This one side hustler is building a community. The side hustler is passionate about helping others and is motivated by making a positive difference in the lives of those around them. She gives her best side hustle tips.
Harness Magazine
My name is Ashley Rector, and I am the founder of Harness Magazine.
There are articles, artwork, and poetry from women around the world in Harness Magazine. A platform for female voices to be heard and celebrated is what the magazine strives to create. Women are encouraged to share their authentic stories. Women can inspire others to live life to the fullest if they are given the power to tell their stories.
My side hustle is harness. I’m excited to see where Harness takes me, I’m proud of the success I’ve achieved with it. A passion to connect and inspire women to share their stories started two years ago. We have created a community of like-minded women who are passionate about helping and supporting each other.
We published over 1,000 articles digitally, published two print issues, released merchandise, planned and hosted events, and grew our social following to over 16,000. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for us as we’re incredibly proud of all that we’ve achieved.
Lawyer By Day, Building Community By Night
Being the founder of Harness Magazine feels similar to being Batwoman. I feel like I can use my platform to make a difference and share stories that wouldn’t normally be told.
I am a contracts attorney who helps keep the company safe from lawsuits and advises others on legal matters. I enjoy spending time with my family at night. A typical corporate job is small talk by the coffee machine and office politics. The challenge of navigating the corporate workplace is something I’m looking forward to.
I become the woman in charge of driving the entire community of women at night. I’m passionate about empowering women to live their best lives, and this is the perfect way for me to do that. When I put on my cape, I create new content, plan the future of my business, answer emails and wear hat after hat to keep this company up and running. I want to be the best business owner I can be.
Time Is More Valuable Than Money
You will realize that time is the most valuable currency when you sell or close your business. It is important to make wise investments of your time in order to ensure the success of your business.
You can’t buy more time and if you could – every dollar would be invested into getting more time back in your day.
You have to be passionate about your side business. You’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals if you put in the dedication and hard work needed to make your side business successful. When you have time, work on your lunch break, after work, and weekends. Even if it’s just to take a break, make sure to take a few moments for yourself.
The most efficient way to accomplish what you want to do in a week is to come up with a structured schedule. You are going to get underwater fast if you don’t set time aside to do your side hustle. If you don’t keep up with your side hustle, you won’t see the results you want.
You have to be realistic. It’s important to understand your goals and set realistic goals so that you don’t get carried away with grand plans. It’s still important to make time for yourself if you have a day job and side hustle. Taking time out to relax and de stress is essential for your wellbeing and productivity. Self-care is the first thing to go, and you can’t run a successful side hustle on an empty tank. Be sure to refuel yourself. Take breaks throughout the day to rest and replenish your body and mind.
Side Hustle Tips (Things I Wish I Had Known)
Harness Magazine has had its ups and downs. Harness Magazine continues to bring readers engaging stories and quality content despite the difficulties. There have been rainy days. I’m looking forward to some sunny days soon. I still have a long way to go, and I had to learn a few hard lessons to get to where I am now. I’m excited for the journey ahead and proud of how far I’ve come.
Here are a few things I wish I knew back when I started my business and a few blunders I’ve seen other companies make:
1. Research
Before you announce your business name to the world, make sure you research it. You want to make sure that the name you choose is not being used by another business in your industry. Sometimes businesses announce a name only to find it is trademarked later. It’s important to research a potential business name before investing in it. If you don’t have the money to hire a trademark attorney, at the very least check it out on the internet. It’s important to make sure you don’t violate someone else’s trademark.
2. Decide Who Your Potential Customer Is
They should walk a mile in their shoes. Getting to know someone can help you gain a better understanding of where they’re coming from, so take the time to put yourself in their shoes and truly experience their journey. What do they like? They enjoy going on adventures and playing board games at home. Dislike? What are they interested in? They enjoy spending time outdoors, discovering new places, and learning new things. How do they talk? They use a variety of methods to communicate with each other. Who are their friends? They talk about their friends and what they like to do together. Where do they live? The birds seem happy, but where do they live? What are they looking for? They are looking for something that will make them happy. Why would they use your product? They may be interested in using your product or service because it can give them a solution to their problem and make their lives easier. Which pain point does it solve? It provides users with a streamlined system that helps them manage their time more efficiently, so they can focus on what’s important.
You are going to have a hard time refining your brand voice if you can’t articulate who your potential customer is. It’s important to understand your customer base in order to effectively market your product.
3. Invest in Good People and a Good Website
I made a mistake by hiring people that shouldn’t have been on the team. I had to re-hire and train new people because of that. Adding a person with a poor work ethic or not enthusiastic about the brand will bring down other members of the team. This can have a negative impact on the dynamics of the team.
If you had the chance to start over, would you rehire everyone? The goal should be to create a positive and productive team atmosphere, so it is important to identify any issues that may be causing friction or lack of motivation among team members.
A good website speaks volumes. Your website or social media is the first point of contact with your brand. This can be a crucial moment, as it can determine if the customer will stay with the brand or not. You should invest in one that is easy to use.
Potential customers may fall out of the sales funnel if your website is difficult to navigate. It is important that your website is easy to use and user friendly in order to keep potential customers engaged.
Pathway to Success
Okay, enough warnings. I would like to tell you about some of our successes.
1. Selective and Creative Advertising
Harness Magazine went from giving out a few hundred issues to over 9000 for the second issue. This growth is a testament to the magazine’s success. How is that possible? It is possible to make large strides forward in a short amount of time if you can take aholistic approach to problem-solving.
We did this without partnering with a national distributor. We need to find a way to sustain our success without partnering with a national distributor. I will let you know. I will do my best to find out what the answer is.
We did a lot of advertising in Issue II. We wanted to make sure that our advertising was in line with the magazine’s message. We invited the businesses that we wanted to advertise to the spots that we opened up. Many of the businesses were excited to take part in the program. The selection process made advertising exclusive for us. We started approaching larger businesses for wholesale orders once advertising was solidified. We are confident that our product will be well received by the larger businesses and look forward to establishing a successful partnership. Businesses were allowed to purchase wholesale orders at a discounted price. Businesses were able to keep their costs low and maximize their profits.
We began to approach shops and conferences about donations. We were encouraged by the enthusiasm and support we received. We donated bags and tables to conferences that mirrored our message. We spread awareness of our mission by engaging with the attendees. We wanted to make sure every magazine had a home. We gave them to local libraries and schools.
The brand was pushed to the next level by pushing ourselves. We were able to establish ourselves as leaders in the industry by gaining a larger market share.
2. Get Social
Do you care less about distribution and more about social media? That doesn’t mean that distribution isn’t important, but that social media can be a powerful tool to increase visibility and reach. Harness grew to over 16,000 followers in less than two years. Through engaging content, innovative campaigns, and a focus on delivering value to our followers, we achieved this remarkable success.
To make this work, you need to put out quality photos, make sure the color theme is cohesive, interact with individuals through targeted hashtags, and create SHAREABLE content. Measure and track the success of your posts and adjust your strategy based on that.
Your follower base will grow if you do this consistently. You can accelerate the growth of your follower base by engaging with them and sharing content that is relevant to them.
3. Combat Limiting Beliefs
As the driving force behind the brand, I began to see it push forward when I began to fight my limiting beliefs. I knew I could help the brand reach its full potential by working on my own mindset. Harness would fail if I thought it was going to fail.
We would be small if I had always believed that. The possibilities are endless if we believe in our potential. The biggest obstacle to the success of your business is you. The key to unlocking your business’s potential is identifying and overcoming this obstacle. You don’t always know which one to trust, and you need to know when to believe in yourself. It’s important to listen to both your own gut instinct and the advice of those around you, so that you can make the best decisions for yourself. It’s part of the job when you start something.
Accepting failure and not knowing all of the answers will help you to move quickly to the next best thing for your business. You can learn from your mistakes and grow quickly if you embrace uncertainty.
