Six Ways to Get to Six Figures in Six Weeks

Is it possible to earn six figures in six weeks? Yes. Is it easy? Absolutely not. Even if you do not have the resources to secure six figures in contracts in six weeks, there are still ways to kickstart your business in a month and a half and this article coves six ways to do just that.

Summer Fridays. As a journalist, I never experienced the glory of this concept myself but when I moved over to an agency from broadcast syndicated talk shows, I was shocked to find out that every Friday, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we were able to leave between after 1 pm.

And that’s where I saw an opportunity.

If we haven’t “met” yet, I’m Victoria Reitano but everyone calls me Vix because I’ve got the fix for all of your marketing, branding and business needs. Sounds too good to be true? I promise you, it is not.

I wrote my side hustle success story in the summer of 2015 by securing six figures of contracts (on an annual term) for my creative agency + content production house and haven’t stopped ever since.

Was it challenging? Sure.

Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Have I had to shift priorities, brands and goals? Of course!

Six Figures was my “goal” simply because that was the salary I was making at that time. At 27, I had had 6 jobs in 5 years and tripled my salary in 4 years – all with a print journalism degree. Something that is, if you’re familiar with the industry, completely unheard of! Especially for a woman. Especially in New York.

But to me? It seemed like Audrey was right – the word imPOSSIBLE is, in and of itself, a declaration of possibility. And I was going to prove all of the statistics, naysayers and, at times, that deep dark voice inside of myself, wrong.

So how did I do it? I know that’s what you’ve been scanning for since you opened this article. The TL;DR version? I am single, was pet-less for 2 of my 5 years in business and I look at my resources, skills and “hustles” in a very unique way. And I don’t stop until it is done.

Are you ready to read the real, real? Well, here we go. In this article, I will share the six ways I accomplished this, and how I continued to cycle through this over the past 4 and a half-ish (my business birthday is in August!) years as my business continues to grow, evolve and change.

And now? Let’s get into it!

What’s Your Side Hustle Success Story?

Understanding what skills you possess and what resources they require is the first step to developing a sound strategy for your business. We start here because, for some of you, this “business” may never be a full-time endeavor and that is okay – it doesn’t have to be full-time to provide full-value.

In my book, I share this exercise on how to identify items in your skillset that you enjoy and then figure out which of these skills will be the most profitable based on your availability and the other commitments in your life.

Step 1: Set a timer for 15 minutes and write down all the things you love to do. These do not have to be directly related to your career or degree, they can be anything and everything you’re good at.

Step 2: Ask a friend, spouse, partner or other trusted human to do Step 1 for you too. Getting someone else’s perspective is important in this process. Why? Because you might miss something that could be a really viable source of income by allowing your fear to hold you back.

Step 3: Isolate (highlight, circle, star) the skillset items that make YOU happiest on both lists.

Step 4: Isolate the 3 most lucrative or in-demand skillsets.

Step 5: Write down 3 ways for each of the 3 you selected in step 4, that you can earn extra cash from these skills.

And finally? Take action!! Start to think about how you’ll share your availability for these new skillset-based offerings with your community and then, continue reading!

Community is Everything… And I’m Not Just Talking About Follower

Another exercise I used to grow my business so quickly? The State of the Vix. Otherwise known as the State of YOUR Union.

In this exercise, I isolate three groups of contacts – people who can hire me, people who know people who can hire me and people who can promote my efforts. Once you do that, you determine if these people get emailed individually, all together or in a series of groups to accomplish your goals.

“Can I Pick Your Brain” = “I Offer Consulting”

This is the hardest part of being an entrepreneur – everyone wants to pick your brain. And sure, there’s value to the “coffee” conversation in the beginning but you have to set out expectations at each and every meeting so that your contacts, colleagues, friends and new acquaintances know that these are services you offer for a fee and that you’re happy to provide resources but free information (and time) is not something you’re willing to provide.

Growth is Messy, Do it Anyway

Boundaries will allow you to hold the line on the coffee conversations as you grow and that’s why personal growth + development is KEY to success when you decide to leap into entrepreneurship. So much of who you are gets tied into your business and it is important to take the time to step outside of the emotional part of that and determine exactly what you want at every phase. One book that really helped me grow? The Four Agreements. It’s something I read annually to remind myself of the commitment I’ve made to myself, my team, my business and my clients.

Consistent. Creative. Conversion.

The Three C’s of my Side Hustle Success Story? Consistent. Creative. Conversion.

Consistent dedication and action.

Creative trial and error.

Conversion of time, dollars and a deeper understanding of who you are and what you offer.

These three may seem like marketing doublespeak, but I can promise you these Cs have gotten me through the ups, downs and sideways. Consistently going after what you want, on your terms, can be challenging but if you are open to creative solutions, your conversions will continue to flow.

See how that works?

And there you have it — one path to growing a six-figure business in just six weeks. There are thousands of other ways to do this but the most important thing to remember? Consistent growth takes time and takes the courage to continue to change your path as you grow. It isn’t about overnight success, it is about overnight success that is sustainable!

You are stronger than you know and more capable than you think.

Here’s to making 2020 your most successful year, ever!

About Vix Reitano

Vix Reitano is a Founder, CEO and Business + Branding Coach. Reitano has managed brands at Time Inc, ABC, NBC, Telepictures and the United Nations in her 15-year career. She has worked with talent like Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan, Shakira, Meredith Vieira and Bethenny Frankel, and well-known brands like This Old House, CKO Kickboxing, RealSelf and hundreds of others. She is also an author and International Speaker having trained thousands of people just like you over the past five years. You can learn more about her on her website, vixreitano.com and her company, 6boro.agency. Follow Vix on LinkedIn and Twitter.