When we started this blog as a side hustle (which it still is), we quickly learned that many of our friends had side gigs, too, or were interested in starting one. Curious to see how common this was and what others were up to, we asked about your side hustles through our reader wisdom poll.
It turns out a lot you are side hustlin’! Some of you have a paying gig that helps you do the low- or non-paying work you love. For others, it’s your side hustle that gets you out of bed in the morning, while your full-time job pays the bills.
Some of you are interested in the idea of starting a side project but don’t know where to start. Take heart, friends – you’re not alone. It took a year’s worth of brainstorming and planning to launch The Juggle, and that was with FOUR of us working together to make it happen. So don’t give up; you’ll figure it out.
Over the coming months, we’ll be featuring side hustle stories like Anneliese’s Airbnb adventures on our That’s a Job? page. If you’re interested in being featured, email us!
And without further ado, here’s what you had to say about side hustling.
My side hustle is...
I supplement my office policy job with working in a local emergency room doing psych assessments, etc. I do it for 3 reasons: 1) I like vacations, which means I like money. 2) Good party stories (always respecting patient privacy, of course). 3) Working on my clinical social work license.
— Courtney
I help with admin work at my husband’s job. I also do Rover. Even though we make fairly good money as a couple and we are pretty good with our money, at the end of the day we don’t have a lot to do fun things. It’s all about paying the credit cards or this or that. We paid for our entire Costa Rica trip with money from Rover.
— Francesca, 28, holistic health professional
I make jewelry. I haven’t tried selling it yet, but I might eventually. I do it for so many reasons — because I love making things, it’s hard manual work that engages a different part of my brain, it’s teaching me how to be more patient, it gets me away from tech devices for a few hours a week and I love giving handmade gifts.
— Kate, 30, curious about design x psychology
Teaching yoga, selling on Poshmark.
— Rebecca
Flipping houses. I love designing and watching a project transform.
— Jennifer
I moonlight at a community hospital for extra money.
— Rachel
I am trying to promote my editing skills on a freelance basis. My problem is that I get approached regularly to review/edit academic papers, but then end up doing the work as a “favor.”
— Christian
I work with a nonprofit focused on solutions journalism in addition to working full time as a journalist. It’s always been important to me to do the work I believe in and help others do the same.
— Anonymous
I’m in the process of leveraging equity in my London flat to buy a home in Margate (by the sea) to use as a rental investment. All part of the grand plan of designing my life so that I work less, watch Netflix more.
— Kiwi Chloe
I have done some consulting for volleyball players looking to get recruited to play in college. It’s something I’m passionate about it and have experience with, and there are a lot of recruiting services that don’t provide value for their prices.
— Cat, professional athlete, marketer and entrepreneur
Writing romance for pleasure, hoping to write blog posts as a side hustle. I’d like as much experience as I can get.
— Kat, tech librarian by day, romance writer by night
I sometimes feel like my whole life is a side hustle! I work on a contractual basis, so I oscillate between feast and famine. But I also teach yoga and work on a sexual assault crisis line and attend births as a doula. Oh, and I write, both for work and pleasure.
— Lauren
I have two side hustles, and both are nonprofit-based. I need a balance in my life between making money and doing something for the world. Just creating capital is pretty unfulfilling for me; I need to give back to something I’m passionate about.
— Jacq Williams
My side hustles aren’t about making money but are about learning new skills, like coding. I do it to prepare myself for new opportunities that come my way and give me confidence in the male-dominated tech space.
— Andrea, techie-in-training, Seattle, WA
I’ve consulted for nonprofits on the side to garner additional experience in the nonprofit sector. I’ve also worked remote contractor positions for transcription companies to make ends meet between jobs.
— Aditi, nonprofit professional and grad student
The Feminist Kitchen
— Addie Broyles
My main job is my side hustle, ya dig? Meaning, my 9-5 pays the bills (that’s why I hustle) while I wait for my passion/after-work persona to start paying the bills.
— Anonymous
I turned my side hustle into a full-time job.
My side hustle has turned full hustle! I do freelance digital marketing. I do it because I can work from anywhere, and because I love the marriage of creativity and analytics.
— Chaela Ciongoli
I turned my side hustle into my full-time job last year.
— Elana
I left the corporate world to start a content strategy company. I love it, but it’s been challenging to make a living. I may return to the corporate world and freelance on the side…
— Jess
I'm working on it.
I’m trying! An online vintage shop could become a hobby.
— Asha
Negative. But I have always been interested in developing one.
— Isabel Longoria
No, but I wish I did. Can you help me find one?
— Liza
I want one but apparently need an incentive besides my own satisfaction to commit and take some leaps.
— Anonymous
I’m trying to start one! Currently I take on small editing and writing projects, mainly for former colleagues.
— Alix
Not yet but would love to get into freelance writing a bit this year in order to have the flexibility to continue to grow in it the next few years.
— Danielle Oaks
I'm good with one job, thanks.
Does drinking wine alone with my cat count as a side hustle? Oh, then no.
— Julia
Not right now, though I feel there is a decent amount of pressure to have one.
— Anonymous
I’m actually trying to cut down on the number of things I’m committing to.
— Hedda
I used to and I loved it because it made me feel smart and confident because I maintained multiple perspectives in my field…but I can’t seem to make extra time in an executive life with a kid!
— Dana
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