Gabby Beckford, like many workers in 2020, quit her engineering job in the middle of the pandemic. Joining many individuals in the Great Resignation, the now 26-year-old travel blogger took a giant leap of faith. Today, she reaps her rewards. She brings in $170,000 from sponsored posts, blog articles, and marketing consultations. She shares her side hustle must-knows, and tips to making it in the industry.
Her blog, Packs Light, is a travel information blog that seeks to empower solo women travelers, especially Black female ones, to let go of their fears and see the world. Since bootstrapping her blog two years ago, Packs Light has become an authority in travel and scholarship.
Here are her side hustle must-knows:
1. Embrace ambiguity and change
The most profitable side hustles don’t just happen overnight. If you are working in the gig economy, you would know plenty of side hustles at home. In the first few years of your freelancing career, you have to take risks and be comfortable in jobs that you didn’t even know existed.
While this can be scary and horrifying to hear, Gabby thinks this is a crucial way to be a well-rounded freelancer. It is also a great way to understand how every team member contributes to the final output. This will help you delegate tasks more efficiently.
2. Take time in finding the right people
Anyone knows that teams make or break you. If you work in a collaborative industry, you know how important it is to invest in synergy. Gabby admits she can’t do everything on her own. If you’re a full-time business owner, you can’t be everywhere at the same time.
Investing in the right people can take time, but it’s worth waiting and paying for. If you want to turn your side-hustle into a successful venture, you have to manage a team of writers, managers, and other contractors. And to be a good boss, you also have to try to fit in their shoes.
3. Don’t listen to your haters
Many side hustle must-knows will tell you that not everyone will be supportive of you at first. When Gabby first tried her hand in full-time blogging, she found that many people thought that she had wasted her engineering degree.
Of course, the same can be said if you were trying to make a leap of faith. However, occupying your head with doubts will only make you sabotage your business overnight. When it comes to criticism, choose the ones you’ll listen to, and let the others fade into the background when it comes to criticism. After all, they aren’t the ones working hard to make their dreams come true.
4. Find other sources of happiness other than money
Of course, it’s great to chase money. There are a lot of benefits to that. You can live comfortably knowing that you don’t have to live paycheck to paycheck. However, if you are stuck in a cycle where you are wondering when the next dollar is coming in, you’ll never be able to find peace and healthy growth.
It’s great to celebrate your milestones, but don’t forget to care for your mental well-being as well. Chasing key performance indicators can’t compare to living your life to the fullest.
There are many ways to make money on the side with a full-time job, but without these side hustle must-knows, you might be breaking your back with little returns. Like Gabby, you can try your hand on different side hustle ideas before settling on something you feel comfortable pursuing.
