Man Lost His Job Before First Baby Shower, Couple Grew Camcorder Rental Side Hustle

Felipe Rochi, an SEO supervisor, was terminated from a second job in early June while his wife, Rachel Calaj, was pregnant with their first child, according to Business Insider. Calaj, a school psychologist typically hired on district contracts through an agency, had her own contract end in May around the same time.

Rochi was let go the day before the couple's baby shower, a loss they describe as significant to their household income during a stretch when Calaj wanted to stay home with the baby and had hoped Rochi's two jobs could make that possible.

In response, the couple leaned into their side hustle, a wedding camcorder rental business, splitting the workload as new parents to grow it into a bigger source of income.