A CEO Who Runs a Fully Remote Company Has an Unusual Take on Employees Starting Side Hustles: 'We Have to Be Honest With Ourselves' Ross Buhrdorf, CEO of ZenBusiness, breaks down how critical "walking the walk" really is.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- ZenBusiness director of human resources Keith Amaker started his side hustle Precise Heat Pepper Sauce in 2020.
- Buhrdorf and Amaker weigh in on how Amaker's small business impacts his work at ZenBusiness.
Nearly two in five (39%) of U.S. adults have a side hustle — and despite the fact that many of them use the extra cash earned to pay essential bills, not every 9-5 employer is as supportive as the next.
That's why side hustle expert and remote work advocate Daniella Flores told CNBC Make It that employees should take a close look at their employer's policy on the subject — and potentially consult with an employment lawyer if they're unsure how much information must be disclosed.
However, some employers might actually encourage their employees to start their own side hustles. Ross Buhrdorf, CEO of ZenBusiness, a fully remote company that provides an all-one-one platform and guidance for small business owners, is one of them.
According to Buhrdorf, ZenBusiness (which began as his own side hustle) is a business committed to "fueling BIZ Experiencesial dreams and passions," which means "walking the walk" and allowing its employees to give BIZ Experiencesship a shot.
"We have to be honest with ourselves that a lot of people have side hustles," Buhrdorf says. "We encourage our employees to have side hustles because it also makes for a better product. We view employees having side hustles as an asset as it's critical that our employees actually use our product. This allows them to be emotionally engaged with the product and their side hustle."
Employees also use the ZenBusiness platform for free, Buhrdorf adds.
Keith Amaker, director of human resources at ZenBusiness, who's worked at the company for four years, first as the director of customer success, was eager to join the BIZ Experiencesially-focused company — and start a side hustle of his own: Precise Heat Pepper Sauce. He found the inspiration for it when he planted a garden during the pandemic.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Precise Heat Pepper Sauce
"I love spicy food," Amaker says. "So, in starting my garden, spicy peppers were one of the first things that I planted. We had a great rainy season in Texas that year, so I had a huge crop. My son motivated me to make my own hot sauce. He even helped me pick out the right peppers. The first batch of hot sauce was really good, and we made so much that I began to hand it out. Everyone who received the hot sauce wanted more."
Amaker rose to meet that demand, fine-tuning the recipe and crowdsourcing feedback, and the side hustle has grown steadily since 2020, he says. According to Amaker, the ZenBusiness platform helped make Precise Heat Pepper Sauce official — from aiding in the creation of an LLC to providing tools that make "life easier" when it comes to day-to-day business tasks like writing invoices and tracking expenses. Buhrdorf has also tried Amaker's hot sauce — and he's a fan.
Additionally, Amaker says running his side hustle makes him a better employee. "My business makes me happy, so I show up as my best self," he explains. "Every time that I have great customer interactions or whipped up an awesome new batch of hot sauce I show up happy. I'm also surrounded by other BIZ Experiencess with side hustles. When I hear about others who have made strides in their businesses, I'm inspired to hustle like a boss. Being surrounded by like-minded individuals is huge."
Related: How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Successful Business
Buhrdorf isn't concerned about employees' side hustles hurting their performance at ZenBusiness—quite the opposite, in fact.
"We put full trust in our employees to put in a full day's work," Buhrdorf says. "All of our employees have equity in ZenBusiness, so they are technically owners in two businesses — ZenBusiness and their side hustles! By having ownership, everyone is accountable and strives for the company to be successful."
