'Hustling Since Middle School': She Started a Side Hustle on Facebook Marketplace — Then a 'Game-Changer' Grew It to $25,000 a Month Leena Pettigrew's "entrepreneurial spirit" inspired her to build a business with earnings that outpaced her full-time income.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Pettigrew turned her passion into a side hustle in 2022 — and the business has been growing ever since.
- See how Pettigrew took revenue from $4,000 a month in the early days to up to $25,000 monthly today.
It's the era of the side hustle, and if you've ever considered starting one to earn some extra cash outside of your 9-5, you're in good company. These days, more than one-third of U.S. adults have side hustles, and their supplemental gigs make an average of $891 a month, according to recent research from Bankrate. Of course, the most successful side hustlers see much higher earnings, especially when they start a business that brings in nearly as much as — or significantly more than — their full-time sources of income.
Leena Pettigrew, a 44-year-old former database analyst from Houston, Texas, is one of them. Learn how Pettigrew transformed her side hustle into a lucrative full-time business, here.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Leena Pettigrew
When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
I started selling plants in the fall of 2022. I've been hustling since middle school, and my husband and I have also always had an entrepreneurial spirit. My love for houseplants began when I was redecorating my home, and after collecting all the common varieties, I quickly found myself diving into rarer collector plants — those hard-to-find plants you won't typically see in big-box stores. As my collection grew, I started duplicating plants, which led me to sell the extras to make room for more. Palmstreet has been a game-changer, providing a platform that makes it easier for plant-lovers like me to share these rare finds with a community.
What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground?
I started selling on Facebook Marketplace and Facebook groups. I then joined Palmstreet, which took things to the next level. Their livestream selling platform allowed me to engage with customers in real time, significantly helping to boost sales. Palmstreet's inventory and logistics tools helped streamline the process, automating tasks that gave me more time to focus on growing my business. The community aspect of Palmstreet also played a big role; it's a place where I can connect with other sellers and build a loyal customer base.
Related: She Started a Side Hustle That Earned More Than $1 Million in Year 1: 'Manifest Your Best Life'
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle, and how did you navigate them?
At first, it was a challenge juggling multiple places to sell and then collecting payments and address information from different buyers. After I found Palmstreet, all of that became much easier, and then the challenge was keeping up with all of the orders we were getting, caring for the plants even after they had sold and shipping everything on time. My husband stepped in and helped with the logistics of keeping everything organized and implementing processes that helped us to scale up our sales.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
Revenue started within the first month and increased slowly before joining Palmstreet; however, it went to a different level after I started selling live on Palmstreet. The revenue was approximately $4,000 to $8,000 monthly during the first full year of selling and increased from there.
You transitioned the side hustle into a full-time business. What does growth and revenue look like now?
We started out the year with revenue between $10,000 to $15,000 monthly and have grown to $20,000 to $25,000 months. We have some part-time contractors working with us now and plan to increase sales in 2025.
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
First, for me, it's the love for plants. I get to enjoy many more plants than I would if I were just collecting plants for myself. My husband lets me buy a lot of plants now that he would not if I were just keeping them. We also get to interact with hundreds of wonderful customers who love plants just as much as I do. But even more, we have more flexibility, still work from home, and my husband and I get to work together.
What's your advice for others hoping to start successful side hustles or full-time businesses of their own?
This is an area my husband has helped me with the most. My advice is to stay balanced — don't live to work, work to live. Have an accounting strategy in place and take the time to really understand your numbers, including profit margins and overhead. Many people overlook all the expenses that go into running a profitable business, and they often price based on what they think the market will bear, not what their business actually needs. My biggest tip is to know what your margins need to be to cover overhead and allow room for growth.
This article is part of our ongoing Women Entrepreneur® series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of running a business as a woman.
