Beyond the 9-to-5: How Strategic Side Hustles Build Skills, Energy, and Opportunity

What if your side hustle could actually give you more energy instead of draining it?

In this episode of Nexus at UCF, host Natalie Broadhurst sits down with Dr. Jim Gallo, Faculty Talent Management at UCF / Human Resources Principals Professor, to explore the role of side hustles in career development and personal growth, and how it’s shaping the future of business. From time management and prioritization strategies to career exploration through side hustles, this conversation dives deep into innovation, leadership, and the evolving role of human resources and workforce development.

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Teaser

00:34 Welcome to Nexus + Meet Jim Gallo

01:49 What is a side hustle? How do you get into it?

04:12 The benefits of side hustles + How to balance it

10:17 Utilizing your side hustles’ benefits for your career

17:01 Career shifts: How to utilize side hustles to find your passion

19:54 Beginner mistakes made in taking on side hustles

22:04 Have your side hustle recharge you, not stress you!

27:04 Early career mentality: Build a foundation of long-term payoffs & explore opportunities

31:56 Summarizing concepts + Closing thoughts

34:01 (Outro) – Thank you for listening!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Having a side hustle that doesn't necessarily deplete your energy, but a side hustle that compliments. A side hustle that actually makes you more energetic at your work. Try different things. I mean heck, I was a mime, you know, mime to professor and not a really good student. Um it took me a long time to figure out um what my passions are. And I I did that by doing different things. After a couple of my strikeouts, he goes, Look, he goes, you're trying to hit the home run. I'm like, yeah. He goes, just get on base.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Welcome to Nexus at UCF, where we connect you with the future of business. I'm your host, Natalie Broadhurst, and today we have an exciting episode exploring a fluid career trajectory and the necessity of flexibility when it comes to building your experience. Today we have an amazing guest joining us to introduce this topic, Jim Gallo, UCF professor of talent management, expert in industrial and organizational psychology, lifeguard ranch operator, and all-around jack of trades. Jim, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

Thank you. Good to be here.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Alongside not one, not two, but three masters and a PhD, Jim Gallo spends his time teaching the next generation of our workforce at the University of Central Florida on human resources principles. In addition to that, he provides management consulting, is a lifeguard trainer for Aquatica, manages his own ranch. He used to serve as the president on the board of directors for Perform Orlando Arts Academy, and was a prior VP of Human Resources as well as a former director for the Center for Organizational Effectiveness. And that's just barely scratching the surface. He also has endless experience, and he proves that our guest today is more than qualified to speak on the subject. So let's just jump right in. Let's start very broadly, just from your perspective, uh, what does it mean to have a side hustle?

SPEAKER_01 1:57

I mean doing something that you enjoy, right? That actually gives you energy, engages you, maybe a hobby, maybe something you want to learn that you're not learning. Right. So I truly believe in doing things like that. I think having a side hustle is really trying to develop me where I am now, because if I hadn't done the side hustle, um maybe a little kid, then I would not actually be in this situation right now. So the side hustle actually opened my eyes to education and was never on my radar before doing a side hustle.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

Is it an intentional mindset or is it uh sort of what you just mentioned where sometimes individuals uh find themselves given an opportunity, pulled in a different direction, maybe, uh, and just take advantage?

SPEAKER_01 2:49

Yeah, it could be both, right? Sometimes it's intentional, right? You want to learn something outside um that's make you better, and sometimes it's by accident. Um I me being in the academia was actually by accident. I was never never on my radar. I was actually a poor student here. Um so if you'd asked me back in that day, going, you would ever be a college professor, I'd be going like in Looney Tune, because that was not on my radar at all. I was in the private sector teaching uh in HR, and one of my um colleagues who taught a certification going on leave and asked me to teach for. Um I don't know how to teach. Like, you know the topic, you can teach. Like, I really don't know, like, but I did it. I actually enjoyed it, and uh, next thing you know, he moved on to another university and he recommended me for that university as a little side hustle teaching, and I really started enjoying it and enjoying the passion of actually being in the classroom.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

Did you was academia sort of it started as a side hustle?

SPEAKER_01 3:50

Yeah, for sure. Um as I as I said, it was never on my radar. Um it just happened by chance, an opportunity, and uh after finished teaching the class, I really enjoyed it. The students like me, I'm like, this is really cool. I kind of enjoy the experience of teaching kids and uh young students um about talent management HR.

SPEAKER_02 4:12

Yeah. Do you ever feel as though committing yourself to a bunch of different ventures uh simultaneously is sometimes viewed in a negative way, like especially from employers or a hiring manager standpoint?

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Good question. And yes, right. So you it's about having priorities, right? And uh making sure that um you don't overcommit certain things, right? So you have your your primary responsibilities, like your your main job, if you have a main job and your family. Um, and then these side hustles are meant to really just be on the side, right? And they shouldn't interfere. And a lot of research show actually helps people in their real jobs, right, by having a side hustle. Yeah, something that they can't do when they're currently working and they're thinking about, and now they have an opportunity to do something. And like I said, it could be a hobby, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a paying job. Um, I I do differentiate between a side hustle and people having a second job just for financial income. I know sometimes people refer to a side hustle as the same, but somebody having a second job just for financial reasons is I think is different than having a side hustle for your own development. Right? And your own maybe um still a missing piece that you have in your life that you want to do um is uh what I look at as more of a side hustle.

SPEAKER_02 5:35

Okay. So i if it could be an advantage in some situations, like you were saying, like allowing it to like leaning on that as a hobby and allowing that to sort of recharge, uh, at what point does that variety become more of a disadvantage or a distraction? And how do you prevent it from becoming that?

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Well, once again, it's it's uh prioritizing. Right? Making sure that you have enough time to do uh without interfering with your family and your current job. Uh it's it's sometimes a balancing act and it's not perfect, right? I've in many cases I've had to um disengage from a side hustle because I felt that it was actually interfering with either my my personal life or my work. Um so you definitely have to um understand your boundaries, right, and your time commitments, right? Um and ensure that you're not actually working your side hustle into your current job. Right, it's important. Now, in some cases, right, it's and I look at a side hustle too as getting education, right? You have a current job and you're actually now getting an education. Um and sometimes your education for me it was actually a very benefit because I was getting my master's in business administration and I was able to take the projects that we wanted to do at work into my university. Right. So all my projects in class were actually helping me at work. So therefore I could actually do my my my work at work, right? So it was actually an advantage compared to um you know taking do studying in your your workplace, which is not relevant to your job.

SPEAKER_02 7:14

Sometimes it gives you that extra perspective that you can bring into other areas.

SPEAKER_01 7:18

Yes.

unknown 7:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:19

I'm sure with juggling various responsibilities, like you mentioned, um, one of the boundaries and and skills that you should have is is time management.

SPEAKER_03 7:27

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

So how do you ensure that those are in priority and like balanced? Is it something that you just inherently think you had, or do you have to like build it up?

SPEAKER_01 7:36

Oh no, it's something you have to work on.

SPEAKER_02 7:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

Yeah, for sure. I mean, um you know balancing your your the time um is is always a challenge, right? And you know, things and you have to your side hustle in a sense always has to be kind of like either the third or the fourth down the line, right? So for example, you know, my current job here, right, priority, a family priority, and my ranch priority. My lifeguarding is fourth on the list. Right. So I you know, I've already I've already told them it was like, you know, weekend, summer, right, but I cannot do it when it interferes with these other three priorities. So really having that um commitment right and understanding how much time you need for each one uh is extremely important.

SPEAKER_02 8:27

Yeah. And I imagine sometimes when it comes to that, like putting um putting yourself forward, sometimes it deters like hiring managers, sometimes. Like if you say if you were to say up front about the lifeguarding gig, like these are the times I'm available, I can't do anything else other than this. Uh I imagine sometimes uh some people might not be so receptive to that.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Yes, for sure. I mean if it it if if it's truly a a side hustle, right? So so for example, my lifeguarding. I mean, I I I do that primarily, it I think that has benefited me in many ways here at the university. Um one is I'm in more physical shape, right, because I have to be. Prior to being lifeguarding, I maybe wasn't as physical shape as I should have been. So I have more energy in the classroom. Second, I have I've learned things in the lifeguarding and certain um hiring practices that I'm actually actually able to integrate into the classroom is also benefit, right? But if I was applying for a job, right, um, I probably wouldn't even bring up that aspect, right? Because I I if I didn't have to do it, I didn't know I don't have to do it, right? It's not something I I'm committed to um over my current responsibilities of my job I would be applying for. Now, I I could bring that into perhaps um why I would be a benefit to the organization, right, and tie in that in terms of an interview, but I wouldn't tell them that I would have to I would have to work around my lifeguard schedule. My lifeguard schedule works around my full-time job, everything else, right? So your side hustles really have to be um where you can actually navigate them properly around the other um expectations.

SPEAKER_02 10:17

Yeah. I imagine that's another benefit of being a lifeguard, like you mentioned, um giving you those other perspectives. So as a as a current active teacher, I'm sure being like tuned into maybe a little bit of the job market um uh is a benefit um in knowing.

SPEAKER_01 10:35

Yeah, for sure. I mean I I talked to all the kids uh kids, obviously I'm I'm I'm probably I am yeah, I am the oldest lifeguard, including leadership.

SPEAKER_02 10:43

Right.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

By far. Um and it gives me interesting it's interesting perspective talking to the other lifeguards that are um kind of early in their career or still in high school somewhat, and getting their insights on on their views of the world and their careers, um, I think has been very helpful to me as well, which I've incorporated into my classroom as well. So um I think that also gives me um uh some some advantage in teaching in the classroom.

SPEAKER_02 11:14

How much of an impact did that more unorthodox approach to um gaining work experience play and sort of building up your skill set?

SPEAKER_01 11:22

Yeah, so as as I'm going through my career, I'm looking back, and I had the opportunity to do quite a few different things. And all of them are kind of helping me currently today, even though they they're bizarre. Like I was obviously I was a mime, you know, at SeaWorld for for many years. Um worked with with Tom the Mime, who's world famous now. So I gained a lot of entertainment experience in comedy and street theater, which I've incorporated into my classroom, right? Um also been a scare actor. Um uh I went to dancing school, I went to clown school, um, and in my work experience, I was always interested in learning new things. So um I started an HR, right, but then I moved into business, moved into marketing. Um, I just wanted to learn the whole business aspect of of how businesses work. Right. Um, and by doing different things, and I think over time just really developed me as a person. Obviously, I ended up I love people, so I got a degree in psychology. Um, obviously business, I got a degree in business. Um I also loved animals. So I have a ranch where we rescue animals and uh have all sorts of really great um stories that I incorporate into the classroom. So in my classroom, I've incorporated my psychology background, my entertainment background, my work with animals on my ranch, my talent management background. So they all kind of come together full circle in the classroom. So I think that's what makes me uh love coming to here, coming to coming to work because I can incorporate everything I've learned right into one setting.

SPEAKER_02 13:18

Right. What's your explanation and and job interviews, sort of like we mentioned earlier with lifeguarding, um, to highlight some of your more unique job titles? How would you recommend that others frame their side hustles um in a similar way?

SPEAKER_01 13:31

Yeah, I w obviously it depends upon the side hustle, right? And you want to do a little research, right? You want to determine what part of your side hustle do you think is um benef beneficial to the organization. Right. Um and then you highlight those areas. It's all different based on what side hustle you have. Right. Right. Um, so I have a you know, obviously side side hustle and um lifeguarding, right? So in training, right? So I have a background in training. Um if I was applying for a training job, right, I would be highlighting that aspect of that, right? If I was um interviewing for a entertainment production manager, right, I would take things from my my street theater and my mind background and my juggling background, unicycle, all that acting background into that. So what you really want to do is identify your specifically what your side hustle brings to the table on that interview. And that's gonna be different for everybody.

SPEAKER_02 14:34

Yeah. You can always take something out of something.

SPEAKER_01 14:36

Exactly. You can always, yes.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

Yeah. In your case, are there ever times that you've been able to use your diverse experience um as a teaching moment for employees or students? And then what do you hope they see as a takeaway of of the experiences you've shared?

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Yes, every day. Yeah. Right. It's all about storytelling in in the classroom. And I I believe uh t telling stories, real stories that are engaging and fun and um impactful, um, are is the best part that's come from my diverse background, right? Um see the students laugh, right, when I tell a story and they realize the impact. And most of my stories are okay, I did this and it was a mistake, never do it again. Cautiony tales. Yeah, it was cautionary tales where I've actually messed up. And I I think the students really enjoy that aspect is um understanding um where I've gone wrong, right? And I'm like, look, this happened to me, I don't want this to happen to you. Right. And bringing in stories, I brought in stories from my entertainment background, from my psychology background, talent management, from lifeguarding to scare acting, um, and to bring different stories in the classroom that are related to obviously the topic that I'm teaching. I think is is fun, right? I always I al I you know I I believe education and fun are not mutually exclusive. Right? You can come in a classroom and have a good time and still learn. Right. So that's my goal every classroom, to make an experience where they come in, they enjoy, they laugh, they walk away. And I don't think I would have been able to do that if I hadn't had that diverse background that I had.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

Yeah. And I think in some ways giving them that experience allows them to remember more of like the material and and remember the class and not forget about what you've learned because they have that memory attached.

SPEAKER_01 16:36

Yes, and that it's it's uh that's a a good point. And many times I've talked to alumni years down the road. I don't know if this is a good thing or bad thing, but they remember this they remember quite a few of the stories. Yeah. Right? And sometimes I ask them, Do you remember the c your purpose of that story? And sometimes they get it, and sometimes it's like, no, but we remember the story.

SPEAKER_02 16:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:59

Something.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

It's something, right?

SPEAKER_02 17:01

Yeah. I've heard that a lot of people can go through so many different career shifts in their lifetime, especially the job changes when they first enter their the workforce, maybe like in their early 20s, early thirties. So how do you suggest that they navigate those transitions?

SPEAKER_01 17:15

Yeah, so this is where the side hustle comes in, right? It allows you to uh experience different things, right? And uh I always tell my students and people that I meant to like it's okay to have multiple jobs now, right? And you don't want a job hop, but you gotta figure out what you want to do in life, what's your passion, right? Um and a a lot of students I think now, even me, right? Um, I didn't understand what my true passion was when I was in college. What I really wanted to do. And by doing little jobs, right, it allows you to experience what you like and what you dislike. So I can remember in high school, it was my senior year summer job. I I I was I was hired as um a bricklayer. Yeah. Yeah. Um assistant.

SPEAKER_02 18:09

So not even the bricklayer?

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Not even the bricklayer, yeah. I was I was the I I don't know what they called me, but all I did is carry bricks and and concrete or cement around all day long, right? And I realized at that point that this is not a job for me.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

Right.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

Right. I was in the best shape of my life, you know, I had a great tan, you know, but I think taking jobs is in multiple jobs when you're young is not necessarily not a bad thing. Right. And I did not go back to get my masters until I I I finished my bachelor's degree here in anthrop anthropology. I went into workforce. And I'm so glad I did. Uh, because I probably would have got a graduate degree that wasn't my passion. Right. I think sometimes students who leave and go out in the workforce and really identify what they really want and then they come back and do a graduate degree in that topic is far better than just getting a graduate degree, right? Um really having interest in the topic, but it I think is more beneficial than just trying just to get a graduate degree just to have one. I have many students I talk to and are like, Well, I'm gonna I'm gonna get my MBA. I was like, What was don't you think I need it? And I'm like, Well, it depends upon what you're gonna do. Right? Um, maybe a degree in a in a specific area is better than just an MBA. Right. A's are great, but you know, if you're not gonna be using it, maybe uh if you're going into, for example, environmental services, right? Maybe a a graduate degree there. So I think side hustles really allow or multiple jobs really allow people to kind of have a better idea of what their passion.

SPEAKER_02 19:53

Yeah. You mentioned uh like job hopping earlier. So what's like those sorts of uh mistakes that people make, especially when they first get into side hustles or when they're first entering the job market?

SPEAKER_01 20:04

Yeah, jumping too too much.

SPEAKER_02 20:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:06

Right. You can't have a job every month or every two months, right? The employers that obviously will look at that and have suspect what you call red flags.

SPEAKER_04 20:14

Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Um always really too, and I this is something I see you know, I don't know if that's something new, but um always give notice. Plenty of notice. And something I've seen in uh where I am in the area lifeguard area is lifeguard just uh I'm I'm quitting tomorrow. I'm like, you give notice? No, I'm like, why not? Right. And and and and what I actually talked into, I'm like, you should give a notice.

SPEAKER_04 20:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:49

And and he was like, why? I can just I'm like, because if you ever want to come back, you don't want to burn bridges. Yeah, you don't want to burn bridges, right? And and just because you don't want to come back here, the supervisor that's here that that you just walked out on maybe a new supervisor somewhere else that you run into, right? So um no, I would I would say, you know, do do a little more research. Um obviously always give notice and try not to bounce around. It's okay to have different experiences. Uh and these experiences should align somewhat with your passion. So for example, if you if you want to go in the sports industry, so you pick up a job, you pick up a job at, you know, Starbucks, you paid a couple bucks more or the exporting right. So did exporting goods, right? All then all of your jobs are aligning right with your passion. So somebody can look at some, even though they had a few jobs, they're all kinda in the same industry, then just people are just hopping around as well.

SPEAKER_02 21:52

Mm-hmm. So somebody having some semblance of Yes, some semblance.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

But it's okay to to to to like I said explore.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

You know, as a side hustle or something uh extra.

SPEAKER_02 22:04

Yeah. How much value have you had? We mentioned earlier like recharging. Um, how much have you found in taking up those passion projects like the ranch? Things that are able to complement your career to some degree, uh, but also leave you feeling more fulfilled?

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Yeah, so so the ranch is kind of my recharge. Um, even though the ranch is is hard work, it's different. Right. I'm in the middle of in the middle of nowhere, but you know, uh actually only one neighbor, you know, sort of mile away. So um, and just the animals, it's relaxing. It allows me to take in the moment, right? Um the animals are always excited to see you. Um you know, um so it it's just an opportunity to recharge. And in that moment, you know, I can take what I've learned through working with the animals and on the ranch by into experiences also back in my classroom. So I think um having those side hustles and going back to I think what we talked about earlier, having a side hustle that doesn't necessarily deplete your energy, but a side hustle that complements, a side hustle that actually makes you more energetic at your work. Right.

unknown 23:27

Right?

SPEAKER_01 23:27

You don't want to have a side hustle that when you come into your regular job, you're always tired. You want to have a side hustle when you come into work, you're actually you're actually more excited at work.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

Yeah, instead of like added stress.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

Yeah, you don't need added stress.

SPEAKER_02 23:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

Um, side hustles should not actually be creating more stress, they should be actually relieving stress. I think reason the research I was looking up recently, 40% of people in America actually have a side hustle.

SPEAKER_04 23:53

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

And 35% are considering having one.

SPEAKER_04 23:56

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 23:57

So that's that's that's a lot.

SPEAKER_02 23:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

Right. So side hustles are beneficial if managed properly. Is that side hustle to your definition of like not added financial necessarily or so so in in in my case the the side hustle of the lifeguarding, right, all that that extra little uh money goes to my ranch.

SPEAKER_02 24:17

Right.

SPEAKER_01 24:18

So it kind of might my I don't my my side hustle my ranch support s side hustle lifeguarding, right, supports providing more benefit to my rescue animal. Um and it's extra. Right. So if the in I think that's important too, the the side hustle, if it went away tomorrow, fine. I can still support my ranch.

SPEAKER_02 24:39

Right.

SPEAKER_01 24:40

Right. But now I can actually do extra things right for the animals that I wouldn't be able to do if I did not have the side hustle.

SPEAKER_02 24:47

If you fully depended on that side hustle, it wouldn't be much of a side hustle.

SPEAKER_01 24:50

Right, and it would be more stressful too.

SPEAKER_02 24:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:52

Right, knowing that I have to do it.

SPEAKER_02 24:54

Right.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

Right. I mean, at any given day I could give notice to to the little my supervisor and lifeguard and going, you know what, it's too much.

SPEAKER_04 25:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:04

Right. I mean, ultimately most of the time I do it during the summer, because you know, our summer schedule here at was it's a lot a little bit more light, right? And the weekends.

SPEAKER_03 25:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

Um, but I don't work every week. Um, so it's just kind of not say when I want to, there is somewhat of a schedule, but pretty light.

SPEAKER_02 25:22

Yeah. So adding on to like the um the added stress aspect of um any of your responsibilities, do you find that you sort of have to separate that that passion and like the other or the business aspect um without like the two merging or potentially creating conflict?

SPEAKER_01 25:39

Yeah, I uh I you know, obviously once again, do you you you want to keep prioritizing, right? Juggling. Right. I teach my kids how to juggle in class, right? And it's all about you know, I I teach them obviously it's good for for stress relief and juggling. Um many athletes do it, but I teach them the concept of you're juggling and all of a sudden you focus on one ball, what happens to the other two?

SPEAKER_04 26:03

They fall. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

Right. So you always have to keep your eye on all your things, right, to make sure that you properly now. I can say, hey, um there's many times in my life where I did not. I, you know, things happen, right, and you just have to readjust. Many times I have dropped a ball in my career, and then I have to realize, yeah, I was spending too much time focusing on one. It wasn't necessarily a side hustle, right? But sometimes things at home come into play. And, you know, with relationships, um, family members, things happen. Um, that's also in in part of your your navigating life, career, making sure that balance is there.

SPEAKER_02 26:47

Yeah. Okay. So the juggling is more like metaphorical as well. Yeah, for sure. For sure. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:53

Yeah. And I'll I'll also I'll also say, it's like, you know, on a job interview, you know, you know, at the end of the day, you have you know anything else you can often say, Well, I do know how to juggle.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:02

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:03

That's cool. I I wanted to see your input as far as the difference in perspective from entry level all the way to executive, as in what mindset should our listeners embrace at different points in their careers? Like more growth in the beginning, should they focus on growth or and then breaking out of the rut and the ability to pivot, things like that?

SPEAKER_01 27:23

Uh well, breaking out of the rut and and um pivoting are probably critical in all areas.

SPEAKER_03 27:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:29

I I think especially when you're young, you're building your career. So I tell my students and people I work with, it's like, you know, this is the time to really focus on long term rather than short term. Right. Taking those opportunities at companies that actually offer you more development, right, and pay. So I'll give you an example of a student I was working with, he had opportunities at two different companies. One was a larger company, right, and the job was very, very specific, and the pay was a little bit more. Another job was smaller, the company was smaller, but the job had many more responsibilities and opportunities for growth and training, and the pay was a little bit lower. And he was leaning towards going to the training to the company that was bigger and more money. Right. But as we had discussions about the long game, right? I'm like, what company is gonna provide you in four or five years more experience and build your resume. It was like a smaller company. I'm like, you know, so you can wear multiple hats, you can gain do different things, right? And my companies growing up, I was always the one to explore uh different avenues. Um so he decided to go with the small company and he was grateful for it because now he's learning a lot more than he would have at a at the bigger company. Not that the bigger company would not have been a good opportunity, sure, right? But long game was better. And I always in my career so I was an HR director most of my life, um HR management. And I saw in my one of my companies, a couple few other companies, opportunities to make a difference outside of actually talent management. Right. Um so in my last company, I had done a project, a company called Call Center Consolidation. So it was this was my my project at at university. And I had an opportunity, obviously we had multiple centers across the United States, and it was a consolidation project I did with the university, my my uh assignment. And uh obviously brought that in one day, and opportunity one of the VPs of the company at that time saw it, read it, and said, basically, do it. And I'm like, I'm just the HR guy.

SPEAKER_04 30:08

Right.

SPEAKER_01 30:08

Right? And he goes, No, you can consolidate the entire you I want you to do it. So it was that was my first breakout. Right. Okay, I'm like, okay, this is this is kind of cool, right? So I moved out of HR into operations, right? So consolidated both all the centers across the United States, created a new call center. Um, it was pretty successful. Um and I was working on some marketing project for the marketing vice president and um the marketing vice president was getting ready to retire. So I went in the CEO. I'm like, hey, so um another marketing VP is getting ready to retire. Can I can I do his job? He's like, You don't have any marketing experience. I'm like, I know, but I think I can do the job, right? Ended up, I got the job. So then I moved into marketing. Yeah. Right. So I kind of explored in my current company all different areas, right? Which I think is is as you mentioned, as early career versus um later in career. Don't be afraid to step out of your zone right. And if you see a weakness or see an opportunity in the company that you work at, actually go for it. Yeah. Right. And I've had many strikeouts. Right. I I've had I've I've gone up to the plate quite a few times and struck out. But I've gone on base a few times. Uh uh O CEO used to t tell me after a couple of my strikeouts, he goes, Look, he goes, You're trying to hit the home run. I'm like, yeah. He goes, just get on base.

SPEAKER_02 31:42

Right.

SPEAKER_01 31:42

Start there, yeah. Yeah, I'm like, okay, that's that's a good analogy. All right. So I can just do small wins, right? I don't have to hit that home run. Earlier in my career I was focused on getting that home run. And uh he's like, no, just get on base, move yourself around, you know, get a run.

SPEAKER_02 31:56

Yeah. So if there's anything that we can take from your story for this episode, whether it's from your students or your own personal experience, um, or having a side hustle, you need to have that ability to move outside your comfort zone and wear all of those multiple hats uh and step outside your zone and get on base. And that's the point um of doing all these side hustles is gaining that.

SPEAKER_01 32:17

Yeah, very good, very good um summary. Yeah, it's exploring different things, right, identifying your passions, managing your priorities, right, developing yourself, and sometimes side hustles are the way to do it.

unknown 32:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:30

Um, it allows you to put your toe in the water and test out something that you think may be interesting, and if it's not, you just move on to another side hustle. Um, but within the workplace too, you can do side hustles or side interests, you know, within your own organization.

SPEAKER_02 32:43

Yeah. As we come to a close, Jim, is there anything that you'd like to leave our listeners with?

SPEAKER_01 32:50

I would say be passionate.

unknown 32:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

Try different things. I mean, heck, I was a mime, you know, mime to professor, um, and not a really good student. Um, it took me a long time to figure out um what my passions are. And I I did that by doing different things. Right. And I know some people are in jobs um that they necessarily don't like or they're not motivated by the opportunity for them to experience something else really maybe you you may not be able to take a leap and quit your full-time job. People all the time is like, I want to do something different, but I can't afford to stop working. This is where the side hustles come into play. You can actually start developing a career or something new outside of your full-time job. Or it may be um an opportunity for you to, if you need money, to do your hobby down the road, right? So instead of using your income from your full-time job, your side hustle actually is a way to actually develop a um some funds to follow a passion project.

SPEAKER_02 34:00

Yeah. Thank you for spending your day with us. It's been a pleasure having you on the show.

SPEAKER_01 34:05

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 34:05

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 34:07

Thank you for tuning in to Nexus at UCF. If you enjoyed this episode, you can find us on your favorite podcast platforms. Make sure to follow us across social media platforms at Nexus at UCF. My name is Kira, and I produce this episode. On behalf of the entire team, thank you for tuning into Nexus, where we connect you to the future of business.