Most people think of a side hustle as just a way to make extra cash—driving for Uber, delivering food, or picking up a few freelance gigs. But what if that’s the wrong way to look at it? A true side hustle business isn't about getting a second job; it's about building an asset that can eventually replace your first job. The key isn't just working more, but building something that can grow without you.
There’s a single question that has saved me from more financial loss, wasted time, and squandered resources than any other piece of advice. It’s a question I learned the hard way, through a long list of failures and setbacks. Most people avoid asking it because it feels deeply uncomfortable, but ignoring it puts you in a dangerous position, like an ostrich with its head in the sand.
Looking back, my biggest professional mistake was behaving like an ostrich when I should have been a lion. In business, and especially in a volatile , being an ostrich will get you killed. This is how to avoid that fate.
It all started with a simple Christmas gift mix-up, but it taught me one of the most valuable lessons I’ve ever learned about human psychology—a lesson that’s essential for anyone looking to sell a product or .
I was looking at houses, and my real estate agent, Clive, had a strange itinerary for me. “Why does he want to show me properties I’m not even interested in?” I asked my assistant. He was insistent that I see a variety of options, even ones that seemed like a bad fit. A few days later, I made an offer on the second of the three properties he showed me. This is a vital lesson for anyone with a or who is .
For three years, I was convinced my hairdresser was a perfectionist. He’d come to my house like clockwork every week and give me the same great haircut. I stuck with him because I believed he had an incredible eye for detail, and I trusted him completely.
Most of us, especially busy professionals, have our priorities completely mixed up. We chase goals, build careers, and pour energy into a hundred different things, all while neglecting the one thing that makes it all possible. It’s a lesson Warren Buffett explained perfectly to a group of college students in Omaha.
There’s a powerful concept that shapes your entire life, yet most of us never think about it: your self-story. It’s the internal narrative you write about who you are, and it quietly determines your success. The good news is, you hold the pen. You can write a better story for yourself—one that helps you achieve your biggest ambitions.
There’s a simple but powerful psychological tool you can use to motivate yourself or someone else to build a habit or stick to a goal. It’s a technique that has been used in everything from presidential politics to personal fitness, and it all comes down to one simple shift: asking instead of telling.