Nurse earns Rs 1.02 crore a year from this side hustle she started with Rs 3,300 investment

The nurse's side hustle is now a booming business. (Representational)

A 41-year-old nurse from New Jersey, US, transformed her overwhelming emotions of losing her father in the midst of a global pandemic into an unexpected entrepreneurial success. What began as a creative outlet with very little investment has blossomed into a lucrative side hustle, with her Etsy shop, MegansMenagerie, generating impressive sales figures and a newfound sense of financial independence.

Walsh’s journey started in March 2021, when she awoke at 2 am, consumed by anxiety from the mounting pressure at work. As a full-time endoscopy nurse, she was overwhelmed by the influx of COVID-19 patients, and her father's recent passing weighed heavily on her.

Seeking solace, she turned to her long-time passion for crafting, a hobby she had maintained since nursing school – aromatherapy, prompting her to order a pound of fragrant eucalyptus online for $40 (Rs 3,300) to create wall decor as a tribute to her father.

This initial foray into plant-based art sparked a creative revolution, leading to more than $121,400 (Rs 1.02 crore) in Etsy sales last year alone, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

Now on track for similar success this year, Walsh’s Etsy shop has seen monthly sales soar to approximately $9,800 (Rs 8.24 lakh) through September. Balancing her nursing duties—now reduced to 24 to 32 hours a week—Walsh dedicates 12 to 24 hours weekly to her Etsy venture.

“I don’t have to have a full-time job because of Etsy,” she told CNBC, noting the financial freedom it has afforded her family. Her earnings from the shop are close to what she makes as a nurse, allowing her to provide for her children and fund special occasions, including her daughter’s first car.

Walsh founded MegansMenagerie in 2009, initially selling handmade items like crocheted scarves – her first sale was a $40 Cowell-neck scarf, she recalled. As trends shifted, she adapted, introducing popular chevron patterns that helped her sales flourish.

While her shop's revenue dipped in 2014, following the completion of her bachelor’s degree and the arrival of her second child, the pandemic reignited her passion for crafting. In 2021, her annual revenue surged to $78,400, climbing further to $108,300 in 2022.

Her success has funded family vacations, student loan repayments, and even her and her husband’s $20,000 vow renewal ceremony last year, allowing him to become a stay-at-home dad for their three children.