Leveling up: Dallas woman makes six figures from side hustle

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - We've all heard about side hustles, but a Dallas woman has taken hers to the next level. With zero startup costs, she is now making more than most people do in their full-time jobs.

Ashley Peek is 27 years old and owns a six-figure business -- and it's not even her main source of income. 

"I'm able to do my job and have this at the same time," said Peek. During the day she works as an account manager. The rest of the time, she's a fashion reseller. Peek said she has always loved shopping secondhand. She started by selling out of her own closet, then began thrifting to sell. 

Peek started in 2017, researching brands, studying trends, and looking at what was selling on Poshmark and eBay. Every time she sold an item, she used the profits to buy more. 

"I just loved it. I was doing it every single day," said Peek. "It didn't feel like a job to me. It didn't even feel like a side hustle!"

It wasn't until 2019 that Peek says she began to treat reselling like a real business. By then she was spending less time at the thrift stores, instead opting to buy her inventory online. Her business grew so much she ran out of room at her apartment. She now rents office space to process, photograph, store and ship hundreds of items. 

"I never knew that I was growing this to be a six-figure business," said Peek. "I was just enjoying doing it and that's what led me where I am today."

How do you find your own side hustle?

--Identify your interests. What are you passionate about? Is there a way to make extra money from it?

--Research the tax implications. If you aren't receiving a W-2 for the work, you wil likely have a heavier tax burden.

--Avoid conflicts of interest. Check with your employer to make sure there are no rules about outside sources of income.

Peek said one thing that really helped her learn along the way is the online reselling community: there are a lot of Instagram accounts and YouTube channels dedicated to the subject. Peek has both; you can find her under her business name, ReCloth Collection. 

While her side hustle is more fun (and more lucrative) than her main job, Peek said it's nice to have a steady paycheck, too. 

"That is a big reason why I keep my job," said Peek. "It's nice not to have to worry about that. I do live solely off my salary."

Peek said reselling has given her financial freedom, and there are no limits to how far she can take it. 

"To be able to live a life and not worry too much about money... I'm just so happy. That's all I can say!"

Her biggest sale ever was this Hermes bag. She bought it for $2,000 and sold it for $4,999 (before Poshmark fees). 

Her second biggest sale came from a thrift store. She paid $3 for a vintage Levi's jacket that sold for more than $3,700 on eBay. 

Watch the full video here.    

If you're not an entrepreneur but you still want to bring in some extra cash, remember:

--If it's a gig job like ride share or grocery delivery, make sure you have the right kind of insurance coverage.

--Be careful signing up for anything that requires up-front costs, like purchasing inventory to sell. That can be a red flag.

--Beware of job postings that sound too good to be true. If it's remote work that doesn't require special skills and has a high hourly wage, there's a good chance it's a scam.

Watch one of the I-Team reports about job scams here.