Hey, it’s me Jayne! I interview side hustlers for I AM & CO, which is one of my side hustles. I, too, am a side hustle. Alright, that settles it, here’s my story.

What are your side hustle(s)?

I am a singer at Universal Studios, I work at a restaurant (for more survival money), and I am a freelance writer and website designer. My main focus is music; I have always been a singer first and actor second. Writing sort of came about unintentionally; I have always been a strong writer, and realized recently that I could be writing and doing website design for money. Writing is also very therapeutic for me, and a passion I didn’t quite realize I had. I also have an agent out here in LA for commercial and theatrical work, but music [specifically singing] is my main focus. I play guitar, too, and released some original music that can be found on iTunes and Spotify. [Search: Jayne Claire]

Do you have a website or social media? Shout yourself out...

I do! My website is www.JayneClaireOnline.com, and I also run a personal blog, www.MaterialWorldMillennialGirl.com.

Instagram: @JayneClaireD

Facebook: .com/JayneClaire

Twitter: @JayneClaireD

I use Instagram the most, for sure.

Why did you decide to get into your side hustle?

Working in entertainment is often times always a hustle, but that is just a part of the job, really. I knew I would have to hustle if I wanted to work in entertainment. I started working in theme park entertainment in 2012 in Orlando, Florida. I was balancing various shows at different parks, as well as performing in live shows at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater and doing various side gigs. I moved out to Los Angeles in early 2016 to help open The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, and decided to stay for a while! I love it here. It’s definitely more expensive than Orlando, which is why I have to hustle even harder, but I have a lot of experience with hustling after living in Orlando. And, the opportunities are far more abundant out here, which is how writing also came about for me now.

Do you have a full-time job as well?

I actually try to fairly evenly split my time between my hustles. I spend a few days a week over at Universal, a few at the restaurant, and a day or two at home, where I work on writing and such. Luckily, I have always forced myself to be really good at time-management, and I think that stems from me being a driven person. I know what I want and I know that if I waste time, it’s only going to end with me feeling bad that I didn’t prioritize my time in the most effective way. I tend to get a bit too busy and have a hard time taking any days totally “off”, but sometimes, I’ll really need a mental health day and I will get coverage at the restaurant. Like today, for example, as I am writing this!

Describe your day from waking up to sleep:

I typically don’t sleep in. My work hours tend to start in the morning, and I have found that even with an alarm, my body wakes up pretty early. If it’s a day at Universal, which is more of a 9-to-5, I go to work and try to be productive when I get home. I try to go to the gym, cook dinner, or run any errands I may need to do. I also have a dog and have to be conscious about taking him out! If I am working at the restaurant, my day is a bit different. Some shifts are early but most are late, which kind of flip-flops my day from what I mentioned before. I always try to use the hours I have away from work to be productive, even if I have work that same day. Basically, my brain and hustle-mindset is never “off”. I do my best to eat at home, because I am guilty of spending a decent amount of money on coffee; LA has some of the best places to go and write, with some of the best and coolest coffee concoctions. So, I try to give myself time and energy to get some groceries and cook at home, which helps me take a bit of a break from life for a bit and relaxes me a lot. I love to take my dog to the dog park as well. It gets us both some fresh air!

What are your goals and dreams for the hustle?

I want to be able to live out all of my creative desires. I want to create and record more original music. I want to write more and build up that side of my work. I want to be financially stable. My biggest dream in LA is to be a series regular in a children’s television show, like on Nickelodeon or Disney. For that, I need to be taking more workshops and more acting classes. It’s all a balance, and I would say my goal for my hustling would be to feel balanced and creatively successful and fulfilled, plain and simple.

How do you organize your finances?

Credit cards are your friend when you are hustling! Now, I don’t spend frivolously on them, but I do use credit cards for automated bills, like insurances. That way, I can better plan my payments and budget the money that I do have available. I am always making small payments and never want to get too behind on debt, and that also builds my credit. I also look ahead to what paychecks are coming in and when, which helps me with my social-life money-spending, and other appointments and such.

What are some of the challenges you face?

It’s hard to feel completely fulfilled in one aspect of my life when I have to put my attention in so many different places just to stay afloat. Music, for example; if I had more time to spend solely focusing on my music creation that wasn’t going to be disrupted by a call time or an important errand or an appointment or any of the other things that come up, I would probably feel more creatively solid or fulfilled. If I had more time to just write, and even post on my personal blog more often, I would love that. And I try to create this time in my schedule, and it works most of the time, but I end up feeling very drained and then hit a wall. It’s hard to balance everything, but I feel as though I am getting better and better with my balancing each day.

What’s one piece of wisdom you’ve picked up along your journey?

You have to look out for yourself, and you have to be kind to everyone. And, yes, you can do both at the same time. In so many ways I have learned that you are truly the only one who has your back, and that is important to remember in certain situations, personally or even work situations. That being said, I find that being truly kind to any one I meet has not only gotten me a lot farther but has also made me feel much better. I mean, it’s obviously more fun to hustle and make friends along the way. And your attitude may just be the factor that lands you your next gig!