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Bart Merrell: The Side Hustle Samurai
Bart Merrell has never had a ‘real job"and he doesn't think you need one either.
Sure, you can work a traditional job if you want to. But needing one? That's a different story. Bart is living proof
that you can create financial freedom by monetizing what you already know, love, and do. He calls this
philosophy a Monetized Mindset and it's changed his Life more than once.
Bart is an international entrepreneur, keynote speaker, podcast host, dog lover, thrill-seeker, and the author of
Monetize Your Mindset: You Don’t Need to Start a Business, You Just Need to Start. But before all of that he
was a pig farmer's kid from Animas, New Mexico. And he was supposed to be an FBI agent chasing Serial
Killers
From Accounting Major to Monetized Mindset Mentor
He studied accounting, a subject he didn't like and admits he wasn't very good at it. It was a means to an end
joining the FBI. But when a vision test disqualified him, life threw him a lemon. And when live hands yout
lemons what are you supposed to do? Make lemonade, if you are making lemonade anyway... Build a
Lemonade stand and sell the stuff.
Discouraged but not defeated, Bart leaned into what his father, a self-made millionaire and pig farmer, always taught him: how to monetize his mindset and get a little crazy. So he built his first lemonade stand. Then another. And another.
From pushing people off bungee towers in Japan (legally!) to building thrill rides, launching businesses,
training dogs, and creating income streams out of thin air, Bart discovered a superpower: he could spot
opportunity where others saw obstacles. And better yet, he could teach others how to do the same.
The Lemonade Kept Coming
In March 2024, Bart faced one of the biggest lemons Life could throw at hi he lost his lower Left leg
It was a shock, but not a stopping point. True to form, Bart didn't just survi et he amputation, he monetized it
Within six months, he launched a new Income stream helping others nay Igate the ‘emotional and phy:
journey of limb loss. Because that's what a Monetized Mindset looks like. Please don't go chopping off bod
parts to start a Side Hustle.
A Thrill-Seeker With a Purpose
Bart's early entrepreneurial career took him to the edge, literally. He helped take the first commercial bungee jump to Japan and became a certified Bungee Jump Master (yes, that's 2 real thing). He developed adrenaline rides like the Kamikaze Coaster and helped bring SCAD diving from Germany to the U.S. and Japan.
But the biggest adrenaline rush of his life came not from falling, it came from standing on a stage.
In 2006, Bart was invited to give a 3-minute testimonial in front of 5,000 people. That moment changed everything. When the audience laughed, gasped, and applauded on cue, he realized that speaking was his new thrill ride.
He's been inspiring audiences ever since with stories, strategies, and a signature style that's equal parts practical and powerful.
Dog Rescuer. Story Miner. Master of the Pivot.
Bart's love of turning obstacles into opportunities doesn’t stop with people, it extends to animals too.
He and his wife are passionate about rescuing shelter dogs, especially misunderstood breeds like Rottweilers. Rex, his 90-pound Rottie who didn't know the meaning of the word “No; inspired yet another lemonade stand: Top Dog Dog Training. And yes, he found a way to monetize his mutt.
Every experience, no matter how tough, fuels Bart's mission. Like surviving a life-threatening saddle embolism. Or watching his father comfort a little girl who accidentally caused his daughter's death. Or finding resilience in the cold winters of Hokkaido, Japan as a young missionary.
Each story in Bart's life has been pounded and folded like the steel of a samurai sword, crafted through adversity into something powerful and sharp.
That's why he teaches entrepreneurs, aspiring speakers, and everyday folks to mine their stories too. Because your life is full of lessons, leverage, and yes, lemons. But with the right mindset, you can turn all of it into something meaningful and even profitable.
From "How Did | Get Here?" to "| Know Why I'm Here."
If you've ever looked around and thought, “How did | get here?” Bart's been there too. Hanging out of airplanes. Sitting across from FBI agents. Standing on Japanese rooftops. Facing a future with one leg and more uncertainty than ever.
But every time, he's answered that question the same way...
“I'm here and | may not like it or | may either way this is going to happen, so how can | monetize it?"
The Identify Your Ideal Side Hustle Workshop
One of Bart's most popular programs is his Identify Your Ideal Side Hustle workshop, a hands-on, high-energy experience that
helps people uncover income opportunities hiding in plain sight. It's not about starting a business with a bunch of overhead and
risk, It's about starting where you are, with what you have.
Whether it's a skill, a story, a passion, or a pet, Bart can help you menetize it.
What Bart believes
You don’t need a job to make a living.
You just need to learn how to leverage what you already have and know.
Ordinary people can succeed extraordinarily well
when they do ordinary things extraordinarily well.
Success doesn’t have to be complicated.
It just has to be intentional.
You don’t wait for motivation to find you.l
“Let your fears push you until your dreams pull you.
Titles and Credibility
(Without the Corporate Suit)
International Entrepreneur and Speaker
Author of Monetize Your Mindset
Host of the Money Mindset with Bart Merrell podcast
Host of Bart Merrell-The Side Hustle Samurai YouTube Channel
Creator of Identify Your Ideal Side Hustle
Certified Bungee Jump Master (Yes, really)
Dog Trainer, Storyteller, and Advocate for the Underdog literally and figuratively
If you're looking for a speaker, mentor, or message
that's equal parts practical and powerful, real and
relatable, funny and unforgettable, you want Bart
Merrell.
He won't just inspire your audience. He'll equip them
with a mindset, and a method, to turn their
everyday life into income, and their greatest
obstacles into their greatest opportunities.
Because when life hands you lemons, Bart Merrell
will help you find your stand... and start selling.
Bart Merrell: The Side Hustle
Samurai
Bart Merrell has never had a real job”, and he doesn’t think you need one either.
Of course, if you want one, that's perfectly fine. But needing a job, relying on someone else’s business to fund your life, your family, and your dreams, is a risky way to live.
Bart is living proof that you can create financial security and freedom by monetizing what you already know, love, and do. It's a principle he calls a Monetized Mindset, and it's helped him turn everything from thrill rides and shelter dogs to life-threatening medical setbacks into income streams, impact, and independence.
He's a serial entrepreneur, international speaker, podcast host, dog rescuer, bungee jump master, and the author of Monetize Your Mindset:
You Don’t Need to Start a Business — You Just Need to Start.
But before any of that, he was just a farm kid from Animas, New Mexico... who thought he'd grow up to catch serial killers with the FBI.
From Small Town to Side Hustle Samurai
Bart graduated with a degree in accounting, a subject he disliked and admits he wasn't great at, because it was the recommended path to becoming an FBI agent. He had the passion, the drive, the plan.
Then a vision test disqualified him.
Suddenly, the dream job disappeared. The door slammed shut
For many people, that would have been the end of the road. For Bart, it was the beginning of something better.
He remembered what his father a pig farmer turned self-made millionaire ~ always said: “You don't need permission to prosper. You just need the right mindset and the courage to act”
So Bart took the lemon life gave him...and built a lemonade stand. Then another. And another.
The Lemonade Stand Lifestyle
From pushing people off bungee towers in Japan (legally) to creating thrill rides, launching dog training services, and training others to turn stories into income, Bart discovered a superpower: he sees opportunity where others see
obstacles.
Better yet, he can teach anyone to do the same.
His journey hasn't been smooth, and that's part of the message. In March 2024,Bart had his lower left leg amputated. The news hit hard. But once the shock wore off, he asked himself the same question he's used to transform his entire life:
“Okay, this is happening. | may not like it, but how can | monetize it?"
Six months later, he'd turned that tragedy into yet another income stream, helping others navigate the physical, emotional, and financial challenges of Limb loss
That's the essence of a Monetized Mindset: flipping the script on setbacks, and transforming pain into purpose, and profit.
Finding Purpose in the Pivot
Barts background as a thrill-seeker is more than entertainment. It's training.
He helped bring the first commercial bungee jump to Japan. He's a certified Bungee Jump Master (really), designed and developed the Kamikaze Coaster, and introduced extreme rides like SCAD diving to Japan and the U.S.
But his biggest adrenaline rush came not from jumping, it came from speaking.
In 2006, Bart delivered a 3-minute testimonial to an audience of over 5,000 people. When the crowd laughed, gasped, and leaned in, he felt the rush of connection and purpose. From that moment on, speaking became his new addiction.
Since then, he’s been on stages across the country and around the world, helping people rethink their assumptions about money, work, and what's truly possible.
A Heart for Dogs. A Mind for
Opportunity.
Bart's passion for monetizing life doesn't stop with people, it includes the four-legged kind too.
He and his wife rescue dogs, especially those considered “dangerous” breeds. Their 90-pound Rottweiler, Rex, didn’t know the word “No” when he arrived. Another lemon. So what did Bart do?
He turned it into a side hustle, launching Top Dog Dog Training, and once again proving that anything can be monetized with the right mindset.
The Identify Your Ideal Side Hustle
Workshop
One of Bart's most sought-after programs is his Identify Your Ideal Side Hustle workshop.
It's not about quitting your job or building a risky business. It's about discovering what you already do, what you already are, that can be turned into income.
Bart guides attendees through a powerful process of reflection, brainstorming, and action. By the end, most people walk away with at least one viable income stream idea they can start immediately, using tools, talents, or even tough life lessons they already have.
This isn’t hypothetical theory. It's real-world, been-there-done-that, get-off- your-butt-and-get-started practicality.
Why Bart’s Different
Bart's story isn't filled with buzzwords or polished credentials. It's full of near- death experiences, lost dreams, second chances, family tragedies, crazy ideas that worked, and side hustles that saved him.
He's been...
Hanging out the strut of an airplane
In a Japanese living room with a dead body (true story)
In an ICU bed with a pulmonary embolism that nearly killed him
Face-to-face with the reality of limb loss
On stage in front of thousands, sharing his journey
Across the table from FBI agents, who didn't hire him, but made a great story
In every situation, Bart has responded the same way:
“This happened. So now what? What's the lesson? What's the opportunity? What can I do with this?"
Official Titles (and a few unofficial ones):
International Entrepreneur & Speaker
Author of Monetize Your Mindset
Host of the Money Mindset with Bart
Merrell Podcast
Creator of Identify Your Ideal Side
Hustle Workshop
Certified Bungee Jump Master
Lemonade Stand Builder, and Side Hustle Samurai
If you're looking for a speaker, mentor, or message that’s equal parts practical and powerful, real and relatable, funny and unforgettable, you want Bart Merrell.
He won't just inspire your audience. He'll equip them with a mindset, and a method, to turn their everyday life into income, and their greatest obstacles into their greatest opportunities.
Because when life hands you lemons, Bart Merrell will help you build your lemonade stand and start selling.
If you're looking for a speaker who can connect with any crowd, entrepreneurs, employees, executives, or everyday dreamers, Bart Merrell will bring the message, the motivation, and the mindset.
He's been through the wringer. He's got the stories. And he knows how to turn your worst “how did | get here?” moment into your best “now | know why I'm here” breakthrough
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