Detours

I joined a direct selling company because I wanted a deal on some cute bags. Somehow, that turned into becoming a director—and creating a workbook other people paid me for. That was not the plan. I’m Angie Norris, and this is Side Hustle GPS. Today, we’re stopping in Storybook Valley to explore Workshop Workbooks. If there’s one thing I know, it’s creating training and resources that help people take action. I’ve done it throughout my corporate career and beyond. And it’s how I like to learn. Give me a place to fill in the blank, write down a goal, or work through an exercise, and I’m more likely to understand what I’m learning and actually use it. One workbook I created became a side hustle of its own. It started when my daughter’s daycare hosted a Thirty-One party. The bags and totes were adorable, and you could personalize them. I had a new baby, so of course I could picture myself carrying her things in one. But the products I wanted cost more than the consultant starter kit, which included even more items. So I thought, “Why not?” I wasn’t planning to build a business. I wanted the products. Then I discovered the incentives. And apparently, I enjoy a challenge when there are prizes involved. I moved up quickly and became a director. I earned a MacBook, a Canon DSLR camera, cash prizes, and commissions. That camera? I was still using it this week. But I was also working full-time as a marketing director, commuting about an hour each way, and raising a growing family. Eventually, something had to give, and I stepped back from the parties. Along the way, though, I had created something to help me stay organized. I called it the Rocket Book. It was about how to rock your direct selling business. I made it in 2012—a hundred-and-fifty-page workbook covering six months. Calendars. Monthly goals. A mission statement. Customer bookings. Recruiting conversations. Team planning. To-do lists. Expenses. Exchanges and returns. Party statistics. All the things I needed to track instead of trying to keep them in my head. I made it for myself because I needed it. Then I realized other people might need it, too. I designed it so it could work across different direct selling businesses, and I sold it for twenty dollars. Eventually, I ordered a thousand copies to have ready to ship. And I still have my copy sitting right here. I’m proud of it. Because it took something that could feel scattered and gave it a structure. That’s what a useful workbook can do. A speaker shares an idea. A trainer explains a process. A workshop gets people excited. But what helps them take that information home and do something with it? A place to write their answer. A checklist to follow. An exercise that turns a general lesson into a decision about their own life or business. That’s the connection to Workshop Workbooks. You can create a companion resource for your own training—or offer that service to someone else. Start by asking what the participant should be able to do after the session. Then build pages that help them get there. If the lesson is about choosing a goal, give them a place to choose one. If it’s about following a process, give them a checklist. If it’s about making a plan, leave enough space to make the plan. Every page should have a reason to be there. AI can help you organize the training, draft exercises, and suggest questions. Then you check that the activities match the lesson and make sense to the person using them. And you don’t need a binding machine to begin. I happen to have one, along with a laminator, because I enjoy making prototypes at home. But a simple digital draft can help you test the idea before you invest in printing. So here’s your first money move: Choose one short lesson you know how to teach. Create three companion pages. One exercise. One checklist. One action plan. Try them with someone and see whether the pages help them move from understanding to doing. That sample gives you something to show a trainer, speaker, or workshop host. So here’s your question today: What do you keep explaining that would be easier for someone to put into practice with a workbook beside them? Explore Workshop Workbooks in Storybook Valley at SideHustleGPS.com. Share what you know. Then give people somewhere to write, think, and take their next step. You never know—the resource you create to help yourself might become something useful to someone else.