Hi, My Name is Deja, and I’m a professional side hustler.
I’ve done:
- Instacart
- Event Management + Hosting
- Web Design
- Web Management
- Event Graphics, Logos, and Flyers
- Template Building
- Selling Templates
- Selling Books
- Building Gift Boxes
- Writing Newsletters
- UGC
- Blogging
- Freelance Writing
- Secret Shopping
- Food Reviewing
- And more…
My family and friends like to call it “my antics” 😩😂. Lol but each one made me a better person.
But if you’re thinking about seriously starting up a side hustle, especially one that will make you a considerable amount of money (i.e. 15K/month), I’ll say this…
What You MUST Know Before Starting Your Side Hustle
Don’t feel like reading the full breakdown? No worries, my podcast co-hosts and pull out the key notes from my article, and share it with you here!
Do This Before You Start Your Side Hustle
Before you go all in on a side hustle consider what it will take to be successful at that thing.
🤑 MONEY
⏰ TIME
⚡ ENERGY
🎯 RESOURCES
🛞 SYSTEMS
🤹♂️ SKILLS
🤔 CURIOSITY
💓 PASSION
Before jumping into the deep in (don’t worry, I’m guilty of this too), ask yourself:
- Am I disciplined enough to do all of the things listed above consistently?
- If not, what needs to be at least true for me to be successful/reach my goal with this side hustle?
Side Hustling IRL: Drop Offs for $Dollars$
I mentioned above the I took on Instacart-ing as a side hustle. This was maybe about five years ago, and I did it as a way to pay for all my vacations. ( I take a lot each year, at least 5).
When I did Instacart…
🤑 I thought about the money: Before I got started with Instacart I considered the money I needed to spend. I spent money on gas and insulated bags before I made a dime from Instacart. (Money) Now what I didn’t account for was car cleanup. (i.e. A carton of milk spilled in my car during delivery, and I had to get it cleaned! I can still smell the spilled milk…)
⏰ I thought about the time: I needed to be 100% available during the 2-3 hour window that Instacart mandated for my shift (time). Or be flagged for dropping my shift early/not completing it.
⚡ I thought about the energy: I then needed to be able to maneuver multiple grocery stores, lug groceries to my car, and deliver them to homes and apartment buildings in the city. (Energy).
🎯 I thought about the resources: I needed a car and a GPS to navigate to my pick-up and drop-off locations smoothly. (Resources).
🛞 I thought about the systems: Let’s be honest, working Instacart (or any type of delivery service) alone is hard. I had family members do ride-a-longs and help me with my pick-ups and deliveries. (Systems).
🤹♂️ I thought about the skills: I had to know how to navigate unfamiliar city terrain, keep a level head in rush hour traffic, need interpersonal skills (especially when I went to unfamiliar stores), and needed to learn how Instacart worked to be successful. (Skills)
🤔 I was hyper curious: When I signed up for Instacart it was extremely new in my city. And there weren’t a ton of people doing it. So I was curious about it! (Curiosity)
💓 I lacked passion/drive: I think passion or curiosity has to be the motivation to keep you going consistently in any endeavor that you do. Eventually, my curiosity wore off, and making deliveries constantly (especially to downtown apartment buildings in rush hour traffic) became DRAINING. Instacart-ing wasn’t fun anymore and I for sure wasn’t passionate about it. So I no longer had the drive and wasn’t willing to be consistent at this thing. And so, I retired from this side hustle. (No Passion)
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So what do you think? Do you also have a list of retired side hustles in your closet? Will you use this “Think Before You Side Hustle” Framework next time you decide to take on a new adventure? Let me know in the comments!
What’s Next?
♻️ I’m a Career Architect! I help early and mid-level professionals build the careers and lives of their dreams with ease. Follow me, Deja, for daily inspiration, advice, and resources!
☀️ Rise and Thrive! Let’s create your dream life together
