Here’s how I created a successful side hustle that typically brings in more dollars monthly than my social security income.
I joined Zazzle in 2009 – not thinking of it as an income-earning side hustle – but to have fun making Christmas cards and coffee mugs with my photographs of sunsets and flowers. I didn’t do much else with my first Zazzle shop so did not keep up with the improvements that took place over the years on Zazzle. Then in late 2016, I discovered Elke Clarke’s website with loads of free material, an informative newsletter… and (at that time) a beginner course that helped me figure out the many improvements Zazzle had made for their designers and customers.
Learning about Elke’s personal success story with Zazzle earnings helped me understand that Zazzle could be a viable “side hustle” to augment Social Security. I had never worked for a company with a pension plan or 401K, so it was imperative to have a second income source, once my day job ended. I was so impressed with Elke’s free material that I signed up immediately when she launched the more advanced 5 Step Profit Plan Program the following July.
Then in 2019, Elke and her daughter, Jen, launched the Profit by Design Academy which combined the beginner and advanced programs into an easy-to-follow course that was open to join twice a year. I’ve taken this course, too, and it was excellent. They also added a coaching program to the PDA a few years ago.
Zazzle made multiple changes and upgrades to their print-on-demand platform in 2024 and 2025, so that meant I had to learn how to work with the new methodology. Did I mention that I had my 80th birthday in June 2025?
Fortunately, Elke and Jen made it easy for me by launching their own major upgrade to the PDA program that helped me maneuver the multi-change situation on Zazzle. This new PDA Experience course has been easy for me to follow and covered everything I needed to bring me up to speed with the Zazzle changes. I highly recommend it if you’re interested in a side hustle business that gives you step-by-step instruction for building a successful online store on Zazzle.
My Ah-ha Moments
During my training with the Clarkes, I truly understood that I could earn a living income with Zazzle, doing work I enjoyed providing products that people wanted and needed.
Elke and Jen Clarke’s programs are simply the best online business investments I’ve ever made. The lessons are hands-on, easy to follow, and step-by-step.
Even if you’re not an artist (and I’m not… I’m a writer), Elke and Jen will teach you how to use the Zazzle design tools to start earning income quickly. Here’s the link for more info at ElkeClarke.com.
