Makers & Movers: Brooks Conkle

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Some people dream about starting a business, but Brooks Conkle just goes out and does it. With over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience and a fearless approach to trying new things, he’s built a lifestyle around creativity, experimentation, and taking action.

In this edition of the Makers & Movers interview, Brooks shares his insights on building income streams, embracing failure, and why his secret to success starts with simply swinging the bat.

1. Introductory Insight

What is your name, and what is your side hustle or business?

Brooks Conkle — I launch projects and build income streams.  

Briefly describe your business or side hustle.

I build online projects that I can run and operate from anywhere (just in case I want to move!) 

How long have you been operating your business?

15+ years across all my projects.  

2. Business Journey

What inspired you to start your business?

I’ve been hustling since I was selling candy out of my backpack at school 😜 

How did you transition from idea to execution?

I swing the bat.  I fail a lot (still am).  But gotta swing.  Lots of people don’t.  

What were the initial challenges you faced?

Worrying about what others think.  Or worrying if I’ll “make it“ (whatever that means). 

3. Strategic Moves

What does a typical day look like for you?

I wake up at 6 AM.  Quiet with coffee.  Going by 7.  I have a list of “to do’s“, but I basically get punched in the face and redirected 20 different times daily! 

How do you manage and prioritize tasks?

Massive to-do list.  But a small paper list with my top 3 sits beside my laptop so I can always look at it.  

What tools or systems do you use to run your business?

Trello, Drive Products, WhatsApp (for team chats), Make for Automations, and every AI tool I can test!  

4. Financial Insights

What was your initial investment?

Bootstrapped and keep investing.  

How has your revenue grown over time?

Up and down over 15 years >> but overall up.  

How do you manage cash flow and profitability?

It’s not easy (funny, I’m looking to build my own tool for this as I’m looking for a better solution!)  

5. Growth & Outreach

Have you leveraged social media or other platforms for growth?

Yep – on all platforms like YouTube, X, LinkedIn, etc. I post where it makes sense.  

6. Future Plans

What are your short-term and long-term goals?

The plan is to keep testing new ideas that bring me joy and excitement.  I also plan to lean into AI and see where it takes society.  

7. Personal Insights

How do you balance work and personal life?

I don’t balance.  I ride the wave.  It’s more of a rhythm of life for me.  

8. Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

What advice would you give to someone starting out?

Swing the bat.   [funny, one of my projects is actually a digital test — swingthatbat.com — just remembered that]

9. Fun Rapid-Fire Round

What’s a fun fact about you that most people don’t know?

I lived in a van in New Zealand after college.  

How can people follow your business?

Google my name, Brooks Conkle, and connect where you’d like!