Unpopular opinion: I chose a risky side hustle over a stable promotion and it actually worked.
Last year, my boss offered me a team lead role with a $15k raise, but I turned it down to focus on my own e-commerce store selling vintage car parts. Honestly, after 8 months, the store is making more than that raise would have been. Anyone else taken a big swing on their own thing when the safe path was right there?
Good move... a steady paycheck can make you forget what you're actually good at. Just keep a small cash cushion for the slow months, they always happen.
Yeah, that "steady paycheck" thing is real. I've seen people get too comfortable and let their side skills get rusty. Setting aside even a tiny bit each month for the dry spells makes a huge difference in peace of mind.