NYT Side Hustle Showcase Review – 6 Questions all Side Hustlers should ask themselves
Being a female side hustler can be tough. A lot of trial and error and occasionally feeling like you want to give up. Here are just a few facts and figures demonstrating the impact of the side hustle showcase we held on Saturday 5th October 2019.
- 1 Partnership with Coin Street Community Builders
- 2 Hosts (myself and Lola)
- 5 Organising Team members (Lola, Onai, Chani, Riya and Mary)
- 13 speakers covering 3 workshops, 3 fireside chats, 1 panel and 1 keynote speaker
- 16 stall owners including African and Caribbean accessories, tax pro-Bono advice for side hustlers, cupcake business, silk pillows and more
- Several Hundred £££s spent in the side hustle exhibition Hall
- 40,800 impressions on Twitter in the two months leading up to the event
Read more about why we wanted to talk about side hustles below.
This blog is a detailed recap of the day and our key lessons learnt as well as some important questions we think all side hustlers should ask themselves.
‘Twas the night before the event
The organising team stayed up late decorating the venue and bringing the vision of the space to life.
Day of the Side Hustle Showcase
The day kicked off with a welcome from myself thanking attendees for coming, explaining a bit about the network and why we wanted to have the event and explaining the set-up of the day.
Our 3 event objectives
- To encourage information sharing about side hustles and entrepreneurship
- To showcase women’s side hustles especially within the Now You’re Talking Network
- To facilitate networking amongst like-minded millennials
Next, the incredible Naeema from Henley Business School explained to us the size and impact of the U.K. side hustle economy and her Side Hustle Model.
Did you know side hustles contribute 3.6% of the UK GDP and that and almost half of UK side hustlers (47%) say they would stay in in their job, even if their business took off?
Ask yourself: how am I contributing to the growing Side hustle economy?
We then had our first workshop led by Tiwa Ogunlesi on ‘Overcoming the fear of starting a side hustle’. Tiwa took us through an emotional, interactive and confidence-building workshop helping us conquer our entrepreneurial fears. This was a truly inspirational session
Tiwa reminded us that we are who the world needs right now and we cannot let fear get in the way of that.
Ask yourself: if i had to pick one daily affirmation I would tell myself every morning what would that be?
This was then followed by another workshop held by the fabulous Remi Ray on taking an idea from Concept to Completion. Remi schooled us on embracing failure and gave us the heads up about female entrepreneurs we ought to know.
· Supa – creator of Crayon Case, started as a comedian on Instagram started selling her own make-up products
· Sophia Amoruso – the former shoplifter who started an eBay business from her bedroom
· Marica Kilgore – started as a personal trainer, started offering facials, created a spa with 18 month plus waiting list sold a part to LVHM group, created soap & glory for boots plus others – a recent disruptor in the beauty business by creating Beauty Pie
· Melissa Butler – The Lip Bar Founder & CEO
Ask yourself: am I afraid of failure or even success? What honest conversations do I need to have with myself as we enter this new decade?
We then broke off for lunch with many of us opting for a cheeky Nando’s next door or cupcakes from the Teleana’s Treats stall which sold out on the day!
There was also time to explore and make some purchase at the numerous stalls in the exhibition hall. Check out these wonderful stalls.
After lunch, we heard from 3 of the stall owners in honest fireside chats who shared about their journey to creating their businesses, their top tips for other female entrepreneurs and their biggest challenges (leaving their day jobs, pursuing their passions and deciding on the right business model).
Ask yourself: what can I do to take my side hustle to the next level? What is the end game for my side hustle?
We then had a fabulous panel chaired by the wonderful Just Jaz on managing a side hustle and a full-time job with 4 incredible panellists all doing amazing things. The panel also discussed some taboo subjects such as the reality of burn out, mental health and time management techniques.
Ask yourself: how do I relentlessly pursue my goals without exhausting myself?
Next, we had another workshop held by the fabulous Neila Romdane of Hatch Enterprise on the importance of branding for your side hustle. Neila reminded us that great brands make you feel a certain way.
A strong brand will save you time when trying to find customers and keep them because you are creating a connection with them.
Ask yourself: what more can I do with my personal or side hustle brand if I commit 10 more minutes every day?
Finally, the event ended with some more time with the stall owners, some food and drinks and even a raffle led by one of the stall owners.
Overall, we really believe we fulfilled our vision to create a safe space for millennials to talk about side hustles, meet like-minded people and also showcase their businesses. Watch this space for the next one!
‘Be the change that you wish to see in the world.’ – Mahatma Gandhi
Finally a MASSIVE thank you to everyone involved in the planning, speaking and selling at the event. We really value your time, effort and commitment towards the event.
Following the success of this showcase we are excited to make it an annual recurring event for the network celebrating and showcasing female entrepreneurs and sharing best practice and ideas amongst millennials.
If you are interested in being involved in anyway next year, email us at teamnowyouretalking@gmail.com with ‘Side Hustle Showcase 2020’ in the Subject line.
Join us for our upcoming events! Find out more here:
