The 35-year-old’s design side hustle brings in over $400,000 a year.
Meet Chisom Okwulehie, an architect who sought extra income for her family’s financial security, so she started a side hustle that brings $400,000 a year from the comfort of her home.
Chisom Okwulehie’s path to success as an architect and entrepreneur started with her love for art at a young age. With her parents cheering her on, she followed her artistic passions and eventually found her way into the world of architecture.
Source: NBC Boston
Following her Nigerian parent’s financial advice, “If you’re going to purchase a home and your spouse dies, you have to be able to cover the mortgage.”
Okwulehie took this to heart and knew she had to create another income stream with her husband to cater for their bills and investments.
In 2021, Okwulehie and her husband, Ikenna, founded Juntero, an architectural and interior design company.
Insert my side hustle brings in $400k a year video
Source: CNBC
Her first project in 2021 was to design an ad for Indeed.com for $20, and then as her client list grew, she raised her rates every six months. She now charges $100 an hour. Wow! remarkable growth.
Over time, an architectural expert found a niche in creating photorealistic 3D renderings of potential designs, which allowed her to create a home and actually have the client, based in China, walk through a home located in Texas in 3D.
Source: Juntero
Wow! She reshaped the real estate investment industry from her home; isn’t that amazing? Her invention caught the attention of real estate developers, who market new, unbuilt properties to potential buyers.
Okwulehie attributes this success to her unique offering of photorealistic 3D renderings. “I didn’t expect to receive many projects as quickly as I did,” Okwulehie says.
On average, Okwulehie works five to ten hours a week on Juntero, doing marketing and managing her team of 30, which includes architects, designers, and 3D modelers, using Slack and WhatsApp.
In 2023, Juntero brought in $414,000, including $173,000 in profit. The architectural mogul puts most of Juntero’s business profits into two high-yield savings accounts and investments managed by her husband, Ikenna.
Okwulehie and her husband split expenses, focusing on savings and investments. They plan to use savings to build a house in Upper Nyack, New York. Their insurance and debt management strategies align with their long-term financial goals.
Despite Juntero’s success, Okwulehie intends to continue her full-time job as an architect, leveraging her managerial skills to benefit her side hustle. Her ultimate goal is to create generational wealth for her children through strategic investments and property ownership.
Okwulehie’s journey exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit, strategic financial planning, and dedication to career and family.
With her multifaceted approach to income generation and wealth building, she sets a compelling example for aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals alike.
Source: CNBC
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