“Side hustle” and “work-life balance” are already in the running for most-used terms of 2017. But it’s for good reason. As a working culture, we are finally taking stock of the opportunities and choices available, redefining priorities, and opening ourselves up to more fulfilling experiences.
A generation ago, success was defined by where you lived and how fast you could climb up the corporate ladder. You tolerated the cubicle farm because there was no other choice. You lived in the 500ft, overly-priced downtown box because it was close to work.
Now there are other options. Find the right job or side hustle and you can work from anywhere, any time. You can travel, fix-up a tiny house, or go completely off the grid. You can go from zero to success in 40 days not 40 years.
There truly is an art to the side hustle. While you could choose to do just about anything to make a little extra cash, many people are opting to do jobs that they actually LIKE (imagine that!). Perhaps it’s being a blogger, being a weekend tour guide in a popular city, or teaching painting classes. Those aren’t generally jobs that you can do full time and make a bunch of money — but they turn over some great supplemental income and (most of all) they are FUN.
But having passion for something can make a bigger impact on our lives that we are even aware.
This whole side hustle revolution actually created companies like SunFrog, Izea and more catered exactly to this lifestyle and mindset. Three years ago, SunFrog, a t-shirt company in Northern Michigan was just getting started.
Their original premise was to create a website that allows people to upload their own designs, market them, sell them and let SunFrog handle the printing, shipping and distribution. Today there are over 80,000 people globally creating t-shirt businesses on the site — which is the 190th most trafficked in the United States ahead of brands like Best Buy and Victoria’s Secret.
This business model struck a chord with the artistically-inclined side hustlers. There was no overhead and users could start immediately. All they needed was passion, an idea and Wi-Fi. “Sometimes we’re blown away by the passion of our sellers,” said CEO Josh Kent. “We’ve had people create million-dollar businesses in 40 days on the platform.”
Influencers have thrived on the platform creating merchandise for their audience. Cyrene Q, one of the world’s most recognized Snapchatters, just partnered with SunFrog to create a clothing line based on her artwork. Two years ago, Cyrene Q, left a great job at Verizon and turned her side hustle in to a full-time career. She now commands $30,000 per Snapchat story and partners with the biggest brands in the world on social strategy.
IZEA, the leading platform connecting brands with influencers, now has 350,000 members. They create side-hustle opportunities daily for people to make extra cash by leveraging their blog or social media accounts.
If you are considering a side hustle, don’t simply look for work that gives you a little extra money — look for something that feeds your soul. Who knows? You might just find that your side hustle dream job becomes your actual career!
Originally published at medium.com