Hey everyone! Today’s post is an interview with Naya Scarbrough, a fellow sidepreneur. Naya made her Side Business her day job and her current side gig is running a summer school to help people start a side hustle…so I thought what a perfect opportunity to learn from someone that is successfully living the sidepreneurial life and teaching how to do it!

1. What Is Your Day Job And What Is Your Side Business?

Currently my day job is my former side Business. I’ve turned my love for all things digital, and my love for developing a unique presence, into a career as a Brand Therapist and Digital Consultant. I help people figure out why they want to be in business and then I use that information to help them build brand appropriate products and services. I also offer them support in choosing the right online platforms to spread their message.

Before I made the switch, I was a full-time UX/UI Front-End Developer. That’s a really long way of saying I would plan, design, and code websites. It was a great job and, for the most part, I enjoyed my work. But, there came a point when I realized I could be of more service to people with smaller budgets than my former clients Virgin, AutoTrader, Lloyds Bank, and the like.

2. How Did You Choose Your Side Business?

I find a joy in bringing my ideas to reality. As I talked to people about my ideas and how I planned to implement them, I kept getting called bold or courageous—and I just had a hard time accepting that. I rarely feel that I’m being brave when I make an idea tangible. I look at all of these corporations that we give our money to each day as a reminder that any idea can serve another person’s life. Why shouldn’t mine? And why shouldn’t yours?

I felt that if people just had the tools to create what they wanted to see in the world, we’d be a lot happier.

So, I started creating content and programs that would help people use their passions to build brands online. I started to notice that a lot of people with full-time jobs wanted to have side businesses, but couldn’t figure out how to really make them happen. This is how I developed Side Hustle Summer School and Side Hustle Commitment Therapy.

3. How Do You Find Time To Work On Your Side Business?

While I was still at my day job, I started blogging about user experience and branding. I wrote about UX because I needed to organize my thoughts for my uphill battles at work. But, when I wrote about branding, I wrote from the perspective of getting to know what you’re really passionate about so that you can build it into your life. It made me think really hard about what I was doing everyday.

When I realized I wanted to leave my day job, I started working on my side business during my commute, during my lunch break, and on weekends. I was living in London at the time, so you’d think I’d want to make the most of my time in a foreign city. However, unless it was someone’s birthday or farewell event, I rarely went out. In fact, after living in London for two years, I can hardly tell you the name of an actual venue to hit if you’re looking for a party. I was just too busy and too focussed.

4. What’s Working For You Right Now In Growing Your Side Business?

The single biggest thing that helped my side business grow was letting people know that I actually had a side business. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything if I hadn’t made myself visible.

I talked to people that I knew about what I could offer their brands and businesses. I talked to people I had just met about what I was doing for my existing clients. Then, and this part is important, I delivered quality. In the beginning I was willing to work extra (un-billed) hours to make sure the client felt they were getting the most value. This helped them feel good about spreading the word about me.

I also made it very easy for people to contact me. One of my former students hired me for a job because she still knew my website URL and was able to contact me through the comment section on my blog (NayatheCreative.com).

5. What Advice Can You Give Someone Who Is Thinking About Starting A Side Business?

Treat your side business like it’s your day job when you’re not at your day job. Talk about your side business when you meet new people. Make sure people in your life know that you’re a go-to person for whatever your side business offers. Don’t just talk about your daytime credentials—this isn’t how you build a brand for your side business.

If you’re considering turning your side business into your day business, save money now. Even if your side business brings in a lot of money, it may not always be a steady stream of income. Having extra savings literally makes it easier to sleep at night and you’re really going to need whatever sleep you can get.

Oh, and of course, enroll in Side Hustle Summer School it’s absolutely free! You’ll learn how to organize, manage, and promote your side business like it’s a day business so that it can be profitable.