Today I’m channeling Emma Gannon. Not just because I love all things yellow but because I’m officially a wannabe multi-hyphenate after reading her latest book. Gannon’s new guide to modern day working breaks down the traditional 9-5 and looks at why the rigid ‘bums on seats’ mentality just isn’t working any more. She advocates something more flexible, satisfying and future proof. The Multi-Hyphen Method is all about creating income streams from different jobs and projects. Turning your side-hustle into one of these ventures is just the start. Gannon weaves the experiences of real life multi-hyphens (including herself) with snappy toolkits on how to monetise your talents, network effectively and successful leverage technology and social media.
What I loved about Gannon’s guide is how down to earth it is. She knows it not realistic for 99% of people to just quit their day job and fall straight into a successful multi-hyphen lifestyle. It’s a journey. Maybe you work full time and use any spare moment to grow your side hustle. Maybe you ask your company for more flexible hours to give you the head space to nurture your ideas. Maybe you’ve already got an additional income stream and are ready to go part-time or job share so you can dedicate the equal energy to your projects. Maybe you’ve got a range of skills that’d make you an amazing freelancer, working on different clients and briefs.
Gannon proves that the combinations are endless and it’s not one size fits all. There are a ton of ways to earn a living so why should we be restricted by having just one career or job? All those niggling ideas and projects aren’t just distractions, they’re opportunities. Gannon’s perspective is refreshing and shows that it is possible to merge your passions and talents to become a multi-hyphenate. The tools exist and the market is there.
In the spirit of positivity, I’m working on my own multi-hyphens: social media manager - LWL book club editor - future Instagram interiors guru - wannabe dog walker. Although technically my last two hyphens aren’t side hustle *yet* Gannon has inspired to me to keep on hustling. Share your multi-hyphens (current or future) with us in the comments!
The Multi-Hyphen Method by Emma Gannon. Hodder & Stoughton, 2018