I Abandoned My Idea After Completing Side Hustle Series: Show It!
I Abandoned My Idea After Completing Side Hustle Series: Show It!
When I embarked on my Side Hustle journey, I had little more than a rough idea of the content I wanted to create and zero expectations about what this adventure would bring. However, as I look back on those whirlwind days, I can confidently say that this experience was nothing short of transformative. By the end of day two, I had abandoned my initial ideas, reignited my passion, and walked away with the most unpolished yet profoundly satisfied piece of video content I had ever produced.
Day 1:
"He who hesitates is lost"
One of the first and most liberating lessons I learned was that creativity thrives when we shed the fear of criticism and focus on the simple act of creation. It’s not up to us to decide if what we create is ‘good’—the world is an unreliable critic. Our creativity is a natural manifestation of our essence, and it’s essential to follow our passions and do what’s important to us. This is how we discover our true selves.
I chose to start my content creation based off one of my passions: international relations.
I wanted to re-tell history, culture and politics through my lens. I had no hesitations or doubts about what I wanted to do, I just didn’t know how to start.
The big word
To set a clear direction for my side hustle, I explored the concept of “Ikigai.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines ikigai as “a motivating force; something or someone that gives a person a sense of purpose or a reason for living”.
It encompasses understanding your love, talent, legacy, style, income, promise, performance, people, programs/products, problems, and the big word—the central theme of your creative endeavour. Identifying these elements helps us shape our side hustle’s purpose and vision.
This involved canvasing around our passions and helped me identify my big word: Ethnological
"People don’t remember what you say but remember how you make them feel"
- Brad Twynham
One of the most powerful takeaways was understanding that people remember not just what you say but how you make them feel. This principle drove me to put myself in the shoes of my audience, identify my ideal customer, and delve deep into their problems, pains, gains, and aspirations. Effective storytelling and empathy are keys to forging strong connections.
To effectively communicate and persuade, I learned the importance of storytelling. Sharing stories that connect, are relevant, use metaphors and analogies, and provide value can help you build a genuine connection with your audience. It’s about evaluating your content on its merits rather than relying on emotional appeals. Make your message easy to understand, and you’ll leave a lasting impression.
Delving into my own story, I noted down a pivotal moment during my most recent cultural exchange. I wanted to be culturally immersive but ended up regretful of my insensitivity and lack of respect due to the failure of not recognizing the historical and cultural significance of my actions. Through this story, I hoped to engage viewers to listen and help them through considering my advice before they went on any exchanges or communicated with others different to them.
"Your state matters more than your script"
- Brad Twynham
I realized that in the world of content creation, your face is your most valuable asset. Controlling your physiology and projecting the right emotional state is more important than the words you speak. It’s the state that entices viewers and keeps them engaged.
Brad prepped us for content creation but getting us to create our own “war dance” and “war cry” to increase our self-confidence and to ensure that were providing 30% more energy to our videos.
"From 1,000 true fans to 100 true fans"
- Jamie Pride
The concept of building a strong, dedicated audience of 100 true fans struck a chord with me. Connecting with and understanding these true fans is the path to building a loyal following. It’s not about vanity metrics like followers or influencer deals but about building meaningful relationships with your audience.
At the end of Day 1, this was something to set as a goal for us to achieve with our videos. Many of the other Side Hustle participants felt the weight of building something that would generate passive income, that we would be persistent in, enjoy whilst creating, help others, and make a positive influence on the world.
Day 2:
Navigating the Side Hustle Journey - Part 1
As I continued my Side Hustle journey, I found myself knee-deep in video editing, working on my initial idea centred around history and politics. My primary goal for the day was to achieve two key milestones:
Post a Video on YouTube: The ultimate aim was to create and share content on this platform.
Start a Content Schedule: Establishing a consistent schedule for content creation was crucial for building an audience and maintaining engagement.
However, it was clear that I needed to address any gaps in my expertise to produce high-quality content. To overcome this, I made a commitment to delve into the top 10 books within my area of interest. The passion economy isn’t solely about being an expert; it’s a journey of becoming something greater, immersing oneself in a world of genuine interest, and sharing truthful experiences.
Brad emphasized the importance of becoming a thought leader by developing a unique point of view (POV). Instead of chasing money, let money chase you by focusing on your journey and teaching what you know and learn along the way.
He suggested creating 50 pieces of content to gauge if there’s an audience for your niche. This notion led me to a moment of self-reflection. While I initially planned to create content about history, politics, and international relations, I began to doubt my ability to generate 50 pieces of content in this field without immense stress.
"This led to a significant pivot in my journey"
I started thinking about my other passion: pole dancing. In the world of pole dancing, it’s not just about winning competitions; it’s about continuous learning and sharing. The content in this field never stops evolving.
After a recent pole dancing competition, I realized that I didn’t need fancy equipment or national recognition to share my passion and insights. I wanted to create content for beginners who may not have the time or resources to attend classes but still yearn to immerse themselves in the pole world.
"My "big word" now became "self-empowerment."
My focus shifted to accessibility and self-empowerment. As a beginner pole dancer myself, I could better understand the struggles of someone just starting on their pole journey.
Navigating the Side Hustle Journey - Part 2
Jamie took us through the technical aspects of video editing, providing valuable insights into five types of edits:
Cuts: These involve image and audio transitions, often used to move the story forward.
Fade: Fades can be used to transition from a solid colour or image to another image, creating a smooth visual flow.
J-Cut: In a J-cut, audio or a shot of a scene precedes the video, cutting the scene short. This technique can add depth and pacing to your video.
L-Cut: Audio from one shot carries over to the next shot, elongating the scene. L-Cuts are excellent for maintaining conversation flow or avoiding a machine-like, abrupt feel in your videos.
A Roll and B Roll: These terms refer to footage in your video. A-Roll typically contains the primary content, while B-Roll is supplementary footage that can be overlaid to enhance storytelling.
These technical insights helped me understand the finer points of video editing, which would be crucial as I embarked on my journey of creating engaging and informative content for my newfound passion: pole dancing and self-empowerment.
As I wrapped up Day 2, I couldn’t help but feel excited about the path ahead. My side hustle journey had taken an unexpected turn, and I was ready to dive into this new venture with enthusiasm and a fresh perspective.
After 1.5 days
The Side Hustle Series was a game-changer for me. It was more than just a journey into content creation; it was a journey into self-discovery, empathy, and the art of making a real impact. Whether you’re a budding content creator or simply someone looking to reignite their passion, remember that your state of mind matters, and connecting with your audience on a deeper level is the key to success. So, from here I hoped to be persistent, take the plunge, and keep creating – I still don’t know where my side hustle journey might lead me, but I do know that nothing happens if I don’t start.
