How To Embrace Your Side-Hustle As Entrepreneurship

Oftentimes, when I think about Rhyme & Reason, I don’t know what to call it. Is R&R a hobby? A job? A side project? A frivolous ode to myself? You may hear bloggers say this all the time but it’s the truth… maintaining a blog takes WAY more time than anyone would ever expect. So, while I have a full-time job as a second grade teacher, I also have a side-hustle as a fashion and lifestyle blogger. Last week, I read Meghan’s post about tips for part-time bloggers (like me!). By the end of the post, I was raring to go with motivation! She made a point that really stuck with me: treat your blog like a business, not a side hustle. I’m blending Meghan’s piece of advice together in my post today to encourage the reality that your side-hustle = entrepreneurship. Whether you write a blog, teach workout classes, run a food Instagram account, do freelance work, snap as a photographer, or create through an Etsy store, it’s all entrepreneurship. Self-motivated people have always been able to reach for the stars but technology allows for so many new and interesting ways for people to be creative, think outside of the box, and work for themselves. Here are my tips for how to embrace your side-hustle as entrepreneurship:

Lay Off the Pressure & Guilt

There’s nothing worse than finishing a day and feeling bad about yourself for not getting it all done. I feel down everyday that I intend to post a blog post but don’t manage to get it done. Reality check, this happens every week and I cannot have myself feeling down and guilty every week. This has been a great life lesson for me to remember that, while I might think I’m superwoman sometimes, I’m just a regular ole’ human being. I find that I am much more inspired, creative, and driven when I’m not bogging myself down with pressures that I create. Evaluate your goals and dreams and take into account what you are naturally gifted at as well as your schedule. This will help you create the business you’ve always dreamt about without all the pressure. Remember, you don’t have to make a medical advancement or create the next Instagram to be an entrepreneur so lay off the pressure and the guilt.

Take it Step-by-Step

The phrase “side-hustle” is made up of two very important words. The first word being the word “side.” Don’t forget that all of our entrepreneurial dreams, projects, and side-hustles start out as little baby ideas. So, embrace the fact that you should start small and take your side-hustle (*entrepreneurial job*) step-by-step. One of the most important things I’ve learned along the way with R&R is that it’s more important to research and do a few little things well than it is to do a ton of things semi-well. If you do a few little things or steps really well, then you’ll be able to move on to doing a few more little things really well and the cycle goes on (all while your side-hustle is growing!). Taking a side-hustle step-by-step will also truly make you aware of what direction you want to take your entrepreneurial venture (or if it’s even the right one for you).

Find & Schedule Time

This one is a killer for me. Writing R&R is one of my favorite things that I do everyday yet it is often the thing I leave for the very end of the day when my eyes are closing and my clock screams at me that it’s after midnight (yup, right now). I’ve chatted about this more in the past here but it still rings true. If you’re passionate about your side-hustle, then you find time and schedule time into your evenings, nights, and weekends. That’s what I do. I definitely sacrifice things but right now the joy I get from writing R&R and the reward of creating something myself still keeps me going. My Dad is a real source of inspiration and motivation for this one!

Find a Mentor

This is something I wish I truly had! I definitely have people I turn to for advice and I definitely have blog resources I read but it would be absolutely invaluable to have a mentor. Think about it!

Surround Yourself With Others Who Support Your Journey Instead of Criticize It

The honest truth is that if it were easy to have a side-hustle or to be an entrepreneur, then everyone would have one or would be one. People will undermine you, not believe in you, or make fun of your dream. Instead of dwelling on it, laugh along with them and then pull yourself up by your bootstraps and find people who either understand your side-hustle, support your side-hustle, or work on a similar side-hustle (they will get your lifestyle).

Find Great People to Work With

This is key! I’ve found AMAZING people to work with from my photographer, Valorie, to my web design team, Chloé Digital. Every person I enlist to help me with R&R has made a positive difference on the site and/or my experience with the site. I’m so grateful to work with such creative rockstars. I don’t know what I’d do without them, which tells me that they are exactly the type of people I should be working with!

Having a side-hustle and being an entrepreneur is exhausting but also oh so rewarding. I love having an excuse to push myself and to create and learn everyday. Rhyme & Reason has also opened up so many new doors for me and allowed me to meet so many new people. If you’re looking for more inspiration on how to embrace your side hustle as entrepreneurship then read this list of 35 reasons it rocks to be an entrepreneur.

Photographs: One, Two