Today, I talked to someone who's pursuing 5 income streams
Plot twist, she's not all in it for the money — they're all her passions.
Trust you're going to read this newsletter to the end? There's important info that I don't want you to miss out on.
I'm currently working on a piece for ozy.com, an article centering Black/African women who quit school to pursue a business or businesses, and, Lord, finding sources have been like looking for a needle in a haystack.
And no, it's not because there are not a lot of women who dropped out and now own businesses, but because there are not a lot who intentionally quit. Taking a risk like that at this time and as a person of colour is crazy, but some women dream big and like to do crazy.
I mean, I am crazy, but I can't picture myself making a decision like that. I’ll just tell myself if I perish, I perish. MFJPM. But these women, absolutely phenomenal women, have taken this route and are doing excellently. Let's sha leave it at “their grace is not mine”.
I had a little chitchat with one of them today, and she explained how in the past 8 years, she has been able to set up 5 different income streams which are all her passions. She's an actress, a spa owner, a skincare products maker, a model, a writer, and a Human Resources manager at a white-collar job. Even without any degrees, she has held various managerial positions with different too beauty companies. Think Estee Lauder and the likes.
I've never met anyone so passionate and resourceful and consistent. Okay, I've met me, but with 6 income streams? Man!
When we started the interview, I was mainly focused on her spa business and journey as an actress, but I was shocked to find out that there were more and she just kept unpacking them one at a time. Every time, my mouth hung open.
There were no strong business policies; just passion, determination, and hard work. Intense hard work even in the face of racism, sexual assault, and devaluation of her work. She kept at it and basically just went with the flow.
8 years no be beans. The consistency is a remarkable trait that I respect tremendously, especially with how I've developed my career as a Content and Marketing folk. The thing with this phenomenal woman is that she took her time with each path she trod. In her words, it was and still is kind of a slow burn — she may not be making as much money in all of these paths, but building upon something she loves is more important. But trust me, with three of them, she earns well. And it took time
Very funnily, today also, I tried to check on one of the writers in the newsletter a newbie, but they were already thinking of quitting. Now, I made a resource for 30+ unpaid blogs that newbies could easily use to build up their portfolios, establish their feet, and find solid ground before applying to the big guns, but this person said they couldn't do it because they had bills to pay. I mean, common nau. You're just starting o.
I always tell people that I spent months before placing my first unpaid work. I celebrated that piece on Facebook and Twitter like crazy! I was overjoyed because I finally felt noticed, and it was a well-needed push.
But this person, who is just starting and whom I've taken time to advise that their current portfolio is not enough to land a credible gig, said they couldn't try out unpaid gigs.
There's no black and white with success. Nobody told me where and how to search for these sites when I was starting — nobody held my hand, but I made a whole resource (asides the 100+ gigs I share weekly) and I was blatantly turned down.
Ouch.
Do you need this resource? I'd love to share with more people who can't subscribe to the paid newsletter now but want to set up a portfolio. Send me a message at iwuchidinma9@gmail.com
Also, the course of this newsletter is going to change soon. We’re looking to start weekly series for both Wednesdays and Thursdays. I'm speaking with some people already. Excited, honestly! We just need to ramp our numbers now.
Please, share this newsletter. We’re almost at our 250 goal. Proud of us!
Dinma