Detours

Some projects stay with you long after you finish them. Because you know what they mean to the people watching. I’m Angie Norris, and this is Side Hustle GPS. Today, we’re stopping in Memory Lane to explore Memorial Slideshows. I’m that friend. The one everybody calls when they need a video photo slideshow for a celebration. Weddings, birthdays, big milestones, celebrations of life, funerals—I’ve made hundreds of them over roughly three decades. I’m not even sure how it started. But through the years, it became my thing. One request that will always stay with me came when my ex-husband passed away. He had remarried and moved on, and I thought of myself as the forgotten ex-wife. But on the day he passed, his family called and asked me to create his slideshow. I was honored to do it. That’s how much these projects can mean. You’re helping a family bring together the moments that show someone’s life. And for years, I did all of it manually. I gathered photos from different people. Scanned physical pictures. Organized everything into the right order. Cropped out empty space. Then I brought the photos into editing software like Camtasia and added transitions, gentle zooms, and music. It took hours. With a funeral, there often wasn’t much time. People were trying to find photographs while also dealing with their loss. I was happy to help, whether I was paid or not. My friends usually received that service as a gift. Other people sometimes paid me for my time or gave me a gift card. What mattered to me was knowing what it meant to them. Now, AI and software help me do the work much faster. I can guide people through scanning their photos, use tools to help prepare the images, and let software handle much of the assembly. I’ve found software that can put together an initial slideshow in minutes instead of making me place every photo manually. I still review it. I check the order, the pacing, and whether it feels right for the family. But saving time on the production gives people more time to gather the memories they want included. That’s a meaningful use of technology. And this can be a paid service. You could help families directly or build relationships with people who coordinate memorials and celebrations of life. Make the process easy to understand. Tell them how to send photos, when you need them, what you’ll deliver, and when they can review it. Ask which moments and people must be included, and what music feels meaningful to them. Use music you have permission to include. Your calm guidance can be just as valuable as your editing skills. And the slideshow can live beyond the service. I’ve hosted these videos on my Vimeo account so families can return to them and remember. However you deliver yours, give the family a copy they can keep and agree on who can access it online. Your first money move? Create a short sample slideshow using photos you own or have permission to use. Practice the whole process—from collecting the pictures to delivering a video that plays correctly. Then offer a clear service with a realistic turnaround time. Start with something you can deliver reliably, especially when someone is counting on you during a difficult week. So, what could you create that would help someone hold on to a meaningful memory? Explore Memorial Slideshows in Memory Lane at SideHustleGPS.com. Meaning matters more than metrics. Sometimes, the value of your work is a family being able to press play and remember someone they love.