
  • Where will you be selling your product? Online, trade shows, brick-and-mortar?
  • Why do you want to start this business? Is there a need? Is this your passion?

Drawing your business plan:

  • Who is your target audience?
  • Will you register your business as a sole proprietorship or an LLC?
  • How much do you hope to make? How long will it take?

The College-business Balance

We will also be diving into the college-business balance with my friend and the owner of Walking P Knives, Evan Purviance, to discuss how to manage your passion project and your school work. College students are often under a lot of pressure to excel academically, stay active in extracurricular organizations, and maintain a social life. When you start a small business, it adds to your plate but is so worthwhile.

The Comparison Game

As small business owners, we often enter into saturated markets as small fish in the big sea. With this, it is more important than ever to create your vision and pursue it. Comparison is something that we often do without thinking. As a child, we notice when someone gets the bigger piece of cake or the better grade on a quiz. When managing a small business, it is easy to feel that other people have it all figured out. We often compare ourselves to those who have more experience, and different resources, and took a completely different path than us.

Through these talks, we will be facing all of these challenges and tasks head-on and talking, The Side Gig.