FOOD FOR THOUGHT
I’ve made an extra £119k after turning my childhood passion into a successful side-hustle… here’s how
A WOMAN revealed how she made an extra £119,000 after turning her childhood passion into a successful side-hustle.
Rachel Laryea has scooped some serious cash after staring her own food business while working a full-time job.
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The investment strategist for JP Morgan is the founder of Kelewele, a plantain-based food business in New York.
Rachel had a personal connection to the food product as it was something she fondly remembered from her childhood.
She created her side-hustle business in 2018 all while working a nine-to-five role in the finance industry.
Over the last five years, Rachel has been able to expand her part-time gig from a few thousand pounds in revenue to just over a whopping £119,000 ($150,000).
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“My love for plantains starts from as early as I can remember. I was raised by my mum immigrated from Ghana.
“She worked two jobs and I think that's where I get my hustle mentality from,” she told .
The successful entrepreneur recalled relocating from North Virginia to New York where she spent her time trying to balance her scholarships and part-time jobs.
And thanks to her hard work motivation, the businesswoman was able to graduate from New York University while receiving a dual PhD from Yale - all debt free.
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She then reflected on living in the expensive city as a student and said she took up a job as a live-in nanny as it meant she could live rent free.
While living the student life, Rachel searched for cheap food to keep her outgoing expenses down and remembered that plantains were incredibly affordable.
The then-student recalled hosting "plantain kickbacks" where she would cook dishes including the fruit for family and friends before meeting with food establishment owners who later started stocking her products.
As well as this, Rachel would cook dishes out of her Brooklyn apartment and sell them at pop-ups and festivals.
But the cash started flooding in when the businesswoman opened her online store which allowed her to distribute her plantain-based food products across the US.
Speaking on her jaw-dropping success so far, she said: "I have yet to lose any money off of this plantain business but I'll also say that I do not pay myself from the business.
"All of the revenue that's generated I just reinvest into the business because I have the privilege of working a nine-to-five job which meets all of my needs".
She also revealed that her ultimate goal is to expand into retail and consumer packaged goods.
This comes after a finance project manager told how he made an extra £30,000 last year - and the money is only going up.
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Another woman revealed how she makes £80,000 a year with a simple part-time gig where she only has to work a few hours a week.
And a money expert revealed how you could make up to £5,000 a year extra with easy side hustles that don't even require a degree.
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