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Ep1. My Side Hustle Journey and 5 Lessons for Corporate Women Ready to Build Their Own Business
12 Plays1 year ago
Welcome to the very first episode of Hustle with Heels! I’m so excited to finally launch this podcast.
If you’re an ambitious corporate woman looking to build a profitable side hustle while balancing your 9-5, you’re in the right place!
In this episode, I’m sharing my personal story of how an unexpected redundancy in 2018 became the catalyst for starting my side hustle. I take you through the emotional rollercoaster I experienced and the powerful lessons I’ve learned along the way.
You’ll hear about the turning point in my corporate career, why starting a side hustle isn’t about quitting your job, and how it’s really about creating options and taking control of your future.
Whether you’re just starting to think about a side hustle or are already juggling both a corporate job and a business, this episode is packed with actionable advice, mindset shifts, and encouragement to help you thrive.
Links
Connect with me on LinkedIn here
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:58 Welcome
00:01:52 My journey
00:03:50 Reaction and turning point
00:07:00 Starting the Side Hustle
00:09:24 Lesson 1
00:10:53 Lesson 2
00:11:50 Lesson 3
00:12:58 Lesson 4
00:13:56 Lesson 5
00:14:44 Closing
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Transcript
Introduction and Background
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Hustle with Heels podcast. I'm your host, Cindy Excell a corporate girl, side hustler, wife, and mom of two. In 2020, I started my first side hustle as an online fitness coach while working in my corporate job as a private wealth manager.
00:00:19
Speaker
Over the years, I have been leaving proof that a corporate career and a side hustle can absolutely coexist in harmony.
Podcast Mission and Goals
00:00:27
Speaker
Today, I'm helping corporate women and early stage entrepreneurs create wealth beyond their 9 to 5 jobs, and build an online business on their terms.
00:00:36
Speaker
On this podcast, I will share my knowledge, strategies, and the stories that will help you start and grow your site hustle. Whether you are ready to diversify your income streams or are looking to build a site business that aligns with your goals, I'm here to support you every step of the way.
Podcast Launch Excitement
00:00:54
Speaker
Now, let's get started.
00:00:57
Speaker
Welcome to the very first episode of the Hustle with Heels podcast. I'm so excited to finally be here with you. It's honestly been a long time coming. I can't believe it's actually happening. This podcast has been over six months in the making. I've wanted to create this space for corporate women, for early stage entrepreneurs for so long, but life, work, and million started projects later, we are finally here.
00:01:22
Speaker
And I couldn't it be more thrilled to kick this off. Today, I'm going to take you back to the beginning. I'm sharing with you my journey of how I start my side hustle and the valuable but lessons I have learned so far on my journey. If you've ever felt that you don't want to settle for a corporate job and felt the need to take control of your career and create options beyond what your nine to five jobs can offer, then you will love this episode.
Facing Job Loss and Redundancy
00:01:50
Speaker
Now let's get into it.
00:01:52
Speaker
Story time. So, it was May 2018. Just another typical workday about, I think about 8 o'clock in the morning. I was sitting at my desk in the office, sipping my coffee, getting ready for the day ahead. And then my phone ran. Then within seconds, the phones of my colleagues around me and red desks on the floor started ringing as well.
00:02:16
Speaker
you could feel the tension in the air like you know something was up. Before I knew it, I took my phone, my wallet, and I was being called downstairs of my building to a private meeting room. There are two strangers, neither of whom were my director managers. They gave me the news that they changed everything. They told me about a massive company restructure that was about to be announced in the media. At about 10 o'clock, I remember that morning.
00:02:45
Speaker
My role, along with many others, was as a result, no longer needed. So not only that, once I took the redundancy, I was told I was not allowed to go back to my desk. I couldn't say you know goodbye to people you know in the business unit. I couldn't the pack up my things or take a moment to process it all.
00:03:08
Speaker
I was told all my belongings would be sent to my home. So in Australia, for most of companies, redundancy usually would have go through a consultation period, which is the process where an employer is required to consult with the employees before the redundancy actually happens. Another consultation period usually vary, but most of the time, I think it's four weeks and beyond. But in this case, it happened on the spot. My head went completely blank and I couldn't believe it. Me, a top performer, always pushing myself, always striving for excellence, was suddenly redundant. It felt surreal like a bad dream.
00:03:50
Speaker
I still remember that day. I walked out of the office. All I had was my phone, my wallet, and my associate brought me my handbag. And within seconds of leaving that room, my company access was wiped from my phone. I had no idea how to feel in that moment.
00:04:07
Speaker
I remembered I caught my husband and I was bawling my eyes out. At that time, as a young family, my elder daughter just started year two in one of the most expensive private schools in Sydney. And our younger daughter was full-time in the daycare and it was like $150 a day. We had two mortgages at that time. We didn don't only have any family members around us. On top of that, I have been always this competitive and proud person. So leaving a job like that, it felt extremely humiliating. And in that moment, it felt that my world collapsed.
00:04:45
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I had always been this corporate girl from my education to my work ethic. I had followed a the very traditional path. Studying hard, always the top
Pursuing Independence
00:04:56
Speaker
place in my entire school years, got my Bachelor's degree in Economics when I was 19 years old, and then came to Australia on my own, got my Master's degree in Applied Finance, which was probably one of the hardest postgraduate degree you know you can do at that time.
00:05:11
Speaker
at the age of 23. Then step into the workforce, worked really hard to get to where I was, proving myself to my bosses, constantly striving to the best. But in that moment, it felt like none of that mattered. Everything I had worked for in my professional career, it felt like it was just nothing. All of this happened in maybe under 30 minutes.
00:05:38
Speaker
So news of the redundancy hit the media about an hour after that, and it either was everywhere. In that afternoon, interestingly, my phone was ringing again. By this time, it know was headhunters and job offers. People trying to snatch me up as fast as they could because with my experience of working for this previous company, I became hardly sought after in the job market in my industry. Weeks later it didn't take long at all. I had landed in an even better role in another prestigious company. So on paper, everything looked perfect again. My corporate career was back on track, and it continued to grow and a advance. But something inside me had shifted.
00:06:24
Speaker
That day in May 2018 was a wake-up call. For the first time in my career and in my life, I realized that despite all my professional training, designations, my education, my qualifications, my experience and any of the professional achievements I have done, I had no control over my future and I had no control over my career
Starting a Fitness Coaching Business
00:06:47
Speaker
at all. My career was always being dictated by someone else's decision.
00:06:52
Speaker
And what I do know at that time is that I knew I never wanted to feel like that ever again. At that point, I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do because for my whole life it was all about getting education, get good grades in the school, get a good job.
00:07:12
Speaker
It's all about climbing the corporate ladder. I just knew that I needed something that allowed me to take control, something that I could build on my own terms without relying on someone else's decision. It took me nearly two years to figure out what that something was.
00:07:30
Speaker
I began reflecting on what I actually enjoyed doing, what people often came to me for advice on. One thing that kept coming up was health and the fitness. Around that time, I had also gone through my own transformation both physically and mentally, and the people noticed. So friends and the colleagues would ask me how I kept fit after having two kids.
00:07:53
Speaker
They would ask me how I stayed so consistent with my workouts and how I stayed motivated to keep fit despite being a full-time working mom. And that's when it clicked. So how often fitness went just a hobby for me back then? They were also patients. So I decided to pursue certifications in personal training at the nutrition coaching. At the time, I didn't know this would lead to a business. I just followed my passion and the what I was good at.
00:08:22
Speaker
Now, let me pause here for a second to say this. For most of the coaching business, you don't really need another certification to start a set house or become a coach. But for me, going through that process laid the foundation for what was to come.
00:08:39
Speaker
When I earned my first $1,000 from the coaching business, it wasn't a big cop bonus at all. It wasn't a big you know paycheck from a large company. It was money I made through something I had built from the scratch. And I cannot even describe the joy that came with that. It wasn't about a money. It was about the fact that I had created something of my own.
00:09:04
Speaker
Now, as I look back on my journey so far, there are five key lessons I've learned. And I want to share this with you today because they have been the game changers for me. Each of these lessons has shaped who I am as entrepreneur today and as a business owner today. And I hope they can inspire you as well. Lesson number one, you don't need to have it all figured out from day one.
00:09:29
Speaker
When I first started, I had no grandmaster plan at all. I didn't know I would end up having a coaching business. I just have followed my curiosity. I focused on what excited me and what made me feel alive and what people actually naturally came to me for. The biggest myth about starting a start household is that you need to know exactly what you're doing from day one.
00:09:52
Speaker
That is so not true. So start with what excites you and let the past reveal itself.
Entrepreneurial Insights
00:09:58
Speaker
Here is an example from my journey. At the first, I thought I would like to be a personal trainer, working with people face to face. Well, I did that for a few months in the gym and it really sucked the soul out of me.
00:10:11
Speaker
Then, as I moved into coaching, I thought I would have purely focus on fitness. But as I worked with more clients, I realised that nutrition and the mindset were just as important. So I didn't plan to include mindset coaching as my practice at the beginning, but that's where the journey took me.
00:10:29
Speaker
And early this year, I pivoted to side hustle business coaching because I have outgrown my fitness and mindset coaching business. It was the time for me to retire my fitness coaching business and pivot to a new direction. So the reason I'm sharing this with you is that don't worry about having every detail figured out, just to take that first step. Lesson number two, your first $1,000 in business is worth more than any corporate bonus.
00:10:59
Speaker
I have had the privilege of receiving some large bonuses during my corporate career. But let me tell you, nothing compares to that feeling of earning your first $1000 from a business you built from the ground up. It's not just about the money, it's about the ownership.
00:11:16
Speaker
is about that faith you've had in yourself. And it's the trust and the evidence of knowing that your skills, your hard work, and your vision actually create that income. It is an incredibly empowering experience. When I earned that first $1,000 from my coaching business, I knew that I was onto something. That small wing gave me the confidence to keep going, to trust the process, and that is the beauty of entrepreneurship.
00:11:44
Speaker
Every win, no matter how small it is, is a sign of progress.
Balancing Corporate and Side Hustle
00:11:49
Speaker
Lesson number three is that building a business isn't about creating your 9 to 5. This is the big one. Many people think starting a sad household means you need to leave your corporate job behind, means you must hate your job. But here's the truth. It's not about creating your 9 to 5. It's about creating options and the control over your career and your financial future. When I started my Sutter Hustle, I actually enjoined and loved my job as a private wealth manager back then. For me, having a Sutter business meant I had the freedom to make choices, not only just in my career, but also in my life. Today, I still have a corporate job and I'm grateful for it. But now it is also important to me that I have an income stream that's entirely my own.
00:12:40
Speaker
And the that is non-negotiable. So if you are listening to this and the thinking, I can't start a business because I have a full-time job, I'm here to tell you, you absolutely can. Many people have done that. Many people are doing it. I have done that. I am still balancing both to this state.
00:12:58
Speaker
Lesson number four is that you are more capable than you realize. Well, we often underestimate our abilities. We think we are not ready, we are not expert enough, we don't know enough, or we are not qualified.
00:13:14
Speaker
in poster syndrome, right? I know because I've been there. Well, it still happens to me from time to time. But let me tell you, the skills you've gained from your corporate job, for example, alone are more transferable than you think. For example, you might be really good at time management and the productivity. You might be a natural leader.
00:13:35
Speaker
or you might be really superior in communication. All of these skills that you use in your day-to-day work are invaluable when you're starting an online business. You already have what it it takes. The question is, are you actually ready to trust yourself enough and to take that first step?
Mindset and Motivation in Entrepreneurship
00:13:55
Speaker
Now, last but not the least, lesson five, mindset is everything. Well, you might be rolling your eyes right now when you hear this, but it is so true. The biggest obstacle on your entrepreneurial journey is not lack of knowledge or strategies. It is your mindset. If you believe that you are capable of building an online business, you will. If you constantly doubt yourself and that doubt will hold you back.
00:14:22
Speaker
Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster. There is no doubt about that. There will be days when you question everything. And that is okay. What matters is that you keep going, that you have the resilience to push through the tough times. You surround yourself with people who who support you, and most importantly, build that belief in yourself.
00:14:41
Speaker
And is that takes practice. So these are just a few of the lessons I've learned on my entrepreneurial journey so far, but they have been a huge impact on how I approach business and my life. If my story has resonated with you, I hope it inspires you to take that first step, whether it's starting your self-house or whether it's exploring a new business ideas or simply deciding it's time to take control of your future.
00:15:10
Speaker
This is ah why I created the Hustle with Hills podcast, to share my journey, to inspire and that to guide other corporate women and early stage entrepreneurs who are ready to take control of your careers and to build an online business on your terms.
00:15:26
Speaker
Thank you for tuning in to this very first episode. If you found this helpful or inspiring, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode, where I will dive deep into five things you should know before you start your side hustle while working in corporate. Until next time, keep hustling, keep dreaming, keep going, and they keep taking control of your own future.