Support the Side Hustle This Holiday Season

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The hustle is REAL for many of our fellow moms who are working during nap times and after bedtimes in pursuit of their dreams, so in the spirit of the holiday, let’s support these hard-working #BossMoms and purchase at least one gift from them for the holidays.

Motherhood is the single most transformative identity shift that occurs in our lives. We go from being independent beings to forever having our heart walk around on the outside in the form of our beautiful children.

Up until having children, many of us identified ourselves by what we did for a living, and for those who do not return to the workforce, or return in an abbreviated capacity, the sudden loss of that identity can be a rough transition. There is also, of course, the loss of financial independence that comes with no longer holding a full-time job, and for many women, the sudden change in personal and combined finances can be both scary and impactful on one’s self-esteem.

We all have friends selling everything from books to make-up as independent distributors and yes, I know that our Facebook newsfeed can become woefully overcrowded with requests to join this group or that group, try this product or ‘host’ an event, but let’s set aside that minor annoyance for the moment. When you support your friend or family member’s side hustle, you are doing your small part to engender independence, self-esteem, and entrepreneurship.

While I know that many multi-level marketing (MLM) products will never really generate true financial independence for the vast majority of its independent distributors, I believe that the skills fostered in pursuit of those sales are useful regardless of their immediate outcome.

In order to sell a product, you must develop financial acumen, social media savvy, networking prowess and a host of useful back-end skills such as website development, product acquisition, and integrated marketing. The development and fine-tuning of these skill sets may be applied towards future jobs and keep previously acquired professional skills from atrophying.

But let’s also remember that not every side hustle is part of a MLM. I have friends who are gifted photographers and artists working hard to build their portfolios, drum up business, develop Etsy shops and navigate all aspects of business ownership on their own from home. These moms have found a creative outlet that also makes them money and I believe firmly in supporting other women pursuing their dreams.

In this season of giving, let’s remember that the hustle is real and look to our fellow moms when considering our holiday purchases.