Side Hustle Turned $7.3M/Year Business?!
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- čas přidán 29. 05. 2024
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Epic Gardening has grown into one of the top gardening blogs in the world, with an average revenue of $7.5 million per year. Find out how to start an online business that scales to 7 figures in this interview.
Kevin Espiritu tried a lot of different businesses before he settled on his gardening blog, from playing online poker to web design to a media startup. He came to Epic Gardening as a way to make money from his passion while helping people at the same time, and it proved to be, not just the best online business for his life and interests, but a break-out hit with his viewers.
While it’s a massive venture now, Epic Gardening started off small. Kevin’s budget to initially launch the blog was less than $100, and he’ll share how he spent that budget to start his online business from home. He used social media platforms like Reddit and Instagram to build an audience for free, and you’ll hear his tips for how to leverage this kind of free marketing to grow an online business brand.
Even for someone with experience as an entrepreneur, starting an online business isn’t easy. Kevin will talk through some of the mistakes he made early on and what he learned from them to keep Epic Gardening growing. He’ll also explain how he grew from a blog to a podcast and CZcams channel and expanded into eCommerce to grow Epic Gardening into what it is today.
If you liked this video, make sure to check out some other best online businesses to start:
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Resources
www.epicgardening.com/ - Learn more about Epic Gardening on their website
/ epicgardening - Watch Epic Gardening’s CZcams channel
www.upflip.com/courses - Start a business step-by-step with UpFlip’s courses
Timestamps:
00:00 - START
00:46 - Meeting Kevin
02:11 - Startup costs
02:46 - Side hustle to full-time
04:27 - Early businesses
05:26 - Benefits of a 9-5
06:36 - Expanding the blog
07:32 - Fan blitz
09:50 - Investment funding
11:56 - Early podcast and CZcams
13:43 - Managing content
15:05 - Business partner
16:15 - Adding eCommerce
18:00 - Time management
19:22 - The Epic Gardening team
20:04 - Building eCommerce
21:42 - Seed catalog
22:19 - Sales with $0 ads
23:28 - Paid advertising
24:47 - Smartest business move
25:52 - Why hire
27:13 - Business books
28:38 - Goal setting
30:31 - Revenue and goals
#onlinebusiness #howtostartanonlinebusiness #onlinebusinessfromhome
Explore our business courses, taught by accomplished business owners: www.upflip.com/courses/business
He should buy more lands or create a hydrophonic building to control the growth environment.
Appreciate the feature guys, was fun to have you out and share a different side of the story than what you see on our channels :) - Kevin
Congratulations Kevin! We thank you for all you do!
We're thrilled to have you on the channel, Kevin! Your knowledge has been a real eye-opener, and we've learned a ton from your expertise. 👊
Best gardening CZcamsr. Helped me get back into it
I really admire your work, and especially how real you are. I learn new things and really have a lot of fun watching you guys.
Sharing your successes (and failures at times). I’m so happy that you’ve been able to grow such a great business by doing what you love and teaching others how to garden as well. I’ve often thought of creating CZcams content, but I’ve always been scared to try. I have a lot of experience and knowledge, but just don’t know how to apply it yet.🤞🏼
I would love to partner with you in someway adding content to what you already do. I have a lot of great ideas for more content.
God bless you and your future, make sure you thank Him every day, we can’t do anything without Him.
❌⭕️🙏🏽♥️
I'd love for you to make a channel on the real estate I'd love to know your journey on that, as well as learn what you know.
Kevin's legit. I've followed his channel for years and it's been impressive watching his growth and evolution. No gimmicks, just great gardening insight and inspiration. He's earned all his success.
💯💯💯
He is a real deal!!
I agree. I also have been watching him for several years and love his no-nonsense style. When he recently purchased Botanical Interests(which made perfect sense and was a very natural progression in line with his garden focused mindset),I was wondering how he was able to make that move. This interview filled in the gaps. Very happy for him!
Appreciate the kind words
That’s what I’m in awe about. The growth from start to present. Impressive
I think Kevin's smartest business move was buying the homestead. That is where I feel he really took off.
That's when I started seeing his videos showing up more often in my feed.
It was a huge unlock - allowed me the space to truly build the garden I'd always wanted to build, and share more about non-garden stuff. Greywater, rainwater capture, chicken keeping, and more.
haha you are right , first i saw it , i was like wtf , dude in the desert or whats , nothing growing elsewhere
Starting with a lot of cash was his power move. It helps a lot...
There are a few things that went unsaid that I think really helped contribute to the success of Kevin's Epic Gardening channel. One being that he is a very charismatic person that seems to genuinely want people to become better gardeners using whatever they have at their disposal. He also uses his failures as great teaching moments and will remind the viewers that it is ok to fail but to learn from that failure. The relationship he shares with Jacques also seems to help lighten the mood of the videos when they have their witty back and forth banter. The video editors are great at spotlighting these moments. But the main reason why I personally think their products sell so well is that they actually use their products in their videos all the time and you can see how well they stand up to everyday use and it helps build familiarity with the products.
He's also conventionally attractive, which is a huge help for getting thumbnail clicks
I wasn’t into gardening at all, but started watching Epic Gardening years back. I started with house plants, then tried indoor basil and failed miserably. Then this year really started landscaping, then learned about permaculture and decided to tie in my own spirituality with gardening… can’t wait to keep growing my journey and one day start my CZcams channel :) gotta love Kevin and his personality! Him and Jacque are still my faves 😅
I am curious to know about the spiritual aspects of your gardening, if you ever wanted to share, if it’s not too personal for you. 💚
Start your channel now. People come for the growth then stay for the content.
So much to love about this episode, and how generously and authentically Kevin shared his growth. Have been watching Epic Gardening for a while, and wish Kevin and his team the very best.
His success story is undeniably inspiring! Are you a fan of gardening yourself?
I've been watching Epic Gardening for many years and have constantly been inspired by Kevin and Jacques. Happy to see passionate people succeed.
I have watched Kevin's channel and business grow over the years and I am happy for/proud of him. He worked really hard on his brand and business. It is very inspiring! Mabuhay!
Absolutely true! His backstory is truly inspiring, and we're thrilled that he shared it with us! 😊
I was scrolling CZcams and see Kevin’s face and headline on your channel… talk about stopped everything to watch this. I started following Kevin in 2019 because of being determined to actually grow a vegetable properly. Today I have my Birdies beds, other goodies from their website, purchased land with the goal to starting a regenerative farm so I can semi retire my hubby. To see how Epic has done is so utterly encouraging!
Great interview and so appreciate the deep dive. 😊👩🏼🌾👩🏼💻👍🏻👍🏻
As a business owner in my mid fifties, i love watching your content! I'm learning so much from this channel. So glad i found you guys recently.
Welcome to the UpFlip family! It means a lot to us. Do you have a business topic you want to see next on the channel? 🤔
@@UpFlip how about a business that is female-oriented? Massage, hair salon, etc?
This is my favourite episode so far. I absolutely love garden/agricultural businesses so this was the ideal one for me, particularly since I have been following EG for years now. Good job to all involved and also, well done to Kevin for having the tenacity to work so hard and build such a wonderful business. Love from Scotland.
Means a lot to hear this - happy you enjoyed
I have been following Kevin since 2017. Purchased many raised beds, seed trays, seeds, grow bags, and other products from Epic gardening. It's been fun and entertaining watching his growth. His Purchase of the homestead really appears to have been a pivitol move. Here's to your continued success and business model.
Appreciate your support Brian - means a lot to read this, and very happy you've enjoyed our products!
I love my birdies beds, and my seeds from botanical interests. I’m so proud of Kevin and Epic.
I am 100% the person who has a CZcams channel in this niche going "How the hell has he done what he has now done?" I have had decent success on my CZcams channel, but nowhere near a full-time wage.
BUT I will say that Kevin has worked hard for it, put in the time, and deserves exactly what he has! Awesome video and extremely insightful for someone like me!
I just went and looked, and to be honest, I think its the name. I assumed instantly that what you grew was just peppers! Great channel, but change the name. I craft cards and stuff, but I have gardened for over 50 years, and I am somewhat of an expert. The only thing that grabs my attention now, is money/time saving, and better innovation.
I appreciate that! The name is definitely something I've thought about changing, I just haven't pulled the trigger on it. My last name is "Whiteleather" so my friends started calling me "whitepepper" when I first got into growing peppers which eventually lead me to growing everything else. BUT that isn't a story that is told at a glance and could definitely be hurting my channel. Thanks again!@@CraftEccentricity
wow your views are all over the place but you got some videos having well over 20k. How big do you have to get to make a living wage??
INSPIRING. He definitely knows how to connect with the audience, always an underrated quality.
Agreed. It's one of his strongest suits! 🥳
I love that you both are still so down to earth folks, love your stuff (and your climate!)
Kevin is the best CZcams gardener I’ve ever watched. Also, his Epic 6 cell and 4 cell pots are amazing! They are worth every penny. I’ve had mine 2 years and the are strong, sturdy and amazing
Nate Muri --Garden like a Viking!! Kevin come here and hold my Beer!!
I will be following your formula with my own twist. I appreciate you and all the work you are putting in. The world needs you.😊
That's fantastic! Have you ever considered turning that into content? There might be someone out there who'd love to see it!
I’m so happy for you! Also, when you talk about your father and Filipino roots - it truly warms my heart!
I would appreciate all your feedback and constructive criticism on my style of interviewing. Lol, I sometimes look like I'm leading an orchestra with my hands :) Thank you all for watching and for your support. At the end of the day, it's all about execution of the knowledge we are here to share.
I was trying to think of some constructive criticism for you, but honestly...you do a great job. I think yourself and the other two guys who have been presenting this year, you all do a wonderful job with it. I forget their names but are they still going to presenting also? I like their personalities. You are all very positive, which is what I really enjoy about this channel. Many people are full of opinions and I am sure criticism of others so maybe they will have a different opinion to myself but just remember...and I am sure you will be well aware already, since it's your job to be aware...but there's so many rude people out there who are just here to put others down so yes, don't allow negativity to get you down.
@@nuancemattersthank you
You are relatable and make your guests feel comfortable. You ask the questions I want to ask. You talk with your hands and that's ok. 😊
thank you, noted.@@lilychats5317
You do an awesome job. Your questions are my questions. You ask the right questions every time. Your interview was awesome, your style and pacing fantastic. Keep it up.
COVID Gave the garden CZcamsrs a crazy boost in traffic. It was really cool to watch it happen.
Indeed, there was a noticeable shift in the entertainment landscape during those times!
This was awesome to see. I watched epic consistently a few years ago when I was starting out growing. Exciting to see how far he's come. Congrats!!
He's gone a long way! Glad to spot an OG supporter! 🙌
This might be my favorite entrepreneur you guys have interviewed.
Thrilled to hear that! It's always fantastic to connect with entrepreneurs who inspire and resonate with our audience.🌟
Man this came at a great time. Been thru waves of ventures, great successes and failures. At a big crossroads with my own business and the nuggets sprinkled in this interview plus the overall vibe has got me pumped to step it up. Cheers to you all ☝️
Hey Kevin, your idea for a Relationship Personal Assistant App is Epic as well; very out-of-the-box idea.
Ahead of its time, actually! Very creative and helpful. 👏
Maybe it was before its time ;)
It's great to see a genuinely great person doing very well. Congratulations Kevin you deserve all the success.
I've been watching Kevin's videos since the pandemic started and I love the content, but it is the people who keep me watching. Kevin and Jacques seem like genuinely good people and I love how open and honest they are. I'm glad they are seeing the success they have earned.
That's awesome to hear! Did they inspire you to do your own gardening?
@UpFlip Yup! I was always hesitant to start because I felt like I didn't know enough, but I learned from them that you just need to start somewhere. That is truly the best way to learn. I have a small yard, but I do container gardening for food on my back porch and have flowers on the front porch. It works great and is really easy once you get started. Kevin's books Grow Bag Gardening and Urban Gardening have been really helpful as well.
I ❤ Kevin. He’s super talented and easy to learn from ❤❤❤
I watch him all the time one of the best gardening CZcamsrs ever to live
That's fantastic! Given your passion for gardening, have you ever considered turning it into a business? 🌿
@@UpFlip Yes actually I make lot of gardening videos like epic gardening
Had NOOOO idea he made this much money!!! WOWWWWW
He made sure to leverage his love of gardening to get to where he is now! 🔥
Hey, it's my worm poop guy!!! Been following his channel and buying from the e-commerce store for a couple years now. I really appreciate how passionate Kevin is about his business, treating it like a privilege and putting his customers first rather than just trying to make a quick buck. Awesome interview, thanks for doing it Kevin and UpFlip!
Appreciate your business, truly
Thank you Kevin this video did help me push me in the right direction. I to believe in farming and needs to be done right and more of. I have done the small farming before during Covid and now I’m back in the city living again but the farmer in me is still with me. So I started a backyard urban farm I’m just waiting to turn it into a business of some type
Great video. Very inspiring to us garden content creators out there. It’s also great to know the market for growing food at home continues to expand. We need more folks growing food at home and doing this great work.
The pandemic really changed people's perspective so now more and more are getting interested in how they can grow their own food 🙏
@@UpFlip hopefully, it is a wake-up call that you can’t put 100% of your reliance on grocery stores.
Agreed my friend!
From listening to him speak, it's obvious that Kevin is a sharp guy. His breakdown of each "layer" he added to build his business was GOOD STUFF. Thank you!
Agree! Smart moves from a smart guy 💪
Saw him at our local nursery a couple months ago, seems like a great guy
My two favorite channels at once today!
I adore Epic Gardening. Inspired me so much and has given me so much information. I’ve never had a better garden. Kevin gave me the confidence to triple my growing space and I haven’t regretted it one moment.
Kevin did a personalized autograph in on of his books for a special needs friend of mine. And I got to give him that book as a gift. Kevin, is amazing. And his customer service is far above perfect.
Thank you for sharing your experience! Kevin's a nice guy!
I've been watching your channel since morning. Your content is incredibly inspiring.. thank you and all your generous guests.
Kevin and his team deserve it. Keep on growing
Kevin is genuinely true and I love it! Been watching epic gardening for 2 years now and I get so excited each time I see a new video ❤️ this was an extra treat thank you 😊
Awesome! Is gardening just a hobby for you, or have you turned it into a business?
Love his channel! Kevin makes gardening way more fun!
Great episode, love Kevin and his work. Also I always appreciate asking about their favorite books. Just added those two to my book reads
Awesome! Any books you'd like to share with the community too? ☺️
Love Kevin's channel, he fully deserves the success he's experiencing! Cheers from Australia! 👍
Kevin, your so interesting. Thank you for your openness!
Congratulations! Good for him. I love gardening but I don't know enough to start a blog. Love Upflip videos.
Its relatively cheap to start. Check out Income School or Authority Hacker. They've got some great content on this topic!
Great seeing Kevin speak on a level outside of gardening. Ive watched him grow for years (even some hydro days lol)
Kevin is what America is about :-) Growing YOURSELF ❤
One of the best episode so far. This man is brilliant and inspiring
I love Kevin’s transparency and honesty in this video. I watch his videos from EG and the Homestead but this vid gives me insight on business Kevin.
7:56 VERY helpful detail. Great descriptive information. Thanks!
INCREDIBLE!!! THANK YOU! I WATCH YOUR VIDEOS ALL THE TIME AND ITS SOOO AMAZING, YOU GIVE EXCELLENT TIPS AND TRICKS
He inspires me! I’m a gardener! Seeing the improvements in my family’s health and my love for gardening keeps me growing!! I come from a family of great farmers! Looking forward to next year!!!!!
Yo, I became a fan of Kevin during Covid, when it hit NY. His work, business models, cool and confident talker has been part of my inspiration in ministry. The Epic Gardening Team is an awesome group of down to earth folks, are amazing teachers. Thank you for this piece on Kevin!
Super happy for Kevin! He has put a lot of work into his passion.
Been following Kevin for a while now. Love him! 😍
Thanks gent's that was a fantastic talk you had. We appreciate your passion for sharing what's best. Cheers!
Hope you enjoyed this episode as much as we did! Are you a fan of gardening too?
Don't know anything about Epic Gardening, but this video is a master class on how to get going with a ton of actual insight on what it means to start your own business and how that process changes over time.
Fantastic!!! Been gardening for years and this has inspired me to do more. Thanks for sharing ❤
Appreciate your transparency, Kevin @epicgardening! Keep up the great work!
Thank you for your support! Any collaboration you'd like to see next?
i've had so many gardening ideas which I couldn't do it today! I love this and Juaq's channel. THis was a great video! Much to learn and experience!
This very show is what inspired GrizzMama Farms in Minnesota ;) Thanks for showcasing an awesome company!🎉
Wooow bro defenetly I have been inspired this day. Thanks alot...God bless you both.
Holy sh*t! Been following this guy's YT channel for years, had no idea he was doing numbers like this. Impressive!
And he's getting better and better 🙌
Paused at 22:55
G,day.
I went around the corner to a small, family run garden nursery & bought punnets of veggie seedlings.
Planted them out that day & thought, geez these are strong & was surprised at how easily the plants came out.
There the punnets & yes those raised beds are highly popular right here in Australia. There's nothing like them.
Great video. 😀
Love the channel. So psyched to see this episode!
Music to our ears ;)
This was so informative and wonderful. I love hearing about the behind the scenes of Kevins business. I am trying to do the same things so It's cool to see his path to it!
That's fantastic to hear! We're thrilled that you found inspiration here. Can you tell us more about the business you're involved in? We'd love to hear more about what you do! 😊
@@UpFlip Thank you for your reply! My name is Ciearra and just like Kevin I am a garden addict. I create garden content to inspire others to grow no matter the amount of space they have. I have a blog where I write about gardening and social media channels where I create videos that I hope are also helpful. I found so much inspiration with this interview because my experience as a creator has been so up and down. Not knowing exactly where to spend my time. Trying to be present on all platforms while also learning as I go and teaching as I learn. It's a lot. I am so happy and inspired by gardeners who are doing it all. That means that there is room for me.
Best of luck on the path!
@@kevinmespiritu Thank You!
Dude, I have been following you for years.
Millionaire?????
You go, boy!
You are doing the damn thing!!!
I've been following Epic Gardening for a while now! Awesome shirt Kevin!
Love this guy. I follow all his social media. Didn’t know he had a podcast! I know what I’ll be listening to. And I’m waiting for the epic homestead book from Amazon. January can’t come soon enough.
Thanks for doing this! Been following Kevin for years! Was good to see some of the process!
Amazing! Have you ever considered starting your own garden or perhaps a business related to it?
Respect bro… I’m 33, AA, I garden and I listen to the Beets daily! (Epic Gardening Podcast)
That is awesome! Have you tried listening to the UpFlip podcast too? ☺️
Great Job! I'm starting my backyard nursery this Fall.
Incredible journey. Thank you for sharing, and excited to see you grow from here!
Thank you for watching!
I love Kevin he's so talented!!
Glad you got him on here.
Very inspiring! Thanks Kevin!
Thank you for sharing with us valuable infor love to hear great story about how they start and grow we can start similar .❤❤❤
Inspiring information. We are working to get there. Thank you.
Amazing! I'm from Washington and an organic farm and horticulture graduate. That's wonderful your life!
That's wonderful! Are you thinking about launching your own farming business in the near future?
I been watching this guy he is so cool and inspiring me everyday
im in horticulture studies with plant management major and im excited to continue my journey
That's incredible! We wish you all the best! 🔥
Great interview exploring the business side of gardening and reaching out with a focus through social media.
Thank you! Are you also involved in the gardening industry?
Only in the planning stage. Sometimes I get ahead of myself when I run into informative videos such as yours. @@UpFlip
This guys the maaaan very inspiring, very humble
Kevin is an amazing business person, he has a knack for gardens as well. Perfect combo
Definitely has a knack for both! Thanks for watching!
You have inspired me not only to grow food but to learn more about plants
Love this video but can someone please ask Kevin when the Epic 6 cell seed trays will be purchasable from overseas such as the UK? That right there would explode the company revenues on it's own. There are so many of us watching from other countries but you won't let us buy one of your hugely popular products. Mind blowing that you can buy a super heavy metal garden bed shipped from Australia but we can't buy small and fairly light seed trays??
Why Kevin, just why??
That's a fantastic question! It's definitely a possibility, and it's just the start of their journey. They're bound to reach even greater heights in the future! Who knows, they might even cater to a global audience. Let's all watch out for that!
I love this!! Thank you so much!!❤
What a GREAT video! Epic Gardening is one of the first YT Gardening channels I subscribed to! I’m in Texas by way of San Diego. I’ve never heard of UpFlip until now. New Subscriber!
What's not to love about Kevin?! Despite living in different climates, I've learned so much that I apply to my garden in Indiana and love my Epic seed starting supplies. Thanks for featuring his back story!
1. My book reco: Marketing Made Simple by Donald Miller
2. Did anyone else catch the "Human Remains" drawer of the seed catalog? I'm dy--- to know, err, would love to know the story behind that!
Great catch! Didn't ask what that was about though 🫣
Kevin's seed starting trays are definitely the best ones I've used!! I'm so happy for his success.
Awesome! Have you been an avid follower since the pandemic?
"Get Smart" by Brian Tracy is an easy and refreshing read that had a huge impact on me. I've read it multiple times and will likely read it again. I highly suggest it. Great video btw! I've been a fan of Kevin and Epic Gardening since his early days and it was a treat to get a behind the scenes glimpse into his history and the process that lead him and his team to where they're at now. The world can use many more people like him and companies like Epic Gardening. Cheers!
As a long-time fan, are you passionate about gardening as a hobby or have you ever considered turning it into a business venture? Great book recommendation by the way! 🌱
@UpFlip Would love to someday turn it into a business venture. The dream is my own land, and a mixed revenue stream from various crops and possibly livestock grown on the land. Really interested in mycology as well and want to grow gourmet mushrooms too
This interview is really inspiring. Thanks for sharing some wisdom and your experience in gardening, I am really impress and inspired.
Awesome! Perhaps you're thinking of turning it into a business venture? ☺️
I have a back yard nursery in the DFW Dallas forth worth area called fruitful tree nursery. Thank you for this video it's inspired me .
Did no one here notice the "Human Remains" drawer in his seed catalogue? xD What a genius easter egg. Thanks for the good laugh!
I find it funny to see this video as a marker of so many good and bad things. Congratulations on proving hard work pays off. Remind people in America that HARD work is hard and that the outcome of your work is that YOU get to enjoy it. That is one lesson they need to see from this video. It was nice watching you grow. I noticed that you were very different in tone in these videos but had no idea why. When I first started watching, you were just starting. You were younger and so enthusiastic. You still are a burst of energy. But that confidence that comes with success is now in your voice. I enjoy seeing people succeed. Take care.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You made valid points 👌
Amazing video, very inspiring! Im excited to start my own with my Family! We need change!!!
Wow, I didn’t know Kevin was behind botanical interests seeds! 🤯 I remember watching his YT channel when it was just him. What an amazing journey. Great job on the interview!
Very inspirational, and a great excuse to keep messing around with my low quality videos while still getting a decent following on different social media
This guy is awesome too love his channel