Scaling Your Side-Gig: How Alex Hopes Turned a Passion Project into A Phenomenon
Mon Feb 02 2026
Most people don’t plan for a pivot that changes everything. For Alex Hopes, it started with a moment that stopped his life cold and rerouted it completely. What followed was a decade-long journey of saying yes to what was in front of him, even when it didn’t match the original plan.
In this episode, Jay Papasan talks with Alex, founder of Zilker Bark, about how a simple dog photography project grew into massive dog events attracting thousands of people in the Austin area. They unpack the power of narrowing your focus, why constraints can sharpen creativity, and how community-driven experiences create built-in word of mouth.
Alex also shares the behind-the-scenes lessons of rapid growth, from learning on the fly to finding mentors who help you avoid costly mistakes. At its core, this conversation is about trusting the pivot, choosing depth over breadth, and letting your ONE Thing reveal itself over time.
Challenge of the Week:
Take a step back and look at the unexpected changes in your life or business. Identify one alternative path you may have overlooked and ask what could happen if you leaned into it instead of resisting it.
We talk about:
[00:00] Welcome and Introduction to Alex Hope
[01:05] Your Side Project Gains Momentum… Now What?
[03:25] The Power of Word-of-Mouth
[05:07] Do Constraints Actually Improve Creativity?
[07:48] One-To-Many: The Transition to Events
[12:32] How Do Community-Driven Events Create Exponential Growth?
[17:20] Managing Explosive Growth
[24:40] How Do You Move Forward When Life Forces a Hard Pivot?
***
To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods.
We talk about:
How focusing on a niche can accelerate growth
Turning community into your best marketing engine
Finding opportunity inside unexpected life pivots
Links & Tools from This Episode:
Follow Alex Hopes on Instagram
Visit Zilker Bark’s Website
Follow Zilker Bark on Instagram
Free Resources
Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email podcast@the1thing.com
Produced by NOVA
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Most people don’t plan for a pivot that changes everything. For Alex Hopes, it started with a moment that stopped his life cold and rerouted it completely. What followed was a decade-long journey of saying yes to what was in front of him, even when it didn’t match the original plan. In this episode, Jay Papasan talks with Alex, founder of Zilker Bark, about how a simple dog photography project grew into massive dog events attracting thousands of people in the Austin area. They unpack the power of narrowing your focus, why constraints can sharpen creativity, and how community-driven experiences create built-in word of mouth. Alex also shares the behind-the-scenes lessons of rapid growth, from learning on the fly to finding mentors who help you avoid costly mistakes. At its core, this conversation is about trusting the pivot, choosing depth over breadth, and letting your ONE Thing reveal itself over time. Challenge of the Week: Take a step back and look at the unexpected changes in your life or business. Identify one alternative path you may have overlooked and ask what could happen if you leaned into it instead of resisting it. We talk about: [00:00] Welcome and Introduction to Alex Hope [01:05] Your Side Project Gains Momentum… Now What? [03:25] The Power of Word-of-Mouth [05:07] Do Constraints Actually Improve Creativity? [07:48] One-To-Many: The Transition to Events [12:32] How Do Community-Driven Events Create Exponential Growth? [17:20] Managing Explosive Growth [24:40] How Do You Move Forward When Life Forces a Hard Pivot? *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: How focusing on a niche can accelerate growth Turning community into your best marketing engine Finding opportunity inside unexpected life pivots Links & Tools from This Episode: Follow Alex Hopes on Instagram Visit Zilker Bark’s Website Follow Zilker Bark on Instagram Free Resources Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email podcast@the1thing.com Produced by NOVA