Side hustles aren’t just for Millennials
My grandfather ran his bookie business through his sports bar. It was an unassuming, smoke-filled rectangle with mismatched stools, uneven clapboard flooring and peeling paint. It was where you could find me after school and on weekends — wiping down the sticky formica bars, pulling draft PBRs and emptying ashtrays.
One slow day my granddad and I were watching a Cincinnati Reds games on the small, staticky TV when he said, “Sosha, Pete Rose may not have the most natural talent, but he works the hardest. You may not always be the best, but you can always be Charlie Hustle.”
That story has stuck with me and I’ve always prided myself on my ability to hustle.
Hustle, hustling and hustlers are now a part of our daily lexicon. I am a freelance writer, but my burning passion is to complete my book and have it published to great acclaim (naturally). To support that dream, my expensive taste in wine, and live up to my granddad’s guidelines, I side hustle as a dog walker for The Waggle Company. I started just as a way to make extra money, but my side hustle has made me a happier, healthier person.
In Charlotte, side hustles span across multiple generations, incorporate a vast array of jobs and there are many reasons other than extra cash that people do it. Meet some side hustlers:
Hillary Heath
Age: 26
Occupation: Yoga Guide, Energy Healer, Lifestyle Shifter
Side Hustle: Haylo Healing Arts Lounge’s “Unicorn”
Why she side hustles: Working at Haylo allows Hillary to spend time with inspiring, bold and brave women who motivate her creativity. She feels fortunate to be kickstarting her yoga business, Haven, The Underground Yoga Lounge, inside of Haylo Healing Arts Lounge.
Mara Campolungo
Age: 52
Occupation: Executive Director & Co-founder of The Sandbox
Side Hustle: Wedding and Special Occasion Officiant
Why she side hustles: Mara lives each day with a deep sense of joy and meaning. She loves creating something meaningful and celebrating people. Officiating weddings and special events allow her to do both.
Daniel and Maria Bar
Age: 34 (him), 32 (her)
Occupation: Public School Teacher (both)
Side Hustle: Uber Driver (him), Younique Presenter (her)
Why they side hustle: The Bars are new homeowners. And, they enjoy intercontinental travel and trying the breweries and restaurants in Charlotte. For Daniel, being an Uber driver is a convenient way to add supplemental income for these pastimes. Maria fell in love with Younique products and after sharing her love with family and friends, it eventually became her side hustle. She loves the extra money but she really enjoys connecting with women and helping them build their confidence.
Iesha Nyree Hoffman
Age: 41
Occupation: Volunteer Program Manager at Humane Society of Charlotte
Side Hustle: Actor/Voiceover Artist
Why she side hustles: Besides money, it comes down to passion. Iesha is a trained actor with close to 30 years of performance experience. She gets sad when she is away from it too long, but it is hard to get consistent work. She says that voiceover work is a huge blessing because she can manage it and her regular job. The income from both jobs helps her provide for her two children (and multiple pets!) while still doing what she loves.
Matt McGlothlin
Age: 40
Occupation: UX
Side Hustle: AirBNB, website design, promo products (formerly Uber driver)
Why he side hustles: Matt side hustles to pay down some debt he accumulated during the real estate collapse and because he has a hard time saying no. However, he mainly does it so that one day he will accomplish his goal of being financially independent while living his dream of owning nothing, owing nothing and sharing everything.
Photos: Courtesy of those featured
This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Side hustles aren’t just for Millennials."