“Everyday I’m Hustlin'”…more like every day and every night…
But hey, no complaints here!
From planning a 500+ Vera Wang runway show to photographing my latest sweet tooth recipe, my days are never short of things to do between my day job and blogging.
One of the most common questions I get asked is how to juggle both your side hustle and your day job. While I admit, I’m by no means a pro at this. Just ask my boyfriend who’s getting ready to go to bed while I’m still editing photos and have a million e-mails sitting in my inbox still to be answered that night.
I can however say after pulling a few all nighters from staying at the office until 8pm and then coming home to finish a blog post I promised to have live by 6am, I’ve learned a lot about how to find that balance and am sharing my top tips below!
1. Stay Organized with to-do lists and goals. The key to juggling a 9-5 and a side hustle is organization. I make to-do lists every week for upcoming posts including any props or products I need to pick up, scheduling a time for the shoot and a photographer if I’m going to be in the photos, a list of shots I want to make sure to get, a date for the post to go live, etc. Writing out each element and checking it off is the perfect way to make sure I’m staying on track.
2. Plan Ahead. With an event heavy job and trying to still have a life on the side, planning ahead is key. I always plan out my month’s worth of blog post topics in my planner the month prior and then start planning out week by week what needs to be done for each post and when it will go live. If I know I have a lot of work events one week or will be traveling over the weekend, I try to squeeze in a few extra shoots before heading out of town.
3. Make the most of your time. When juggling a full time job and a side hustle, time is of the essence. Every minute counts and making sure to manage your time wisely is important. I try to give myself short windows of social media checking and scrolling by setting an alarm on my phone or telling myself exactly what time I need to sign off at and start on e-mails or a post. I also make the most of my time before work by scheduling coffee dates and meetings near my office and skipping lunch breaks to eat at my desk and answer e-mails.
4. Use your resources when appropriate. Often times people assume since I work for a magazine that I have the hook-up for everything. No joke, someone asked if I could help them get a champagne sponsor for their wedding. While I wish I could help make everyone’s champagne dreams come true, I actually am very strict with keeping a fine line of work vs. side hustle. Not only would I never want to put my job in jeopardy but I also love that it’s two different worlds. However often times these worlds do intertwine and I meet some amazing people that are looking to collaborate. My best advice is know your limits with your company and working with clients. You never want to burn bridges but if the opportunity is mutually beneficial and agreed upon as non-work related than go for it!
5. Ask for Help. Lastly and most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. I’ve always been one who has tried to do everything on my own, but at the end of the day (after a 9 hour work day) I can only do so much in the time I have without loosing my mind so I’ve learned that it’s ok to ask a friend to shoot for you and help edit photos or an intern to show you how to use new social media scheduling apps. Asking for help has actually been one of the biggest learning tools for me!
Trying to master the side-hustle? Any tips for juggling a 9-5 and side job?