Everyday I'm Hustlin': How to Flourish in Your Side Hustles | A Q&A with Keirsten Hoyle

If you're thinking about creating another stream of income outside of your day job, you're not alone. In fact, nearly 57 million people in the United States (US) alone, have one (Forbes 2020). We're all just trying to go get it...whatever "it" is. Whether it's hustlin' for generational wealth, pursuing multiple passions, or pursuing creative outlets...side hustles offer benefits that every woman should want- 1) ownership and accountability, 2) new skills and experiences, 3) self-awareness and development, 4) a sense of purpose, 5) networking and opportunities, and much more. But, if we're not careful...side hustles can also become taxing...like the jobs some of us want to escape from...resulting in burnout, exhaustion, and frustration. Furthermore, some of us never get started. Some of us doubt our capabilities, spending the precious time we do have with our own Impostor...instead of out in the world and shining. So, how does one get started? How can one flourish in their entrepreneurship? How do you even know if you're ready? How can you thrive? Well, today we're going to find out in a Q&A with none other than Keirsten Hoyle, a District Sales Manager for Frito Lay and serial entrepreneur.

Q: Keirsten! Girl, thank you for being willing to do this Q&A. I am so excited to talk to you about everything you have going on. So first, why don’t you tell everyone about yourself? A: Adia!!! I am truly honored to be featured on your platform and thank you for thinking of me! Hello Everyone! I am Keirsten Hoyle, a “Multi-faceted Girl Boss.” For my 9-5, I am a District Sales Manager with Frito Lay and a serial entrepreneur. I am the CEO/Owner of Décor’d by Keirsten, a home décor company that offers Interior Design services and our Home Scents Candle/Incense collection. Lastly, I am the Founder of the Inner Success Movement (ISM), a digital community dedicated to the journey to Inner Peace. Q: Let’s talk about the good stuff and why you’re here. Your side hustles. Tell us about your babies. How did you dream up Décor’d by Keirsten and The Inner Success Movement? And at what point in your life did you feel “ready” to tackle these new ventures? A: Yess honey, my gifts to the world! So, in one of my lowest times in my life...grieving the loss of my Mother in 2017, God placed it on my heart to venture into Interior Design. Y’all, I thought he was crazy! I had just started my career and I was half-way through Grad school with my MBA. So, once I finished my coursework I started researching and completed my Interior Design and Home Styling certification in 2018. That was how Décor’d got our start! I never actually saw the Inner Success Movement coming. I did a 3-part workshop through Momentum Education and I made goals to reach my community at the beginning of the pandemic. I hosted a 3-part Virtual Inner Peace Retreat in April 2020 where I got to have open candid discussions around Grief and Healing, Self-Talk, and Priceless Peace. Now, we are a online shop with spiritually led merchandise and host a plethora of partnered and original virtual events. To be honest, I don't know if there was a real “ready” feeling to tackle my businesses. With both businesses, I had to be willing to jump in and figure it out along the way. I received the confirmation from God and that was my main motivator to move! Q: Let’s talk about having passion. I think a lot of people get caught up in this idea that we have to be “passionate” about this one thing. And that this one thing has to be our actual jobs. Did you ever fall into this belief and if so, how did you navigate this? How did you give yourself permission to pursue all the different things you love and want to put into the universe? A: Yes, I have definitely dealt with this. I remember there was a time where I felt like pouring myself into one “passion” and that was a time in my life where I felt so lost. I had this unwavering feeling that I was missing something. I went to group coaching sessions and found myself in spaces to help me unlock the life that I desired. To be honest, when I sat down and really asked myself the things that I wanted out of life they did not match what I was putting my energy towards. I had to then make the decision to pursue the things I was truly passionate about. Never limit your abilities to one or two areas, but instead make room for all the things you are passionate about. Q: How did you go about determining whether your businesses were gonna be worth the risk and worth the effort? A: Well, just like any risk in life... you will never know the outcome until you take it! For me, my biggest deciding factor was confirmation from God. Allowing myself to be in a space where I can hear God speaking to me and laying out the vision for businesses, I had not even thought about was my motivation. Taking a risk comes with an ounce of faith along the way. No matter whether if it goes really well or really wrong...at the end of the day, you put yourself out there to try. Q: What’s the best and worst thing about being an entrepreneur? A: The best part about being an entrepreneur is that you are in the driver’s seat of your career. There is a sense of freedom in knowing that you get to build something from the ground up. Last but certainly not least, it’s FUN! Starting a business in an industry that you're passionate about is a way to feel like you are not working a day in your life. The worst part about being an entrepreneur is consistency. Especially when you are balancing multiple careers, it can be extremely difficult to be consistent. Q: Has the current pandemic affected your business efforts in any way? If so, how are you managing the obstacles? A: Yes, for Décor’d... I had quite a few clients that made plans to move prior to the pandemic and we had ended their services. We had to shift our business structure to offer more service packages including virtual consultations and design proposals. In addition to our new services, we started our Décor’d TV Instagram TV Series, we hosted our first virtual seminar, and launched our Décor’d Home Scents Collection. Our business experienced setbacks, but adversely we grew tremendously in the process as well. Q: So walk us through your typical day. How are you able to make time for your actual job and your duties to your businesses? A: This is hard, there is no day in any of my careers that are the same! That is mainly what I love about it! However, my days usually start pretty early with Frito Lay...usually around 7am and is over by 5pm, usually. Then, I start my goals/tasks for my businesses. For Décor’d, I check to see if there were bookings for the week, and I set at least one task each day to complete. For ISM, I follow a similar structure where I complete at least one task for the business each day. My schedule can be overwhelming! I utilize my planner to help me stay organized and task oriented throughout the week. Q: If and when you get exhausted and burned out from juggling so much, what do you do to recharge and keep your “why”? How important is self care to you in managing and thriving in your different roles? A: Honey, I am a self-care queen! I prioritize it often to help with stress and to decompress from continually being on the go! Whether it is getting a massage or just sitting with all the lights off burning a candle, I partake in at least one activity a week. What keeps me motivated to keep going when it gets tough is to remember that God placed me here for a reason. I lean into my community as well to help uplift me also. I also remind myself that my businesses are much bigger than me and that there are still so many people out there that are left to impact. Q: Why do you think some people’s side hustles fail? A: I think that entrepreneurship is difficult whether you are full-time or part-time! The main reasons are finances and commitment. Being a newer entrepreneur, it definitely takes spending money to make money. Secondly, commitment to keep pushing even when there are twists and turns in your journey. Q: What do you think are some questions women should ask themselves before pursuing a side hustle or multiple side hustles? A: I think that you should ask yourself if this is part of the life that envision for yourself. Silence any distractions around you and really see if this something you will want to dedicate yourself to for the rest of your life. In today’s society, it is easy to feel the pressure to have your own business and be busy all the time. It is a glorified lifestyle, but people mainly highlight the good and not the bad. These businesses take real work and if you are going to do it...at least make sure it is what YOU want to do... and no one else. Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to women wanting to turn their hobbies into a side hustle, what would you say? A: A piece of advice I would give to my sisters out there is that no matter what...there is room for you to be amazing in this world. You do not have to wait for anyone to give you permission when you can always create your own lane. If you are nervous, DO IT scared! If you are overthinking, DO IT and think through the details later. Lastly, if you are doubtful, DO IT anyway! Show the world what you are working with!

About Keirsten

Keirsten J. A. Hoyle, MBA is a multifaceted career woman being a full-time Manager in Corporate America and full-time Entrepreneur. Keirsten has been with Frito Lay for 5 years, starting her career as a Sales Intern and is now one of the top District Sales Manager’s in the Washington, D.C. Zone. She is the CEO and an Interior Designer at Décor’d by Keirsten LLC. At Décor’d, Keirsten has a thriving Home decor company where she has worked with numerous clients in various area codes since 2018. In April 2020, she began her new venture entitled the Inner Success Movement where she hosts virtual events centered around the Journey to Inner Peace. Her drive and passion are what keeps her going around the clock to achieve her wildest dreams and goals. As a committed woman of faith, she believes one of her many gifts is mentoring our youth...more specifically, young women. Lastly, she is a native of Columbia, South Carolina and is a 2016 graduate of Hampton University and graduated with her Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Marketing from Strayer University in 2018.