How My Side Hustles Earned $36,000 in a Year

nope. i’m not going to share a get rich quick scheme. i’m not going to talk about bitcoin, penny stocks or multi-level marketing schemes. i’m going to share how my side hustles earned $36,000 last year using plain and simple techniques. 

READ: I Quit My Job as a Lawyer and You Won’t Believe What Happened Next

last year was my first year working in luxury retail fashion and managing several side hustles as a blogger, communications consultant and racial equity trainer. you’re probably wondering how all these things relate.  they don’t sis. i simply monetized all the things that i loved doing.

What the Hell is a Side Hustle Anyway? 

first, let’s get clear on how a side hustle is defined. it’s an opportunity outside of your full-time employment that earns money. babysitting, braiding hair, driving for Uber or hosting workshops are some examples. 

to be clear, a side hustle is not a secondary source of income required to fulfill your necessities. if you need a secondary source of income to pay your rent, then that isn’t considered a side hustle. you may be underemployed or living above your means.

the most important thing about side hustles is they provide additional income to focus on financial goals. for example, it can be hard to save for a house or pay off debt without a reduction in your lifestyle. side hustles let you enjoy your latte while still saving and meeting your goals. 

What Are My Side Hustles?

currently, i have three side hustles. 

1. politics & fashion – my blog and social media platforms have built an amazing audience. my followers’ dedication means that my quarterly bullet journal workshops typically sell out. also, i hosted a successful 21-day happiness project masterclass last year and launched the corresponding toolkit on etsy.

as an influencer, i often partner with businesses in exchange for promotion which reduces the cost of things like hotel stays and excursions when traveling. plus, i work with brands like osea to review their products at my current rate of $250 for a blog post and corresponding social media coverage. 

total income in 2019:  $3,500                                                                                                             

2. communications consultant – my fiancé and i started a social media management company in 2018 with the goal of bringing our individual creative projects under the same umbrella. i took the lead last year and started serving non-profits looking to deepen their digital presence. i wrote press releases, managed social media, supported a major conference and more for mission driven organizations.

total income in 2019: $14,200

3. racial equity trainer – this is the area where i tap into my previous skill set. i spent almost a decade working in public policy with a focus on black and brown children involved in public systems like child welfare.

i became a national expert on the experiences of girls of  color in the child welfare system and have put together a host of trainings around racial/gender justice. organizations often contract with me and a business partner to provide racial equity guidance like staff trainings and webinars. 

total income in 2019: $19,000

How Did I Get Started?

in this post i talked about walking away from my full time job as a lawyer. before quitting, i was obsessed with monetizing my passions. i made a list of all of my skills and brainstormed streams of income that could flow from them.

next, i hired a business coach who helped to hone my focus. i was literally spinning 1,000 ideas and being ineffective in executing all of them. she helped me to build “buckets” of income and get clear on a plan to draw down dollars.

by working with my business coach and reading lots of resources around entrepreneurship, i began to take my side hustles seriously. i hired an intern and worked from a co-working space on my days off. i started networking and began talking about myself as a business owner (because i am.) it became clear that if i gave my additional streams of income attention and intention, then they’d pay off. 

My Biggest Pieces of Advice

my biggest piece of advice when building your side hustles is to have an abundance mindset. at first, i was just working hard to work hard. i’m pretty ambitious so hard work comes easily. however, this is a double edged sword because it can lead to serious burnout. 

READ HERE: Why I Took a Break and You Should Too

it took my reconnecting with a therapist to determine that i had a warped view of success. i believed that if i didn’t lose sleep, do a million things at once and wake up at 5 am, then i didn’t deserve success. i talked about transforming that mindset here, and i’m so grateful for clarity. 

now i believe in abundance and know that what i’m seeking is seeking me. when people engage with my content online or any of my services, were engaged in a spiritual contract. our paths were destined to cross. 

my second piece of advice is to have a plan for your side hustles. extra money is cute, but why do you want it? at first, i wanted to get out of credit card debt. now i want to save for a house. next, we’ll use the supplemental income to save for our wedding. see what i’m doing here? my additional income is helping to fund our big financial goals without putting a strain on our primary incomes.

without a plan, it’s easy to say f*ck it on days when your super tired or are intimidated by reaching out to potential clients. knowing your why will keep you motivated. trust me on this one. 

What’s Next?

the great part about making more money is it motivates you to make money. this means sis is in her bag and the universe is showing up and showing out. i’ve already signed a consulting contract that alone will nearly double the amount that i earned from all three of last year’s side hustles.

my goal is to stay focused and manage my stress in a healthy way. i’m also sticking to my daily affirmation practice to claim abundance. 

follow along with spring clean within over in our private facebook group the joy lounge. don’t forget to download your FREE spring clean within template here –> http://eepurl.com/caDvEv.