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⭐ APPLY TO SHIFT: https://sidehustlepro.co/shift

In this solo episode, I am getting real with you about the one skill that changed everything for me and that I believe every woman needs to develop right now: learning how to make money directly for yourself. I am sharing why the leap from employee to entrepreneur is so hard, how our entire lives have programmed us to earn money for someone else, and what it truly takes to start creating money on your own terms.

I take you back to my days at NPR, where I was climbing the ladder, playing the game, and quietly building Side Hustle Pro on the side. I share how a hater coworker who reported me to my boss became the catalyst for my exit plan, how I landed my first $4,000 podcast sponsorship from a cold customer service email, and how learning just two revenue streams gave me the confidence to leave my job for good.

This episode is also a reminder that you do not have to have everything figured out before you start. Your first $20 or $25 outside of your paycheck changes something in you that no amount of planning can replicate. If you are sitting at a crossroads wondering what your next move is, this episode is your sign to start choosing yourself.

Main Takeaways

• The difficulty of leaving a job is not fear or lack of risk tolerance; it is decades of programming to earn money for someone else, and that programming can be unlearned.
• Earning money depends on someone else choosing you, while creating money is about identifying a problem, building a solution, and offering it to the world.
• You do not need two revenue streams mastered before you act; your first dollar outside a paycheck unlocks a shift in confidence and mindset that no amount of planning can give you.
• Showing up imperfectly is part of the process; authenticity attracts the right people and gives your audience permission to let their guard down too.

Highlights Include

• 00:01 - Why I chose to record this episode on the go with ease over perfection
• 02:27 - How jobs program us to earn money for someone else and why that makes the leap so hard
• 03:06 - The story of bringing my now-husband Muoyo to my NPR holiday party and what it revealed about being stuck in the corporate mindset
• 07:31 - Why smart, experienced, degreed women still feel stuck and what they are actually missing
• 09:49 - The difference between earning money (someone choosing you) and creating money (creating value)
• 12:15 - Why showing up imperfectly is how you attract your people, especially as Black women in professional spaces
• 14:37 - Why relying on someone else to choose you is bad for your mental health, and what to do instead
• 18:47 - My personal backstory: launching Side Hustle Pro while at NPR and investing $1,197 in a sponsorship intensive
• 21:06 - How a cold email to a customer service inbox landed me my first $4,000 podcast sponsorship contract
• 25:52 - The coworker who reported me to HR and how that moment became the push I needed to start my exit plan
• 00:00 (Part 2) - Why your first $25 changes everything internally and how making money directly for yourself is the skill to build right now

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Shift Coaching Program: sidehustlepro.co/shift

Watch & Listen

Listen to Side Hustle Pro on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323

Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8t

Announcements

SHIFT, my transformational coaching program for ambitious women who want to turn their side hustle into their exit plan from their 9-to-5, is now open for applications. Apply now at sidehustlepro.co/shift before spots fill.

Social Media

Side Hustle Pro Instagram: @SideHustlePro

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