In this article, you’ll discover tips for time management, setting client expectations, delegating tasks, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance while building your marketing side-hustle.
How to Build a Thriving Marketing Business While Working Full-Time by Social Media Examiner
This article was co-created by Jenn Herman, Brooke Sellas, and Lisa D. Jenkins. For more about Jenn, scroll to Other Notes From This Episode at the end of this article.
From Hobby Blog to Successful Brand, the Journey of ‘Jenn’s Trends’
In today's fast-paced and competitive world, many professionals are seeking ways to pursue their passions and boost their income without sacrificing the stability of a full-time job. Managing a successful side business while working full-time can be challenging but rewarding, offering the potential for personal growth, financial freedom, and a sense of fulfillment.
Jenn Herman, a globally recognized Instagram expert and founder of Jenn’s Trends, shares her journey of building a thriving side business while maintaining a demanding full-time career. With over 11 years of experience navigating the challenges and rewards of balancing multiple roles, Jenn offers valuable advice for entrepreneurs and professionals looking to pursue their passions without sacrificing stability or personal well-being.
Jenn's entrepreneurial journey began as a “total fluke accident” while working at her day job in a military contract company. Tasked with embracing social media for an organization that typically avoided sharing information, Jenn discovered her passion for working in this field. She started a free WordPress blog, Jenn’s Trends, as a hobby to share her newfound knowledge with others.
As Instagram gained momentum, Jenn recognized an opportunity to establish herself as an expert in this relatively untapped niche. By focusing on brand awareness and thought leadership rather than chasing clients, she quickly became a go-to resource for Instagram marketing advice.
How to Build a Successful Side Business While Working Full-Time
#1: Balance Your Side Business Responsibilities With Your Full-Time Career
Today, Jenn primarily works with small businesses, entrepreneurs, and organizations in the business-to-business (B2B) and real estate spaces, providing one-on-one consulting on Instagram strategy. She is transparent about her full-time job commitments and sets clear expectations regarding client communication and availability.
Jenn admits there are some limitations to balancing a full-time career and a side business. For example, she can only take on a few speaking gigs in a row because she uses her vacation time from her full-time job.
Initially, her full-time job worried about conflicts of interest with her new business and how it might affect her work duties. But Jenn had been juggling both roles for almost a year before her job found out, so she already knew she could manage her time and responsibilities effectively.
Plus, her full-time job benefits from having a marketing expert on staff. It took time for them to trust that she wouldn't risk her job and to realize that she wasn't going to quit her day job.
Jenn lives in southern California, which is expensive. She’s also a single mom, so she needed two incomes— a full-time job and a successful side business. “It was never an option… It was like, I will do both. I will figure out how to make it work. And 11 years later, I'm still doing it,” Jenn says.
Jenn relies heavily on her calendar to manage her time effectively, strategically scheduling work and personal commitments to ensure a balanced approach. She emphasizes the importance of understanding one's own rhythms and ebbs and flows, acknowledging that there will be times when working late is necessary and others when rest is essential. Jenn notes that managing her time is an evolution and a lot of trial and error.
Jenn recommends blocking off every chunk of time dedicated solely to your main job, side job, creative brainstorming, professional development, networking, etc. Block out time for life circumstances such as holiday schedules or children's school demands and nurturing seasons of rest and renewal. Attempting a life of nonstop hustle will prove unsustainable, so give yourself grace.
“There are days where I'm like, I can fire off 800 things in a day, and there are some days where I'm eating peanut butter and jelly for dinner like my kid because there is just no way I'm getting through the day,” Jenn says. “And you can't. You can't be on 100% every single day.”
Ready to Supercharge Your Marketing Strategy?
Social Media Marketing World
Get expert training and an unbeatable conference experience when you attend Social Media Marketing World—from your friends at Social Media Examiner.
Broaden your reach, skyrocket your engagement, and grow your sales. Become the marketing hero your company or clients need!
As a valued reader, you can save $650 on an All-Access ticket if you act now. Sale Ends Friday! GET THE DETAILS
Finally, set reminders leading up to big deadlines, and most importantly, stick to the boundaries created around both jobs' scheduled demands.
#2: Recognize the Need for Support
When Jenn started her own business, she had the advantage of a day job. She didn't need the extra income at first. This allowed her to focus on building her brand instead of chasing clients.
Jenn was able to build her brand quickly because it was the right time. Instagram was becoming popular, but not many people were talking about it. After she built my brand, she began taking on clients. Because she was recognized, Jenn could be picky about the clients she chose to work with and charge higher rates.
It took time, though. Jenn invested much time in her side business for 12–18 months before seeing any revenue. As Jenn’s Trends grew, she realized the importance of delegating tasks to trusted team members. She works closely with a virtual assistant who handles administrative tasks, email communication, and pitching her for speaking engagements. Jenn also collaborates with a web developer who manages her website, landing pages, and membership platform.
By relying on her team to handle essential behind-the-scenes work, Jenn can focus on delivering value to her clients and members while maintaining her day job responsibilities.
#3: Separate Business and Personal Finances
Jenn operated her side business without a separate legal entity for years, with all income flowing through her personal accounts. However, as Jenn’s Trends grew, she recognized the importance of establishing an LLC to protect her personal assets and streamline financial management.
Today, Jenn maintains separate bank accounts, credit cards, and payment processing accounts for Jenn’s Trends, making tracking business expenses and income easier. She also recommends working closely with a CPA to ensure proper tax planning and compliance.
Protecting Your Business and Your Clients
Jenn emphasizes the importance of clearly identifying your business when providing advice or services to clients. By consistently referring to herself as “Jenn Herman with Jenn’s Trends,” she ensures that any advice given falls under the protection of her LLC rather than her personal liability.
AI EXPLORED
Curious About How to Use AI?
Our newest show, AI Explored, might be just what you're looking for. It's for marketers, creators, and entrepreneurs who want to understand how to use AI in their business.
It's hosted by Michael Stelzner and explores this exciting new frontier in easy-to-understand terms.
Pull up your favorite podcast app and search for AI Explored. Or click the button below for more information.
I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AI
#4: Follow Your Passion
For those considering starting a service-based business while working full-time, Jenn stresses the importance of pursuing something you are genuinely passionate about. Building a successful business alongside a demanding career will inevitably create challenges and require sacrifices, so choosing a path that lights you up and brings you happiness is essential.
“If you are going to run a side business, it is going to consume you. It's going to cause ripples in your relationships with friends, family, spouses, and children. If you are not passionate about it, it is not worth it,” Jenn says.
She advises against chasing trends or business ideas solely for their perceived financial potential, as a lack of genuine passion will make it difficult to sustain the effort required to succeed.
“If you're not passionate, it's never going to make you the money. And even if it does, you're not going to be happy doing it. So chase your passions,” Jenn says.
#5: Plan Thoughtfully and Set Realistic Expectations
One of the key factors in Jenn's success has been her thoughtful approach to planning and structuring her business. Before launching her membership community, Profit Your Profile, Jenn spent months mapping out the logistics to ensure it would provide value to members while remaining manageable within the constraints of her life and work commitments.
She advises entrepreneurs to be realistic about the time and energy they can dedicate to their side business and to set clear goals and boundaries accordingly. Whether committing to a specific timeframe for pursuing the business or establishing non-negotiable family time, having a well-defined plan is crucial for long-term success and satisfaction.
Attempting to hide a fledgling side business often breeds resentment among family members later on when your divided time and attention becomes apparent. Setting realistic expectations prevents misunderstandings and friction when your focus gets pulled in multiple directions. Jenn offers some communication tips to help you nurture a budding business and avoid burnout:
Start by explaining specific goals, aspirations, and timelines with those closest to you. For example, let them know whether you’re aiming to fully replace income down the road or just looking to generate supplemental cash in the short term.
Second, be upfront about any concrete impacts on your schedule, such as potential absences at certain family gatherings or a lack of flexibility around dinner times. You also need to outline any support you’ll need from a partner with household chores or childcare duties to free up bandwidth.
During these conversations, allow loved ones' input but make your non-negotiables clear regarding activities that spark joy or promise career advancement. You can revisit these conversations as your business evolves.
#6: Embrace the Journey
Jenn's story is a testament to the power of perseverance and adaptation. Over the past 11 years, she has navigated numerous challenges, including divorce, single parenthood, and the ever-changing social media landscape. Through it all, she has remained committed to her full-time career and passion for helping others succeed on Instagram.
As she continues to grow Jenn’s Trends and her membership community, Jenn remains committed to transparency, value creation, and pursuing her passions. “I get to wake up every day and do something I love with Jenn's Trends, and I get to do something that I enjoy and that is stable and secure,” she says.
While Jenn has no plans to leave her full-time job anytime soon, she recognizes the need for an exit strategy.
When you start a business or have a new business idea, Jenn says it’s essential to consider the future and where you want to end up. Do you hope to turn the business into your full-time job one day? Gain valuable skills to advance your career? Take a break to refocus on your passions?
Once your end goal is clear, outline and construct an ideal upfront timeframe to get you there, then map out milestones to aim for.
Building a plan early on gives you clarity, prepares options if juggling both jobs gets too stressful, and can define your exit strategy from the side hustle or your full-time job. Stay flexible and adjust your exit strategy when needed, but keep a vision in mind for life after your side- hustle years.
While acknowledging that her path is not for everyone, Jenn encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace their own unique journey and trust that the universe will put them exactly where they need to be. By staying true to their passions, being intentional in their planning, and surrounding themselves with a supportive team, they, too, can build a thriving side business while maintaining the stability of a full-time career.
Jenn Herman is a social media consultant, speaker, and globally recognized laos telegram phone number list Instagram expert. Her membership is Profit Your Profile. You can find her on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Brooke B. Sellas is host of the Marketing Agency Show, a Social Media Examiner production. She is founder and CEO of B Squared Media, an agency that helps people connect, converse, and convert on social media. Her book is called Conversations That Connect. Find her on X/Twitter and LinkedIn.
Listen to the Podcast Now
This article is sourced from the Marketing Agency Show. Listen or subscribe below.
Where to subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Music | YouTube |