Thousands of North Texans are finding time for a second job, or as millennials call it, a side hustle.
Financial services company Bankrate surveyed about 1,000 people in 2018 to determine the popularity of side hustles. For millennials, it's more than half. Overall, 37 percent of Americans told the personal finance site they have a regular side hustle.
Buzzshift CEO Cameron Gawley, 37, and his team of 20 help clients grow their brands at his digital strategy agency in Dallas. He's also big on letting his own team grow their talents.
"A side hustle is really just that, it's about hustling and having multiple streams of revenue," Gawley said. And the revenue can be very good. According to the Bankrate survey, people with side hustles are making almost $580 a month and up to $1,000 in some cases.
Yet, Gawley finds money isn't the only motivation.
"It's also about being educated. I think there's a lot of people in their professional development, who want to grow and learn new things. And part of that is getting online, doing some research and understanding, what are the opportunities out there that you can grow in your career," Gawley said.
Gawley describes them as dabblers.
"They don't want to leave their job because that's too much risk. Yet at the same time, they want to dabble with this big idea and see if it comes to fruition or not," he said.
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Igor De Lima, who works full time as a graphic designer for Buzzshift, admits pay is big part of why he hustles for freelance projects.
He can bank an extra $3,000 to $4,000 a month on side projects that include graphic design and building websites. A close second to the money that comes from Lighthouse Creative Studio is the opportunity to be an entrepreneur.
"Definitely for the money, saving up, paying off students loans and being able to have that extra money on the side while doing something that I love to do," De Lima, 27, told NBC 5.
De Lima's extra work, though, comes after he's put his family first.
"When I get home from the office, I just don't go straight to the office and work. We go out to eat. I play with my son, then when we put him to sleep, that's when I put in those two to three hours to get things done," he said. "It's about time management and knowing what's important."
Allison Dupuis, 32, is the Director of Strategy at Buzzshift. Her side gigs that have brought in anywhere from $750 to $6,000 a month in extra income. Yet, what truly drives her is the exploration, self-growth and learning that comes from her side hustles.
"It's one thing to get paid for your work, but it's also important to think outside of who you are as a person, who you are outside the 9 to 5," she said.
She's had three side hustles in teaching, designing and e-commerce. She's now looking for her fourth project.
"I always want to grow as a person. So my side hustles tend to be something I don't know yet, something I haven't conquered," she explained.
And, Gawley, the boss, has a side hustle, too. Several, in fact.
He started Stapl, an online company that sells messenger bags when he couldn't find one he liked on the market. Through his ecommerce business, business coaching and public speaking, he earns, on average, an extra $4,500 a month.
"My side hustle here was truly about my personal fulfillment, and if I can make a little money in the end, cool. And that's what I did," he said.
And, like his team member De Lima, Gawley does it all while balancing life at home with a working wife and three children.
"I dedicated two hours a day outside my work that's just focused on my side hustle," Gawley said. "Hustle is all about dedication and time management."
And, he said, it's all about taking the leap of faith.
"Whether you fail or whether this thing turns into a multi-million-dollar idea or whatever it is, I think it's about doing it and the fulfillment you get out of doing it is so much greater than just your 9 to 5," he said.
