In 2019, after losing her fulltime job as a medical laboratory technologist and with her daughter diagnosed with autism, Christian Sanya discovered on-demand laundry platform, SudShare. Three years later, she had raised enough income from this side hustle to purchase a $200,000 laundromat.
After losing her job, Christian Sanya felt lost. According to an interview she gave Essence, she felt even more confused upon learning of her daughter’s autism diagnosis. Unable to apply for fulltime roles so she could stay home and finalize hers daughter’s care plan, and also needing a quick source of income to get by on, she turned to on-demand service gigs.
She started off on Instacart but was introduced by one of her Instacart customers to Sudshare, a laundry app. Though she was reluctant to do anyone’s dirty laundry, that same night, she quit Instacart and joined SudShare.
Transforming a Chore Into A Business
While growing up, Christian Sanya’s designated chore around the house was doing the laundry. This grew into a love she would take with her into adulthood. She would tell CNBC that she had told her husband when they got married that her dream, since she was at least 10, was to own a laundromat. They would try to buy one from an acquaintance in 2015, but were unable to afford it.
In her words,
“It’s not an easy side hustle, but if you like it, it’s easy money. But the laundry has always been my thing … It doesn’t feel like work to me.”
She threw herself into SudShare. Her efficiency brought her repeat clients and the business exploded. She needed help with workload and she hired a few hands to take on some of the orders. In no time, she was bringing in almost $4k/month alone from just laundry orders, making $46,000 in 2022.
Even when she returned to work in a hospital in March 2020, with expectations that the demand for healthcare workers would skyrocket and laundry requests to plummet, she kept her SudShare profile active.
The Laundry Room: From Dreaming to Buying A Laundromat
With the money from the side hustle and personal savings, she and her husband fulfilled their dream of owing a laundromat. In March 2022, the laundromat they were unable to purchase in 2015 was back on the market. Using the earnings from SudShare, her $76,000 salary as a medical laboratory technologists and savings, they paid for it in full.
The laundromat, named The Laundry Room, would bring in $46,000 monthly and in 2023, they opened a second one with plans in place for a third. She continues to work on SudShare gig, clocking up to 12 hours a day of work on the platform. At the same time, she balances her full-time job and managing the laundromat.
“You have to sacrifice a lot to know that where you’re going, the endpoint, is going to pay off. I’ve given up family time, I’ve given up my date nights. I’ve given up a lot for SudShare at this point.”
Her busy schedule often leaves her with only four hours of sleep, but she remains passionate about a business she had dreamt of building since she was a teenager. As to making cleaning other people’s dirty laundry her business, she admitted to being embarrassed at the beginning. “It’s definitely been humbling but everyone has to start somewhere,” she told Essence. “No one should ever be made to feel ashamed of making a living for yourself and your family. I’m so grateful.”
Takeaways
Be Adaptable: Be open to new opportunities when faced with challenges. Christian’s challenges brought her her blessing.
Make Your Passion Your Business: Businesses that are built out of our passions and interests often lead to greater fulfillment and success. Christian’s passion for laundry exemplifies this principle.
Go One Step At A Time: Starting with side hustles can you build experience and grow your capital for a bigger business or investment. Christian’s journey from SudShare to owning a laundromat illustrates this scaling principle.
Manage Your Finances Well: Christian combined earnings from multiple sources to achieve her dream. Managing your finances well and prudently is crucial to scaling.
Commit to the Hustle: A strong time management, prioritizing your long-term goals and the willingness to make sacrifices are key for achieving you long-term goals.
