Intro

What does it really take to build something that lasts over a decade?

In this special episode, Elijah Bilel becomes the guest as he’s interviewed live during the 10-year anniversary of The Veggie Outers.

Hosted by Yoshi Me who also has been on the show last season. You can see that show here.  This episode blends:

• A live interview
• A behind-the-scenes origin story
• A real-time audience Q&A

This isn’t just a reflection…

👉 It’s a blueprint for building something that actually lasts

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Episode Overview

This episode serves as:

• The first episode of Season 3
• A live in-person interview experience
• A foundation for understanding Elijah’s monetization strategy

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The Bigger Theme of This Episode

👉 How to survive in the world without a 9 to 5

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What That Looks Like

• Monetizing your skills
• Building multiple income streams
• Creating a system that supports your freedom

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How The Veggie Outers Got Started

Yoshi opens with the question:

👉 “How did The Veggie Outers get started?”

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Elijah’s Answer

It started with a personal transformation:

• Poor diet early on
• A coach calling it out
• Immediate performance improvement after cleaning it up

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The Realization

👉 Health creates real, immediate results

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From Personal Change to Community

• Coworkers noticed what he was eating
• Questions started coming in daily
• Conversations turned into curiosity

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The First Move

Instead of answering questions repeatedly:

👉 Elijah organized a group outing

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The Result

👉 The first Veggie Outers meetup was born

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How It Turned Into a Massive Community

Yoshi follows up with:

👉 “How did you grow this into such a large group?”

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Elijah’s Breakdown

• Started with coworkers
• Grew through word of mouth
• Expanded through networking consistently

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Key Trait

👉 “I’m a serial networker”

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What That Led To

• Constant exposure
• Organic promotion
• Rapid growth

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Outcome

👉 Within about a year, the group exploded

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Why Most Meetup Groups Fail (And This One Didn’t)

Another key question:

👉 “Why do you think this lasted when others didn’t?”

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Elijah’s Answer

👉 It stopped being just a meetup… and became a brand

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The Difference

• Meetups = events
• Brands = identity

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His Analogy

Drawing from Batman Begins:

👉 A person can be ignored

👉 A symbol lasts forever

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The Takeaway

👉 Build something bigger than the activity itself

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Live Q&A: Questions From the Crowd

This is where the episode really opens up.

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Question: “How can we support The Veggie Outers?”

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Elijah’s Answer

There are two main ways:

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1. Paid Support

The Veggie Outers is funded through:

• The Side Hustler’s Society
• Financial Anatomy
• Video editing services

👉 That means supporting those supports the brand

You can also check out Elijah and his sister Tiffany’s books Here

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2. Free Support

This is where most people underestimate their impact:

• Showing up to events
• Participating in reviews
• Engaging with content
• Sharing the brand

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Key Insight

👉 Engagement is currency

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Question: “How do you keep this sustainable long-term?”

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Elijah’s Answer

👉 By not relying on the meetup itself to make money

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Instead

• Other businesses fund the brand
• The brand feeds opportunities back into those businesses

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Example

Veggie Outers content:

• Acts as a video editing portfolio
• Attracts new clients
• Creates additional income streams

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The System

👉 One ecosystem feeds another

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Question: “How did you grow without social media algorithms helping?”

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Elijah’s Answer

When The Veggie Outers started:

• Facebook groups weren’t being pushed
• Organic reach was limited

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So What Worked?

👉 Direct outreach + word of mouth

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Examples

• Talking to coworkers
• Networking in person
• People sharing experiences

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Key Takeaway

👉 You don’t need algorithms to grow

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Question: “What made people keep coming back?”

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Elijah’s Answer

👉 The experience + evolution

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What Changed Over Time

• Started as simple meetups
• Evolved into a recognizable brand
• Became something people identified with

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Key Insight

👉 Retention comes from identity, not just events

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The Hidden Business Model Behind Everything

One of the biggest takeaways from this episode:

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The Veggie Outers Is Not the Product

👉 It’s the ecosystem

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What It Does

• Builds community
• Creates content
• Attracts opportunities

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What Monetizes It

• Services
• Products
• Other brands

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The Lesson

👉 You don’t always monetize directly

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Why This Episode Matters

This episode shows a real-world example of:

• Turning a lifestyle into a brand
• Growing without relying on algorithms
• Monetizing without being pushy
• Building something that lasts 10+ years

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Listen to the Episode

Check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! While you’re there, hit subscribe so you don’t miss our latest episodes!

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Side Hustler’s Society Resources

Side Hustle to Full-Time Strategy Session

The Personalized Side Hustle Starter Kit

The Anatomy Of Financial Success Paperback

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Final Thoughts

After 10 years, The Veggie Outers proves something powerful:

👉 Longevity is built through evolution

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Not Just Starting

But:

• Adapting
• Expanding
• Creating systems

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And Most Importantly

👉 Building something bigger than yourself

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Watch The Podcast On Youtube!