Francisco Rivera’s “original plan” after college graduation was to work in music and travel.

But after he finished his degree in music production at Full Sail University in 2017, he couldn’t find a job in the industry. So, Rivera made money where he could: He worked in an Apple Store, then nabbed a part-time gig for online tutoring company Outschool.

Those jobs weren’t satisfying or lucrative — at least compared to what he does now, he says. In February 2023, Rivera started selling print-on-demand candles on Etsy. At first, he worked four to five hours a day, and only brought in a couple hundred dollars a month.

Two months later, Rivera was on a date when his side hustle catapulted into popularity: He received over 70 orders that day, compared to his usual 10, he estimates. “I was so distracted because my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.”

Now that Rivera’s shop is up and running, and has garnered over 5,000 reviews on Etsy, he only has to work 20 minutes a day to manage customer relations, he says. Last year, he brought in $462,000 in sales, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. That averages to roughly $38,500 per month.

DON’T MISS: The ultimate guide to earning passive income online

Rivera estimates 30% to 50% of each sale is profit. The remaining cash pays for Etsy fees, which were nearly $55,000 last year, and marketing and Printify, the service he uses to connect with manufacturers. (Rivera asked to keep his shop’s name private, so other sellers don’t copy his products.)

The success of Rivera’s Etsy shop allowed him to quit his tutoring job in December. This year, he’s used his extra time to travel the world — he just returned from Bali — and work on personal music projects, he says.

“Some people love structure … but I just recognize that wasn’t for me,” Rivera, 26, tells CNBC Make It. “Being my own boss is very fulfilling.”

Here’s how Rivera honed his skills from past jobs to open a successful shop, and how he stands out in a saturated print-on-demand market.

After college, Rivera worked in Apple stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for three years. There, he learned how to multi-task, build relationships and solve customers’ problems, even when people yelled at him, he says.

He moved to Orlando, his hometown, in 2020. There, he took the job with Outschool, where he taught 7- to 12-year-olds how to build social and critical thinking skills on the popular online game Minecraft. The pay was good, up to $100 per hour, and it was his introduction to online businesses, he says.

Rivera started seeking new ways to make income when demand for online tutoring waned after the pandemic, he says.

That’s when he stumbled on a YouTube video about print-on-demand. The popular side hustle has a simple concept: Sellers create designs for products like T-shirts, tote bags or mugs, then list the designs on online marketplaces. After an order is placed, a manufacturer prints the design onto the product and ships it directly to the customer.

As Rivera did more research, he realized just how many people were already selling apparel. More competition, another YouTube video informed him, would make it harder for his shop to go viral.

He scoured Printify’s catalog for more ideas, and landed on candles — a relatively new and less popular product, he figured — even though he’s allergic.

“I wanted to make an aesthetic, neutral candle that could fit into any space. I also love humor [so] I liked the idea of brainstorming phrases for specific niches,” he says.

His customer service skills also likely helped his shop quickly accumulate positive reviews and bolster his reputation on the platform, he says. (Etsy doesn’t disclose how its algorithm ranks its search results, but its seller’s handbook says shops need “fabulous feedback” to be successful.)

Rivera experiments with strategies, learned through trial and error and YouTube tutorials, to help his Etsy store stand out, he says.

He alters his product descriptions, updates product photos and invests in internal marketing on Etsy to get his candles in front of as many users as possible, he says.

It’s not an expensive model: Listing each product on Etsy costs $0.20, then the platform takes 6.5% of every sale. He borrows someone else’s Canva account, but the Pro version costs $120 per year.

Rivera’s side hustle model is simple as well. He starts with a photo of a candle with a blank label, adds a phrase — like “Smells like a Promotion,” which is popular for other sellers — on Canva. Then, he uploads the design to Etsy, and his linked Printify account sends the design to a manufacturer who ships the final product directly to customers.

While traveling, Rivera still works less than an hour per day. When he’s home in Orlando, he dedicates two hours at least one day per week to researching platform trends, he says.

The research phase is time consuming, but crucial to his success, Rivera says. He spends that time figuring out how to appeal to hyper-specific groups like hockey moms, new parents who hate dirty diapers, bridal parties, divorcees and people in long-distance relationships.

“I don’t technically have to work every day … You can [make this] passive all year round if you want to,” Rivera says. “You’re just not going to make quite as much.”

Rivera is considering expanding the business, potentially leaning into his tutoring expertise to produce his own print-on-demand YouTube videos, he says — but it comes with a cost. He’d have to give up his free time, and therefore, a slice of his music and traveling pursuits.

“There’s value in time and value and flexibility,” Rivera says. “I would take a pay cut if it still allowed me to do what I’m doing [with my free time].”

Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories.

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What does it take to be considered rich in America? It depends a lot on where you live.

The richest of the rich live in Washington, D.C., where it takes a salary of $719,000 to land in the top 5% of earners. That’s according to a recent analysis from GoBankingRates, which looks at the average household income of the top 5% of earners in each state, based on the latest data available from the 2022 American Community Survey.

The No. 1 richest state, meanwhile, is Connecticut, where residents have to bring in roughly $656,000 to be among the top earners.

Washington state has seen the most dramatic growth in what it takes to be rich in recent years, according to the report. In 2017, a salary of about $378,000 would land you in the 5% club. By 2022, the salary it takes to stay at that level is more than $544,000.

The roughly 44% increase can be attributed to growing wealth in Seattle, which has become a tech hub with fast-growing companies like Amazon headquartered in the area, says Andrew Murray, lead data content researcher at GoBankingRates.

Overall, wealthy Americans have gotten a lot richer in since 2017. Back then, only Connecticut and Washington, D.C., had a 5% top-earning threshold of $500,000.

Five years later, that’s up to 11 U.S. states and D.C.: Washington, California, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Virginia, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland and Connecticut.

This mostly has to do with the fiscal response to the pandemic, Murray says: “Robust Covid relief bolstered the economy, leading to boosted stock prices, real estate and savings. These conditions were especially favorable for the wealthiest of Americans who saw their already large incomes spike dramatically.”

While employers did boost wages for some of the lowest-paid workers in the pandemic recovery, “their overall wealth share in the country actually decreased, as the rich became much richer,” Murray says.

Here’s the salary it takes to be considered in the top 5% of earners in each state, listed alphabetically, plus Washington, D.C.:

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $370,977

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $424,278

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $435,414

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $377,043

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $613,602

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $507,181

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $656,438

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $442,860

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $476,546

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $455,439

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $500,183

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $402,743

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $503,970

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $381,422

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $386,152

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $415,875

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $380,726

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $384,432

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $396,205

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $540,934

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $617,199

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $406,657

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $476,290

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $333,597

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $404,080

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $411,205

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $420,169

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $449,872

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $485,660

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $613,494

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $353,104

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $621,301

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $429,071

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $418,541

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $403,750

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $377,724

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $448,649

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $454,639

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $453,192

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $408,138

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $392,724

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $418,421

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $464,859

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $463,437

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $405,333

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $531,035

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $544,518

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $719,253

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $329,620

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $403,055

• 2022 average income of the top 5%: $407,646

Want to land your dream job in 2024? Take CNBC’s new online course How to Ace Your Job Interview to learn what hiring managers are really looking for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay.

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I started my first side hustle on Amazon in 2017 for $0. At the time, I was working two jobs and freelancing, and I was excited about the potential to make some passive income by selling print on demand t-shirts with Amazon Merch on Demand.

At first it was just t-shirts, but now I also sell tank tops, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, phone cases, pillows and tote bags. Since the platform has expanded to international markets, I sell my products to customers the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Japan.

The Amazon side hustle ultimately allowed me to leave my day job in 2020.

What began as one experimental side hustle has grown into 10 income streams that now bring in $49,000 a month in passive income.

Here are some of my favorite $0 side hustles and my best advice for getting started in 2024.

DON’T MISS: The ultimate guide to earning passive income online

Start-up cost: $0

This platform has become my favorite passive income opportunity. It uses a print-on-demand business model, where products are printed and shipped after the sale takes place.

My responsibilities include creating graphic designs, and listing them for sale on the various products available in the Amazon Merch catalog. I find that simple, text-based designs can generate plenty of sales, so for me, design experience has not been required to be successful.

My favorite thing about this platform is how automated it is. After an order comes in, Amazon routes the order to one of their production facilities, where the product is picked, printed, and shipped to our customer. Each month I receive a payout for royalties generated on our sales.

Start up cost: $0

Amazon Merch is not the only way to make money with print on demand. I’ve taken the designs I created for my Amazon Merch side hustle and placed them on other products and marketplaces as well. 

I’ve sold print-on-demand products on Etsy since 2018. The only cost associated with Etsy is a $0.20 fee to create a product listing, and if you use an invite link to begin selling on Etsy you can get 40 free listings. 

I use a company called Printful to fulfill the orders. Printful has a direct integration, which allows them to automatically fulfill orders and notify customers when they’re shipped out.

In addition to Etsy, you can consider cross-listing your print on demand products to Walmart, eBay and Redbubble. I use all three platforms. Redbubble and eBay have been around for quite some time, while the Walmart option became available last year.

Start up cost: $0

My fiancé and I have both been a part of the Amazon Influencer Program since September of 2023. It allows you to make passive income by creating video reviews of Amazon products that you own.

Joining the program is free, and you can use your smartphone to start recording the videos. The uploaded videos are displayed on the Amazon product detail page for the product you review, as well as similar products. If someone watches your video before they buy the product, you’re typically paid a commission ranging between one and three percent.

I would start by reviewing all of the products you own that can be found on Amazon. As long as the item is available for sale on the platform, you can absolutely review it, regardless of where you originally bought it.

I have reviewed hundreds of products, and my fiancé has reviewed close to 1,000. I think this is a great potential passive income stream that is not super well known.

Start up cost: $0

YouTube is an ever popular side hustle that you can start today for $0, even with just a smartphone and an internet connection. I have found that when I create videos about my passions and hobbies, it often doesn’t feel like work. 

The requirements to monetize your YouTube channel with AdSense is 4,000 hours watched, total across all video uploads, and 1,000 subscribers. Once you’re approved, you can get paid monthly based on how many ads were watched by your viewers.

I have my own YouTube channel from which I earn $4,900 a month in passive income. My fiancé and I also recently started a channel together where we unbox Amazon return pallets, with hopes that we can re-sell the products at a profit. Not only is it a fun project to work on together, it’s on its way to paying us ad revenue, once the channel meets the monetization requirements.

There are a ton of exciting side hustle opportunities out there. While the learning curve may seem intimidating at first, my best advice is to approach it with a positive attitude and a long-term perspective. It can take some time to scale these income streams to the point where they can replace a full-time income, but in my experience, it can be done. 

Ryan Hogue is a former web developer and adjunct professor who quit both jobs to run his e-commerce business. His YouTube channel teaches people how to earn passive income using “Ryan’s Method.”

Hogue is also an instructor in CNBC’s new online course, How to Earn Passive Income Online. The course provides an overview of common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.

There is no one-size-fits-all way to prevent dementia. That said, a vast number of studies have isolated certain nutrients that may help prevent the loss of cognitive functioning with age, like perception, attention and decision making.

Three types of neuroprotective nutrients have received the most interest from experts like myself: antioxidants, B vitamins, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Antioxidants combat free radicals that can damage brain cells, B vitamins play an important role in brain cell function, and PUFAs help promote the growth of new brain cells.

While supplements can help provide these nutrients, I always tell people to first go to real foods, especially for fatty acids like omega-3s. When you eat a whole food you get additional vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and protein. It’s a good foundation upon which to build a healthy eating plan.

Omega-3s are found in wild-caught fatty fish like anchovies, sardines, and salmon. Wild Sockeye salmon in particular contains levels of EPA and DHA that are beneficial to our brain’s health.

An average salmon filet in the U.S. is about three to four ounces and the suggested amount to eat per week is about eight. So one should try to get Omega-3-rich fish onto your plate at least twice a week.

If you are like me and don’t eat seafood (I was raised vegetarian), you may be relieved to know it is still possible to get adequate omega-3s from plant-based sources, including:

• Chia seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Walnuts
• Flax seeds

About one ounce of chia seeds is more than your daily recommended intake of omega-3 fatty acids and delivers about 5,000 mg. 

If you eat eggs, aim for the pasture-raised kind. Be sure to add turmeric with a pinch of black pepper to optimize the impact for brain health.

It’s important to underline that we can’t out-supplement or exercise our way out of a poor diet. An overall healthy lifestyle with good nutrition, alongside regular exercise, proper sleep, mindfulness, social connections, stress management and lower anxiety, are critical factors to fend off conditions like dementia.

Dr. Uma Naidoo is a Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, and nutritional biologist. She is also the author of the bestselling ”This is Your Brain on Food″ and most recently, ”Calm Your Mind with Food.” Follow her on Instagram or subscribe to her newsletter on Substack. 

Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories.

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Most people do their best to avoid feeling lonely. Researcher Sam Carr, however, has embraced it.

The 46-year-old lecturer at the University of Bath is the self-proclaimed “scholar of loneliness” and has been studying it for the past six years and interviewed over 100 people about the feeling. His most recent research, the Loneliness Project, involved speaking to 80 older people from different countries to get a better understanding of what loneliness means for them.

“I think it’s only recently that I’ve realized that loneliness is a big part of all human suffering. It’s sort of like the common denominator,” says Carr, who recently published a book called “All the Lonely People”.

Carr tells CNBC Make It that while many people view loneliness as “some sort of undesirable pathology that we need to cure and get rid of,” he sees it as anything but. “I actually see it as an inevitable part of life,” he says, adding that “to be alive is to be lonely.”

In other words, Carr believes that loneliness is a perfectly natural feeling that can’t, and shouldn’t, be avoided.

“That means that loneliness will come and go, quite often as it chooses, over the course of human life, quite apart from our efforts to run away from it, or deny that or pretend that that’s not true,” he says.

If you’re experiencing loneliness, Carr recommends not ignoring it or trying to wish the feeling away. Over the course of his research, he found that the best recourse for dealing with loneliness is to acknowledge it and talk about your experience with others.

He compares loneliness to grief, an emotion that he says can only be ameliorated if you “move through it.” However uncomfortable it may feel, “it can’t be sped through more quickly.”

Carr’s advice is in line with that of U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who last year spoke about America’s “epidemic of loneliness and isolation,” calling it “an underappreciated public health crisis.”

“Our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hidden in plain sight,” he said at the time. ”[They] can help us live healthier, more fulfilled and more productive lives.”

Talking about loneliness may be “a critical driver for empathy,” Carr says, and a key way for people to be reminded that other people suffer at times in their lives too.

“There is the potential for connection in loneliness,” he says. “It provides the potential for us to have compassion for each other, for us to embrace each other’s vulnerability.”

Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories.

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