The Essential But Now What?: Jack of All Trades

Yes. Dog sitting is a lucrative side hustle. On a recent shoot, I learned a valuable lesson…you can market yourself as a superhero if you wanted.

During some down time I had the pleasure of overhearing a few new colleagues discuss the woes of finding a great dog sitter. One colleague mentioned that she used to have a sitter that would do a great job, anytime she needed…for free. A second colleague recommended someone, mentioning that he charged by the hour. Wait, say what now?

Apparently you can earn a second-living by dog sitting. To some this may be old news, but this was news to me. To quote one of my favorite rappers, Jay-Z 9(ahem, ahem): “I can sell water to a well.” Most people thought these words were just a play on words, but I can attest that now I believe these words.

Here’s the thing, if there is a need for a service, the service can be met and compensation can be received. I rarely look at the opportunities available to me; they really are endless. The key is to market yourself in the appropriate image. Of course there’s no formal interview process to be a doggy caregiver, but you can explain your history of taking care of pets. This translates to almost any service, from cleaning to being a computer technician.

I also learned that there’s also power in who you know. Last week I discussed the extended elevator pitch. Well general networking is similar. A mentor of mine once told me that people are hired, because in some instances they are liked. In most professions you spend more time with your co-workers than you do with your family. It’s important to like the people you work with. Makes sense. In networking, great conversations start and then the next thing you know, you’re either working for or being hired by a friend; a person who not only enjoyed your work ethic, but also your personality.

After the day was over, I came to the realization that I should sit down and think about what I may be good at, outside of my number one passion(s). I made sure to leave a business card with my boss for the day.  It’s all in how you present yourself, right?

Who knows? She may need someone to listen in on conversations and get ideas for writing blog posts to help others one day…that’s me.

By: Naiquan Greene