The Millennial Side Hustle Series: Olivia Travis

The amazing thing about side hustles is that you can pursue your exact passions however you like! Olivia Jackson proves that with her multiple side hustles that allow her to be creative while making an income! Read about how she makes her schedule work, values her worth, and see all her goals come to life!

What is your day job?

I work as a Support Analyst for a startup tech non-profit.

What is your side hustle?

I always have at least a few. At the moment, I’m investing my energy into a culinary business, Black Top Bakery, and writing–mostly for the stage and screen.

Does your day job and your side hustle work together/one benefit the other?

They work together in that having my primary hustle allows me to enjoy working on my side hustles. Starting a new venture is great, but it can also be stressful. That stress gets multiplied when there’s pressure on the venture to be immediately profitable. My primary hustle eases that pressure, and lets me grow on my own timetable.

What’s your advice to other side hustlers?

Be confident in the value of your product or service! I think a lot of side hustlers struggle with pricing and literally sell themselves short. They feel like their business isn’t legitimate yet or they’re worried that potential customers won’t actually be willing to pay for it. If you’re constantly undercharging in response to pressure from your customer base, you’re not going to have a side hustle for very long. Not to mention, nothing feels worse than putting your all into a project– your time, your money, your expertise, your labor– and being told that you deserve next to nothing for it. Do your research; know the value of what you’re producing, and make sure that what you’re charging adequately reflects that.

Related Post – Millennial Side Hustle Series: Melinda Jackson

How do you manage both?

I’m constantly fine tuning my schedule to make sure there’s room for everything. I try to structure it around my actual habits instead of an ideal. For example, I know myself well enough to know that the idea that I’m going to come home after being at work all day, and squeeze in an hour to write, when I still need to make/eat dinner, and probably run off to a class or event, isn’t realistic. I’m going to be tired, and it’s not going to happen. Instead, I get up an hour earlier in the morning so I can do it before I head out for work. It feels great because it means I start my day by taking my dreams and my goals seriously.

Why do you love it?

I love getting to see my ideas come to life! Whether it’s an idea of how I want a dish to look, or a character and their story. It’s really rewarding to see something that started in my own mind, come to fruition and become something that I can share with others.

Anything upcoming up that you’re excited about?

I’m excited about Black Top Bakery! My family and close friends know how much I love to cook and bake, but I’ve only recently (very recently!) started putting my photos of my work on social so that other people can see. Right now, I’m selling pies for the holiday season- three traditional flavors, and three more specialized ones, so I’m really excited for that too!

You can find Olivia on Instagram.