The Side Hustle Show - Full Episodes - How a College Student Landed a 1,500-Store Retail Deal (The $500k Hamster Ball)

Half a million dollars in hamster balls. What if you spotted a gap in a market that hadn’t changed in 50 years and turned it into a fast-growing product business while still in college? That’s exactly what Ethan Haber did with Happy Habitats, a small pet products company he started as a sophomore at Wake Forest University. While playing with his hamster Mooksie on campus, Ethan looked over and saw someone walking a dog. The thought hit him: why can’t I walk my hamster? That simple question launched a product line now heading into 1,500 stores nationwide through a major big-box retail deal. Ethan’s story covers everything from cold-emailing a design firm and navigating COVID shipping delays, to cracking Amazon and landing a mentorship with the founder of PetSmart — all from a niche that most people overlook. Tune in to Episode 729 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: **how to take an existing product and improve upon it to create a defensible business **what it really takes to get your product into retail stores and online marketplaces **why patents, packaging, and the right partners matter more than most first-time founders realize IMPORTANT LINKS AND RESOURCES: ** If you make a purchase through my links, I may receive compensation. ** 👉 Full Show Notes and Text Summary: https://www.sidehustlenation.com/hamster-ball-business/ 👉 Happy Habitats: https://happyhabitats.net/ 👉 Happy Habitats on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/HappyHabitats/page/B9918775-B373-4D5F-B2DE-C197B1A24D0C?lp_asin=B0BTK1T28Y&ref_=ast_bln&store_ref=bl_ast_dp_brandLogo_sto 👉 Happy Habitats on Chewy: https://www.chewy.com/f/happy-habitats_f1v366063 👉 Happy Habitats on Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/browse/0?facet=brand:Happy+Habitats 👉 Happy Habitats on Tractor Supply Co.: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/happy-habitats-7-in-roam-clear-hamster-ball-unique-dwarf-small-animal-exercise-ball-safe-breathable-pet-care-6011828 👉 Happy Habitats on Pet Valu: https://www.petvalu.ca/brand/happy-habitats 👉 Happy Habitats on Bomgaars: https://www.bomgaars.com/oi-98318.html 👉 Happy Habitats on Petco: https://www.petco.com.mx/petco/en/App/EMPLEADO/Happy-Habitats-The-Roam-Esfera-de-Pl%C3%A1stico-con-Asa-para-Roedores%2C-1-Pieza/p/148019 👉 Apollo (CRM / contact sourcing): https://www.apollo.io/ 👉 P9 Design: https://www.p9innovation.com/index.php 👉 Honeywell: https://www.honeywell.com/us/en 👉 OXO: https://www.p9innovation.com/OXOJuicing.php 👉 S’well: https://www.swell.com/ 👉 Pet Supermarket: https://www.petsupermarket.com/ 👉 Feeders Pet Supply: https://feederspetsupply.com/ 👉 Marknology: https://marknology.com/ 👉 Jim Dougherty: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-dougherty-90b0922 👉 PetSmart: https://www.petsmart.com/ ✅ LIKE MAKING MORE MONEY? SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: http://youtube.com/@NickLoper?sub_confirmation=1 YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 💸 The Hidden Amazon Feature Changing The Influencer Game: https://youtu.be/TKf--ArhAL8 💸 From Debt to Mortgage-Free Multi-Millionaire: https://youtu.be/c8N5zcyLFlw 💸 Zero Followers to Full-Time Video Game Income: How I Built an Online Business for Sims Superfans: https://youtu.be/xrF_8il-oL4 SUBSCRIBE TO THE SIDE HUSTLE SHOW: 📲 Apple Podcasts: https://www.sidehustlenation.com/itunes 📲 Spotify: https://www.sidehustlenation.com/spotify 99 MORE SIDE HUSTLE IDEAS: 💡 https://www.sidehustlenation.com/ideas/ Thanks so much for tuning in!