Thank you Sir Richard Branson for reminding us how powerful we are.
“But not being able to quit your job shouldn’t mean you have to quit your dream – instead it should complement it. Some of the world’s most successful companies began as side projects, with their founders working evenings or weekends to turn their ideas into realities.” (Branson, 2019)
My mind works diligently to create, soothe and inspire. Past choices and a questionable upbringing threaten to beat me down but the power I wield over my thoughts won’t allow self-defeat. Late bloomer is better than not blooming at all. The significant epiphanies come swiftly and quickly over and over, a reminder that shall serve as the fire to set me aflame again and again.
I thought I had lost but in fact (I now realize) my defeat was beyond my control and it was also the greatest success I had known. And if I could do it once I could most certainly do it again.
In 2010 I embarked on an endeavor to bring a product to life based on a simple idea. The fact that I had no retail experience or product development knowledge was never even a consideration. I was a production coordinator making commercials and music videos by day and became a business owner and product developer by night. Production days are 12-14 hours long and the more I worked the more determined I became to get this product off the ground into the market. Rock Your Kicks DIY paint kit (RYK) was more then just a product. It was a community of like-minded individuals who believed in the positive impact and long lasting effects art has on children’s confidence & self worth (Arts, 2019). RYK went on to become a three-time award-winning product and I had meetings being set up for us to be in Macy’s. In this time I also published a novella and a short story.
Little did I know, behind the scenes an estranged person from my past was hard at work eager to sabotage my efforts and my endeavors. First came the email from my publisher that some woman had threatened them if they published my book and then came the service papers for the fraudulent lawsuit against my retail product. While my books were published, the timing for my retail product could not have come at a worse time. It was during our pre-launch so our forward momentum was crippled by negativity and lies. I watched as my hard earned money (yes I know, never use your own money to pursue an endeavor but I was too determined to see it thru and I was unsuccessful at finding investors). We did a soft launch anyway selling on our website (no longer in existence) and on amazon. Things were going well and the kits were selling. Not one kit was returned and we even had repeat customers. Then all of a sudden the sales stopped and we could not figure out why until we found a site that had bashed our product and changed our algorithm that caused irreversible damage. We think we know who is behind it and there is nothing that can be done now.
The past five years have been exceptionally hard and have challenged my self-esteem, self worth and financial wellbeing on so many levels. But I continue to raise my vibrational level and to attract new people and opportunities that are more suited to my current mindset. My mind continues to come to the rescue and I continue to add value to my pursuits and endeavors. RYK may not have become what was intended for it but perhaps it became so much more. I recently launched the “Imagine Children Art Drive” and have been donating the rest of my RYK units to children’s charities. We have about 2500 more units to donate and this has become one of the most uplifting things I have ever done.
If we look, we can always find a way to do good. Yes, defeat feels eminent at times, but the lessons and the side hustle keep me coming back to the table. Dreams should be set free. Action plans should be followed and our tenacity and determination to believe in ourselves, our ideas and our worth should drive us onward and upward.
Today I have some viable projects in development and have been building creative decks to go with them. It is my calling to create jobs, be of service and to uplift others. Follow ups to The Karma Chronicles and The Butterfly Papers are also underway and while I may not know how long this will all take me, I have a plan and I will keep showing up in my life. I will continue to produce with purpose, attracting projects that are mindful and aware. I will live at the crossroad of where creativity meets enterprise and I will never give up.
Are you driven by an idea in your mind? Is it time to hustle?
Some readings for Side Hustle inspiration:
Side Hustle From Idea to Income in 27 Days
Reference:
Branson, Sir Richard. Embrace the side hustle. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/embrace-side-hustle
Image sourced from: http://victoriapelletier.me/side-hustle-nation/