IT Manager Stitches Seamless Sewing Side Hustle

This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.

[Music]

Hey, hey, what's up? Let's talk about time management. Now, I am very aware when I make this show that I'm making it for busy people. I'm making it for people with jobs, with families, perhaps, responsibilities, just all kinds of stuff that takes your time, including some things you have to do and some things that you want to do. So whenever I think about what are the most important lessons that I can communicate or that we can all learn from through the stories, I think a lot of them have to do with being efficient or being productive and doing the right things.

So it's actually more about effectiveness than it is about efficiency. And when you only have a short period of time to work on your side hustle, which is the situation that so many of our listeners are in, you have to make that time count. Long ago, I was living on a hospital ship that was deployed to West Africa. I had a day job as an aid worker and at night I was moonlighting, literally, on my little side hustle and I had very limited time. Sometimes I had less than an hour a day, but on average, I think I had about an hour a day.

And I really learned over time that I had to spend that hour actually working on something that would make a difference in the business. And if I didn't have a plan when I went to go and sit down at my computer at the end of a long day, when I was already tired, if I didn't have a plan, it was not gonna go well. Like I was not gonna be able to walk away and say, "Oh, I accomplished a task." I would just walk away and say, "Oh, I got online." And I maybe responded to some emails. That was a long time ago. Sometimes I think I was more productive under that pressure than I am when I have like a big wide open space in which to work.

And so I guess maybe that's why I fill my life with so many projects because I actually don't have a lot of big wide open spaces to work. And for whatever reason, I personally like the pressure. So whether you like the pressure or not, a lot of our listeners are in that situation of not having a ton of time. That's also why I like featuring stories of parents because parents have all kinds of responsibilities in addition to their jobs. They have the other job of looking after their kids, yet some of them also managed to create a new source of income, which is what we're all after, at least everyone who's part of this community, a new source of income by using the skills you already have and without going into debt.

So with that in mind, welcome to "Side Hustle School." My name is Chris Guillebeau. And in today's story, an IT manager and mom of two needs a way to reconnect with her creative side. So she stitches a sewing side hustle into her busy life. By working only one hour a day, she's able to earn a steady extra income and feel more fulfilled, two important benefits. So without further ado, I know you're on pins and needles.

This seamless story is coming right up. [Music]

Rula Ralas was surrounded by entrepreneurship throughout her youth. Day after day, she watched her parents run back and forth from the restaurant they owned. It was a little Italian place called the Kittery House of Pizza. Her father worked 80 hours a week at that restaurant.

And he only took off two days a year, Christmas and Greek Easter. Soon, Rula wasn't just watching her parents work, she was working too. At 12 years old, she started biking a paper route. In her spare time, she and her sister folded pizza boxes for their dad, where he paid them 10 cents a box. Once she turned 14, Rula got a job at a trendy clothing store in the mall.

There she could buy the clothes that her parents couldn't afford to get her themselves. But for all this upbringing, she didn't dream of becoming an entrepreneur like her parents. In her home, it was either feast or famine, some seasons bringing in far more money than others. And she didn't like the feeling of uncertainty. So instead she put herself through college.

While she got a degree in business, she was adamant about not delving into any kind of entrepreneurial work. She went from college into the corporate world. As she moved through adulthood, Rula was grateful for her stable income, especially once she had a family of her own. Yet as more time went by, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something missing in her life. She liked that stability.

In fact, she depended on it, but she had also gotten lost in that corporate world. You could say she was hanging on by a threat. Her thoughts turned to an idea she'd once had. Years earlier, she had taken classes on design and pattern making and began to sew her own clothes. She even briefly made an Etsy shop before putting it on hold.

In fact, she put her whole love for DIY projects on hold when she became pregnant with her first child. Now, seven years later, it was time to dust off her old sewing machine. This time, Rula decided to try experimenting with rope. She made a basket for her home. And once she finished the first one, she had to make more.

Of course, she didn't need dozens of baskets in her home. So she reopened that long abandoned Etsy shop, which was called The Socialite. Before long, The Socialite was back up and running and filled with all kinds of new products. Rula made everything from coasters to hanging baskets to tote bags, and they were all made out of rope. She did all of this while working a full-time job with a 45-minute commute and of course, raising her two kids, a seven-year-old and a four-year-old.

But how? Even getting enough sleep with a life that busy can be hard, not to mention the designing, creating and marketing she did for her shop. Rula says that it's all about how much you really want to do it and then planning effectively. She only works on her side hustle for a maximum of two hours a day, but she makes those hours count. She works up to one hour during her lunch break where she answers emails, networks and connects with social media followers.

And at night, she works for another hour after the kids are in bed. She stresses the importance of setting realistic goals for yourself. Think about concrete steps you want to take within the next three months and then the next six. Remember that even slow progress, like working just 30 minutes a day, is still progress. And be patient.

The business probably won't boom overnight, so don't get discouraged. Just keep plugging away, even when there's so much to do. The Socialite opened for business in March, 2017. A year and a half later, she's bringing in up to $1,500 a month. She knows there are plenty of ways she could expand her business, like going to craft shows or doing more wholesale, but right now she's happy with where it is.

Her Socialite sewing shop is running seamlessly. Can you free up 30 minutes a day? That's my encouragement to you and my challenge. Can you free up 30 minutes a day? If so, how will you spend it?

So first of all, can you free it up? Is there something you can cut or eliminate? I'm not saying you shouldn't watch your favorite TV show, but if you've got five or six favorite TV shows, could you put one on hold for a while? Is there something else you could do to capture that time? And then when you have that time, how will you spend it?

I know this is a common need among our listeners. I hear from people all the time that are like, I've only got this brief window of time, how do I spend it? We're thinking of making a new program to address that particular need. But in the meantime, you don't need a program. Ask yourself, where can I get my 30 minutes and how am I gonna spend it?

Also about this story in particular, a specialized arts and craft shop will always be better than a generic one. So there are a lot of different sellers on Etsy. We have Etsy stories probably every 10 to 14 days or so, it seems. And one thing they have in common is the ones that are successful, by successful, I mean, actually making money, because that's the goal of an online shop. The ones that are successful specialize in something.

So in this story, Rula specializes in rope. I don't know how she chose that material, but at a certain point she said, this is what I'm gonna do. And so she made baskets, then she made the coasters, the other items, but all made of rope. So having some kind of specialization is much better than just saying I'm gonna make a bunch of different crafts, at least if you want to sell things over time, if you want to sell things to the same people and begin to build a bit of a brand for yourself. So think about that.

I hope it's helpful to somebody out there. And if this episode wasn't for you, well, guess what? There's another one tomorrow, a different story, a different category, a different approach, all designed to inspire you and get you thinking, but hopefully also to give you a little practical nudge as well. If you'd like to check out the show notes for today's episode, just come to sidehustleschool.com/656, that is for episode 656. You can also find me online under my name, Chris Gilibow, G-U-I-L-L-E-B-E-A-U, or on Instagram at 193 countries, 193 countries.

Wherever you are in the world, have a wonderful day. My name is Chris Guillebeau, and this is "Side Hustle School." [Music]