Side Hustle to Small Business Hiscox

After the birth of her first daughter, as well as the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nivia Lopez knew that she didn’t want to go back to her in-person 9 to 5. After trying a few different gigs, such as dropshipping and virtual assisting, Nivia realized her passion lies in digital marketing. Now, Nivia has grown a company where she has the freedom to work remotely and have a healthy work-life balance.

Shawnti Refuge is the founder of Shawnti Refuge Journals, a collection of journals she created after navigating a mental health crisis in 2018. With the help of therapists, she found journaling to help her heal, and now wants to help others do the same. With the hope of ensuring no one feels the way she did, Shawnti launched the business in 2021. Now, she hopes to take it full-time in the near future.

After Michele Riechman had her third child, she started to notice that it was challenging to keep up with her children, and that even going up one flight of stairs would leave her breathless. With a background in Physical Therapy, Michele decided to start her business as a personal trainer for women over 40. Michele says that by going back to the basics of fitness, women can feel empowered to take care of their bodies.

Ethan King founded stuff4GREEKS.com after joining the Greek community at his college. What started as a school project is now a successful business that has been around for over 20 years. The company offers advanced personalized apparel for those in fraternities and sororities on college campuses. On top of stuff4GREEKS.com, Ethan founded Zeus’ Closet, a retail location offering personalization of clothing.

Erin Sims and John Mills established Connect-Empower when they noticed a significant gap in the system, particularly in the accessibility of support and resources for the elderly. Recognizing that senior individuals often struggled to tap into the full array of available services, Connect-Empower was founded with the primary goal of enlightening clients about various healthcare services at their disposal.

As a C-Suite Executive working over 60 hours a week and doing contract work on the side, Lindsay May found herself facing burnout. Looking for a change, Lindsay decided to fully commit to her marketing side gig. Now, she operates Happy Marketing Co., a thriving marketing agency. Within just four months of this transition, Lindsay not only achieved her revenue targets but also surpassed the salary she earned in her previous C-Suite role.