There's a topic that doesn't get talked about enough in the entrepreneurial space – and honestly, the silence around it is doing a lot of damage. Most successful business owners won't tell you what they had to do in the early days to make ends meet before their business was profitable. But we're talking about it here.

Getting a side gig when you're building your business isn't a sign you're not serious. It's actually one of the smartest moves you can make.

In this episode...

💸 Why supplementing your income at the start is strategic – not shameful – no matter what kind of entrepreneur you are

⚡ The surprising ways having less time can actually make you more productive and focused in your business

🌱 How the right side gig can pay you to develop skills your business already needs from you

🫧 The energetic shift that happens when you stop pressuring your business to fully sustain you before it's ready

🧩 How all three Money Modes – Serial Monogamist, Polyamorist, and Lifer – can find their own version of this that still feels aligned

If you've ever felt a twinge of shame around needing something else to support you while your business grows – this one's for you. You'll walk away with a new frame for what that "other thing" can actually mean for your business, and full permission to go find it.

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This is a hill I will die on. A drum I will not stop beating.

It is smart and strategic for new business owners to find something that supplements their income in the beginning stages. It's not shameful. And it applies to every design type, every money mode – no exceptions.

The Thing Nobody Talks About

When successful people in the online space share their origin stories, there's usually a gap. You hear about the leap they took, the moment everything clicked, the business that changed their life.

What you don't hear about is what they had to do in the early days to make ends meet.

The side gigs. The part-time jobs. Sometimes even the full-time corporate role running alongside the business they were quietly building on the side.

And the silence around it is doing real damage.

Why Saying It Out Loud Feels Like Sacrilege

In my work as a money mentor, I've watched people squirm when this topic comes up. Like to even acknowledge that they might need a little financial backup means they're not serious about their business.

There's this unspoken rule that says if you're truly committed, you go all in – and anything less than that is a sign you don't really believe in what you're building.

That rule is wrong. And it's keeping people stuck.

Three Reasons a Side Gig Is Actually a Good Idea

1️⃣ It brings in the money you need until your business can.

This one's obvious. But it's worth saying plainly: your business needs time to become profitable. Supplementing your income while that happens isn't a workaround – it's just practical.

2️⃣ It can make you better with your time.

Here's a counterintuitive truth: unlimited time doesn't always produce the best results. When you have to show up somewhere else – whether that's a side gig or, in my case, parenting – your business hours become more focused and more productive. You stop bleeding time because you don't have any to bleed.

3️⃣ It can pay you to develop skills your business needs.

This is the one that surprises people most. When you approach finding a side gig from a place of openness rather than dread, you're a lot more likely to land on something that actually develops you in the ways your business needs right now. You're essentially getting paid to grow.

The Biggest Reason of All: Taking the Pressure Off

When your business is new, it's like a little sapling. It needs care, patience, and room to grow at its own pace.

The last thing that sapling needs is the pressure of having to fully sustain you before it's ready. That pressure makes it nearly impossible to stay relaxed, patient, and present for the natural unfolding that has to happen for your business to actually reach the place you want it to get to.

A side gig protects that process.

What This Looks Like for Your Money Mode

Recently, a client of mine – a Serial Monogamist money mode – brought this up with some hesitation. She wondered if needing a side gig meant she'd be out of alignment with how she's designed to earn.

Here's what I told her, and what I'd say to any Serial Monogamist reading this: look for a side gig that feels congruent with what you're focused on in your business right now. If you can find something that develops you in the same general direction, it'll still feel like you're moving in one lane – just with a little extra fuel in the tank.

If you're a Polyamorist money mode like me, this actually comes naturally. You thrive through cross-pollination. What you learn in one area feeds directly into another. Multiple income streams, multiple offers developing at once – that's your version of alignment.

And if you're a Lifer, you might have similar doubts to the Serial Monogamist. But here's the reframe: you're in it for the long haul. Every road leads to the same destination. A side gig that supports you now is just part of the parallel path to getting there.

Your Permission Slip

Whatever your money mode is, wherever you are in your business journey – whether you're just starting out or in a lull because what was working before isn't working now – this is your permission to go find that perfect other thing.

The one that feels like a blessing on the path of building your business, not a distraction from it.

Because even if they don't talk about it, everyone has been there.

And if a side gig isn't something you need right now? Maybe this episode gave you a little nostalgic gratitude for whatever that was for you once upon a time.