Episode 54: How to Start a Successful Side Hustle; Hiatus until September 10th
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher and Google Play
Host Shereen Kassam, a serial side hustler, shares her tips and advice on starting a successful side hustle and ideas to get you started. She also shares her thoughts about the recent murder of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement, and how as a creative you can get involved. Also, we are taking a summer break to focus on self-care and wellness. We will be back with new episodes on September 10th!
It’s a different world than it was when we last chatted two weeks ago. Here in the USA, we are in the midst of a crisis. The murder of George Floyd, a Black man, in Minneapolis has set-off days of protests across the United States. Race division in America is a heavy topic that has been ignored for too long in the USA and now people are demanding it be addressed.
There are many ways to get involved – you can join the protests, you can organize, you can donate, or you can use your creativity. Write music, make signs, create graphics, disseminate information via websites and writing, etc. Creative to creative – use your creativity to make your voice heard. And I urge you, make your voice heard.
As I stated many times over the past few weeks as we have been lockdown fighting Coronavirus, it’s OK to feel mentally exhausted. If you need to take time to restore, take time to yourself. Your wellness is important.
With that said, I’ve decided to take a hiatus from podcasting. I’ve decided with everything going on, losing my job, the coronavirus, and now a movement that I feel very passionate about and want to dedicate time to pushing forward, I will not be releasing new episodes for the months of June, July, and August. Creative Breakthrough will resume on September 10th.
In the meantime, I will be going live on Instagram, so follow me at @funnybrowngirl as well as posting my creative thoughts similar to my solo episodes on YouTube – my channel is https://www.youtube.com/c/FunnyBrownGirl
Subscribe to the podcast, so you don’t miss the first episode of Season 3. Guests for Season 3 include MSNBC Business Correspondent and anchor Ali Velshi, co-founder of Def Comedy Jam Bob Sumner, comedian, actor and writer Nelu Handa, Jaime Callica from Tyler Perry’s new drama Ruthless, Chef Saqib Keval who’s restaurant has been named one of Time magazine’s Greatest Places of 2019 and many more!
Before I leave you all for the summer, I want to touch on side hustles also known as side gigs or a 2nd job to complement your main job.
What’s a side hustle?
What is the meaning of side hustle? A side hustle is basically something you do outside of work to make extra income – it can be a hobby or an entrepreneurial venture. Side hustle jobs are a great way to puruse a passion outside of work. The best part is you can side hustle from home, which makes it perfect for times like today when we are going through COVID-19 lockdown.
If you’ve ever thought of starting a side hustle, now it the time. There are so many opportunities to think outside the box.
Why are side hustles great?
- Learn new skills or experience
- Test the waters of something new and exciting without a full commitment
- Extra income for hard times like being furloughed
- Explore a passion that you may not get to at work (digital course, coaching, comedy, podcasting, website design, creating art, jewelry making)
- Sense of fulfillment. You own your work.
And if you don’t like it, that’s ok. You can change, pivot, or start a new one!
What side hustle should I start?
For example, there is a comedian who has started an online comedy club.. There is another comedian who has started a business where you can hire comics for virtual meetings, conferences and events. I have friend who have learned to sew and are making masks, and are being creative and making team masks for popular NFL and NBA teams that are selling out. Online shopping has surged in the past few months so if you’ve ever thought of starting an e-commerce business or selling an ebook now is the time.
What are some side hustle jobs?
Some idea for creatives – musicians who can’t play live right now can make music for podcasters…the intro and outro song for this podcast were purchased online from a website that consolidates beats. Graphic designers create logos, websites, and more for small businesses. Writers can edit and copyright materials for novelists, screenwriters, and more.
I have friends who love Disney, so they become Disney travel agents. They will help you plan your entire trip. Some will even be your personal tour guide and walk you through the park.
A lot of opportunities to side hustle to make money are done online. Best side hustle jobs and ideas include expanding your hobby into a side hustle job, expanding your career profession to help small businesses or tutoring students, or venturing in to entrepreneurship.
It’s amazing how many side hustle online platforms exist. If you have a hobby, such as knitting, start putting creations online on sites like Etsy. ETSY is an online market for trade crafts and homemade products, but now it basically sells everything. It’s available in 83 countries. I have products on Etsy, it’s super easy to utilize and there aren’t high costs involved.
If you have a product in mind, start a Shopify store. Shopify is available in 175 countries. I have a Shopify store as well and right now it has tripled revenue.
I have friends who makes t-shirts. You can make t-shirts or you can create designs and have a company make the shirts on demand. The friend who makes t-shirts now is making custom designed masks. She saw a gap in the new way of life and pivoted.
If you have a profession, such as you are accountant. See if you can help small businesses who are struggling right now.
There are some quote unquote rules to side hustling
- Don’t do anything that competes with your main job, so if you work for an oil and gas company, don’t go consult for oil and gas companies
- Do not use your company as a marketing tool for your side hustle. Try to keep them separate. That said, don’t speak about it at work freely it could be hurt your career progression. While a good leader should be proud and encourage you to have a side hustle, many leaders don’t fully understand the benefits
- Make sure what you choose is legal. At the end of the day you are still an ambassador for your job.
If you want to learn more about starting a side gig or have questions send me a note at hi@funnybrowngirl.com and we can continue this conversation on Instagram and YouTube. Again my IG handle is @funnybrowngirl and my YT is https://www.youtube.com/c/FunnyBrownGirl
Enjoy your summer and see you back on September 10th!
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