Supplementary income is more available than ever. But the spirit of the side hustle is more than quitting one job and jumping right back into another. For most people, the time away from their full-time job is the only time that is truly theirs to use as they see fit.
Profitable or not, do we really want to spend this time doing the boring work that a big company is willing to give us?
Instead, many side scammers figure out how to monetize things they already want to explore in their spare time. What follows is a collection of people who quit their full-time jobs just to get into stuff they're passionate about, learn, or meet new people, plus some resources to help you create your own side hustle. From savvy freelancers to small business owners to a guy who gets paid to create explosions, you don't necessarily have to do what they do, but if you can think like they think you might find be that there is money to be found in your creative spirit.
Type 1 // Own what you already know
Matt Giles is part of the editorial team behind popular storytelling site Longreads. Writing and editing are basic parts of journalism, but one of Giles' main responsibilities is fact-checking, and it's one he can use outside of his full-time job. Thus, Giles lends his attention to detail as an independent fact checker for a number of publications, including The New York Times and the Huffington Post.
When you read a long story reported in a credible magazine, newspaper, or website, you might not realize how long it takes to ensure the facts are correct. The work Giles does when brought into a story goes beyond simple fact-checking; fact checkers often recast stories in a new light. "It's our job to make sure every detail of a piece is checked," says Giles. Being able to earn extra income by incorporating new stories into his spare time is not only convenient, he drops compelling tales in his lap to explore. “You learn something new every day. »
Jamie Serrano was just looking for a specific dress to wear to the rehearsal dinner before her wedding. It was sold, but she eventually found it in one of Facebook's buy/sell/trade groups, a resource for individuals to sell unwanted items. In the process, she realized that clothing items — the kinds of brands and styles she owned but didn't wear regularly — were selling for surprising amounts of money. So she dove into a flexible but time-consuming world of taking photos, posting details and negotiating prices.
“I loved it at first because it was a way to declutter and really shrink my closet,” she says. Over time, Serrano, a daytime writer, began to consider it almost a sideline. It takes planning and attention, but “if you have a penchant for shopping like me, it’s a great way to earn money,” she says.
There was a time when Ann Bush worked in accounting. Now she makes accounting work for her. Bush has a master's degree in accounting and spent seven years as an auditor and real estate accountant for two major corporations. She was good at work, but felt trapped in corporate structures. “I was quite unhappy in my job,” she says. Frankly, her work wasn't personal, so in 2014 she decided to make it personal. Recently married and looking to start a family, she founded Arrow Books, an accounting and consulting firm, and she remains the sole employee.
Six years later, Bush is the mother of two young children and Arrow Books has a stable clientele for which she prepares monthly financial statements. Bush is free to treat his young sons, Jack and Finn, as full-time jobs while answering only to his clients. "I can open my laptop and get a really early hour or some other chunk of work during nap time. »
Type 2 // Carve another identity
Information technology is a great career field, but Ken Mahne found that among the many skills deployed in his full-time IT job, creativity was not high on the list. So he found himself arranging flowers for his wife, Cyndi, as a creative outlet.
Ten years ago, when one of her colleagues saw a centerpiece on her desk, she asked if Ken would do the flower arrangements for her daughter's wedding. Everything went well, and Ken and Cyndi founded Petal Pushers, a flower arranging company in St. Louis, Missouri. Word of mouth spread slowly but surely. The following year, they celebrated two marriages. The following year they did 12. The following year 22. Now they average 58 weddings a year without interfering with his IT work. "It's just a joy to know that I've created this little side business that makes people happy and allows me to be creative," says Mahne. It's a demanding job, but Cyndi says, "We always tear up when we get to watch a girl walk down the aisle. »
Bobby Karalla works in the digital department of an NBA team; what many people might consider an exciting full-time job. But his side hustle is the gig that can really get his adrenaline pumping. When his schedule allows, he works for a fireworks company as a "lead shooter," which means when the explosions start, he has the remote control in his hands. But the work begins long before you push a button. “Seeing [fireworks] from this side really opened my eyes to the complexity and precision of a production and the amount of work that goes into a 20-minute show for thousands of people,” says Karalla.
Karalla has become a licensed technician and works with a team of people who make sure everyone nearby is safe and everyone in the distance sees something spectacular. He just happens to have the best view on the show. "I think everyone gets a little tired of working in an office all day, even if your office is a basketball court or a 20,000-seat arena," Karalla says. “It’s exhilarating to hear one boom after the next. You can feel it in your gut. »
Discipline, leadership, drive, and work ethic are the kinds of traits Jeff Avanzato developed during his 24-year career in the Air Force. So you probably wouldn't guess that on weekends he gets paid to make people dance. Avanzato always had a love for music, so he created an after-work character called DJ Zato, and learned skills he never developed in the military. “You have to understand the art of playing with the crowd,” says Avanzato. Eventually, he started the network DJs to serve weddings and other events in Alabama and Kentucky. “The stress of my current job in the Air Force is relieved when I wear my headphones and do my thing. »
Type 3 // Improve in the process
Camille Williams is a first grade teacher, a job that is both a calling and a test of anyone's patience. When Williams started looking for ways to earn extra income, barre, a fitness program that combines elements of yoga, pilates and ballet, stood out. Becoming a barre instructor took a long five-month training and certification process, but it's a responsibility that has its own perks. “I can train for free, which I love, being with people over 7 and wearing workout clothes to work,” Williams says. She is able to lead classes after school or on weekends.
Hearing her talk about her sideways hustle sounds a lot like how you'd expect her to talk about her full-time job. “I'm challenged to create fluid and diverse lesson plans,” she says. “It has become one of the greatest joys I ever thought I needed. »
Alli Becker is a registered nurse in New York City, concurrently pursuing a master's degree. She doesn't have much free time. Looking for a way to ease the inevitable stress of her job, she became a dog walker for Wag!, an app that matches walkers with dog owners. "Cabot's flexible schedule and quality of time was very appealing," says Becker. Some weeks dog walking has to take a back seat at work or school or life, but even if she does enough just to treat him to a guilt-free cocktail or two at the end of the week, it can be a good way to break up his schedule. "Another great benefit is having an excuse to travel around the city and explore different neighborhoods while taking a few steps," she says.
Music is a skill meant to be shared. Michelle Maves has been offering piano and voice lessons for over 10 years. It is a personal experience, in which you can witness the musical growth of a student. This helped her support herself through college and provided her with extra income through an acting career. She found students to teach while living in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. It was such a constant side hustle that over the years it eventually turned into his full time job.
