The architecture industry and closely related industry is really too demanding to really be side-hustling effectively. It's one thing for an architect being also in construction (for example) where construction isn't a side hustle of architecture but part of the business. As a building designer and also in process of obtaining construction contracting license, it would be incumbent on me to integrate the services. Yet, I need to balance my work life so I have a personal life not associated with work. Doing too much and you will basically work yourself to death, burn out, and over time will become miserable, angry, and feel lacking. SneakyPete makes a great point in his life and is a fair point to consider. You may need to re-evaluate what's important. The pipe dream you may have had when you got into architecture or be happy making a difference on possibly a smaller scale and have a fuller life... maybe less "rich" in cash wealth but more rich is having a happier life with having a family. I hope that helps a bit. Take time to consider these things. There isn't enough time to live two complete lives simultaneously. You'll only achieve two incomplete lives or whatever. There is only enough time to live ONE complete life at a time in any life time. More life times are absolutely no guarantee and almost certain to not happen and if you did, you almost certainly will not remember the previous lives when living a new life. So, there the lesson to consider. Consider, if you only will have one life, make the most of it by making the life full and complete not a life long train of wrecks of unhappiness, anger, etc.
Jul 1, 22 11:43 pm ·
·
rcz1001
However, there is some points to be made. If you are young, don't have a spouse or children, in a job with piss poor pay, it's find to have a side hustle (moonlighting... which means having a second job or something to earn a second source of income). Yes, that can be fine especially if the second source of income isn't super demanding. Now, you can do two demanding work to earn money but its not going to be something sustainable in the long run and to cultivate intimate relationship, raising children.... basically forming your family is going to need you to set aside time in your life for that.
Two jobs, basically or two businesses, just isn't going to cut it and most likely you will end up feeling empty, life unfilfilled... incomplete. Most of these rich tycoons really don't have a family life. You lose that by pursuing that life. This is why it is important to not stretch your life in too many direction.
At some point, it's better to establish ways to have passive income as additional income source. How one should go about that, there's different good take on how to go about it but I don't have any good advice on that. Traditionally, second source of income (passive income) comes from investing. Good interest accounts, sometimes stocks can be a good option but not always. Being a partner (with minimal day to day operational part on your part) in a business like being a landlord/owner of an apartment complex, etc. You can use your architectural background to leverage the real estate.
There are options but this isn't necessarily going to be something YOU will immediately be able to do but maybe over time. Using property management companies, you can rent out or lease out the property and more or less passively earn income. This doesn't mean there is no work but you have less to do with the day-to-day issues and have more time to family and do your day job.
But it is best to not be grinding away 8-12 hours a day per job working across 6-7 days a week and burning yourself out. As you get older, you just aren't going to be able to sustain that and it will get harder on you to do and keep doing.
Jul 2, 22 12:49 am ·
·
zonker
I grind away 50-60 hours a week, but in order to do so, takes a physical fitness regime - If it's ever perceived I can't keep up with those 1/2 my age, I will get the boot - I make damn sure I don't slip up.
Mainly writing about design, building science and sustainability for magazines, and now a book as well. It doesn't pay as well as design does but it's been excellent marketing, and it does pay a bit. I also do a some building, but mostly just for family these days. I'd like to get back into woodworking at some point.
Being paid for a hobby is great, but I would argue the moment it becomes a "side hustle" the goal shifts from doing something for yourself and doing something for money.
Additionally, what you are doing, Wood Guy, is an extension of your main career. Not only as a PR tool for marketing yourself and building awareness and marketplace trust as a "trusted expert" as they usually will write intelligently as I see it as an extension of your business of designing (which isn't always just the design services) buildings and as professional consultant... and see that more as that than a separate career ("Side Hustle"). That's totally valid to do if you balance your life between professional/business and your personal life.
Jul 3, 22 9:49 pm ·
·
Wood Guy
I have to disagree with you both. My business is designing homes and renovations. I write on forums for fun, but writing articles and books is not fun or a hobby. I do it to some degree for altruistic reasons and I don’t hate it, similar to my main gig. But it’s something I do in exchange for money and/or marketing benefit, so I consider it a side hustle. At this point, my building/construction activities are more of a hobby, but I don’t do it for fun and if design work slows down I could go pro again in a minute.
Jul 4, 22 8:00 am ·
·
Wood Guy
On the other hand, my LLC charter includes designing, writing and building, and they are all related, even if 95% of my income is from design. So maybe you are right.
After the great recession, my new job didn't pay very well, it was hourly, , 40hrs/week and it was a 1099 - but great experience with many design opportunities- I moonlighted at two other firms in order to make ends meet and pay my taxes. I kept this situation going for 3 years until I had enough experience and ability to get a single jab that paid more. I now use my spare time to learn new technologies, study for ARE. basically keep up and put in extra hours at my job.
I know quite a few that held down a full-time job, and were doing full time hustles. Things like them taking off for long "lunch breaks" to go see residential remodels were common. I have taken up a couple of odd jobs once in a while, but life is too busy (and I am too old) to do legit side hustles.
Other than doing design competitions out of the office - no. Doing side gigs in the field of architecture opens you and the firm you work at to a lot of liability.
I did kitchen renovations for a while just because it fell into my lap. When it dried up I was actually happy it did and started using that time to just enjoy my life.
I found it's way cooler to have a bunch of sick hobbies and skills outside work than just have some extra spending cash and no time to even spend it.
You may see a bunch of "architects don't make any money" memes flying around.....but most make ample pay and live very comfortable lives. Some make quite a lot. People that aren't good at architecture tend not to make much money doing it. That is not unique to architecture.
Do you work full time in an architectural office as well? If so - dang you must be busy!
Jul 15, 22 10:34 am ·
·
OM..
Yeah, and a good one at that! It’s busy but for the most part things fall into place in a way that makes up one balanced life that has room for friends, family, and being lazy too.
The first person to 'retire' I knew from arch school who wasn't already rich was a crazy side hustler since college. Bought a handful of apartment units and was retired by early 40's. So envious but he totally deserves it.
I have done side gigs before. Quite a lot actually. From carpentry, to technical illustration to architecture. My experience has been that it's not fair to your main gig, and your family, and usually doesn't achieve what you want long-term. It's not fair to come into work tired from doing after-hours work. There are serious ethical considerations if you are moonlighting in architecture as well. You absolutely cannot bring any of the side work in to your main work. No phone calls during the day when everyone else is working on the side-gig, no using office printers or computers to assist in your side-gig...you get the idea. Firewall it.
However, if there's something you enjoy doing, and can make some money at it, without burning up significant time or energy, have fun! Perhaps buying and selling stuff off craigslist or ebay. I like guitars and amplifiers. I enjoy looking at CL and ebay and other sources. It would be possible with enough knowledge to buy, recondition and resell gear and enjoy it. I have a buddy who's a professor and he writes for textbooks on the side occasionally. You need to be confident that this is OK with your main employer or at least confident in a "don't ask-don't tell" policy.
For a few years I did sculpture. I built my skillset up from nothing and was producing work that was selling for good money in galleries I had marketed to. Still, with the overhead of a shop, utilities, supplies, tax filing, and so forth...there was not much "net" left over at the end of the year. It took a lot of energy. It was a business and the business kept "asking" for me to devote myself to it more in order for it to be generating significant income. It was making me tired and interfering with my main work so I pulled the plug. It's all about balance.
Bottom line, you are better off working towards making your main job paying you better, if money is the issue. Someone once said, and I think this is really valuable..."You have to pay your people enough that money ceases to be an issue and everyone can just focus their energy 100 percent on the work."
Jul 21, 22 11:24 am ·
·
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Side Hustle
Anyone here who is in the Architecture industry, do you have a side hustle that you do? If so, what do you do?
Fuck no. I use my time away from work for my family and myself in ways other than cash. Side hustles are a plague. Fuck side hustles.
The architecture industry and closely related industry is really too demanding to really be side-hustling effectively. It's one thing for an architect being also in construction (for example) where construction isn't a side hustle of architecture but part of the business. As a building designer and also in process of obtaining construction contracting license, it would be incumbent on me to integrate the services. Yet, I need to balance my work life so I have a personal life not associated with work. Doing too much and you will basically work yourself to death, burn out, and over time will become miserable, angry, and feel lacking. SneakyPete makes a great point in his life and is a fair point to consider. You may need to re-evaluate what's important. The pipe dream you may have had when you got into architecture or be happy making a difference on possibly a smaller scale and have a fuller life... maybe less "rich" in cash wealth but more rich is having a happier life with having a family. I hope that helps a bit. Take time to consider these things. There isn't enough time to live two complete lives simultaneously. You'll only achieve two incomplete lives or whatever. There is only enough time to live ONE complete life at a time in any life time. More life times are absolutely no guarantee and almost certain to not happen and if you did, you almost certainly will not remember the previous lives when living a new life. So, there the lesson to consider. Consider, if you only will have one life, make the most of it by making the life full and complete not a life long train of wrecks of unhappiness, anger, etc.
However, there is some points to be made. If you are young, don't have a spouse or children, in a job with piss poor pay, it's find to have a side hustle (moonlighting... which means having a second job or something to earn a second source of income). Yes, that can be fine especially if the second source of income isn't super demanding. Now, you can do two demanding work to earn money but its not going to be something sustainable in the long run and to cultivate intimate relationship, raising children.... basically forming your family is going to need you to set aside time in your life for that.
Two jobs, basically or two businesses, just isn't going to cut it and most likely you will end up feeling empty, life unfilfilled... incomplete. Most of these rich tycoons really don't have a family life. You lose that by pursuing that life. This is why it is important to not stretch your life in too many direction.
At some point, it's better to establish ways to have passive income as additional income source. How one should go about that, there's different good take on how to go about it but I don't have any good advice on that. Traditionally, second source of income (passive income) comes from investing. Good interest accounts, sometimes stocks can be a good option but not always. Being a partner (with minimal day to day operational part on your part) in a business like being a landlord/owner of an apartment complex, etc. You can use your architectural background to leverage the real estate.
There are options but this isn't necessarily going to be something YOU will immediately be able to do but maybe over time. Using property management companies, you can rent out or lease out the property and more or less passively earn income. This doesn't mean there is no work but you have less to do with the day-to-day issues and have more time to family and do your day job.
But it is best to not be grinding away 8-12 hours a day per job working across 6-7 days a week and burning yourself out. As you get older, you just aren't going to be able to sustain that and it will get harder on you to do and keep doing.
I grind away 50-60 hours a week, but in order to do so, takes a physical fitness regime - If it's ever perceived I can't keep up with those 1/2 my age, I will get the boot - I make damn sure I don't slip up.
Mainly writing about design, building science and sustainability for magazines, and now a book as well. It doesn't pay as well as design does but it's been excellent marketing, and it does pay a bit. I also do a some building, but mostly just for family these days. I'd like to get back into woodworking at some point.
Being paid for a hobby is great, but I would argue the moment it becomes a "side hustle" the goal shifts from doing something for yourself and doing something for money.
Additionally, what you are doing, Wood Guy, is an extension of your main career. Not only as a PR tool for marketing yourself and building awareness and marketplace trust as a "trusted expert" as they usually will write intelligently as I see it as an extension of your business of designing (which isn't always just the design services) buildings and as professional consultant... and see that more as that than a separate career ("Side Hustle"). That's totally valid to do if you balance your life between professional/business and your personal life.
I have to disagree with you both. My business is designing homes and renovations. I write on forums for fun, but writing articles and books is not fun or a hobby. I do it to some degree for altruistic reasons and I don’t hate it, similar to my main gig. But it’s something I do in exchange for money and/or marketing benefit, so I consider it a side hustle. At this point, my building/construction activities are more of a hobby, but I don’t do it for fun and if design work slows down I could go pro again in a minute.
On the other hand, my LLC charter includes designing, writing and building, and they are all related, even if 95% of my income is from design. So maybe you are right.
After the great recession, my new job didn't pay very well, it was hourly, , 40hrs/week and it was a 1099 - but great experience with many design opportunities- I moonlighted at two other firms in order to make ends meet and pay my taxes. I kept this situation going for 3 years until I had enough experience and ability to get a single jab that paid more. I now use my spare time to learn new technologies, study for ARE. basically keep up and put in extra hours at my job.
I did some side stuff about 10 years ago when I was trying to save enough for a down payment on my house.
Now I don't even like stay late after work let alone do side work.
I know quite a few that held down a full-time job, and were doing full time hustles. Things like them taking off for long "lunch breaks" to go see residential remodels were common. I have taken up a couple of odd jobs once in a while, but life is too busy (and I am too old) to do legit side hustles.
Other than doing design competitions out of the office - no. Doing side gigs in the field of architecture opens you and the firm you work at to a lot of liability.
I did kitchen renovations for a while just because it fell into my lap. When it dried up I was actually happy it did and started using that time to just enjoy my life.
I found it's way cooler to have a bunch of sick hobbies and skills outside work than just have some extra spending cash and no time to even spend it.
You may see a bunch of "architects don't make any money" memes flying around.....but most make ample pay and live very comfortable lives. Some make quite a lot. People that aren't good at architecture tend not to make much money doing it. That is not unique to architecture.
Yeah, I resell vintage / designer furniture on the side which reliably brings in a nice payday every month.
I addition I have some products placed in a couple of local shops and do freelance work when it comes my way.
Do you work full time in an architectural office as well? If so - dang you must be busy!
Yeah, and a good one at that! It’s busy but for the most part things fall into place in a way that makes up one balanced life that has room for friends, family, and being lazy too.
The first person to 'retire' I knew from arch school who wasn't already rich was a crazy side hustler since college. Bought a handful of apartment units and was retired by early 40's. So envious but he totally deserves it.
I have done side gigs before. Quite a lot actually. From carpentry, to technical illustration to architecture. My experience has been that it's not fair to your main gig, and your family, and usually doesn't achieve what you want long-term. It's not fair to come into work tired from doing after-hours work. There are serious ethical considerations if you are moonlighting in architecture as well. You absolutely cannot bring any of the side work in to your main work. No phone calls during the day when everyone else is working on the side-gig, no using office printers or computers to assist in your side-gig...you get the idea. Firewall it.
However, if there's something you enjoy doing, and can make some money at it, without burning up significant time or energy, have fun! Perhaps buying and selling stuff off craigslist or ebay. I like guitars and amplifiers. I enjoy looking at CL and ebay and other sources. It would be possible with enough knowledge to buy, recondition and resell gear and enjoy it. I have a buddy who's a professor and he writes for textbooks on the side occasionally. You need to be confident that this is OK with your main employer or at least confident in a "don't ask-don't tell" policy.
For a few years I did sculpture. I built my skillset up from nothing and was producing work that was selling for good money in galleries I had marketed to. Still, with the overhead of a shop, utilities, supplies, tax filing, and so forth...there was not much "net" left over at the end of the year. It took a lot of energy. It was a business and the business kept "asking" for me to devote myself to it more in order for it to be generating significant income. It was making me tired and interfering with my main work so I pulled the plug. It's all about balance.
Bottom line, you are better off working towards making your main job paying you better, if money is the issue. Someone once said, and I think this is really valuable..."You have to pay your people enough that money ceases to be an issue and everyone can just focus their energy 100 percent on the work."
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