10 Fun Side Hustles To Replace That Crappy Second Job
When many of us think of a side hustle or second job, we cringe at the usual options that might either be out of our comfort zone or totally outside our passions. The motivations for even pursuing a side hustle or job can often center on money and getting it by any means necessary---especially if the need for extra cash is immediate.
It's OK to bite the bullet, make sacrifices, and take on a side gig just to reach a financial goal, get out of debt, or upgrade your life, but why not work smarter versus harder? A good way to do this is to monetize what you're passionate about or good at and finding creative ways to do so.
Let me help you out sis. Here are 10 cool and fun side hustles where you can do just that:
1. Virtual Assistance
As black women, we are the highest growing population of entrepreneurs. Knowing that, you might guess that there is always a need for someone to come in and totally enhance the work life and organizational operations of a busy power woman somewhere around the world. The great thing about being a virtual assistant is that you can do it from practically anywhere, set your own hours, and work with who you want to. If you've got great project management skills, are good with technology, or have great experience as an assistant, this might be a great option for you.
2. Admissions Coordinating
So many parents are bogged down with simply making sure their children are safe, well-fed, and not about to ruin their lives that when it's time for college prep, things can get a bit overwhelming. You can step in---and actually charge a fee---to organize college tours, set up schedules to meet with admissions counselors, and assist with applying for financial aid. You can also help with researching scholarships, special programs, and finding program fits. If you're an administrative geek who loves being part of helping students reach their higher ed dreams---and helping take the burden off parents---this is a perfect side gig for you.
3. Event Planning
This is highly lucrative these days, especially when working with corporations and brands, and if you're savvy with organizing and coordinating all the moving parts of great ones, this is a sweet spot. Many event planners will agree that it's not all fun and games, but you can enjoy a good party more often than not.
If you love making key moments of people's lives the most memorable, this is the side gig of your dreams.
4. Mobile Beauty Service
More and more people are buying into mobile beauty services, from manicures and hair grooming, to waxing and Botox. Providing these might require specialized licensing, training, certifications and even insurance, but it's worthwhile if this is something you love doing. You'll also have the flexibility to make your own hours, choose who you service, and leave that booth fee behind. It's a good way to tap into your creative side if you find yourself happy but in a primary job that doesn't require that much.
5. Freelance Entertainment or Event Hosting
Knowing how to work a room, run a show, or make people laugh are actually money-making, marketable skills. Organizations and professionals oftentimes hire personalities to take their events up a notch, host fundraisers or lead receptions, and you can definitely take a Saturday or two out of the month to make a few hundred---maybe even a few thousand---extra dollars doing just that. If you have gift of gab, are known as a person who can give a great speech or tell a good joke, or you're just good a schmoozing, start using that to your advantage to make a few extra coins.
6. Wedding Officiating
In some cases, can get ordination for this online and get to marrying folk the same week. It's that easy. Just do your research for the state where you want to start officiating, and be sure you're in love with love. Once you figure out your style and get a good buzz going in terms of the service you offer, you might become that go-to person for different types or vibes of weddings. You can create a niche doing this, and again, you make your own hours and choose the couples you'll be legally bonding together in marital bliss.
7. Fashion or Shoot Styling
Are mood boards your thing? Do you love putting together a great look or vibe? Are you familiar with lighting, angles, fits, and aesthetics? This might be a match made in heaven for you. Making someone's vision come to life for a website, special event, social media platform, or publication is a unique skill set that is in demand.
This side gig also affords you the opportunity to meet new people, travel, and be active, especially if your first job is more stoic and stationary.
8. Interior Decorating
This can go beyond putting together the look for a new homebuyer. Realtors, theater owners, church leaders, and entrepreneurs often hire interior decorators to conceptualize spaces, shop for pieces, or stage rooms for marketing or selling purposes. Get creative and think outside the box if you're looking to take this on because, again, the need is there.
9. Travel Concierge Services
International travel has increased among our sister circles, and many of us look for experiences outside of the norm. If you find yourself always being the one in the group to know about some special concert, new adventure or locale, or just a super-planner, why not charge for use of those skills? Taking the stress out of planning the next big girls trip is something many professionals and entrepreneurs will pay someone top dollar to do.
10. Freelance Editing and Writing
Obviously, I'm a bit biased on this, but if you have expertise in a certain field, are great at putting words together that actually drive change and make sense, or you're an awesome grammarian, put those skills to use by taking on freelance projects. Sites like Upwork are your best friends, and businesses and orgs are always looking for someone to provide or tweak content. This also provides you the access and opportunity to attend events, travel and meet people you may not have previously had the chance to.
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter here to receive our latest articles and news straight to your inbox.
Featured Image by Shutterstock
- 10 Jobs In High Demand - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty βΊ
- I Quit a Job During Covid And Survived - xoNecole: Women's Interest, Love, Wellness, Beauty βΊ
- 12 Best Side Hustle Ideas To Make Money In 2020 (That Pay Well ... βΊ
- Epic List of Side Hustle Ideas - Believe In A Budget βΊ
- Side Hustle Ideas: 176 Ways to Earn Money Right Now [2020] βΊ
- 9 Best Side Hustle Ideas in 2020 | Make Extra Money in Your Spare ... βΊ
- 15 Best Side Hustles You Can Start Earning With Now βΊ
- 42 Side hustle ideas that work (and fit your schedule) βΊ
- 22 Best 2020 Side Hustle Ideas (Make $1,000+ Per Month) βΊ
- 10 Best Side Hustle Ideas to Make an Extra $1000 a Month - Oberlo βΊ
- 50 Ideas for a Lucrative Side Hustle βΊ
- 99 Side Hustle Ideas You Can Start Today - Side Hustle Nation βΊ
The Reality Of Living With Severe Asthma β As Told by 2 Women On Their Disease Journey
This post is in partnership with Amgen.
The seemingly simple task of taking a breath is something most of us donβt think twice about. But for people who live with severe asthma, breathing does not always come easily. Asthma, a chronic respiratory condition that inflames and narrows the airways in the lungs, affects millions of people worldwide β 5-10% of which live with severe asthma. Severe asthma is a chronic and lifelong condition that is unpredictable and can be difficult to manage. Though often invisible to the rest of the world, severe asthma is a not-so-silent companion for those who live with it, often interrupting schedules and impacting day-to-day life.
Among the many individuals who battle severe asthma, Black women face a unique set of challenges. It's not uncommon for us to go years without a proper diagnosis, and finding the right treatment often requires some trial and error. Thankfully, all hope is not lost for those who may be fighting to get their severe asthma under control. We spoke with Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq. and Jania Watson, two inspiring Black women who have been living with severe asthma and have found strength, resilience, and a sense of purpose in their journeys.
Juanita Brown Ingram, Esq.
Juanita Ingram has a resume that would make anyoneβs jaw drop. On top of being recently crowned Mrs. Universe, sheβs also an accomplished attorney, filmmaker, and philanthropist. From the outside, it seems thereβs nothing this talented woman wonβt try, and likely succeed at. In her everyday life, however, Juanita exercises a lot more caution. From a young age, Juanita has struggled with severe asthma. Her symptoms were always exacerbated by common illnesses like a cold or flu. βI've heard these stories of my breathing struggles, but I remember distinctly when I was younger not being able to breathe every time I got a virus,β says Ingram. βI remember missing a lot of school and crying a lot because asthma is painful. I [was taken] to see my doctor often if I got sick with anything so I was hypervigilant as a child, and I still am.β
Today, Juanita says her symptoms are best managed when sheβs working closely with her care team, avoiding getting sick and staying ahead of any symptoms. Ingram said sheβs been blessed with skilled doctors who are just as vigilant of her symptoms as she is. While competing in the Mrs. Universe competition, Juanita took extra care to stay clear of other competitors to ensure she didnβt catch a cold or virus that would trigger her severe asthma. βI would stand off to the side and sometimes that could be taken as βoh, she thinks she's better than everybody else.β But if I get sick during a pageant, I'm done. I had to compete with that in mind because my sickness doesn't look like everybody else's sickness.β
Even when her symptoms are under control, living with severe asthma still presents challenges. Juanita relies on her strong support system to overcome the hurdles caused by a lack of understanding from the public, βI think that there's a lot of lack of awareness about how serious severe asthma is. I would [also] tell women to advocate and to trust their intuition and not to allow someone to dismiss what you're experiencing.β
Jania Watson
Jania, a content creator from Atlanta, Georgia, has been living with severe asthma for many years. Thanks to early testing by asthma specialists, Jania was diagnosed with severe asthma as a child after experiencing frequent flare-ups and challenges in her day-to-day life. βI specifically remember, I was starting school, and we were moving into a new house. One of the triggers for me and my younger sister at the time were certain types of carpets. We had just moved into this new house and within weeks of us being there, my parents literally had to pay for all new carpet in the house.β
As Jania grew older, she was suffering from fewer flare-ups and thought her asthma was well under control. However, a trip back to her doctor during high school revealed that her severe asthma was affecting her more than she realized. βThat was the first time in a long time I had to do a breathing test,β she describes. βThe doctor had me take a deep breath in and blow into a machine to test my breathing. They told me to blow as hard as I could. And I was doing it. I was giving everything I got. [My dad and the doctor] were looking at me like βgirl, stop playing.β And at that point [it confirmed] I still have severe asthma because I've given it all I got. It doesn't really go away, but I just learned how to help manage it better.β
Jania recognizes that people who arenβt living with asthma, may not understand the disease and mistake it for something less serious. Or there could be others who think their symptoms are minor, and not worth bringing up. So, for Jania, communicating with others about her diagnosis is key. βHaving severe asthma [flare-ups] in some cases looks very similar to being out of shape,β she said. βBut this is a chronic illness that I was born with. This is just something that I live with that I've been dealing with. And I think it's important for people to know because that determines the next steps. [They might ask] βDo you need a bottle of water, or do you need an inhaler? Do you need to take a break, or do we need to take you to the hospital?β So, I think letting the people around you know what's going on, just in case anything were to happen plays a lot into it as well.β
Like Juanita, Janiaβs journey has been marked by ups and downs, but she remains an unwavering advocate for asthma awareness and support within the Black community. She hopes that her story can be an inspiration to other women with asthma who may not yet have their symptoms under control. βThere's still life to be lived outside of having severe asthma. It is always going to be there, but it's not meant to stop you from living your life. Thatβs why learning how to manage it and also having that support system around you, is so important.β
By sharing their journeys, Juanita and Jania hope to encourage others to embrace their conditions, obtain a proper management plan from a doctor or asthma specialist like a pulmonologist or allergist, and contribute to the improvement of asthma awareness and support, not only within the Black community, but for all individuals living with severe asthma.
Read more stories from others like Juanita and Jania on Amgen.com, or visit Uncontrolled Asthma In Black Women | BREAK THE CYCLE to find support and resources.
Unleash Your Inner Goddess With These 16 Bubble Braid Looks
Ever since I found the joy that is twisting up my hair with added hair in an effortless protective style that can be achieved in four hours or less (and in the comfort of my own home), I've been obsessed with simple hairstyles that are easy to do and not a pain to maintain.
Throwing some simple albeit a little messy twists into my hair whenever I want to tuck my natural hair away for a bit or have the ease or a break from daily manipulation is a welcomed change, especially when you are a lazy natural who never quite got the hang of doing her own hair beyond rocking an afro.
Another style that has been luring me into trying more hairstyles in my own at home? The much-talked-about bubble braids, or "poodle puffs," that have been trending around the web for a minute. The fun and playful style got its name from the small "bubbles" or "puffs" of the rubberbanded sections that make up each ponytail/braid. Bubble braids can be created with your own hair or with added length through extensions and can vary in length depending on whether you're opting for a short, medium, or long length.
Another variation of the style, sometimes called "bubble ponytails," can be achieved using a single ponytail that would then use elastics to rubberband large sections into an added pony. This one feels like more of a cross between that and classic twist styles.
I first came across them on my FYP when a creator named Ava shared a TikTok of herself in different stages of styling and installing bubble braids into her hair.
Bubble braids for da WINN
@ava_tocloo Bubble braids for da WINN
Tell me that didn't just inspire you to go cop some packs of Afro Kinky Twist hair and get to work! In a separate TikTok, the creator also showed her audience an in-depth tutorial on how to achieve the style at home. Check that out here.
For its versatility, personality, and simplicity, bubble braids should most definitely be on your radar in 2024 if the protective style isn't already. Need more motivation? Keep reading for some bubble braid styles we are currently loving.
16 Best Bubble Braids Styles
@ava.tocloo
@isasnovaes
@brianna.who
@curlielexi
@curlielexi #stitch with @β Ava β I was inspired to do poodle puffs... bubble braids.. however you call itπ₯° #poodlepuffs #bubblebraids #protectivestyles
@satur.nine
@kayratheodore
@queen_esie
@plus_237
@saturnbaby__
@saturnbaby__ Underated protective style π #naturalhair #naturalhairstyles #poodlepuffs
Underrated protective style π #naturalhair #naturalhairstyles #poodlepuffs
@the.priscilla.in.me
@gjdallas
@nextawe_pturals
@claireateku
@raerays
@lokebadt
@lokebadt I forgot how much I liked this songπ₯ #poodlepuffs #blackgirltiktok #gingerhair #copperhair #4chair #backtoschoolhairstyles #fyp #puffbraids #bubblebraids #marleytwist
@ohsolovelyrae
Letβs make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image via @ava_tocloo/Instagram