Let’s Talk About That Side Hustle

Note: This post is about a real life conversation. The other party has given me permission to write about the interaction in order to help answer any questions others might have on the subject. I never post about business conversations without willing permission. xo

Everyone has a side hustle now: I had one, my sister had one, and most of my best friends have/had one.

The subject recently came up during one of my business coaching sessions and I felt is was important to touch on. Side gigs can be excellent: something you may enjoy, a way to bring in extra income and maybe even a hobby you enjoy. With this said, its also important to know when that side job is getting in the way of your full-time path.

Unless you want your side-thing to become your all-the-time-thing – make sure you have the right balance between what you have going on. The problem that was discussed was a lack of personal time. And even though making that money is a great feeling….you’ll eventually need some personal time, too.

My client felt troubled. She was part of a MLM and it wasn’t taking off like she hoped it would. She was feeling discouraged and felt like she put so much effort into it without many results.

The conversation went like this:

“How does the business side of the MLM make you feel?” Stressed.

“How has this effected your personal life?” I feel like I rarely have time.

“How is effecting your full-time?” It isn’t, but I was hoping it would replace my day job. 

“Do you like the product?” Yes!

“Are you happy?” No. 

By simply asking these questions, she was able to figure out that even though she loved the product the business end wasn’t for her.

This is not always the case, many times people starting side-gigs take off and it is all wonderful. But often times it is the opposite. A lot of people need the side job for income reasons, but if this is something you started for fun and it is no longer fun – sometimes a step back is needed.

I’d never say to give up on something you love or really want to succeed with. I would suggest, however, that if something is causing you great stress and you’re starting to feel it in your personal time – it may be time to rethink priorities. The side-gig will be there when you’re ready to tackle it again.

I used to have a side-gig (LipSense) –  but when I started it I had to sit down and have a talk with myself to remind myself that my business has to always come first – even if playing with the lip colors is super fun. When work picked up, the Lipstick had to go on the back burner. I stopped my side-gig because, it really wasn’t for me. I’m not a seller – I’m a buyer, and I’m OK with that. But that doesn’t mean it’s not OK to just set your extra hustle aside for a minute to get everything in order.

All in all, work that side hustle if you have one, just make sure you determine the correct time to work on it.

So, I’m curious…what is YOUR side hustle? Share in the comments!