The ins and outs of hustling
Day and night, these professionals are killin’ it.
Side hustle: an extra job or activity that makes money in addition to your full-time job
Side hustles have been around for years, but it seems like more and more are coming to life. These days, side hustles are no longer simply about making an additional income. They’ve come to be an outlet for people looking for the freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment that comes from pursuing creative projects outside the 9 to 5.
Today, we’re introducing three digital banking team members whose side hustles spark creativity at their day jobs:
Fiona Mascarenhas, Digital Marketing Manager, Digital Acquisition
Megan Munro, Senior Manager, eCommerce Strategic Initiatives
Jay Rosales, Digital Sales Operations Manager
They took some time away from their day (and night) jobs to do a virtual interview with us.
Give us some quick insight into what your side hustle is.
Fiona: I’m the owner of a lifestyle brand called Blush Grove — a brand revolved around making everyone feel at home through intentionally designed accessories. At Blush Grove, you’ll find everything you need to turn your house into a home from hand-poured coconut-apricot wax candles to our very trendy chunky knit blankets.
Megan: I’m a beauty writer and make-up artist who appears as a Beauty Expert on The Marilyn Denis Show. For the past 15 years, I ran my own wedding make-up and stock photography make-up company in Calgary. Moving overseas for a few years and then landing in Toronto shook up that side hustle, so I decided to focus on combining two passions: beauty and writing.
I partnered with the award-winning, cross-Canada lifestyle blog Immrfamous in 2013 as their Beauty Editor and from there launched my website, and social channels; including a YouTube channel. A producer from The Marilyn Denis Show saw one of my videos and asked me to audition for season eight and nine of the show.
Jay: I’m co-host of That’s A Rap podcast, writer on RaptorsHQ, and have done guest spots on CBC Here and Now, CP24, CBC The National, Fan590, and Metro Morning.
What made you want to start a side hustle?
Fiona: I started teaching myself calligraphy back in 2014. I was always great at cursive writing and I loved the opportunity to turn my handwriting into art, so I started documenting my progress on Instagram. As I got better at calligraphy, I started getting requests for custom orders through Instagram and that led me to starting my own Etsy store. After a few months, I created my own website powered by Shopify and began to scale my own direct to customer (DTC) home décor brand. What started in 2014 as a handmade goods store has now turned into an e-commerce brand where I collaborate with my manufacturers to scale my business.
Megan: The creative and transformative power of beauty products has had a grip on me since I can remember. Having an older sister definitely enabled me to ‘sample’ beauty products from a young age (I’d sneak into her room to apply liner, shadow, and perfume whenever she was away).
I think however you choose to do so, taking time for yourself assists in your mental wellbeing. I choose to spend time for myself learning, writing, and trying new beauty products; treating my beauty routine like a mini meditation to start and end my days.
Jay: Basketball was part of my upbringing, so analyzing, writing, and talking about it has always felt natural. I started blogging in 2011 to share my thoughts and opinions with others out there. It was more for me to talk about the game, rather than making a profit. When we welcomed a second child in 2013, I archived the blog to focus on family. Fast forward to 2018: Raptors are on the rise and the thing everyone was talking about. Raptors HQ put a call out for article contributors, and I decided to submit some old pieces. I ended up landing a spot on a team and picked up right where I left off. Shortly after (and after much deliberating), I started a podcast with a former Raptors’ co-worker and his friend — this also happen to be the say of the Kawhi Leonard trade. The chemistry of this podcast was instant. The content was plentiful, and the personal benefits were instantaneous.
How does the creativity of your side hustle translate to your role at Scotia?
Fiona: My side hustle has been a great creative outlet for me to express myself and test new marketing strategies. At Blush Grove, I’m responsible for 100% of the business decisions and getting those first-hand insights helps me be better as a Digital Marketing Manager at Scotiabank. I’m able to use my knowledge of the DTC world and bring those learnings to the financial services space, especially as it relates to digital marketing. I’m always learning new growth strategies and I love that I can use my own success stories from Blush Grove to become a better, well-rounded digital marketer.
Megan: Being in Digital Marketing and working at Scotia, the customer comes first. Running my own make-up company — the same was true. Trust, accountability, and customer service are key pillars I carry with me as part of my personal and professional brand.
Appearing on TV has absolutely enhanced my presentation, interview, and communication skills. Memorizing and distilling interesting pieces of information then creating short, engaging narratives is something I focus on when creating and delivering presentations to my team (and a studio audience).
Jay: The ability to study numbers, question data, and communicate knowledge in an articulate manner is a skill I easily transfer to my role at Scotia. The recent formation of a Toastmasters club has also been instrumental in my professional growth. Fellow Toastmasters have helped me re-think how I present information, identified and reduced speech fillers, and generally done wonders for my confidence in public speaking and presenting — both at Scotia and on the podcast.
Inspired to join the day and night crew? Visit our job page for open roles!
