Molly Smith, Chief Client Officer at HundredX with a side hustle as a health coach, talks about her journey to pursuing a side hustle and the one thing you have to have in order to make your side hustle work (and be potentially lucrative!).

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Tell us a little about yourself! 

In my career as an executive, my side hustle as a health coach, and as a mom, I truly believe that we should be doing something every day that matters and that we’re passionate about. 

I’m fortunate to be passionate about all three areas of my life. There’s nothing I’m more proud of than my two teenage sons. As the Chief Client Officer at HundredX, it’s fulfilling to work for a company where I believe in the mission and vision. And now, I’m excited about offering people lifelong transformation, one healthy habit at a time, as a health coach. 

Not long ago, I realized I’d centered my life, my habits, and my goals entirely around my career. When I finally woke up and decided to do something about it, I became more intentional about creating space in my day for physical health, emotional wellness, and my family. Since then, every area of my life has seen transformation: my health, my mindset, my family, and my finances. I started my health coaching business 18 months ago because I want to help others do the same thing. 

How would you define “side hustles?”   

Side hustles are an opportunity! In my opinion, the most successful side hustles are centered around something you are deeply passionate about or have a deep connection to. It’s a bonus if you can create an additional stream of income.  

For me, picking up a side hustle was a natural next step. For the first time in decades, I’d found a health program that was easy—and it was positively impacting every area of my life. People saw changes in me and asked what I was doing. When I realized that in 30 minutes a week I could help a handful of people have the same impact I was experiencing, I was in. 

Now 18 months later, I’ve helped over 100 people in their health journeys. It wasn’t until I’d already gotten started that I realized the financial impact the extra stream of income could have on my family. 

What were some fears you had when deciding to start a side hustle? How did you overcome them?

At first, it didn’t occur to me that a side hustle was something I could fit into my life. It wasn’t even something I was considering! Shortly after I was presented with the opportunity to become a health coach, my dear friend Liz Navarro published a blog post that linked to her TEDx talk on how millennial women were dominating the side hustle. After watching her talk, I thought “Why NOT me?” I was an average person with above average desires to do something extraordinary, and I stumbled across a great opportunity to help people take back their health, just like I was doing. 

With guidance from my executive coach, I put a few healthy boundaries in place regarding my hours in the office. I carved out a few hours a week in the evenings to devote to my side hustle. It’s always been important to me to maintain integrity with the commitments I’ve made to my career and to my family. Even as my side hustle has grown, I create time in my schedule in the early mornings and a few evenings each week. 

Thanks to the pandemic, many of us are either looking for ways to earn additional income or maybe need to find an all-new way to work if we’ve had to transition to more of a caregiver role. Is side hustling an option? What are the risks and rewards someone should keep in mind when considering pursuing more unconventional work?

For me, the only risk I had in getting started was my time. It took intentional re-prioritizing of my time in order to make space in my life for my career, my family, my health, and now a side hustle. That’s why I think it’s so important that your side hustle is something you’re passionate about. When it gets hard, you’ll have the staying power to move through it. I also chose something that felt like a natural extension of my lifestyle and my personality. I think it’s important people don’t end up in a position that requires them to do something they aren’t comfortable doing, like selling, if that’s not what they enjoy. Lastly, if you’re aligning yourself with another company in your side hustle, make sure it’s a reputable company and you believe in the vision. 

As far as rewards are concerned, there’s no limit! First, my business has given me access to amazing personal and professional development. And most importantly, I’m an entrepreneur! If you’re creating your own business from something you’re passionate about, there is no cap on your ability to create time freedom, choice freedom, and financial freedom. You call the shots. That might scare people, but creating that type of freedom can be the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Molly Smith is the Chief Client Officer of HundredX. She was formerly the Vice President of Customer Success at Trintech, where she spent nearly two decades rising from an entry level role to senior leadership. She’s spent her career aiming to elevate the voices of customers and teams, and she’s passionate about women stepping into their own in the workplace. 

Without losing sight of her career goals, Molly became intentional about her physical health. After finding success in a health program for the first time in decades, Molly started a side business as a health coach. In just 18 months, Molly has helped over 100 people get healthy and change the trajectory of their lives. 

Molly is deeply committed to personal growth, the potential of the people around her, and the success of the companies she gets to lead. She approaches most challenges with a combination of positivity and determination. She believes we all have the desire, and more importantly, the ability and grit, to achieve what we want in life. She embraces opportunities to speak, write about, and coach others to reach their goals for their health, careers, finances, and family life.

When Molly’s not at work in her career or her side hustle, she spends time with her family, advocates for autism awareness, volunteers in her community, and challenges herself to meet new health goals.