Stay ConnectedThe Side Hustler’s Perspective Podcast is fuel for your mind and creative grind.
Each week, Coach Scotty Russell puts you in a position to get paid to play creating work that lights you up…
All while navigating a day job, family life, the inner critic, and more.
This is for those who want to master the art of healthy hustling while growing their creative business.
You can follow Scotty on Twitter @ScottytheCoach and IG @CoachScottyRussell for all things coaching and art.
Copyright: © All Rights Reserved 2020
It’s so easy to get wrapped up in what other people are doing or to give into the temptation to jump on the latest trend.
One of the hardest things to do as a creative is to go with your gut and pursue work that’s true to you.
I like to call this staying in your own lane instead of swerving into someone else’s and riding their wave.
I feel this is self-mastery at it’s finest, and it’s not something you can attain overnight. It takes years and tons of hard-learned lessons to get to the point where you’re self-aware of the artistic voice blooming inside of you and pouring that onto your canvas.
I’m five and a half years deep, and I’m just now feeling like I’m finding my artistic voice. I'm using this voice to construct the lane I want to navigate for the next 20 years.
This show exists to challenge and empower you to find your own groove over time.
Today’s episode, I’m bringing back my mentor and one of the people I look up to the most in this creative sport.
I’m talking about Mr. Crunk Friday himself, Jason Craig, aka @jasonthe29th on IG.
What I admire so much about this dude is that he stays in his lane and owns it. Matter of fact, he embraces and thrives within it, and it’s inspiring how he truly navigates his own creative realm.
He’s a Southern gentleman with a Midwestern work ethic crushing the full-time art and design game in Augusta, GA.
When he’s not winning awards, speaking on big stages, or being involved in the creative community, he’s helping guide people like I am through these rocky terrains to get to the green pastures on the other side through witty analogies and Level 62 wizard-like advice.
Take notes, strap in and get familiar with this fine fellow as Jason and I peel back the layers on:
We overcome a lot of technical difficulties to drop this fire on you, and I have no doubt there’s a nugget tucked away that you can apply to your creative grind.
Please share this one with your friends and family if you found value in it.
If you want that extra level of clarity, community, and accountability develop a process that helps you win with your work, sign up for the Side Hustler's Coaching Program A-List waitlist now for January's relaunch.
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I’m hella proud to say that we’ve made it to Episode 150.
There seems to be a massive shift every 50 episodes in the message and direction in which I’m steering this ship.
The more I continue to niche down and follow the direction of my internal compass, the more clarity and confidence I continue to find
The more clarity and confidence I find, the more I’m able to enjoy this wave that I’m making and riding.
As we approach the end of what’s been the craziest year of my life and embrace what I’m sure will be an even crazier 2020, we’re entering into a new and exciting season of the podcast.
The topics will get deeper. More resources will be created. The community will get tighter, and more targeted value will be served to your front door like a piping hot pizza from your favorite local joint.
It’s up to you to consume and take massive action to get the results you want.
Today’s episode is a big one and will set the tone for the rest of your year, and potentially your life, if you want to get dramatic about it.
We’re fortunate to have Chris Do on the show today. When I mentioned I was recording with him, my DMs on Instagram lit up like a Christmas Tree, so I know you’re just as hyped for this one as I am.
Chris’s mission is to empower creatives to make money doing what we love without selling our souls through his educational platform called The Futur. You’ll find a goldmine of business, design, and inspirational resources to help you thrive on your creative grind (he’ll tell you more about this and where you can get more info on your own, after this episode of course).
The content he and his team have dished out has amassed a global, loyal, and engaged tribe of over 600k on YouTube, 140k on The Futur’s IG, almost 200k on his personal IG, and 100k on Facebook.
Do a few hand exercises to loosen up so you can rack up your notes because we diving deep on topics like:
This episode is so much bigger than design, branding, increasing your rates, etc.
This one is the epitome of why it’s called the Perspective Podcast because Chris is going to:
Please share this one with your friends and family if you found value in it.
If you want that extra level of clarity, community, and accountability develop a process that helps you win with your work, sign up for the Side Hustler's Coaching Program A-List waitlist now for January's relaunch.
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With tomorrow being Thanksgiving here in the States, I wanted to take a second to just say thank you for giving the show a chance and sticking with me as the show evolves.
There’s a lot of creativity-based podcasts, resources, and content out there...I know my style and approach aren’t for everyone, and that’s totally okay! Just know it means the world to me that you vibe out and tune in to what I’m building out of my little home studio.
I try to create fuel for you when, in reality, you are the fuel that drives me to keep showing up and pouring my soul into this—especially during the craziest season of my life, which I’ll touch on later in this minisode.
So thank you, from the bottom of my pizza-loving heart. Thank you for giving me a chance and growing with me as I try to blaze my own little trail on this earth’s surface and tap into my unique purpose.
With that being said, today's episode is a shorter one that I know will hit home if you deal with the same inner critic and negative self-talk like I do.
In order to win the war that wages daily between your ears and design the life you want to live, my goal for this episode is to get you to:
—
This one is special today, and it's the longest episode I’ve ever published but for a good reason.
If you’ve followed my story, you know I have a background in coaching football.
I reluctantly started my coaching journey in college after playing two years and then blowing out my back twice at Wartburg College in Cedar Falls, IA. Even though I was bitter, I stayed on the team and became a student coach so I could be a part of something bigger than myself.
Once I graduated, I volunteered for three years coaching Varsity Wide Receivers at my Alma Mater West High in Waterloo, IA.
From there, I was a personal trainer for about two years at a local Snap Fitness.
Behind the scenes, I was always doing some type of side hustle, like creating t-shirts, logos, and tattoo designs...but nothing ever seemed to stick.
The coaching side wasn’t paying the bills, and the art side wasn’t gaining any traction and was more depressing than anything.
It felt impossible to connect coaching with creativity, but that’s what I attempted to do with my Instagram in 2014 and then my blog in June 2015.
All of it paved the path to becoming a Creative Coach early this year and starting up the Side Hustler’s Coaching Program this past September.
In this program, I selected 10 creatives out of an application pool to go deep on a passion project for three months. They're going to create a body of work they can, not only be proud of, but can leverage moving forward.
People on the outside of this Group Accountability Mastermind setting only see them evolving their craft and skills.
This program is more than that—it’s a breeding ground for cultivating relationships, building confidence, overcoming comparison, mastering time management, developing strategies, routines, and more.
There’s the War Room, which is our daily hub to keep each other accountable.
Every first and third Thursday are group Accountability Calls.
Every second and fourth Thursday we have Hot Seat Calls. This is where everyone gets a turn to share their biggest breakthrough or struggle for that week while the rest of the family listens and takes notes.
Today’s episode is a recorded hot seat call.
There’s no fancy mics and no planned agenda.
Just 9 vulnerable and hungry creatives (minus the homie Andrew Pethoud on this one) making time to meet outside of jobs and families to grow and work together toward taking the next step on their creative grinds.
If you’re feeling stuck and isolated trying to figure out your own next steps to take, I know you’re going to find a ton of valuable takeaways tucked in this one.
If you feel like this is something you want you to be a part of, sign up for the coaching A-List Waitlist for updates as Round 2 of the Side Hustler’s Coaching Program starts Jan 13–April 5th.
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So many people love pizza but hate the crust. I’m here to tell ya you gotta learn to love the crust.
The first few bites of a slice of pizza are when you’re high on life and things seem to be working in your favor. The crust is the low moments of adversity and failure.
You can’t have pizza without the crust, and you can't appreciate the highs without the lows.
The crusty times test our character and mold us into the next version of ourselves. It’s up to us on how we respond, so we can evolve into the version of who we want to be.
Someone who’s dealt with waves of crust and always comes back bigger and better than ever is my homie Terence Tang of Tinlun Studio, aka The Tenacious Turnip aka Tinman the Terrific.
Terence and I go back a for a few years now, and I’ve seen his lowest moments set him up for something great each time he responds with a positive attitude.
He’s one of the best humans I know, and his story is sure to inspire you to love and use your crust as part of your story to inspire others as well.
Terence is a full-time freelance lettering muralist making moves out of Houston, TX, and empowers humans to be a little bit nicer through his Human Kind initiative.
He’s also a low key wizard in calligraphy and photography and has a sneaker collection that is certainly bigger than the Kardashian sisterhood’s shoe collection combined.
In today’s episode, Terence and I go deep on:
If you feel lost, stuck, and caught up in your own crust, this episode will push you to take some serious action.
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Do you show up each day winging it and doing what feels good, or do you have a plan of attack and a system you thrive in?
Sure, some people can just show up and figure it out, but what if there’s room to optimize your workflow while still acting in the muse?
It tends to be a little bit easier for people who do their things full time, as there’s a little more margin and room for flexibility.
If you’re like me and you hold down a day job, your time is already scarce...so winging it each day is most likely not going to yield the type of results you’re wanting.
Having a plan, scheduling your success, and optimizing your productivity is key...plus you gotta leave a little margin in there for play to stay sane.
My friend Steve Wolf and his wife Danielle are people who have a plan and have been consistently crushing it. They are the brains behind Steve Wolf Designs, a design and branding studio in Austin, Texas. They crush work for brands like Target, Lennox Air, Butler Bros, Adobe, TypeHike, and everything in between.
While Steve thrives in the creativity department crushing design, logos, branding, custom type, etc., I feel every creative needs the Danielle counterpart—she is an organization guru who runs marketing, process development, and project management (basically all the stuff creatives like I do suck at). Productivity is her jam, and she’s also a coach who she helps busy women find their unique balance and create more joy in their life.
Strap in and take some notes and we cover a ton of topics like:
If you’re a side hustler or freelancer who’s ready to step your game up, then this episode was crafted for you.
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Where are you right now? Not your physical location, but the current state of your side hustle during this season?...and by season, I don’t mean fall (if you’re in the U.S.).
Just like books have chapters, our lives have seasons.
I’m currently in a season where I’m making a huge transition in my business. I’m fully embracing myself as the side hustle guy and going all-in on the podcast, the coaching program, and assets/resources to help people like you take the next steps.
It’s where I’m supposed to be right now and where my energy’s supposed to be focused.
Unfortunately, there’s not much time to play and responding back to every person every minute every day falls down the list of priorities during this shift.
I have to give myself permission to not do all the things all the time like I used to with freelance, selling merch, etc. It is what it is, but then again, it’s only for this season.
Maybe the season you’re in is all about exploring and finding your style.
Maybe you’re in a season where you have to pump the brakes to attend to life’s bigger demands.
Whatever season you’re in, be in that season and show up as your true self. Be hella grateful that you even have the opportunity to exist and be able to do what you do. It’s a gift to breathe, think, and act—don’t take it for granted.
Seasons change, and so will you. Make the most of the season you’re in.
With that being said, someone who makes the most of each day in each season she's in is my new bestie Molly Jacques.
I’ve been a fanboy of her gorgeous illustrative lettering work which has landed her clients like Target, Nike, The New York Times, and Disney (to name a few)....no big deal, right?
I’ve also been an admirer/stalker on how she handles her business as a creative cheerleader and educator for our community (especially her email marketing expertise).
She’s a beast at producing educational content, courses, and resources to help creatives scale our side hustles and make more money! HOT DAMN!
Tune in and take notes as we hit a ton of topics like:
If you need a little spark to start taking yourself and your side hustle more seriously, this episode was made specifically for you.
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Side Hustle Special | Live From Creative Works with Rogie & LittlePatterns
I have a special episode for you today for those of you who couldn’t attend Creative Works Conference in Memphis, TN.
Maggie Enterrios of Littlepatterns and Rogie King of Super Team Deluxe and Dribbble joined me on the stage for an hour-long discussion that no doubt melted the faces of all 400 creatives in the audience.
We specifically dropped a ton of valuable takeaways on:
If you’re side hustling outside your day job or pursuing a career in freelancing, you definitely need to listen to this one.
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Side Hustler’s Series Part 4 of 4: 6 Ways to Carve Out Time to Grind & Execute Outside Your Day Job
A PROVEN SYSTEM FOR KNOCKING SHIT OUT EACH DAY
Hands down, the #1 thing creatives like you tell me you struggle with the most? Finding time to grind on your side hustle.
I’m hella qualified to talk on this topic because I’ve gotten pretty damn good at:
In five years, I’ve been able to build Perspective-Collective, freelance, and handle a weekly podcast all outside of my full-time job. Not to mention, I’m a husband and father to the dopest little dude this side of the Mississippi.
This shit isn’t easy, and I’m not trying to brag. I’m just trying to convince you that if I can do it, anyone can.
If finding time to grind is one of your biggest pain points, I feel the following system can improve your productivity immediately.
Note: I also have this available as a guide in the Side Hustler’s War Chest. In case you missed that, you can download it here.
#1. Take One Bite at a Time
It’s easy to feel like you’re not doing enough when you see someone else crushing it. Often, our ambition is larger than our reality, and we feel we have to eat the full pizza in one bite.
While it’s great you want to start a weekly podcast, vlog, and newsletter all at once, biting off more than you can chew can set yourself up for failure if you:
I started posting consistent drawings on Instagram in the spring of 2014. I then took on weekly blogging in June 2015, then added a newsletter in October 2015. I began the weekly podcast in August 2016. In between, I’d sprinkle in some freelancing, public speaking, teaching workshops, and selling products.
There’s no way in hell I’d still be trucking along had I attempted to do all of this right from the jump.
I suggest taking things slow and steady, as we’re looking to accomplish long-term consistency.
Start with one bite at a time by setting ambitious (yet realistic) expectations and taking action.
Once you lock down your process, take a bigger bite by slowly baking the next thing into your routine.
#2. Plan Your Attack
I’m discovering the most successful people I look up to don’t roll out of bed and shit productivity—they schedule their success.
When I stopped winging it and planned my daily attack, it made decision-making so much easier.
Here’s how I plan my attack:
1. MAKE A WEEKLY TASK LIST ON SUNDAY
You can list these by hand or with digital apps like Wunderlist, Notion, or Evernote. Update your list accordingly as things pop up during the week
Carry over the remaining tasks from the previous week.
2. PRIORITIZE THEM WITH MY CREATIVE GRIND (ABC) SYSTEM*
*Those in my coaching program get to be the first guinea pigs for a basic and more advanced version of my Creative Grind System.
3. PLAN YOUR FOLLOWING DAY’S TASKS
Here’s a quick glimpse of how I list my next day’s attack:
Sometimes, you may only have a small window of time so knocking out the B1 task makes sense.
Only knock out the C task if you get through all A and B tasks for that day.
THE GOAL
The goal is to knock out and cross off AT LEAST one A task a day.
Crossing that A task off your list becomes a productivity habit-forming addiction!
Depending on your schedule and goals, tweak this and find what works for you!
#3. Eat the Worm
I’m a night owl by default, but waking up early and eating the worm has been the catalyst for the growth of my side hustle.
There are three reasons why mornings are my jam:
For me, productivity lies in doing the most important task first—the one that will scale my business. These big tasks typically require the most willpower.
Oddly enough, the most important tasks that move my business forward and require the most willpower have nothing to do with drawing—they have everything to do with writing.
Writing is the backbone to my side hustle. I write practically every day with the podcast, the coaching program, workshops, speeches, Instagram captions, product details, landing pages, email campaigns, etc.
Working a day job and opening myself up to the world’s distractions takes a massive toll on my willpower. There’s no way I have the focus or desire to do my best writing after I clock out from work or after I put my son to bed.
Getting up early and eating the worm sucked in the beginning and still sucks today.
I had to adjust by using the hack of getting up 10-20 minutes earlier each week.
This significantly helped me adjust instead of making the switch from 6:30 am to 4:30 am. This is an example of a bite-sized change mentioned in #1.
Grinding before the world wakes up provides the best focus for me, and maybe it could for you.
To get the results you’ve never had, you have do something you’ve never done.
I’ve made hard changes in my routine to chase that productivity-high. It gets easier to adjust when you begin to see the progress.
I realize there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to this, as everyone’s schedules and responsibilities are different.
Start by determining when you have the most willpower in the day. Then carve out time and act on your A1 task.
#4. Play UNO
Playing Uno ties into #2 and is my way of saying “focus on doing one thing each day that will help get you the best results.”
Looking at that massive to-do list can be overwhelming. It’s hard to know where to start, so you become paralyzed from taking action.
This is why we take that weekly task list and prioritize it to create a plan of attack.
Focusing on the one thing you planned the night before (the A1 task) makes the game winnable and easier to manage.
Note: to reiterate #2, when you knocked out the A1 task for the day, you then shift your target to A2.
It’s hard not to feel accomplished and experience progress when you knock the main thing off your list each day. You and momentum become best friends when you optimize your system for maximum badassery.
#5. Eliminate Distractions
It’s so easy for us to get distracted because we’ve become glued to our phones, computers, smartwatches, and TVs. We’re “too connected” and don’t want to miss out on anything and everything.
I’ve had to discipline myself to eliminate distractions.
When it’s grind time, I have to prepare my environment so I can get into the zone.
KILL SOCIAL MEDIA NOTIFICATIONS
For me, I kill all notifications on my phone except for texts and calls in case of an emergency.
I personally have a strong belief that you do not need social media notifications on your phone. That shit will distract you from keeping the main thing the main thing.
USE DND MODE
I always have Do Not Disturb Mode set on my phone from 9 PM–6 AM, so nothing distracts me before bed until after I eat the worm and play Uno. I’ll even turn on DND Mode when I need to practice a speech, record the podcast, or get lost in a drawing.
SET APP LIMITS & NOTIFICATIONS
On iOS, you can set App Limits to put time constraint reminders on apps you tend to overuse.
You can also enable notifications to let you know how much screen time you’ve been using to keep yourself in check.
OPTIMIZE YOUR ENVIRONMENT
For me, having a clean desk/office, closing the door, and having one screen on for willpower tasks like writing helps me find my zone.
As much as I love my cats, having them crawl all over me and knocking shit over on my desk while I work is a no-go.
Overall, protect and value the time you’ve carved out for yourself to grind—no one else will do that for you.
#6. Say NO, so You Can Say YES
Your secret weapon for creating more time is a muscle you don’t flex often enough.
You gotta learn how to say NO, NOPE, and NAH, I’M GOOD.
If you constantly use the excuse of “I never have time,” it’s times to switch your language to “I haven’t made it a priority.”
I should know because this excuse was my default for everything. Any margin of time I had got filled up because I was a professional over-committer who didn’t understand the power of saying NO.
Of course, you can’t make something a priority because you said YES to something else when you should’ve said NO!
It’s really simple: saying YES fills your time and saying NO creates more time for what’s most important.
THE HELL YES FILTER
Create a filter for yourself—if an opportunity comes your way, and it’s not an instant HELL YES that aligns with your main vision, then it’s an immediate HELL NO.
THE HELL NO LIST
Another step to help you frame your Hell-Yes filter is by creating a list of No’s and Hell-No’s. That way, you have set guidelines to stick to when decent opportunities come knocking.
This filter and list will clamp down on letting people and stupid, non-essential tasks steal your time.
Take Yourself Seriously
Everyone has what it takes to execute their side hustle outside their day job.
The problem is that people struggle to grind on their side hustle because they lack a system and some discipline.
Regardless if you’re a night owl or early bird, make notes of these ideas—I know they can help you see results ASAP.
It all boils down to—how badly do you want it? Are you ready to take yourself and your work seriously?
Need Some Extra Help? Check out The Side Hustler's Coaching Program
If you're finding that you want some extra hand-holding and accountability to take the next step, sign up for the Side Hustler's Coaching Program now to join the waitlist for September 16th's launch week.
Enjoy This Episode?
If you enjoyed and found this episode value, I need your help spreading it! Please, share a screenshot or video of the episode you're listening to and tag me on Instagram at @prspctv_cllctv and @perspectivepodcast—and let’s connect.
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Side Hustler's Series Part 3 of 4: 5 Killer Tips for Managing Your Side Hustle to Maximize Results
Back in May, I had the chance to jump on an episode of The Happy Ever Crafter TV with the calligraphy queen, Becca Courtice.
I came prepared with some notes to help her niche calligraphy and lettering audience to get the most out of their side hustles.
What kind of a jerk would I be if I didn't go more in-depth and share it with you?
Regardless if you do calligraphy, lettering, knitting, underwater basket weaving, etc., there is something in this episode that can help you take your side hustle to the next level.
Today, I'm giving you 5 Killer Tips for Managing Your Side Hustle to Maximize Results. Prepare to take some notes!
Hopefully, there's a missing piece here that gets you one step closer to putting your peculiar yet promising puzzle together.
1. Have a Plan & Show Up with Intention
How comfortably can you answer the following questions with conviction?
Figuring out the answers requires a lot of time, soul searching, and uncomfortable dialogue in your head.
Once you're able to tap into that vision, reverse engineer that dream so you can pinpoint the steps you need to take.
From here, you're able to layout short-term and long-term S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals that align with the vision.
A goal without a plan is just a wish, so knowing what you want and developing a gameplan are crucial.
When you know what you want and have outlined your steps, there's less room for guessing on what you should be working on each day.
Having a plan makes it much easier to attack the top task that moves you closer to your goal each day.
Note: If you lack a plan or system for making time to work on your side hustle, you're going to love next week's part 3 episode. I'm giving you 6 Ways to Carve Out Time to Grind & Execute Outside Your Day Job.
2. Be Consistent
My favorite quote about consistency comes from Sean McCabe (Seanwes).
"Nobody notices announcements, people notice consistency.
It's time for a hard dose of reality and some tough love.
There's no way you should be complaining about the promise of your side hustle when you've only:
People won't notice shit until you consistently stay in front of them and make it crystal clear what you're doing.
You have to remind people that you exist, and you do this with—you guessed it—a plan.
One of the best ways to do this is to lock down a systemic routine of when you'll create and when you'll post.
Frequency
I recommend sharing AT LEAST once a week, as we tend to be creatures of weekly cycles (e.g. weekly episodes of our favorite TV shows or Monday Night Football).
Daily output is going to get your faster results, of course. This isn't realistic for many people and can easily lead to burnout.
Weekly is a manageable output that anyone can figure out. Start with something small and add more to your plate as you build it into your routine.
Duration
If this is something you're good at and it lights you up, I feel a minimum of six months of pursuing it with maximum effort is the least you can do. I'd highly recommend pushing it easily to 1-2 years if it's bringing you any of the 9 benefits I mentioned in last week's episode.
It took me in the 1-2 year range to really start finding my footing. Currently, my fifth year is when I'm really finding my stride.
It. Takes. Time.
It's not always about reaching the most people in the beginning, but the right people slowly over the years.
3. Be Persistent
I wanted this one to rhyme with Be Consistent because I like to have a good time and unwind with a rhyme outside design.
News Flash: it's not easy pursuing something that's important to you—it's a straight-up rollercoaster ride, as you're being tested at every turn.
You're going to experience plenty of shitty moments along your creative grind. There will be plenty of people that will attempt to rain on your parade. You gotta keep pushing to bathe in those sunny days when you've tapped into your creatively-fulfilled zone.
I don't' have enough fingers or toes to count how many battles of self-doubt, depressed funks, haters, financial emergencies, etc. I've faced when pursuing my side hustle. I do know that every shit storm I've weathered has made me stronger.
Every time you get knocked down, it's your responsibility to get back up and keep swinging. It's called responsibility because you have the ability to respond.
Each time you get back up, you're adding a new bruise or scar that you can add to the "hard lessons learned jar" and use it as fuel.
As cliche as it sounds...if it was easy, everyone would do it.
It's not easy, but gritting it out because it's important to you will always be worth it.
Don't find yourself on your death bed wondering, "What would life look like had I gotten back up to fight another day?"
4. Stop Trying to Be Pizza
What fun would this be if I didn't include something pizza-related?
My life motto has become, "You can't make everyone happy, you're not pizza."
It's my filter that I run everything through when I show up each day.
It's insanely hard to gain traction when you feel you have to reach every human in every pocket of the planet when you hit publish.
The harder you try to reach the masses, the harder it is to land on that one soul who needs what you have to offer.
Attempting to please everyone usually means you're riding the fence and playing it safe. You're scared to have a strong opinion, as it could drive someone away.
James Victore on episode 117 would call this being "Oatmeal." Don't be Oatmeal.
All it takes is one person at a time to attract that like-minded tribe of freaks who vibe to your flavor of weird.
Instead of going for width, go for depth.
Embrace who you are, share what's true to yourself, and keep the perfect person in mind when you hit publish (even if it's yourself).
More importantly, disregard the thoughts and opinions of the haters. What you put into the world wasn't meant for them anyways.
5. Find Your Secret Sauce
What's the secret sauce, and how do you make it?
The starting base to your secret sauce: find the overlap of your greatest strength and greatest passion. This is called your sweet spot, and it's something I learned from Ken Coleman of The Entreleadership Podcast.
You're going to have a hard time finding success with your side hustle if it's:
The quick way to go about this is to make two-circle Venn Diagram.
Strengths
On the left, list your strengths.
These could be things you can naturally thrive in that others find difficult.
It could be skills you've acquired for hours you've spent learning a trade or craft.
Taking a StrengthsFinder2.0 test can help you peel back another layer and reveal some deeper answers.
Passions
On the right, list your passions—the things that light you up and leave you feeling fulfilled.
These are the things you zone out and lose track of time doing.
It could be the thing that keeps you up at night because your mind is bursting with ideas.
At the same time, it could be the thing that gets you jazzed to get out of bed each day.
Bonus Points: ask friends and family to list out what they feel your greatest strengths and passions are so you can locate patterns.
Secret Ingredient #3
It takes some time and a lot of experimentation to find your secret sauce, but once you do, you can add in the third and final ingredient.
That third ingredient is your market. I'm talking about your target audience or perfect follower that your sweet spot provides value or a solution to.
Now that's a whole other can of worms, but hopefully, it has you thinking of the value you bring to the table with your secret sauce.
Note: I highly recommend Seth Godin's book This is Marketing to go deeper on this topic. Get his audiobook for FREE here.
Putting it All Together
It's easier said than done, but implementing these tips into your side hustle is no doubt going to help you maximize your efforts and see results.
Yes, everything starts with a plan. However, practicing self-discipline, having some grit, and understanding the value you provide is crucial for taking your side hustle to the next level.
That's all a part of the process, but the energy and effort is worth it once you find your stride.
Need Some Extra Help? Check out The Side Hustler's Coaching Program
If you're finding that you want some extra hand-holding and accountability to take the next step, sign up for the Side Hustler's Coaching Program now to join the waitlist for September 16th's launch week.
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