This Facet Hustle Highlight Q&A options Damian Primis, a 45-year-old musician primarily based in Queens, New York. Throughout the pandemic, Primis began olive oil model Primis Imports as a facet hustle; the enterprise has since grown to 6 figures. Responses have been edited for size and readability.
Picture Credit score: Matt Dine. Damian Primis.
What was your day job or main occupation whenever you began your facet hustle?
For greater than 20 years, I’ve labored as a classically skilled musician. My love for the humanities and music began at a younger age, which led me to New York, the place I graduated with bachelor’s and grasp’s levels in music efficiency from The Juilliard College. My profession has taken me all around the globe, and I’ve had wonderful experiences working with a number of the biggest musicians of all time (and my private favorites), just like the jazz legend Joe Zawinful, The Who at Madison Sq. Backyard and a Tiny Desk live performance with Josh Groban and the solid of Broadway’s Sweeney Todd.
When did you begin your facet hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?
When the pandemic struck, Broadway went darkish, and dwell music got here to a halt. This meant that I’d be out of a job for fairly some time, which was actually scary. Will issues return to regular quickly? It was the query that saved popping into my thoughts. It was at this pivotal second in my life that I began reflecting on what else introduced me pleasure exterior of music and the way I may use this ardour to create a facet hustle. I’ve all the time had an immense sense of delight in my grandparents’ ancestral homeland in Evia, Greece. The wealthy tradition, the great thing about the lands and the delicacies actually impressed me. So, I known as a pal of mine who produced nice olive oil, the sort of additional virgin olive oil that you may’t discover on the cabinets of American supermarkets, and Primis Imports was born.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Primis Imports
What had been a number of the first steps you took to get your facet hustle off the bottom?
The primary steps weren’t very simple, however I feel it is an important a part of what any startup or small enterprise is like. You could expertise the “rising pains,” as I prefer to name it. Whereas nonetheless within the pandemic, most manufacturing and success had been both gradual or at a halt. It took a while to have the primary 150 liters of additional virgin olive oil shipped to New York from my grandfather’s city, however when the product lastly arrived, I used to be capable of expedite the method of hand-labeling each single bottle. I began promoting to family and friends who unfold the Primis Imports identify by way of phrase of mouth, and the bottles offered out! It reassured me that there was a distinct segment that I may unlock within the U.S. market and boosted my confidence to proceed on this new journey.
What had been a number of the greatest challenges you confronted whereas constructing your facet hustle, and the way did you navigate them?
There have been fairly just a few challenges, I have to say. One of many greatest challenges I confronted was securing funding. With a restricted finances, I needed to depend on every cargo’s earnings to finance the following, which meant slower development. However on reflection, it helped me keep away from making pricey errors and made me extra considerate about investments in manufacturing and packaging.
I used to be additionally utterly unfamiliar with the importing course of. It was overwhelming as a result of complicated rules, paperwork and logistics. I sought recommendation from anybody who may provide perception and was persistent to find the appropriate contacts for steerage.
Moreover, ecommerce introduced its challenges. I needed to be taught new abilities like constructing an internet site, organising delivery and guaranteeing the secure supply of fragile merchandise like olive oil in glass bottles. Elements like climate and temperature throughout cargo additionally grew to become key obstacles, however by way of persistence and trial and error, I used to be capable of finding options.
What does income and development appear to be?
One factor to bear in mind about Primis Imports is that we had been promoting a small-batch amount of olive oil that’s harvested yearly. When the product is gone, it is gone! In two to 3 months, we had been capable of see constant income and finally offered out of our early harvest olive oil shortly afterward. This meant that we needed to pivot to seek out extra product till Greece’s subsequent harvest. We sought out a southern hemisphere producer in Peru, which harvests olive oil on the reverse time of 12 months from the northern hemisphere. This helped us to maintain model consciousness available in the market and offered constant funding and development for the enterprise month over month.
Primis Imports has constantly grown since we began in 2022. The primary 12 months, we had 200% development, and in 2023, we had 305% development from the earlier 12 months. DTC is the place we see most of our gross sales, with a small fraction coming from wholesale and smaller retailers. What makes Primis Imports distinctive is our continued mission of sourcing smaller producers with the very best high quality merchandise. In 2024, we began increasing our product line with two honeys from the islands of Milos and Thasos, and in 2025, we shall be launching extra merchandise inside the snacking and cooking classes.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Primis Imports
What do you get pleasure from most about this facet hustle?
I get pleasure from how this facet hustle permits me to remain deeply related to my roots and heritage. Partnering with small Greek producers not solely strengthens native economies but additionally helps share their craftsmanship with a world viewers. I like the problem of reimagining conventional merchandise for the U.S. market, particularly by way of progressive branding that catches the buyer’s eye. This enterprise additionally fuels my creativity — it is extremely rewarding to collaborate with gifted artists from throughout the nation to design packaging and storytelling that really resonate. It is a mix of tradition, objective and artistry, and I could not ask for extra.
What’s your recommendation for others hoping to begin profitable facet hustles of their very own?
My recommendation for anybody seeking to begin a profitable facet hustle is to start small and prioritize high quality over amount. In at the moment’s aggressive market, customers worth authenticity and excellence. A superbly branded product will solely go thus far if the standard is not there, so spend money on getting it proper from the beginning.
Constructing real relationships together with your suppliers is simply as necessary. Be clear concerning the scope and limitations of your small business. The correct companions will perceive your imaginative and prescient and develop with you; if they can not meet you the place you’re, they will not be the perfect match.
Endurance is one other key ingredient. Success would not occur in a single day, however the small, constant steps you are taking every day will compound over time. Concentrate on creating one thing significant and distinctive moderately than chasing fast wins. Once you method your facet hustle with care, persistence and a dedication to high quality, the rewards — each monetary and private — will observe.