We are living in an era, where side hustles have become a norm, and the gig economy, a new work-culture. While for some, side hustles are more like freelancing to make some extra money or a way to nurture their passion; others have the vision to turn their side hustles in full-time vocations, one day. Tracey Ellison, the influencer behind the world’s most significant high-jewelry Instagram page – TheDiamondsGirl, shares a three-step formula that led her to transform her passion to her now profession:
Find your true calling
Knowing what you love to do, and identifying your passion is the first step towards finding your true calling. Tracey suggests paying heed to those things that you keep going back to or things that keep coming back to your mind. Growing up in South Africa, Tracey developed a keen eye for diamond mines and discoveries. She felt a strong attraction towards gems and diamond jewelry, so much so that she launched Instagram page in 2014 out of sheer interest.
Hard work & dedication
There’s no alternative to hard work and dedication. Tracey recalls the days when she had launched her Instagram page. She would get up early in the morning to create posts, go to work, only to return to engage with her online fans in the evening.
Leap of Faith
Lastly, Tracey suggests taking the giant leap of faith once your side-hustle grows to a point where it requires your full attention. Leaving a 9 to 5 secured job can be petrifying, but not deciding at the right time can be detrimental and regretful. The right time to take this step could be either when you have enough savings to keep up with expenses for the next six months, or until your side hustle reaches that stable revenue stream.
In the end, it’s all worth the effort. “The fact that I now spend all day every day trying on and photographing jewelry is a dream come true,” shares TheDiamondsGirl.