Stuff asked me to respond to a reader who is nervous about redundancies at work and has been offered a gig of unpaid workshops with young people.
Not a lot of people know this, but I was made redundant from LION in 2014. I had already been informally coaching business owners on the side, with Lion's permission, for a couple of years. So, I thought I’d turn that ‘side’ to a ‘main’ hustle until my next proper job came along or until I knew what kind of business I wanted to start.
That side-gig all began with coaching in return for a coffee while we chatted. I enjoyed helping others, it gave variety to my work and kept my business acumen strong not falling too hard into an FMCG corporate echo chamber.
Then one time an owner told me they would have paid $300 instead of that coffee.
I had never put a price on it. If that feedback hadn’t have happened I would never have thought about using it as a bridge income before the next proper thing came along.
My advice to the Stuff reader Sophie*, was to say yes. Committing to a new corporate job feels like a multi-year commitment. Saying yes to a ‘free gig’ can be workshop to workshop commitment. You don't have to make a decision and be stuck with it for years to come. Give it 6-weeks. Make tweaks as you go. Dial it up or down based on whether you and others are getting value out of it.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask for something. When something arrives free, nobody values it, including the person giving it away. That ask could be simply for feedback, a review or even a coffee.
‘Gigging’ is a great way to find the next company you want to work at too! I know plenty of side-hustlers or gig consultants that ended up in their dream company, working in a role that was never advertised and therefore didn't have to compete with the job market to get it.
And that temporary main hustle of mine back in 2014? It was called Mike Burke Consulting (catchy name eh?). Well, that gig became BCA shortly after and 12 years later is now known as Point16. Funny how side hustles impact you.
*I don't think this was her real name.
Read the full piece below
