What Side Hustles Do for Your Mind
This insane roller coaster ride woke me up, then spit me out
I slammed my fist down on the desk and swore.
Then out of nowhere I was blubbering and wiping smudged mascara from my wet cheeks.
January 8th marked exactly two months since they’d escorted me out of my corner office. With no teary goodbyes or a gold pen offered up as trade for many long years of hard work and dedication.
The holidays were a distraction, but I felt I’d mourned the loss of my six-figure income long enough; it was time to get my shit together.
But every time I got online to apply for another job, I was met with the same unfortunate garbage.
No educational degree to back up my 30+ years of work experience and I was overqualified for the jobs that didn’t require one. Nor could I shake the troublesome feeling of not wanting to step back onto that hamster wheel willingly.
Did I have a choice if I wanted to maintain my current lifestyle? One that I cherished and enjoyed immensely, that was the burning question.
At 48, I was in that sticky spot where you’re too young to retire and way too old to think about starting over, especially on the bottom rung of a new Corporate ladder.
Refusing more tears, I slammed the chair back under my desk.
As I backed out of the driveway, I knew I’d have a lovely new pair of Jimmy Choo’s before the day was out.
What’s interesting about my timing is that I ran into a friend’s daughter, who asked why I was at the mall in the middle of a workday. I explained and then asked her the same question.
Without pause, she launched into an overview of her side business that had me regretting my words in less than thirty seconds.
Good grief! Not another one of those Pyramid Scheme things!
Even worse, she was chattering on about selling fancy watches and bracelets for a Christian based company.
It was laughable.
Super long story short…
I ended up on her team and stayed there for three years. I ran my new business with vigour and enjoyed the perks of charging through the ranks.
It was a relief to have an opportunity to experiment as an entrepreneur without digging into my savings and reducing my sense of security even further.
It also became apparent that all the years spent as a cubicle slave weren’t a waste after all. And my already honed leadership and organizational skills (thanks to my 9 to 5) proved to be indispensable.
However, it was challenging to get my volunteer army to duplicate what came naturally to me. It’s very different than being a boss with clout and dictating what needs to get done.
It was indeed an eye-opening love-hate experience.
While mastering one learning curve after another, I did manage to get some cash rolling in while having an absolute blast.
Eventually, a similar but more lucrative opportunity presented itself. Feeling confident, I decided to give it a whirl. It was equally rewarding, and six years later, I had everything I needed to move on.
I’ve stopped working in the industry now, but my passive income still graces my bank account monthly.
A tidy little sum anyone would be happy to receive for doing nothing.
It was official; my snotty attitude and mindset towards the Network Marketing industry was dismantled and flipped on its head, just as I was.
What did that “pyramid scheme thing” do to my mind after all those years?
Well for one, it opened it the hell up!
Do you even know how exhilarating it is to be happy at work?
It was a mind-blowing lesson that launched me forward.
This type of business certainly isn’t for everyone or the faint of heart. But that stands true for any side business.
Besides, selling you on it isn’t the purpose of this article. But if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, you’ll know what I mean when I say, mine was jolted awake in a big way.
Building your dreams instead of someone else’s provides the freedom and space you need to grow. Something most of us crave intensely.
Just like that, your fun side hustle can turn into a full-time gig.
The incredible travel experiences, the amazing people and the un-precedented personal development changed my life for the better.
Becoming self-employed allows you to head down a path outside of your comfort zone. Eventually, you’ll realize that climbing out of that proverbial box is a polarizing experience.
To succeed, you can’t push the ladder away from the wall once you’ve reached the top. You have to reach back down and help others climb up.
“Network Marketing is a real world business school for people who want to learn the real world skills of an entrepreneur, rather than the skills of an employee.” — Robert Kiyosaki
It’s the complete opposite of the backstabbing, ‘hold you back from your potential’ work-life most of us experience.
I was encouraged to stretch and grow personally on an almost daily basis.
All I’m saying is that your fear of the unknown might be holding you back from looking at viable options to that typical 9 to 5.
Becoming self-employed opens doors and opportunities, you’ll never have the privilege of experiencing within the confines of your Corporate prison.
There was no need for a crystal ball to realize that my future looked remarkably brighter.
The risk of engaging in a side-hustle paid off in a big way.
“My biggest takeaway from working in the “pyramid scheme” industry was 100% my self improvement.”
— Me
Screw my pretentious peers who scoffed at my crazy decisions in 2009!
The opinions of the nay-sayers aren’t paying your bills, reducing your stress level or helping you develop as a human being.
Yes, my wallet was feeling a little thinner, but the trade-off was more than worth it.
I jumped on that crazy, bumpy roller coaster ride willingly, and it knocked some sense into me. Once that ride ended, I had a brand new positive attitude and a magnificent set of life skills I could use anywhere, for anything!
Having a side hustle will improve your self-esteem, squelch fears, and your inspiration will jump off the charts to an all-time high.
It’s why I continued with my personal development and wrote a memoir about my lurking demons. It’s why I developed my website and spun off to pursue other passions. It’s why I write on Medium.
It’s why I still want to reach out and help others climb their ladder to success.
Learning to develop your mind and experiment with the creative side of your personality is immensely rewarding. That’s why I’ll be forever grateful for that crazy “pyramid scheme” roller coaster ride!
It spit me out on the other side, a much better version of myself.
There has never been a better time to rethink your ‘normal.’ If your heart yearns to follow a different path — take it.
Although there are no guarantees, a side-hustle can replace a six-figure income, the potential for personal growth, a fresh attitude and opening yourself up to new opportunities is off the charts!
The risk will lead you to a brilliant future.
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I’m Liz, the self-empowered, red wine & coffee lovin’, personal growth fanatic behind this article. I’ve stopped shrinking into places I’ve outgrown and I’m a fan of straight talk and practical solutions. That’s why I’m here to Empower, Educate and Entertain.