Side Hustle to Six Figure Success: A Single Mom’s Story

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Have you ever thought of doing a Side-Hustle and be able to work from the comfort of your home? Did it ever cross your mind to make an extra income being your own boss?

As the last quarter of the year is here, I’m so happy and grateful to have connected with a strong woman, a single Mom of 2, who has raised her kids with the success of side-hustling.

This month, we are lucky to have someone who is willing to share her own experience and be able to motivate us with ways on how to make a side-hustle successful. Introducing, Rebecca Lake of Boss Single Mama.

What is MomStar of the Month all about?

MomStar of the Month shares inspirational stories of women, no matter what background, ethnicity or race; has a great career or not, is a first-time mom or not, it doesn’t matter. 

Any Mom is a star in her own ways and with these stories, we share the journey of moms who aim to inspire others and transform lives with a purpose.

We highlight different women in our society, with their spirit to motivate others. A unique opportunity for all of us to hear and understand how these Moms learned how to flourish and balance their lives in today’s overwhelming world.

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1. Tell us about yourself.(Kids/Family,Profession,Backround etc)

I’m a professional freelance writer specializing in finance and I’ve been writing about money since 2011. I’m also a homeschooling, single mom of two tweens.

We live on the North Carolina coast with our two dogs and the most mellow cat you’ll ever meet. Before becoming a freelance writer, I worked in sales for a telecommunications company. 

RELATED: HOW TO STAY SANE AS A STAY AT HOME MOM

2. Can you tell us how you started your freelancing and blogging journey?

After my second child was born, my husband and I decided it made more sense financially for me to stay home with our two kids versus paying for daycare and commuting expenses for my job.

With a toddler and a newborn, my hands were very full but I had never worked in my adult life so I felt a little at loose ends. 

I was looking for a way to make some extra money from home and I landed on being a virtual assistant through a family friend. I did that for about a year and realized that I liked writing better so I decided to try being a freelancer.

I started off writing for content mills and did that for a while, then transitioned to finding freelance gigs through job boards and cold pitching. 

RELATED: 10 SIDE-HUSTLE IDEAS FOR SINGLE MOMS

I kept my hustle small since I was taking care of my two littles full-time. (My husband worked away from home 21 days of the month.) Then in the summer of 2014, I quite unexpectedly became a single parent when my marriage ended.

I wanted to continue homeschooling my kids and I knew for sure I didn’t want a “real” job again so I decided to try and build my little hustle into a full-scale business. 

I got to work right away and over the last five years, I’ve grown my freelance writing business 10X and it now generates a multiple six-figure income for us yearly.

I started blogging to share my tips and strategies for making money (and saving money, since I write about finance as a freelancer) with other moms and anyone else who’s interested in living the work at home life. 

3. Please tell us an inspiring or interesting story about  Side-Hustling. How do you manage your tasks despite your busy schedule as a single mom?

My freelancing journey from side hustle to six-figure business has definitely been an interesting one, mainly because I don’t have a journalism background or a writing degree.

I’m completely self-taught–everything I’ve learned about how to be a freelance writer I’ve learned through doing and trial and error. 

Having a routine has been huge for managing our schedules. I have daily work hours in the morning Monday through Friday, then afternoons are for homeschooling or activities with our homeschool group.

I block off time in the evenings and on the weekends to dig in and work on my blog. Routine can seem a little boring at times but it’s a must for staying on top of our time!

RELATED: 7 BEST TIME-MANAGEMENT TRICKS FOR BUSY MOMS

4. What is ONE thing that you would like to tell a brand new blogger, freelancer and a mompreneur, something you wished you’d known earlier?

Great question! I think the biggest thing is to do your homework first. Research and learn about whatever it is you want to do. 

If that’s blogging, then learn the basics: the technical aspects of how to start a blog, what to write about, how to promote your blog and drive traffic.

If you’re a freelancer, then your focus should be on learning about the niche you want to write in and how to find or attract the clients you want to work with.

If you’re a mompreneur doing something completely different, like running an Etsy or Shopify store, for example, learn exactly how those platforms work and how to use them to your advantage. 

And one more thing, remember that learning doesn’t matter if you don’t take action.

I learn continuously as a freelance writer even now but I don’t just file that information away–I find ways to implement what I’ve learned so I can continue to grow my business.

And that’s a great rule to follow if you want to make progress as a blogger, freelancer or mompreneur. 

5. Anything else you’d like to share with other moms who struggle in balancing Mom Life with Side-Hustling and Motherhood in general?

Finding that balance is so tough when you’re trying to raise children and grow a side hustle or business. It’s all about being really clear on your “why”–why do you want to start a business or side hustle and what do you hope to accomplish for yourself and your family?

Keeping that insight can help you stay motivated on the days when it feels difficult or even impossible to balance at all.

Another tip is to celebrate every single win you have as they come and avoid comparisons.

For example, my blog is growing steadily but definitely not as fast as I’ve seen some other bloggers grow.

But I have to remind myself that I’m doing the best I can, given that I’m raising kids solo and running another business already.

So I just focus on making progress and moving ahead, and patting myself on the back for the things I am able to do. 

Lastly, and this is really important, remember to take time for yourself.

Mom burnout is real and it can be even worse when you’re trying to run a side hustle or business on top of all the other things you do on a daily basis.

So make sure that you’re penciling in time for self-care along the way. Taking time for yourself to recharge can help you be your best as a mom and a mompreneur. 

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Have you ever wondered how to start a WordPress Blog and Make Extra Income from it? Here’s a great resource that I want to share with you. Whether you’re an absolute beginner or just in need of a refresher, in this guide, you’ll find everything you need to get your blog up and running. Check out “How to start a WordPress Blog” here.

Now I want to showcase our Previous MomStars of the Month for more inspiration! Check it out here:

BLACK BELTER AND CHEERLEADER TURNED FOUNDER OF A MOM COMMUNITY

A MOM OF 5 SHARES THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH AND SELF-LOVE

KEEPING STRONG WITH SINGLE MOTHERHOOD AND CHASING DREAMS

EMPOWERING WOMEN TO LIVE A LIFE OF PURPOSE

A MOM OF 2 EXPANDS MONTESSORI LEARNING AT HOME TO HER COMMUNITY

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That’s it for our MomStar of the Month! It’s nice to see and hear inspirational stories from other moms like Rebecca. Feel free to connect with our Boss Single Mama and get some of her awesome side-hustle tips now! Follow her on:

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