side hustler

What are a few key pieces of advice you would give to others who are looking to build a successful career? First off, you have to think of yourself as a mini-empire even if you aren’t technically an entrepreneur yet. We’re all entrepreneurs, even if we don’t know it. That means defining and growing your value, thinking about how you can help people in a way that also provides a living for yourself, and literally building your own business, too, even if it’s small and on the side. Second, you want to find people who are doing what you want to be doing, but who are a few steps ahead of you. You can stalk these people online, via social media and their blogs and newsletters. They will inspire you. When you notice yourself feeling envious, embrace that feeling, because it’s just showing you where you want to be – and you can get there. Third, embrace failure. Every single side-hustler I interviewed in my book failed at some point. They eventually succeeded, because they kept going. As my dad always says, if you’re not failing, it just means you’re not trying hard enough. Developing some coping strategies during the down times to keep you going is essential. For me, it usually comes down to taking a mental break with my kids, who usually put things in perspective pretty quickly for me.