Side hustles for working dads

Keep your job. Start a side hustle.

I'm Gabe. I help working dads build a second source of income without giving up the job or the time at home.

Start with the free scorecard Read my story

The free scorecard

Will your side hustle idea fit around your job and your family?

Find out before you spend a weekend or a dollar.

15short questions
5minutes
1verdict, and one thing to do this week

Full-time job
Husband and dad of two girls
Side hustles since high school

Gabe De Almeida smiling in a denim shirt, leaning against a green door

Gabe setting up a photo booth at an evening event

Gabe talking to the camera while filming a video

Sound familiar?

If you're a working dad, you probably know this feeling.

Remindersnow
Your job is steady.
You still don't fully trust it.
Calculator2:07 AM
One more scenario.
You know things can change on a dime.
Notes2:31 AM
Guilty about spending on yourself.
While the family waits.
MessagesMorning
"How are the finances?"
"Fine." You keep the money stress to yourself.

You're not anxious. You're paying attention.

One paycheck is a single point of failure.

I was let go at 27, with a pregnant wife and a mortgage. A side hustle was my safety net. Worrying doesn't fix that. A second source of income can start to.

Picture it

How much would an extra few hundred, or even a few thousand, dollars a month mean for your family?

Groceries
Without checking the total.
A cushion
That isn't already spoken for.
A yes
To something your family wants.
A vacation
The one you keep pushing back.

A safety net that isn't your employer.

If one door closes, you're not starting from zero.

A calmer 2 a.m.

Options quiet the calculator.

Something that's yours.

New skills, and an example for your kids.

Start with the free scorecard

That's what I'd aim for, and it's not a promise. It can cost evenings and weekends, and most side hustles earn little or nothing. Most of mine failed.

What I stand for

Four rules I won't bend.

Keep your job.
It's the foundation. It funds the experiment.
Family comes first.
If it eats the time you owe at home, it's the wrong one.
Start small. Prove it.
Small enough to stop in a weekend.
Be honest about the misses.
Most of mine failed. I'll tell you why.

Gabe De Almeida smiling in a denim shirt, in black and white

My story

Why I do this.

I'm a husband and a dad to two young girls, and I work a full-time job. Through several different jobs over more than a decade, I've kept starting side hustles. Most of them failed, and I'll tell you what they taught me. Everything I share is for the man who just wants his family taken care of.

High school
Side hustles, then a company
I tried several side hustles first. Then I started a monthly subscription company that was profitable from day one.
College
Led a team, then sold it
I ran it with four employees and 15 community moderators. I sold it to another company while I was still in college.
After the sale
Co-founded a second brand
I co-founded a new brand with the company that bought mine, and I was its growth director. The community passed 50,000 members.
Today
Side hustles, and a job
Most of my side hustles failed. The ones that worked already had buyers, a door already open, and fit around my job. I still have a full-time job, on purpose.

$250K+a year from my side hustles. My result, not a promise.
10+years of side hustles, around a full-time job.
Mostof my side hustles failed. This is built from why.

My side hustles right now.

These photos are from the side hustles I'm running today.

Setting up for an event.
Filming a video.
Filming a watch video.
At an event.
Showing a watch on camera.
Working a photo booth event.

Today my side hustles make at least $250,000 a year, and I still keep my job.

One paycheck is a single point of failure, and I've built my life so it isn't mine.

That $250,000 is my result, not a promise and not a typical outcome. Most side hustles earn little or nothing, and most of mine failed. Everything here helps you choose better. It can't promise a result.

Start with the free scorecard

Free. About 5 minutes. Your answers stay on your device.

The question I get

If my side hustles make this much, why do I still have a day job?

Because I don't know what tomorrow brings.

If I were single with no kids, I'd probably do this full time. But I'm a husband, a father and the sole provider for my family, and I take that seriously. I won't put all my eggs in a side hustle basket.

It's my safety net.
A steady paycheck, plus health and medical benefits for my family.
I know what it's like without one.
I've lived paycheck to paycheck and thought about money constantly. Now I can save, and I'm playing catch up for my family's future.
I'm good at it, and I like it.
I've spent years perfecting my craft and my career, and I enjoy the work.
Why stop what's working?
I can handle both and give my job the time it needs. If I left, I'd probably just start more side hustles, and the job fills that time nicely.

That's why my promise is "Keep your job." I don't just say it. I live it.

Step one

Before you spend a weekend or a dollar, score the idea.

Fifteen short questions, about five minutes. You get a verdict and one thing to do this week.

Free, and nothing to buy
Built for a full-time job and a family
Your answers stay on your device

Here's what your result looks like.

Five tests. The weakest one decides.

A side hustle breaks at its weakest point, so one zero caps your verdict.

Already has buyers
Do strangers already pay for something like it?
Already has a door
Is there a place buyers already look?
The weakest link decidesFits your week
Do you have the hours?
Safe to be wrong
Could you stop in a weekend?
The math holds
Do your numbers add up?

And five hard stops come first.

Your work agreement
Reachable during work hours
Costly license or gear
More than you can lose
Home doesn't know yet

Questions you might have.

I barely have time. Is this realistic?

The scorecard checks that first. If an idea doesn't fit around your job and your family, it will say so.

What if my employer doesn't allow it?

It's the first thing the scorecard asks about. Check your work agreement before you start anything. This isn't legal advice.

What if my side hustle fails?

Most of mine did. The scorecard helps you find out cheaply, before you've put in a lot.

Will this make me money?

I can't promise that, and nobody honest can. It helps you choose better ideas and skip some of the misses.

What happens to my email?

I'll send you the link, and I might send a short note now and then. Unsubscribe any time. Read the privacy page.