When I first started out in business in 2003, I was foolish.
Although I had quit my corporate job in PR and I am all for quitting when things really don’t go your way, looking back I would have done it differently.
As I went through some tough times in my outdoor coaching business, I kept thinking to myself, why didn’t I try this business model out before jumping into the unknown.
Perhaps I could have developed a side-hustle, or even the entrepreneurial skills and get the knowledge I needed. These are the lessons I draw from these times.
Looking back
I took a leap of faith and it worked. Perhaps I wasn’t always as elegant in my first business as I wanted to be. I tripped a few times, fell flat on my face, or walk straight off a cliff. I had visions of growth, mostly driven by ego and as my friend Marcus Sheridan writes: ego is a very dumb business model.
But I bounced back.
I had no family, kids or obligations at the time and the consequences were limited to me.
The fear of failure shouldn’t stop us from doing what we enjoy but I understand that we aren’t all single with no kids, or family to support. Sometimes we need this safety net to ensure we don’t all end-up homeless.
The myth of the entrepreneur who quits his job and travels the world to follow his passion, is just this, a myth. In real life things aren’t that easy when you have a family, two kids and a mortgage.
The side-hustle
So even when you are on career track, you can be an entrepreneur. You may not have an inc. in your name but you can actively develop the skills, the mind-set and learn from the experiences which will help you the day you decide to open shop.
Many are choosing to look outside before jumping, and this is a smart move.
JK Allen is a hustler, although he works very hard at his career, he is a real life example that a corporate man can think like an entrepreneur. His smart approach to reality crushes the myths published around the internet by Tim Ferris sycophantes.
He knows how hard it is to be an entrepreneur and why it simply isn’t for everyone. The way he manages his career is actually a lot more like a business.
The side-hustle is the future of entrepreneurship for three reasons:
- The recent economic crash has shown us that the age of company men or women is over.
- The rise of personal branding has taught us that we need to find out what our unique value is, in order to be successful.
- We want to enjoy ourselves while we work.
The beauty of this approach is how budding entrepreneurs can test-drive their ideas while keeping a safety net and managing the fear that often goes with launching a project.
Entrepreneur’s side-hustle
Every entrepreneur should have a side-hustle. Not just employees.
This is a very smart way of managing fear for an entrepreneur. If anyone tells you, that entrepreneurs are fearless, don’t listen. They are scarred, their guts are a mess.
Fear doesn’t go away with time, you just learn to work with it.
A side-hustle not only helps you manage fear but it also keeps you passionate, and growing.
No venture capitalists, Eric put his money where he believed his idea could bring value and funded his own application.
Did he need to do this? No, but his side-hustle has open his horizons so much that he is moving to Palo Alto in June.
Hi I'm a coach who believes life is an adventure, and entrepreneurs need to cultivate an adventure mindset to succeed.
{ 56 comments… read them below or add one }
wow, I didn’t see this when it first came out. I find it very comforting to see everyone else that lives with fear. I have fear often. Once a month when I say good bye to my husband, my fear reaches it’s highest level, and today happens to be one of those days. Poor Gini has to deal with me. I had 1100 reasons not to join Gini in Chicago and launch Spin Sucks Pro, and a few reasons to do it; To be a part of something I truly believe in and am excited about, to work with Gini, and to shake it up – to do something extraordinary.
I also want to comment on the side hustle. You can relate to this, John, I’m sure; I live in a small town in the mountains and everyone there has a side hustle. You have to in order to make ends meet. For some, it’s a landscaping business, a snowplowing business, or a rental property management co. For my husband, he has started a winery. Until it can bring in revenue, he won’t quit his day job. In the meantime, he works a LOT, knowing it will pay off in the end, and feeling fulfilled because he is pursuing his passion. Thanks for RT’ing this today and giving me some comfort. you must have sensed I needed it!!
HI Lisa,
Yes I know exactly what you mean. I worked with a lot of ski patrol, firemen, raft guides and they all have two or three gigs. That’s their reality.
I didn’t know your husband made wine. That sounds really interesting. Wine is such a living and passion filled product.
Your experience moving to Chicago still amazes me,you looked fear in the eyes and took a step forward. As you say do something extraordinary. Awesome Liza.
yep! he has four barrels of Pinot Noir just about ready to bottle. He’s been doing it for 2 1/2 years now, and this will be his first vintage. We’re excited. He’s happy with the result so far. He wants to quit his job when he can. Small House Winery.
Bonjour John,
I agree that setting up your side hustle while still holding down a primary job is probably the prudent thing to do.
But some people honestly are stretched so thin, that there is barely enough time to breath let alone spare one extra second to start something on the side.
It wasn’t until the economy took a bad turn and my husband and i were laid off Long term that we decided to reallly start OUR side hustle. But, now our lives depend on it. And our 3 kids depend on our ability to hustle. It’s amazing how much hustling you can do when you have to.
thanks for the article.
Bonjour Annie,
I agree sometimes we need to take that leap. You managed your fear, and went ahead.
For many out there the side-hustle is often a great way to ‘test the waters’ before they jump. We all need to learn to fail fantastically right ?
This is certainly an interesting post. Some people prefer to only focus on one thing at a time and I can see why people would want to do that. However, the great advantage of having a side-hustle is that it does gives you the opportunity to test waters before making a full time commitment into a new venture or as a backup if you have problems with your main cash-stream.
This post also resonated with me as I am a freelancer/contractor in the IT domain and, because I like languages too, I also have a side-hustle in sponsoring a teaching English Online site. This model works well for me.
On top of this, I am currently in the process of analysing a business model to invest in a learning language on-line opportunity. However, I am also weighing up if I have the time and focus for this new ‘side-hustle’.
Providing you plan your time, energy and finances properly, I can’t see any problems with having one or two side-hustles. This is especially true if these ‘side-hustles’ are in areas that interests and motivates you in some way.
Yes and as funny how when we choose a side-hustle in an area of interest, we also find the time and energy to make it happen
You sound like you have an interesting side hustle with your english online site.
Hey John,
I totally agree. Taking your first leap as an entrepreneur can be tough, and it sure isn’t easy. Sure, a little fear will be involved, and most times, you’ll never know what the end result will be from diving into a new business venture. You might have an idea, but most of what you do will be experimenting; determining what works and what doesn’t from simple trial and error. And yes, you might have help along the way as well, but you’ll still be doing a lot of it blindly.
The key thing to remember is that’s OK. As long as you have your goals and priorities in order, it’s fine to take some risks every now and then. And sometimes you have to if you want to make progress.
Great read,
Christina
Christina, yes its all blind but that’s the fun part. How boring would it be if we had a map to follow and no surprises.
Yep no progress without risk. I guess the tough part is when do you take those risks and when do you stay ‘safe’?
John,
Reading this, I’m reminded of a book I’ve read by Tom Peters ~ “Brand You”. While it’s been a while since I’ve read this, the basic premise is that we are each our own brand. And if we are, what are we choosing to be as our brand? How are we defining/creating “brand you” (or Brand John, or Brand Lance, or Brand whoever).
Today, I’m actively working on this (along with three kids, a wife, and a mortgage…).
And the thing with all of this – it’s not until we actually get out there and do it that we know how it’s all going to go. The side hustle…yes, we can all do that…and maybe it leads to something more. If it brings us meaning, though – it is so, so worth it…
Lance,
Tom Peters knows his stuff and you are right, developing a side-hustle forces us to define who we are, what we enjoy doing and how we can bring value to others.
You said the magic word, meaning. Yes if we can find this, we have won
John,
I’m ALWAYS working on a side-hustle…I’m hard-wired that way. It’s not that I’m ditching my business, but rather that I’m fine-tuning certain ‘profit centers’ within that I can spin off into something else. I also love to dream up ‘hustles’ for other folks as well, my husband in particular. Unfortunately (and fortunately) he’s not wired that way and would prefer to work in a more comfortable sort of environment where health insurance does exist and paychecks come at regular intervals. Thankfully, we balance each other out. Life is a true adventure and I’m delighted to be hustling my way through it!
Erica,
Now why doesn’t this surprise me
I do love how you manage your hustle by keeping everything in balance with your husband.
Sometimes side-hustles can become all consuming and this doesn’t lead to any good.
It’s all about balance isn’t?
Cheers Erica, great to see you here.
That sounds like a good balance to me!
My side hustle really is what I am spending too much time on right now which is building a consultancy and being Director of Marketing for a fun B2C client in LA. My real focus should be my collegiate marketing service which can reach 2 mil kids in a day and combines direct/print/outofhome/digital/mobile all in one. Problem is its unproven I am under funded and burnt on outside sales from so many years of it (I need a Sales Partner LOL). But my side hustle is interesting I have free reign to try all my marketing ideas and theories and if the business blows up it could be a national chain.
But I am tired of having no money and no stability (health insurance etc) but hate working for a big company and am fortunate I have the support to stick it out. Should be a pay off year. BTW if anyone needs to reach 500k-2m 18-24 year olds in the US….please contact John Falchetto my agent. He will strike you a good deal!
Health insurance is a big reason I moved to France. I am still shocked the world’s first superpower can’t manage to figure that one out.
Your side-hustle does sound very interesting, and yes I will be your agent, my pleasure
Thanks for stopping by and telling it like it is.
The Side Hustle.
Gini and Lisa (and another Lisa) have convinced me to run likee the wind after mine. Deets to follow at some uncertain future date. Thanks ladies. No more free advice from me though…. I’ll be busy building something excellent.
Sean, great to read you here.
I can’t wait to see what this is all about.
Gini and Lisa are great ladies and as I already told them, I hope my little one grows up to be entrepreneurial, balance ladies like them.
Interesting question. I’ve been in business for myself for almost 10 years now, and I’ve had ups and downs. When I’m going through the downs, my side hustle is freelance writing, which eventually brings in enough cash to live on until the next big thing comes along. Now, if I could make the writing the next big thing, I wouldn’t be depressed one bit.
Hi Mitch, thanks for sharing your side hustle – who said you couldn’t make it your next big thing?
I enjoy reading your blog because it’s so well written and trust me when I say this, there aren’t many blogs out there which are well written.
Which steps are you taking to make it your main hustle?
That’s an interesting question, John. My own version of marketing, plus continued writing in all the places that I write. Course, to replace the income of my main career it would have to be quite superlative, but at least I’d know I could stay home rather than being on the road all the time.
John, I know I say this a lot with you man, but boy did I love this article. And I love how you’re pushing people to think, and think outside of their comfort zone. This is the essence of the expat life and it very much carries over into your writing style.
As for me, I’m hustling my butt off to be quite honest on the side. Sure, I’ve got my swimming pool company, but I’m heavily involved with growing my web coaching company, TSL, my brand, my future authorship, etc. There is always more to do, but it’s falling into place, and I’m pretty dang excited about it bud.
You rock my friend, and it’s an honor to come by your house to chat a few times a week.
Marcus
Actually I thought after I hit publish, I should have mentioned you but in your case its different.
Your blog is your side-hustle but you already have the experience and skills from the pool company business.
You already have a serious business education thanks to River and Spa which allows you to apply the lessons @thesaleslion.
Off to your blog to check out your tagline
Wow that is indeed an amazing story Victoria and it’s great that John does have such an engaged community here who feel they can speak the truth and be downright honest.
John when I left my cofounding gig at a startup to go full time with my passion and my blog in April last year I had no idea of the journey before me.
It might have been smarter to have the old 6 months saving up my sleeve or at least something that would bring me income on my blog but I had nothing – just my love of what I was doing, the community I was building, writing each day and growing my own skills.
I’m not sure it was the smartest thing to do, and put myself in financial jeopardy for the good part of 9 months but I’m on the other side now and seeing the progress paying off slowly and surely and still managing to travel the world as a suitcase entrepreneur and help others to do the same.
I sit down and have lunch with fear everyday. She keeps me on my toes but no longer sidetracks me!
Natalie
Hey Natalie,
Great to hear your story here.
I think sometimes we just decide to jump, I did it, you did it.
We both went through some tough times, learning to fly once we jump off the plane is a pretty crazy way of doing things.
Looking around I see that others are approaching things differently, not everyone can take this huge leap of faith. I see side-hustles coming up as a great way to build the fear management skills you and other veteran entrepreneurs have.
Not everyone has your guts and is able to sit down, have lunch with fear everyday
You last quote really sums up what fear should do to us. Keep us on our toes but not sidetrack us.
Well said, Natalie
Thanks Natalie and I ditto what John said about your post.
The unknown is the only thing I know. And I’d really like to be a little less chummy with it.
Pull up a chair…
I worked freelance in the tv biz for a long time (LA, NY.) I jumped into the unknown by creating an opportunity for myself in Paris, not knowing a word of french, and getting a freelance contract to work for one of the networks in rebranding their daypart. Things went along swimmingly. All the channels wanted me. It was all I hoped it would be – and more. Love, life, work. I hit the trifecta. Then the Unknown, Part 2, hit me with its rhythm stick. One day I woke up with a chronic illness. In a country not my own, in a language I still don’t command. For 3 years I was so ill I couldn’t even read. This, from a type-A, ex-New Yorker! I slowly struggled through, stubbornly refusing to give up.
And here’s the silver lining. This implosion lead me to my current work. A work I would have never created had things not broken apart. And I believe this is what I’m meant to be doing. I’m a pleasure coach and work with people to expand (erotic) pleasure in their body and lives. Thank you Paris for the inspiration, but its not the place to grow my work. (The french are not the client base.) Instead, it’s the world. My client stories are endlessly fascinating. And today, I have a truly unique knowledge base.
Now it’s time for me to use what I know for a wider reach – and yes – the income that goes along with it. Yet health stuff has been biting at my heals the whole time and I’m way behind in the social media learning curve to boot.
And here’s where it gets really interesting. (Like it isn’t already!
In addition to targeting regular Janes and Joes, off of my own health struggles I now include offers that speak to women/men who have had chronic health problems and women who have been through breast cancer. Hey, none of this is a reason to lose our sexual energy. In fact my claim is that keeping our sexual energy vital will actually help us through these other challenges – whether we’re in a couple or solo.
So how to be a bottomless pit of entrepreneurial energy when you can’t?
My side hustle is surviving/working/using the unknownS. Anyone who would like to leap in and give me a hand, will be very welcomed.:-)
I’m replying to me
I just wanted to add: I have chosen to “come out” with my story here because, John, you have a really wonderful group of readers. And life, well, is sometimes messy. So I decided to be brave and tell my story. It’s actually an uplifting story and I hope everyone sees it as such. I think my solution is in the internet world. Et voila, here I am.
Hi Victoria,
You beat me to it!
I love how you shared your story here. Which reminds me, I would really like you to guest post about your story.
I believe it really deserves a wider audience than in the comments here.
Switching into a new business and getting adjusted to it is something really difficult. Chosing the new path in which we have passion is better than walking on the uninteresting safer path.
Passion and the love for our new work is what keeps us going in life.
-Ranjith
Ranjith, true words my friend. Passion and love for our new work, is what keeps us going. Especially when times are tough in a new business.
This really hits home for me. As Mark mentioned above, I, too, had a total one-track mind growing up. I set my sights on becoming an English teacher and I went after it. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that teachers and public education would come under attack and that my lifelong dream and chosen profession would fall through.
So when that happened in 2008 and I found myself free-falling and landing back in my parents’ house, I was forced to confront the fact that I might have to consider something else.
I’d always loved to write. In 2009, as I was trying to figure my life out and really consider what [ELSE] I want to be when I grow up, I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Writing became more serious to me than ever before. Then I started blogging and freelance blogging and participating in NaNoWriMo again. I started trying out different kinds of writing, all the while immersing myself in social media. It occurred to me last week that I’d love a job where I got to write anything, to blog, and to use social media.
So I’m going for it. I’m 28 and I live with my parents and my 18 year old brother. I have absolutely NOTHING to lose. I’ve been working for a few months now to start building my own brand…. I’m hoping it works for me. If it does, I will fully advocate falling flat on your face at least once in your life
Hi Renee,
Thanks for sharing your journey here. I love your spirit and how you turn yourself around by tapping into a passion and a skill you have.
2008, was also an interesting year for me. Although it started great, by December I had packed up all my belongings into a 20 foot container and shipped it across the world.
Did I have a clue about how I was going to run my business from another country? Very little, but I loved the journey.
Yes we all need to fall flat on our faces, at least once in our life. It gives us a great way to push back up. Those who never experienced that, have no idea what they are missing.
Life unknown… well, I suppose that is what we are doing and it is terrifying. If it doesn’t work soon enough we could loose everything. The difference is we have no experience, no knowledge to base (and risk) it all on.
Why do it? I certainly do not consider myself an entrepreneur. After all, other than what we bring to it (which is very special, very good), it is what we do, just different. So why then? Because I know it will work. I have complete faith in the ones I have placed my trust in. It is their model I follow, and it doesn’t only work, it is good!
This wide new world brought me to Life Coach (and who, exactly, couldn’t use one of those?!), The Sales Lion, UnMarketing, Danny Brown and absolutely HubSpot. Now? Now I have also found direction and lessons even the completely uninitiated can follow and have been studying the lessons from Gini Dietrich and Ann Smarty. What could possibly be a waste of time, a reason to quit when these changes have also brought other people to us, as friends, who may or may not be customers someday, there will be others.
And that, right there, is how we (I) fight back the fear. That is what keeps me passionate and sitting here at my keyboard for 18 hours a day. That is what keeps me attempting not to hide quietly in the shadows not saying anything (commenting), keeps me taking as many classes as I am capable of signing up for.
So, thanks.
Amber, the more I read Alaska Chick Blog and the more I think, what do we know about fear? These people are living their adventure, miles away from anyone, with no help but themselves.
You are absolutely right, we all fight back the fear and it’s what we do when we are afraid that really matters.
Good luck now that you have ‘brought in the horses’!
Hi John,
I must admit, I have a one track mind. I was trained at an early age to put all my eggs in one basket and make it work with no cushions, no alternatives, no options; other than to absolutely make what I was doing profitable so my family could eat.
That has stuck with me and it’s been a wild ride. I have not gone as high as I aspired to and the enduring periods of drought and famine wasn’t how I envisioned things coming together; but I’ve gone where most only dream of and I’m not done yet – I’m 45 and still chasing the dream.
The only option I have in my mind is to seek and live out the vision I had 25 years ago and I will accept nothing less.
BTW, I certainly wouldn’t advise my lifestyle to anyone
Hi buddy,
That’s what I really love about you, the all or nothing, take no prisoners approach.
You are absolutely right Mark, your lifestyle fits you because of you and this is why the one size fits all solutions we often see don’t work so well.
One thing that really struck me with you is that 25 years later, you are still chasing the dream and this is what really matters for an entrepreneur right?
Call it whatever you want but at the end of the day this is what it is all about.
Hello John,
What an honor to have a spinet about me featured here. Thank you for that.
My number one side-hustle is studying up on my next big move John. I’ve fine-tuned my skills at the expense of Corporate America (and my time): testing out my wild, often lofty ideas. I’ve developed a keen business acumen that I continue to hone. I see corporate America as my testing ground…it’s where I practice. Sounds like a selfish-ploy, but I promise that I get results that far far far outweigh my compensation. So it’s a win win for both parties!
Besides that, I consider my blogging activities as a side-hustle. Because even though I don’t make a lick of coin blogging, it’s still a great avenue for opportunity and brand-building. So I put a considerable amount of time into my blogging activities.
I think your advice in this post is great. I find it assuring having a nice/steady income to rely on. With it, I cannot only afford to live and support my family, but allow my wife to stay home while she helps setup our future venture, that will allow me to work full-time in partnership with her. That’s the goal…that’s the dream. But sense we have 3 kids – it would be foolish for me to just stop working without having some assurance built into play.
Man, I loved this post. It really made me think and feel REALLY good about my journey. I sometimes forget to remember how fortunate I am to have the means that I do…I’m very fortunate and none of this stuff is promised.
Thanks for the reminder. I sometimes get a bit caught up in the situation and forget about the blessings.
Thank you John…
JK,
Don’t thank me, thank YOU for showing the way my friend.
You are doing exactly what every person should be doing, from would-be entrepreneurs to life long corporate employees.
Run your career like a business. I don’t think you are being selfish, you are being smart in my book. It’s a win-win for both sides as you point out, very rightly.
Whether you make money blogging or not is besides the point. You are getting the skills and the experience you want. Your blog is a notebook which allows you to ‘digest’ these experiences and share them with the community.
Yep, you are the future of entrepreneurship. Small steps buddy, but you just keep going. Guess who finishes first?
Thanks for the encouraging reply John! I appreciate it and thank you again – because this post revived my spark!
I was thinking about you a lot as I read this post JK, not just because he mentioned you, but whenever I hear the word ‘hustle’, I think of my guy Mr. Allen. This is how well you’ve branded yourself and your life approach man, and any of us in this circle of friends sees it the same way. Well done brother, and good for you.
Marcus
Where do you think I got side-hustle from?
Diego shared a thought over on metacool last week; “Hustle beats talent when talent won’t hustle.” Word.
I REALLY like the idea of the side-hustle. JK hits the nail on the head (and I haven’t even hit his site yet) (gimme a minute). We work the day jobs. We do what has to be done. Keep the bills paid, keep the foundation stable while laying the new foundation on the side.
I’m developing my online magazine and brainstorming the next project on the horizon while helping my wife develop her side-hustle (photography). We’re not looking to do much squatting in exotic locations with other minimalists (wink), but we’d sure like to see more of this great big, wonderful world. We’re getting closer to that leap of faith by the day.
There’s one serious threat to the side-hustle, though. The relative stability of the 9-5 definitely dials down the urgency of whatever the other project(s) might be. This is something I’m going to start working on.
Step 1: Find out what makes a hustler.
And I’m off to hustlersnotebook.com in the next tab.
Go fast with class.
Brian
Yep you are right to name the stability of the 9-5 ‘relative’. These days nothing is for ever.
Very nice to know you are looking at getting your talent to hustle…this quote is gold, I ‘m stealing it.
It’s nice to know that my branding efforts are working. I appreciate the positive feedback. The community support is off the hook!
JK, ANY time I hear or read ‘hustle’ now, I think of you. Amazing branding, my friend, amazing branding. I can’t wait to see where your side hustle takes you!
I’m so happy to be in the company of a bunch of other completely NUTS people! Lisa said to me this morning, “I keep lying awake thinking of things we have to do before we launch next Monday.” I said, “Oh you’ll get over. I was lying there at 3 a.m. thinking about what to do with the leftover goat cheese from Easter dinner.”
You never get rid of the fear; you just learn how to manage it. No truer words have ever been written!
Gini I am shocked you actually allow Lisa to take sleep, one week before launch.
I am relieved to hear your insomniac thoughts are squarely focused on the important things, and yes a salad with those would be nice.
Ha! So we’ve come to goat cheese ehhh Gini??? Uhm, waiter, I’ll have whatever she’s having!!!!
I only allow her to sleep four hours a night. And with her head on her desk. She can’t go home.
I think I’m going to grill some pizza dough and use the goat cheese as a base for some kind of flatbread. Maybe roasted butternut squash. Yummm….
Why? Hours away from any meal do you have to post this?
Now I’m hungry. Damn.
OK. I’ll come back closer to dinner time.
My side-hustle is now my fulltime gig, but it was freelance writing. I try to explain to people that I worked two jobs, basically, for a long time before I could make the switch, and even then it was scary. I went from having an extra income to only having one not-exactly-stable one.
Hi Miss Britt,
Happy to hear you mastered the side hustle and moved it into the full time job now.
So what is your next side hustle ?
John ,
There’s definitely something to be said for the unknown. It took me 2 years to take this leap of faith and I’d say I had a blog and a network to cushion the landing. I have people like you who coincidentally I found right when I was moving here. But there’s definitely a myth pervading the blogosphere that all we do is travel, drink, party and live it up. If that were only true and we got paid to do nothing. But it’s work every day to keep pushing forward and to keep resetting the bar to something higher.
Srinivas, yes interesting how nothing happens in a vacuum. I think the side-hustle is also about preparing and setting things in motion for the ‘big’ move.
Looking fwd to your talk at BWENY and your book
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