What do you say when someone asks you about your "side hustle" or "business?"
Do you call it a "side hustle" or a "business"... and what's the difference?
I got the idea for my candle business in October of 2023 and sold my first candle in May of 2024. For the rest of 2024 I alternated between saying "side hustle" and "business" depending on how I felt.
When I was full on with motherhood, life, being a teacher AND spending any free time I had on candles... I was definitely in the hustle. Saying "side hustle" seemed to give some kind of credit to the level of hard work I was putting in when I suddenly felt so busy. Are you even an entrpreneur if you haven't found yourself softly singing Rick Ross's "everyday I'm hustlin"?
At the same time, side hustle has been the phrase I use when I want to downplay what I'm doing. Like, yeah, I've started this thing, but it's just a little "side hustle", no big deal! But I wonder if I've held myself back by saying this? If it's just a hustle on the side, then its just a little thing I do. Therefore, I don't need to be completely business minded and serious. What if this stays small? What if this ends up being just my little hobby? Who am I anyways?
Did someone say Imposter Syndrome?
But, after 14 months of working on my business... I want more. I don't want to only hustle and I don't want to downplay.
Don't get me wrong, I love the hustle phase and actually believe it's truly necessary. This is the phase where I'm learning all the parts and rolling up my sleeves. It's the phase where I don't care what anyone thinks and am just doing it! I'm celebrating every little win and am amazed by any little outcome. I cheer over 1 new follower, 1 new sale, and staying up until 2am feels totally worth it.
This is why in 2025, I no longer have a side hustle. I have a small but soon to be mighty business.
Mighty doesn't mean that I won't be hustlin. I'm already experiencing that the more you do and and know about your business, the more you start realizing how much you need to do and know. Hustle is part of it!
Amy Porterfield of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast always talks about not being afraid to get scrappy in our businesses. But scrappy doesn't mean small or side. Scrappy means digging in, doing the work, and not being afraid to try.
Unfortunately, even though I wrote a business plan with beautiful dreams as soon as I started my business, I still had those lurking thoughts above. When I called the tax office in Sweden to ask for advice, even the person on the other end of the phone seemed more inclined to think that I was just starting a hobby and therefore didn't recommend that I get a VAT number.
No VAT number, no inventory keeping, no accountant, no idea what I was doing , but selling candles like crazy! Definitely scrappy, definitely hustle, but definitely a business!
There is nothing wrong with saying side hustle and I'm sure that there will be another time I will. Maybe its actually more to do with your intention and energy behind which words you choose? Either way, I'm moving forward, continuing to hustle, growing my business, and making decisions that are BIG.