Why Every Professional Should Have a Side Hustle

When I started Social Star, I wasn't trying to escape corporate.

In fact, I was really enjoying my career. I was working on some incredible projects, surrounded by smart people and learning something new almost every day. I loved the world of digital marketing and was fortunate enough to work with businesses that were pushing the boundaries of what was possible online.

Starting a side hustle wasn't part of some carefully crafted plan. It happened because I stumbled across an interesting opportunity and decided to see where it led.

Like many businesses, it all started with one conversation.

At the time, I was working at Sensis, looking after a range of digital products while social media was just starting to become a serious marketing channel. We were experimenting with influencer marketing before most people even knew what an influencer was, and one night at an event a guy came up to me with an unusual problem. Whenever people Googled his name, all this negative press about him and his family appeared in the search results. He asked whether there was anything I could do to help.

I thought about it for a moment, considered the challenge and said yes.

I didn't have a business plan. I didn't have a website. I certainly wasn't thinking about building a company. I was simply curious to see if I could change what Google said about someone. It was an interesting problem to solve, so I did it for free.

Once we'd achieved some good results, other people started asking for help. Before long, someone offered to pay me. Then another person did the same. Slowly, what began as one interesting project evolved into a small business. It wasn't something I forced. It grew because people genuinely valued the skills I'd developed during my corporate career.

One of the best decisions I made during that time was being completely open about it.

When I moved to IBM, I had my side business written into my employment contract. The company knew exactly what I was doing outside of work, and rather than creating problems, it opened doors. They flew me to Sydney to present to the IBM management team on personal branding and social media, which was incredible visibility for a relatively new employee. One of the people sitting in that room was Carol Benton, who years later became the first person to complete what would eventually become the BYOB program.

A similar thing happened when I moved to Interxion. I was employed as Head of Marketing, but because the CEO and one of the owners knew about the work I was doing through Social Star, they both engaged me privately to help build their personal brands. One was a musician and the other an author, so I found myself working on projects that I never would've experienced if I'd simply stayed inside the boundaries of my day job.

Looking back, I realised something I never expected. Every client sharpened my skills. Every project introduced me to different industries, different personalities and different business challenges. Every conversation expanded my network. The work I was doing after hours made me better at the work I was doing during the day because I wasn't just learning inside one organisation anymore. I was constantly applying new ideas, solving different problems and seeing marketing from completely different perspectives.

That said, I was always very careful to keep the two worlds separate.

When I was at IBM, people would often contact me during the day about Social Star. As tempting as it was to reply, I didn't. My employer was paying me to do a job, and they deserved my full attention while I was there. My side hustle happened after work and on weekends because I believed that was the right thing to do. Looking back, I think those boundaries were one of the reasons it worked so well. During the day I could focus entirely on my corporate role, and after hours I could immerse myself in building something of my own.

As the client list slowly grew, something interesting happened. My confidence grew with it.

Every project reminded me that the skills I'd spent years developing had value outside the company I worked for. Every invoice was proof that people were willing to pay for my expertise. Over time, I stopped wondering whether I could run a business one day and started believing that maybe I already was.

When I eventually left corporate, I wasn't standing at the bottom of the mountain wondering where to begin. I'd already spent eighteen months building relationships, learning what clients wanted and figuring out how to solve real business problems. Those early years gave me something far more valuable than extra income. They gave me knowledge and belief.

Looking back now, I'm incredibly grateful I started when I did. My side hustle never distracted me from my corporate career. If anything, it enriched it. It challenged me to keep learning, introduced me to opportunities I never expected and quietly built the foundations for the next chapter of my life.

If you're thinking about starting something on the side, don't put too much pressure on yourself to have it all figured out. Follow your curiosity. Solve problems for people. See where it leads.

You might discover a new source of income. You might develop skills that accelerate your career. Or you might end up building a business that changes your life.

That's certainly how it worked out for me.

Andrew

P.S. If you want to discuss your personal circumstances and options, reach out for a confidential chat.