Key Takeaways
- Saraswati-Cook was an aerospace worker when she started her own podcast as a side hustle.
- After entrepreneurs and public figures took notice, she realized the business’s growth potential.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features New York City-based entrepreneur Ginni Saraswati-Cook, 40, who is the founder and CEO of Ginni Media, an award-winning podcast production agency. Her side hustle hosting her own podcast, The Ginni Show, led to a full-time business, which has doubled revenue almost every year since launch and is projected to grow another 20% this year. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Ginni Media. Ginni Saraswati-Cook.
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What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
I was living in my home of 30 years, Melbourne, Australia, and my day job was as an aerospace worker at a leading airline manufacturer. Yep, I helped build wing components for a commercial jetliner. So technically, if you’ve ever been on a plane, you’ve possibly flown on something I helped create.
Don’t worry, I wasn’t producing podcasts and building wings at the same time (I’m not that kind of multitasker), I could barely keep my coffee hot while following safety procedures.
When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
My side hustle was more of a slow simmer than a microwave meal. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Not because I wanted to own an empire, but because I really valued freedom. Freedom of time, of expression and of wearing sneakers to work.
My first side hustle, though, was an events business that failed spectacularly. I invested $40,000 and made back about a quarter of it. But it was the best tuition I could’ve paid for my Bachelor of How Not to Run a Business. I started it for profit, not purpose, and let’s just say, passionless entrepreneurship has the shelf life of an avocado.
Fast forward to early 2017, I was working afternoons at the airline manufacturer and hosting a morning radio show (in college, I’d stumbled across this community radio station called JOY 94.9FM that was offering a free broadcast radio course for people under 25, and I thought, Sure, why not? — then eventually moved into daytime hosting).
Working in radio helped me realize how much I enjoyed audio, and this was just around the time podcasts were beginning to make a name for themselves. So I decided to start my own show. After my shift as a mechanic, I’d go home and record episodes for my budding podcast, The Ginni Show.
The Ginni Show originally began as an autobiographical collection of stories, inspired by my own journey as a Sri Lankan immigrant girl growing up in Australia. They were filled with everyday lessons, cultural quirks and heartfelt reflections that shaped me. I leaned heavily into the humor of it all, especially the iconic aunty imitations, the familiar wisdom they’d dish out and the way their voices became a soundtrack to my childhood.
Eventually, entrepreneurs and public figures took notice and started asking, “Hey, can you help me make one of these, too?” That’s when I realized, maybe this wasn’t just a hobby.
I spent $300 AUD on my microphone and audio interface.
What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
The Ginni Show was basically my first investment and test lab. I spent $300 AUD on my microphone and audio interface, which all plugged into my computer. That’s where everything started. Since I was still working full time, I hired an audio producer named Sam Phelps to help me. He immediately got my weird humor and creative rhythm, and it was worth every bit of the couple hundred dollars I paid him per episode. My podcast went on to be nominated for Best Comedy Podcast at the Australian Podcast Awards, and I was a finalist for Broadcaster and Presenter of the Year. This was obviously a huge accomplishment, but it also put me in front of a lot of new people.
I started getting requests to help people with their podcasts, and at that point, there was no business plan other than, “Hey, I can do this for other people, too.” So I started freelancing, editing audio, producing content and consulting on Upwork while holding down my day job. Before long, the side hustle had its own hustle, and that’s how Ginni Media was born.
I was preparing to move to New York City by December 2018: I needed space, mentally, emotionally and logistically, to pack up my life (which ended up fitting into three small suitcases) and go all in on my business. I booked a one-way ticket, lined up an apartment in Brooklyn, and once I landed, there was no safety net. It was just me and my vision. From that moment forward, it was all Ginni Media. No plan B.
Are there any free or paid resources that have been especially helpful for you in starting and running this business?
I started out as a podcast producer, so naturally, podcasts taught me everything. Listening to other creators share their stories was like free mentorship with less awkward small talk.
Books also played a huge role. Atomic Habits, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and You Are a Badass. All of them rewired how I think. And honestly, even a good memoir can be a business masterclass. If you read between the lines of someone’s story, you’ll always find a lesson that applies to your own.
I eventually took the next step and invested in a business coach when I realized my health was taking a hit. I gained weight, had constant migraines, and I realized I needed a change in how I managed my life and business. What I was doing wasn’t sustainable, and having someone on the outside, keeping me accountable and showing me how to grow a business sustainably, was priceless.
If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you’d done it differently?
I would’ve taken self-care way more seriously, way earlier. And not the cute kind of self-care that involves spa days and green smoothies… I mean the boring, hard kind.
Things like:
- Learning to stretch so my body didn’t feel like an IKEA chair by 5 p.m.
- Saying no without apologizing afterward.
- Resting without checking my email every 12 minutes.
- And actually going outside, because apparently humans need sunlight. Who knew?
When it comes to this specific business, what is something you’ve found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren’t?
People think podcasting is all creative flow and deep conversations — and yes, it is that. But it’s also project management, emotional labor and a surprisingly high tolerance for Wi-Fi instability.
What surprises most people is that podcasting is just as much about listening as it is about talking. You’re holding space for someone’s story, brand and message, while juggling 57 audio files and making it sound effortless. It’s like therapy, but with better microphones and less HIPAA rules.
Not to mention that when you’re a producer, what you create is a representation of your client’s brand and also your own. It isn’t just about you anymore when your side hustle turns into a global success. It’s about all the people and brands you’re working with, so your mindset has to evolve with it.
The industry has also changed a lot. When I started, podcasting was still niche, and it was mostly audio-focused. Now it’s a booming multimedia space where video is almost expected, and having great production quality is non-negotiable. Between booking studio time, learning the new tools and keeping up with changing trends, it can be overwhelming for new podcasters and producers. But finding your rhythm and staying consistent really does make it easier to build momentum and create content that you’re proud of.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Ginni Media
Within four months, I hit $10,000 a month.
Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong — how did you fix it?
There was one time a client’s entire episode file disappeared the night before a big launch. Picture me, 3 a.m., holding coffee in one hand, tears in the other.
This was in the age before AI and voice cloning. We rebuilt the episodes from backup files (thank you, cloud gods), and I learned two important lessons:
- Always have redundant backups.
- Crying while exporting audio doesn’t make it render faster — I checked.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
When I officially started Ginni Media and moved to New York in December 2017, the business was making around $6,000 per month. Just enough to cover bills and some outsourced help.
Once I made it my main focus, the momentum built quickly. Within four months, I hit $10,000 a month, and by the end of the first year, Ginni Media had earned $141,000. Not bad for a girl who once built airplane wings and had a mic habit. My previous day job yearly salary was $67,000 USD, so already, within a year of quitting, I had made more than double what I used to.
What does growth and revenue look like now?
We’re currently at around $600,000 a year (about $50,000 a month) — our best year yet, with a 20% increase in revenue. This comes after we had a challenging year in 2024, with massive market changes, AI disruption and economic challenges that our clients were facing. To get things moving in the right direction, we made several changes. We made adjustments to the platforms we were using, developed new offers that brought in an additional $80,000, set new standards for our team members and the company culture and streamlined many processes using AI.
We’re now opening two brand-new recording studios in Manhattan and are looking at a projected 25% increase in revenue for 2026. One thing I love about how this all evolved is that my team is happier because of the changes we’ve made, and we’re all seeing more success because of it.
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
The people, 100%. My team, my clients and the voices we amplify. They’re what make this work so rewarding. Producing podcasts is a front-row seat to human stories, and that never gets old.
What’s your best piece of specific, actionable business advice?
Hire a business coach who you’re slightly afraid to disappoint and who is going to set real goals for you — and pay them real money. Don’t do service trades or unpaid swaps. You need to feel that money leave your bank account because accountability hits differently when your credit card is on the line. You’ll suddenly find yourself showing up, doing the work and keeping promises like your future self is watching. Because she is. And she’s cheering you on.
