You don't have to have any degrees to be a business owner but you have to have a degree to work for one. Let that sink in for a minute.
I'm a third generation college student, so I am an avid believer in getting an education, but there was something about that quote that truly hit me in my spirit. After graduating from a four-year school and finding myself folding panties for $7 an hour, I just knew there had to be more to life than going to work and paying bills.
Gifts are called gifts for a reason, and there's no better time to use them than the present. When you use the term "side hustle", most people's minds automatically gravitate toward the idea of working for a rideshare or delivery service, but I challenge you to adopt a new mentality when you consider the art of getting your side hustle on. Instead of looking for a part-time job as a source of passive income, create one.
When sh*t hits the fan, nobody has your back like you do, so do yourself a favor and secure a supplemental bag by starting your own business in an untapped market. Get ready to say goodbye to your days as an Uber driver by adopting one of the ten lucrative side hustles listed below:
Start A Drop Shipping Company
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Before you say, "Well I don't have any money to start my own business," peep the power of drop shipping, sis. This option allows you to start your own e-commerce company with very little investment capital.
While you may struggle initially with low margins and shipping errors, a drop shipping business allows you to earn a passive income by setting up an online business and selling products to consumers through a third-party manufacturer. Companies like Shopify make this process easy and with the right business strategy, very effective.
Affiliate Marketing 101
If you have a blog or website that generates a substantial amount of traffic, affiliate marketing can be the side hustle you didn't know you needed.
This marketing method will allow you to generate a passive income simply by plugging a product on your media outlet. With affiliate marketing, every time a customer buys that product by using the link on your site, you'll receive a small portion of that sale.
Sell Art On Etsy
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While arts/crafts can be one of the most difficult side hustles, it can also be one of the most fulfilling. Customers like me are always looking for one-of-a-kind black art to purchase, so why shouldn't it be yours?
Etsy is perfect for the eclectic creative who isn't quite ready to quit their 9-to-5 just yet but may be looking to grow their online brand in the meantime.
Produce An E-Book
Monetize your knowledge by writing an e-book or teaching an online course on a site like Skillshare. The best part about your gift is, no one can do it quite like you. Share your knowledge and grow your online presence by compiling what you know into an easily comprehensible informational guide.
Social Media Management
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If you can schedule posts, create content, and analyze insights, you can jumpstart your social media-centric side hustle ASAP. Companies like Freelancer and Upwork often post opportunities with small businesses in your area that could seriously use your expertise.
Help Job-Seekers Write Their Resumes
Anyone who's ever had to write a resume knows that it's no easy task, but you've never been one to take the easy route, have you? Do a good deed for the day and earn some extra cash on the side by lending your imagination to some potential job-seekers. Sites like LinkedIn and Fivver are full of potential clients that are ready for you to make all of their career-related dreams come true.
Become A Virtual Thrift Store
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It's a fact that most of the stuff you have in your closet, you don't need, but luckily, your next trip to the thrift store is an amazing opportunity to launch an online business.
As we all know, shops like Goodwill and Buffalo Exchange have plenty of uncovered gems. Develop a full-scale business around selling used books, clothes, and decor by creating your own marketplace on social media or Amazon and with sites like Depop, Poshmark, or even Etsy.
Try Being A Personal Chef
Put some of grandma's most classic recipes to the test by becoming a personal chef. Helping others meal plan or even launching your own catering service can serve as a pretty excellent use of the flick of your wrist. Cooking for your cousin's baby shower may seem like a small gig now, but it could be the first step in a life-long career in the culinary industry.
Sit Your Way Into Securing A Bag
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Dogs, houses, and kids can be a girl's best friend when it comes to earning passive income. Sites like Care.com and apps like Rover offer a number of care-taking opportunities at pretty fair rates. While these jobs don't require a degree, more lucrative gigs can become available with certain licenses and certifications.
Teach A Language
Who knew that your 3rd grade Spanish class could offer you the opportunity to become your own boss? There are people all over the world looking for language tutors, and sharing your bilinguality on sites like Upwork and Freelancer could potentially earn you a few coins.
Featured image by Getty Images.
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In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
