Emma Lovell puffing up her lips in a silly fish like face emotion

Can we please stop saying ‘side hustle’

Own what you are doing and be proud of it, it’s a business!

I was having a chat with the amazing women behind Mums & Co. the other day and the topic of “side hustle” came up and it’s something that really gets to me.

I often hear women referring to their business as a “side hustle”. I get the concept, you may still be working in a contract role, part time job or even full time job. But really, truly, this side hustle is actually a small business.

Calling it a hustle is so diminishing, and often adding the word “just” in front of it too.

“Oh, it’s just my side hustle.”

Ummm no, hello! You are running a freaking business, and you’re trying to do it outside of hours and on weekends and in any gaps you can have. That’s actually MORE impressive. Can we all please start acknowledging and recognising that you are running a business. That is so much more empowering.

As I mentioned in my recent newsletter, big or small, you are running a business. Whether there’s one person, ten people, 50 people or 1000 people, whatever, it’s a business!

It also calls back to my recent episode of the Live & Love Your Brand Podcast with Emma Isaacs about her book, The New Hustle. In this discussion we talked abou that old view of hustling. It’s about grinding, working hard, pushing yourself til you’re almost at burnout. Why can’t we work in a new way? Better, not harder. Why does it have to be a slog!

Your small but budding business might bring you great joy! It might be the motivation to keep you inspired in the more stable paid job you have. It might be the calling you had to serve and support others. Whatever it is, it’s yours.

So, I think it’d be so lovely to see people with these small businesses, well women really, to be able to own that and to feel empowered in saying that too.

So stop hustling – and start being proud of the business owner that you are!! .

How do you do that? You get a network of people who are also running businesses and saying, you’re running a business and we have got you! You deserve support, and a community around it because it can be challenging. Having others on your team who get it and back you and support you, that’s makes the journey easier.

But the first step – back yourself!!

Say it with me – I AM RUNNING A BUSINESS!


Do you need support?
Are you doubting yourself?
Do you want that community of supportive women cheering you on?

Send me a note because I have something VERY exciting coming for you soon – watch this space.

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