As a university lecturer, my days are filled with the exchange of knowledge, the thrill of academic discussions, and the continuous cycle of preparing for and delivering lectures. However, when the workday ends, or during those precious weekends, I step into another realm—my side hustle universe.
Here's how I've turned my free time into an adventure in entrepreneurship across three unique ventures.
Trading the Markets
Why I Started: The academic's salary, while comfortable, doesn't always stretch far enough for the adventures I envision. The stock and cryptocurrency markets promised not just financial growth but an intellectual challenge.
The Learning Curve: Treating trading as a subject, I began with books, online courses, and eventually, practice trading. My background in research helped; I approached it with data-driven decisions, though the emotional component was a whole new ballgame.
The Experience: Trading has added an element of unpredictability to my life. It's like having a constant, evolving puzzle where the pieces are numbers and graphs. This side hustle has taught me about risk, resilience, and the importance of diversification.
Advice: For anyone considering this, remember, it's not just about making money. It's about understanding markets, global events, and sometimes, accepting that loss is a part of the game.
Academic Sidekick
The Backstory: With my lecturing experience, it was a natural progression to offer my services to students facing their own academic hurdles, particularly with thesis projects.
The Process: I started by reaching out to student groups, offering initial consultations for free. This approach built trust and led to word-of-mouth marketing. Now, sessions range from brainstorming to detailed guidance on research methodologies.
Challenges: The biggest challenge is ensuring the student learns, not just completes. It's about facilitating their academic journey, not completing it for them.
What I've Learned: This hustle has reinforced my belief in education. Seeing a student succeed because of the guidance I provided is incredibly fulfilling.
The Wooden House
The Venture: Located in Uluwatu, my wooden house comes with iron-wood material. I saw this as not just a development project but a potential income source. The idea was to create a getaway spot for those wanting to escape city life.
Setting Up: Having spent months envisioning the changes, I finally celebrated when the development officially turned that iron-wood into a cozy, inviting cottage retreat. Marketing it through Booking.com, Airbnb and local property agent was transformative, but the real magic happened with personalized touches and guest booking.
The Daily Life: There's something therapeutic about working with my hands, fixing, and preparing the house for guests. Each visit from a guest adds a story to the house's history.
Insights Gained: This venture taught me about hospitality, the importance of location, and the value of customer feedback in shaping a business.
Conclusion
My side hustles pave the way for my future as a father and family leader, teaching resilience and resourcefulness. They're not just about income; they're about building a legacy of entrepreneurship for my family to thrive on.
