Starting a Business: How to Turn Your Side Hustle Into a Full-Time Gig
Those classic Frank Sinatra lyrics, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere,” are always on my mind when I start something, or someplace, new. Born and raised in Staten Island, New York, ‘making it’ to me as a young woman meant:
- Having an Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan
- A city job that required a leather briefcase (when it was still cool to carry one)
- Scoring a good table for brunch on a Sunday at Bubby’s
- Getting in my 6-mile evening run around Central Park
- Paying all my own bills!
Maybe I watched too much Sex and the City. But, I remember the first time I felt like I had truly ‘made it.’
Starting a Business: In the Trenches
It was July 1999, and I had successfully achieved all of the items listed above. Yet my career was still on a low simmer.
I was standing in front of my office fax machine at New York City Parks & Recreation (well before Leslie Knope made working at Parks & Rec a cool place to be). Our team was reviewing the final plans for ‘Moon Day in Central Park’, an event to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the landing on the moon.
At this time, I managed partnerships, fundraising, and events with NYC Parks & Recreation. Yet this was my first big production in Central Park.
I had pitched a lot of brands to sponsor the event. In addition to generating sponsorships, I was also in charge of public relations. I pitched several newspapers and magazines each day to get the word out. Keep in mind that this was 1999, long before the internet and social media had taken hold!
It was at this time, still standing at that fax machine, that I got the call. Moon Day would be featured in the New York Times and a quote from me would be included.
It was a small piece, but I was giddy. It was happening.
Gaining Confidence in Your Small Successes
The event turned out to be a big success for our team! From Neil deGrasse Tyson to the CBS broadcast of the lunar landing. In addition, a perfectly timed spot with Park’s Commissioner Henry Stern and Buzz Aldrin riding across Sheep’s Meadow in Omega’s Lunar Rover was the icing on the cake!
The day would not have been possible without generous contributions from CBS, Omega, and from Target. At the time if you can believe it, Target was a small, relatively unknown company. They would not open their first store in Manhattan for another decade!
Therefore, I was thrilled when Target said yes to my pitch for the title sponsorship of Moon Day and I’m happy that Target’s relationship with NYC Parks & Rec continues to this day!
Starting Up: Branching Out to Freelance Work
After Moon Day, my talent for coordinating logistics and raising awareness continued to grow. I began freelancing. And my experience in marketing and events for outdoor organizations, and landing good PR for high-profile clients, was on the rise. I took on the following events:
- NHL All-Star Weekend
- Lake Placid Film Festival
- Dinner in Central Park with Isabella Rossellini (did you know she’s a big-time bird watcher??)
- UC San Diego Women’s Conference
However, my favorite freelance position was working as part of NBC’s Operations Team for 3 Olympic Games: 2002 Salt Lake City, 2004 Athens, and 2006 in Torino!
Creating a Home Base for Your Small Business
I traveled from New York to LA. Sydney to Athens. London to Milan. To really start my business, I needed a new place to call home, and to keep track of my growing collection of outdoor and adventure gear!
I also needed to be closer to the outdoor and lifestyle brands I wanted to work with.
San Diego became that place in 2004, and although a far cry from New York’s Central Park, the incredible people, the never-ending sunshine, and the easy access to the great outdoors are hard to beat!
Even with a home base, the journey of turning your side hustle into a full-time business is ever-changing. This idea of starting up Top Rope Media came about in 2015 when I still had a full-time job. Then it simmered along into 2016. Finally, in June 2016, I left my full-time job at UC San Diego to start my business and grow Top Rope Media.
Starting a Business: Do What You Love
Now here we are in 2024, and from starting a business to scaling it up, I continue to remain focused on doing what I love. I still enjoy meeting new people in the outdoor industry. Learning about their marketing woes, and thinking, hey, I can fix that!
It’s still exciting to build relationships between big brands and small non-profits. To grow memberships by helping people become better connected to a cause they love.
I even took some time to write a book with my 91-year-old dad last year! You can learn more about it and pick up a copy here!
Although the days of standing in front of my trusty fax machine and sending out personalized press releases and proposals are long gone, I still personalize my messages and send out monthly communications. However, I now use a more rapid-fire method of digital marketing!
Starting Up: Building Brand Loyalty
As a strong, competitive woman, I am focused on getting to the finish line and often forget to enjoy the journey. It is important it is to keep people connected with your journey, your triumphs and setbacks.
Building your brand and building brand loyalty means staying in touch with those who have helped you get to where you are. Staying connected with your audience, ambassadors, and brand champions.
You can’t just keep selling and pushing your widgets. You need to give your audience valuable content that they can use. That’s why we write monthly blogs with marketing tips. In addition, we share curated content from industry leaders or unique stories we think our readers might like.
As an example, we provide step-by-step instructions for do-it-yourselfers to tackle the following:
- How to Set up Google Ads
- Increase your Social Media Followers
- Create Facebook and Instagram Ads
- Send Better Email Campaigns
Other ways to keep your fans engaged? Fill them in on the latest successes for your company. Ask for referrals! You will always get better clients from a referral than you ever will by running an ad!
Final Thoughts: Enjoy the Journey
Reflecting on what you’ve accomplished gives you the opportunity to enjoy the journey again. It’s similar to that feeling you get when you climb a mountain.
The sweaty palms, the adrenaline rush. That whipper you take as you fall from exhaustion, or from a misplaced hand or foot.
Then a second after the fall, there’s the catch by your belay partner holding the other end of the rope. You’re safe. Yet instead of calling it quits, and being lowered to the ground, you steady yourself. You raise your head and continue on your journey. You start fresh.
– Meredith C. McConvill, Top Rope Media