My Totally Honest Side Hustle Journey: Wins, Fails, and Everything In Between

Diving Headfirst Into the Side Hustle World

So, you know how everyone’s got a side hustle these days? Honestly, I felt like I was the last person on earth *without* one. It seemed like every other Instagram ad was promising me a six-figure income from, like, selling succulents or something equally ridiculous. I mean, no offense to succulent sellers, but seriously? Six figures? Anyway, I caved. I decided it was time to dip my toes (or maybe dive headfirst) into the world of side hustles. But, where to even begin? That was the million-dollar question. Well, not *literally* million-dollar, unfortunately.

My first thought was something creative. I’ve always enjoyed writing, so I figured, hey, maybe I could freelance. Ugh, what a mess! I spent hours setting up profiles on Upwork and Fiverr, crafting the perfect bio (or at least, what I thought was perfect), and bidding on jobs. The problem? I was competing with, it felt like, a million other writers all offering to write articles for pennies. Literally. I think one gig offered something like $5 for a 1000-word blog post. Yeah, no thanks. My time is worth *way* more than that. The competition was fierce, and I was starting to feel pretty discouraged. Was this whole side hustle thing just a big pipe dream? Maybe I should just stick to my day job. It was safe, it was predictable, and it paid the bills. But…it wasn’t exciting. And I wanted exciting.

The “Brilliant” Idea That (Almost) Bankrupted Me

Okay, maybe “bankrupted” is a slight exaggeration, but it definitely left a dent in my bank account. So, after the freelancing thing fizzled out, I had this “brilliant” idea to start an online store selling custom-designed phone cases. I mean, everyone has a phone, right? And everyone wants to personalize it. Seemed like a no-brainer. I found a print-on-demand service that seemed legit, designed a bunch of cases (some of which, in hindsight, were truly awful), and launched my shop on Etsy. I even spent money on Facebook ads! Oh, the regret.

The problem was, nobody was buying. Crickets. For weeks. I was spending more on ads than I was making in sales, which, you know, isn’t exactly a recipe for success. I kept tweaking the designs, trying different ad strategies, but nothing seemed to work. It was like I was throwing money into a black hole. I finally pulled the plug after about two months, cutting my losses and admitting defeat. It was a humbling experience, to say the least. I think I learned more from that failed venture than I ever did in business school (which, okay, I never went to, but you get the point). The funny thing is, I still have a box full of phone cases in my closet. Maybe I’ll donate them to a thrift store. Or maybe I’ll just use them as coasters.

Finding My Niche (Finally!)

After the phone case debacle, I was feeling pretty defeated. I almost gave up on the whole side hustle thing entirely. But then, a friend of mine mentioned that she was looking for someone to help her manage her social media accounts. She owns a small bakery and was struggling to keep up with posting on Instagram and Facebook. Lightbulb moment! I had been managing my own social media accounts for years, and I actually enjoyed it. And, more importantly, I was pretty good at it.

I offered to help her out, and she agreed. We started with a small trial period, and within a few weeks, her engagement rates had skyrocketed. She was getting more followers, more likes, and more importantly, more customers. She was thrilled, and I was thrilled too! It was actually working! This time felt different. It was less about chasing the “get rich quick” dream and more about offering a valuable service that people were willing to pay for. I started reaching out to other small businesses in my area, offering my social media management services. And slowly but surely, I started building a client base.

Lessons Learned (The Hard Way)

So, what have I learned from my side hustle journey? Well, for starters, don’t believe everything you see on Instagram. And definitely don’t invest all your savings in a phone case business without doing your research first. But more seriously, I’ve learned that the best side hustles are the ones that play to your strengths and passions. The ones that feel less like work and more like something you actually enjoy doing.

I also learned the importance of patience and persistence. It takes time to build a successful side hustle. There will be setbacks and challenges along the way. But if you’re passionate about what you’re doing and you’re willing to put in the work, you can achieve your goals. And, perhaps most importantly, I learned that it’s okay to fail. In fact, it’s often through our failures that we learn the most valuable lessons.

If you’re thinking about starting a side hustle, my advice is to just go for it. Don’t be afraid to try new things, to experiment, and to fail. But also, be smart about it. Do your research, create a plan, and don’t put all your eggs in one basket. And remember, the journey is just as important as the destination. Speaking of journeys, if you’re curious about other people’s side hustle stories, there are tons of great podcasts and blogs out there. And who knows, maybe I’ll even start a podcast about my own side hustle adventures someday. Who even knows what’s next? All I know is, I’m excited to find out.