The Side Hustle - Cool or Needed?
I do not watch too much television but from time to time I do and seldom I will see something that catches my eyes. Recently I saw a commercial for UBER and the whole concept of the commercial was, "get your side hustle on". I have heard stories of it being so hard to live today that we all need a side hustle. The funny thing is, that ever since I remember, even as a kid, this was something we all did - we had a side hustle. My mom and dad had a side hustle selling clothes and shoes out of our car trunk. Mom also cooked for an airport cafe - not as a part time job but she cooked at home packaged and delivered in the weekend mornings, many times before church on Sunday as well. Maybe that is why I always had a side hustle no matter what I was doing. The thing is, most everyone I knew had a side hustle. We did it as part of life and still had time to enjoy life and have a ton of fun. So when I saw the UBER commercial I thought to myself "that make so much sense". Now I am not promoting UBER, but I am saying, get your side hustle on....I fully endorse this concept. I started my business as a side hustle and now a full time business owner and investor.
So the question of "is the side hustle cool or needed"? I am a personal believer of it is needed. Student loans are at a all time high. Jobs in High Tech and IT are increasingly harder to get unless you have a masters degree and 50 certifications. And all of this cost money. Landing a full time job is great a pays well, but at 25 years old with a MS is great. There will come a time when you are 45 years old and have 1 maybe 2 in school/college that is chasing that degree. If the side hustle even helps to pay for 50% of it or help the kids pay off the student loan is what I am thinking. Or how about maybe at 50 you are looking for a job and competing with the 25 year old? Maybe that side hustle is paying off and you can have some security in it. How about maybe looking to buy a new car or help with the mortgage? I have seen my parents us this to the max and the rewards of it a great. In my case business is growing and that side hustle turned out to be my bread and butter today......now I have the opportunity to look at the expenses of college for the kids and I decide to grow my income to match that need.
I wanted to write this to encourage those brave souls that have been thinking about it and those who are fully engaged. Get your side hustle on if you are leaning that way. Don't be afraid. I am a believer that the side hustle puts the focus back in to our lives. I believe also that you perform better at your career because you realize the importance of what you are doing. Get ahead of the pack. The reason we love the heroes in sports is because they are the ones putting in the extra hour in the gym gutting it out while the average is out partying. Then when we watch them perform on the court we cheer or boo because they remind us of our side hustle or our laziness. SO be the hero to your kids and wife or mom and dad or who ever is watching.....let them cheer....or boo.....but hustle.....
To all my hustlers.....stop using it as a cool word and make it a mission......hustle on my friends......