I’m A Company Director … But My Side Hustle Is The Real Thing
Michelle Cox finds the perfect counterbalance to her corporate career.
I’ve always had side hustles. I started a candle company with a friend five years ago and started a podcast during COVID. After playing with clay in lockdown, I found I was selling more of my creations than I could take home and so became a “professional potter”. In 2020, I opened a makers studio and retail store in [Sydney’s] Avalon where four different makers (a metal worker, painter, candlemaker and potter) create beautiful things and sell in our store. I love the cut and thrust of business and running big companies, but I’m a creative at heart, something which I’ve only ever really been able to let loose in the form of marketing over my 25-year corporate career. The biggest side hustle I created is a company named Wabi Sabi, named after the Japanese concept of seeing the beauty within imperfection.
There’s such satisfaction in playing with clay and making something out of nothing. I’ve also found the tactility of clay to be really good for my busy mind. Working on the wheel or carving into clay is like a moving meditation. It turned out to not only be a viable new business for me this past year, but also good for my mental health through these challenging times.
I’m pleased that in the last 12 months I’ve been able to finally get the mix right. I need stimulation and I didn’t want to check out of the corporate sector completely. I’d been on boards for many years, but as is the case with many women, most of them were unpaid. I knew in order to do all the things that would bring me joy – and not continue to work those huge hours every week – I couldn’t keep giving away my expertise for free, so I decided I would not take another role unless it was paid. This change in attitude made me work harder to find that right role on a corporate board which then led to others. The boards I’m on now provide the mental stimulus I want and pay the mortgage which is a huge load off when you have as many side hustles as I do. Even as a kid I had side hustles – making things for market stalls to earn pocket money.
It’s a natural thing for me to think about other commercial pursuits. I’ve seen some people go wrong when they have a hobby they love and then try to create a business out of it when perhaps there’s no business to be made, so it’s never viable. They end up hating something they once were passionate about and possibly losing money in the process.
““I’ve found the tactility of clay to be really good for my busy mind. Working on the wheel or carving into clay is like a moving meditation.” ”
Many of my side hustles have come from passion projects or where I saw a gap in the market. I ran the ones I felt might have the ability to be more through a “reality check” business plan and budget before going ahead. It’s always good to bounce your ideas off people, to find someone in your network who is business savvy, who you can talk to, and do a little market research, even in a basic, raw form.
What I’ve learnt over the years is that I thrive on diversity. I’ve found a balance in my life where I use the left side of my brain in the morning and in the afternoon I use the right side – that’s when I hit the studio and let my creative senses run wild. I’m happier and more fulfilled than I’ve been in years. The interest in and resurgence of ceramics could enable me to make a good living out of what I create but I’m not sure that would satisfy me.
I’ve had so much positive feedback. One customer was sitting at her dining table at dinner with her entire family using a bespoke dinner set I’d made her and she sent me a text saying “You can feel the love that’s gone into these plates that I now feed my family from. They are like little kisses from you to the world.” It made my heart swell!
You don’t have to work just one job to fulfill you and pay your bills. We can all be multi-faceted and have “slash careers” – potter/writer/podcast host – if we want. You’ve just got to work out what suits you, your skillset and your lifestyle. Having dealt with a fair bit of adversity at a young age, I’ve always had a good attitude around ensuring that my life is full of the right things – love, laughter, friendship, travel, growth opportunities and being of service to others.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve shifted my attitude in various ways. I’m not afraid to have tough conversations with people on things that really matter – I even started a podcast so I could take these chats wider. I don’t suffer fools and have removed toxic people from my life. The biggest change has been to stop caring what people think about me and how I live my life. I’m embracing imperfection far more than I ever did and it’s liberating.