The Side Hustle King: “I’m making $8K/DAY from easy businesses” - My First Million Recap

Podcast: My First Million

Published: 2025-06-18

Duration: 1 hr 16 min

Guests: Chris Koerner

Summary

Chris Koerner shares unconventional, high-margin side hustle ideas that anyone can replicate in local markets, from pet cremation to pickleball courts, while challenging the idea that focus is the only path to success.

What Happened

Chris Koerner, dubbed the 'Side Hustle King,' reveals his approach to creating high-cashflow businesses from overlooked, simple ideas. He makes $3 million a year from multiple ventures, defying the traditional wisdom of focusing on a single project. Instead, he embraces variety and speed, testing ideas quickly and scaling what works.

One standout idea discussed is a hole-in-one golf challenge business inspired by a roadside attraction in New Zealand. By leveraging statistical odds and a casino-like model, Chris outlines how to set up a floating green, charge players for attempts, and generate consistent profits in local markets.

Chris also shares his success with Facebook Marketplace as a lead generation tool. He describes how he sold Bitcoin mining hosting services, making $9.8 million in three months by simply posting organic ads tailored to the platform's audience. His advice: most service providers overlook the power of free, local platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor.

Other ventures include a Buc-ee's snack arbitrage business, where Chris resells popular Buc-ee’s branded snacks online to customers outside Texas. By buying retail and marking up prices, he generates $300,000–$500,000 in monthly revenue with minimal marketing costs and support from Buc-ee's legal team.

Chris explains how he identified high-margin opportunities in pet cremation services. With 90% profit margins and a fragmented market, he used Google keyword data to confirm demand and created a logistics-focused middleman company to connect veterinary clinics with cremation services. This business capitalized on the growing demand driven by the pandemic pet ownership boom.

Another unique venture is Chris’s plan to convert a personal warehouse into a private, membership-based pickleball court. With minimal setup costs and a $149 monthly membership fee, he aims to generate over $20,000 in monthly revenue by catering to casual players seeking convenience and exclusivity.

Chris challenges the notion that innovation is required in every business. For most aspiring entrepreneurs, he argues, success comes from copying proven models. He believes in taking quick action, testing ideas with minimal risk, and letting the market guide iterations, rather than overthinking or over-engineering.

The episode is packed with actionable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs looking for practical, low-risk ways to build profitable businesses. Chris’s philosophy of saying yes to opportunities and stress-testing limits offers a refreshing perspective on entrepreneurship.

Key Insights

• A floating green golf challenge can turn local statistical odds into profits. By charging players for hole-in-one attempts and using a casino-like payout model, Chris Koerner created a business that thrives on consistent demand in small markets.
• Facebook Marketplace isn’t just for secondhand items—it can drive massive service business revenue. Chris posted simple organic ads for Bitcoin mining hosting and made $9.8 million in three months, proving local platforms can outperform traditional paid ads.
• Pet cremation services have 90% profit margins because most providers focus on logistics, not branding. Chris used Google keyword data to spot demand during the pandemic pet boom and built a middleman business connecting vet clinics with cremation providers.
• Reselling Buc-ee’s snacks online brings in $300,000–$500,000 monthly by targeting non-Texas buyers. Chris buys popular branded snacks at retail prices and marks them up, relying on Buc-ee’s legal team to protect his model from copycats.

Key Questions Answered

What is Chris Koerner's approach to starting side hustles on My First Million?

Chris Koerner advocates for quickly testing simple, high-margin business ideas, often copying proven models and scaling them locally. He highlights opportunities like pet cremation, snack arbitrage, and pickleball courts.

How does Chris Koerner use Facebook Marketplace for business?

Chris uses Facebook Marketplace as a free lead generation tool, posting organic ads for services like Bitcoin mining hosting and local contracting. This strategy helped him generate millions in revenue with minimal ad spend.

What is the Buc-ee’s snack arbitrage business model discussed on My First Million?

Chris buys Buc-ee’s branded snacks at retail prices in Texas and resells them online with a 100% markup to customers in areas without Buc-ee’s stores. This generates $300,000–$500,000 monthly revenue.