Rocker Lenny Kravitz is proud of the steps his actor daughter is taking to jump-start her passion, but he's demanding she finish college. Kravitz knows the value of an education, but he respects the role of a side-hustle: the thing you do in your life that you hope turns into something bigger, but it's nothing you would/should quit school for, or sacrifice your day-job.
It's also that thing on the side that tightens up your wallet. The vocational side-hustle is on the side precisely because it isn't a sure thing. Nothing is a sure thing anymore, which is why everyone needs a side-hustle of some sort. See how that works?
A college education may get you a job, but in a volatile economy, there's no way of knowing how long you'll stay in employed. In my experience, we sometime treat a college education like the end-all, be-all, a sure-fire ticket to a better life. It isn't, and folks graduate from college madd-bitter that the job market isn't laying out the red carpet.
But as I have stated before, better to get a degree—or two—than not. In the real world, it's best to have multiple ways to make money just on General Principle. We should encourage our kids to finish school but also tell them to maintain a side-hustle they can fall on when the things gets thin. I'm not talking about quasi-legal schemes like stripping, selling bootleg videos or fake purses.
I'm talking about doing hair, sewing, dj-ing, making mix-tapes or what have you. All that kind of stuff can buy textbooks, dinner or pay utility bills. Or, if you're lucky, maybe even pay for a college education.
I thought I was a business major, until my side-hustle—writing—turned into a career. I Dj-ed at clubs, pulled janitorial duties at my lodge and sold mix-tapes to make ends meet. What are some of your side-hustles?
