Welcome back. This is Chris Gillebo for Side Hustle School. I'm so glad you made it because we're kicking off a brand new week leading up to episode 500 early next week.

Now we like to always start with a really strong story on Mondays, at least for those who are listening in real time.

You know, we do the weekly recap on Sundays and we start a new week and it turns out that more people listen to the Monday episode than any other episode during the week.

So we try to make sure we have an especially strong story. And today, of course, we do this story is close to my heart for at least three reasons. The story is called flipping 101, the college textbook edition.

And the first reason is it features a guy who's originally from Ghana and then immigrates to the United States. I used to live in West Africa for several years on board a hospital ship or at least right off the coast of West Africa.

And we were in Ghana for about four months. So I know that country quite well. And it's fun to focus on someone coming from that part of the world.

Second reason is this guy's side hustle is about textbook reselling or flipping. He actually does really well with it makes five figures in a pretty short period of time.

And I like this because back when I got started side hustling 20 years ago, I was also reselling or flipping things. And I did some textbooks as well. I didn't really specialize in it the way this guy did.

But I do relate to this kind of side hustle. It kind of has this little throwback element nostalgia for me. And number three, this guy actually read the hundred dollar startup, which was part of his inspiration for the business.

That is a book I published about six years ago. So I'm happy to be a small part of that inspiration, although I have to give him credit because he beat me by $80. His startup cost just $20.

So we'll be on the lookout for the $20 startup from him. And in the meantime, this episode will flip your lid. It's a college student with a new family to support who reads between the lines in terms of $20 startup into almost $70,000 within two years.

Like I said, it's a good one. So let's say thanks to today's sponsor and then on with the show.

Let's face it, college is downright expensive between increases in tuition and the necessities of living close to or on campus.

Students and their parents are often desperate to find ways to trim the fat on higher education. One of the most surprising expenses, at least for a lot of students, is textbooks, which tend to cost way more than most other books.

When you're hoping to cut costs, there's often no easier way than to look outside your favorite money-hungry university bookstore.

And if you've been listening to the show for a while, you know that where there's a problem, there's a side hustle just waiting in the wings.

That's where our story begins today and ironically it all starts with a book that you're not likely to find in your typical university bookstore.

Much to my annoyance and disappointment, you could say that that book is a bit unconventional.

But hold on a moment, let's talk about today's featured case study, Marcus Cusy found himself between a rock and a hard place.

He was a full-time student at a university in Vermont, heading toward a promising degree in computer information systems.

But money was tight. You see, Marcus had recently immigrated to the US from Ghana in West Africa, and when he wasn't cramming for exams, he was working part-time manufacturing furniture and providing IT assistance at the university.

Oh, and he was also a new father. His wife actually stayed home with her daughters so that they didn't have to pay for childcare, another outrageously expensive industry, by the way, and Marcus was the main breadwinner despite also being a full-time student.

...