side hustle

Christopher Joe runs birdwatching tours on his father’s Black Angus cattle farm in Alabama.

Freelance court reporting has helped Kathryn Gordon balance motherhood with financial independence.

A chance encounter led Justin Lee Williams to a career as a line dancing instructor at a time when the hobby is seeing a surge in popularity.

“When I rebooted after my layoff, I wrote to what I call world-famous conservators in the United States and said, ‘Hey, how would you like to hire a 63-year-old intern?’” said Douglas Distefano, founder of Monument Conservation Partners.

Writing and recording music for video is helping some musicians find financial stability.

With one in four Americans juggling side gigs, the pressure to monetize free time is rising — along with questions about burnout and fulfillment.

“When I started this job with trivia, I initially envisioned it very much as a part-time sort of side hustle,” said Andrew Anderson in Columbus, Ohio. “And now I really do think of it more as a second job.”

As residential building slows, some construction workers sense growing uncertainty in their sector.

“The first thing I say when the production team walks in is, it's, ‘make yourself at home,’” said Chicago homeowner Jill Nahrstedt

Despite her success, Caroline To, known professionally as Your Smith struggled to envision a secure financial future. After pursuing other business ventures, she found more freedom in her music.