Why I Chose to Have a Side Hustle

It’s been a little over a year since I graduated from the University of Florida. In those 4 years, I was always busy. I liked the challenge of completing two undergraduate degrees and a graduate certificate while balancing family and social life. I loved gaining experience while working part-time. Although some might say I was too busy at times, it worked for me.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always felt the need to be working on something to stretch my creative muscles, and I love being able to work on things I’m passionate about. After starting a full-time job, I realized I missed working on side projects, both professional and personal.

My Side Hustle Principles

Work Hard. Stay Humble.

This past January, against all normal and rational thought, I decided to put a whole lot of faith in myself—I started offering freelance services for social media and creative strategy. I love social media, and I thoroughly enjoy setting and following trends in the digital world. I stay extremely active on social media, and I’m proficient in multiple platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest. Always equipped with a camera in hand, and experience leveraging Adobe Creative Suite, I love creating captivating and engaging original content. I have an eye for design, and I love styling, creating and editing different kinds of media.So, why not start utilizing these skills?

Honestly, the hardest part was figuring out a starting place. I’d spent a lot of time in college working as a social media and community manager. But, there’s something about post-grad life that seems to nullify anything you did previously. I figured the best place was to start was refining my website, compiling my previous experience, and hoping for a little luck throughout the process.

Trial & Error.

Like anything, you’re bound to have a few rejections when starting out. Especially when trying something completely new. If I learned anything from my advertising courses, it was that to successfully sell a product, you had to focus on the benefit that product or service provided. I was still unsure if anyone would actually take a chance on me, but I knew, if I did get that shot, I would bring my passion and extreme dedication.

#GirlBoss

A few weeks later, I got my chance. After that call, all the doubt I previously had was gone. Someone else believed in me enough to hire me to help.

The best part? Freelance positions allow me to be able to work on my own schedule, in a remote location. Saturday morning social scheduling in sweatpants with a large cup of coffee—now that’s the life.

Since then, I’ve been able to work on different projects with a few clients. I’m diversifying my personal portfolio, learning new skills and becoming more confident in myself and my abilities.

Making the decision to try something on my own was terrifying. But, it was totally worth it.