Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host,
Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my students and
I bring you content that's informative, positive,
fun, and uplifting. This podcast is created and
produced with the help of students from the International
Community School of Bangkok. Is the career you'll
have in 10 years something you're studying for
in school right now? Or is it something you're
building in your spare time right from your laptop?
For a new generation, that second option is becoming
the new reality. Welcome to the show. Today we
are discussing the reshaping of the future of
work, the side hustle generation. We're talking
about more than just a part -time job. We're
exploring what it means to build a portfolio
of skills, create your own personal brand, and
future -proof your career in a world that's changing
faster than ever. As someone whose own career
has been shaped by various side hustles since
the 1990s, I can tell you the landscape today
is a world apart. The opportunities, the tools,
and the very mindset are completely different.
And to break it all down, I'm joined by co -host
Josiah and Esther and our show's own producer,
Highlight. They will help me unpack this fun
and interesting topic. Together, we're going
to explore why this is happening, how you can
find your own footing in the creator and gig
economies. And later in the show, we'll count
down a source list of the top 10 most in -demand
side hustles for 2025. You're going to leave
this episode with a lot of new ideas. But first,
let's hear our quote of the day and get some
headline news. The quote for today is from the
celebrated American author Mark Twain. He said,
the secret to getting ahead is getting started.
This is a powerful reminder that all the planning
and dreaming in the world can't replace action.
We can get so caught up in waiting for the perfect
moment or the perfect idea that we end up never
doing anything at all. Twain's point is that
the most difficult and most important step is
usually the very first one. And that connects
perfectly to our topic of the side hustle generation.
The idea of launching your own project can feel
huge and intimidating, but this quote reminds
us that you don't need a flawless business plan
to begin. Progress comes from the simple act
of starting, listing that first item online,
filming that first video, or offering that first
service. It's all about taking that first small
step. And that's our quote of the day. Now on
to some headline news. Thanks, Josiah. That quote
is a perfect setup for what's actually happening
in the world right now. I've got three recent
headlines that dig into the details of how side
hustle landscape is evolving. Our first story
is from the Forbes Tech Council, and it tracks
a massive shift in freelance work. The headline
is, AI tools fueling a surge in student -led
digital services. Now, this goes beyond just
a simple app. The report details how students
are leveraging sophisticated AI to offer services
that were once the domain of professional agencies.
Think about AI that can generate an entire social
media marketing campaign from a single prompt,
or design a professional quality logo in seconds.
What this means is that the barrier to entry
for high -skill gigs has essentially vanished.
A student with a good idea and the right AI tools
can now deliver work from their basement, bedroom,
or dorm room that rivals what a small creative
firm could do just a few years ago. Next, we
have a trend piece from Wired Magazine. The headline
reads, Hyper niche is the new buzzword in the
creator economy. This article argues that the
era of the generalist creator is fading. The
real success stories today are coming from individuals
who go incredibly deep on one specific topic.
The piece highlights creators who focus only
on things like restoring vintage fountain pens
or channels dedicated solely to the science of
baking the perfect sourdough bread. By becoming
the go -to expert in a hyper niche, these creators
are building incredibly loyal and engaged communities.
that trusts their every recommendation. It is
a shift from trying to please everyone to serving
a small, dedicated audience that you can truly
own. And our final headline today comes from
a major study by the Pew Research Center. It
shows that it isn't just a trend, it's a fundamental
change in career ambitions. The headline is,
Gen Z Values Skill Stacking Over a Single Career
Path. The report defines skill stacking as the
conscious effort to acquire a portfolio of complementary
skills. rather than focusing on a mastery of
just one. Think of it less like climbing a ladder
and more like building a toolkit. For example,
a student might combine coding knowledge with
graphic design and digital marketing. Separately,
those skills are valuable, but stacked together,
they enable that one person to build and launch
an entire online business by themselves. The
study suggests this is a direct response to economic
uncertainty and a desire for more control and
adaptability in one's career. So, from AI democratizing
high -level skills to new strategies, for finding
an audience, and a complete rethinking of what
a career even is, the working landscape is definitely
shifting. And that ends our headline news for
this episode. Those headlines on AI, niche markets,
and skill stacking perfectly set the stage. It's
clear this isn't just a passing trend. It's a
major shift in how people are thinking about
work, and I'm excited to talk about it today
with all of you. Also, I almost forgot, but we
have our own producer. highlight on the show
today as well. So highlight, I'll start with
you. As a member of this current youth generation,
what does the term side hustle mean to you? That's
a great question, Mr. Jason. For me and probably
many of my friends, a side hustle feels different
from a regular job because you're completely
in control. It's your project, your brand, your
hours. It might be about making extra money for
tuition, sure, but it's just as much about building
a skill or a portfolio that you can't get in
a classroom. It's learning by doing. Your project,
your brand, I think that's a key distinction.
Josiah, what's your take on it? I completely
agree with Highlight. It's about ownership. To
me, a part -time job is something you clock in
and out of. You leave it out the door. But a
side hustle is something you think about in the
shower because you're genuinely invested in it.
It's a piece of you that you're putting out into
the world. That's a great way to put it. Esther,
how do you see it? What's the line between a
passionate hobby and an actual side hustle? For
me, that line includes making money. A lot of
us have hobbies we love, but the moment you decide
to sell that piece of pottery or charge a small
fee for editing a friend's video, it crosses
the line into a hustle. That's the intentional
step of turning a passion into a potential paycheck.
That's a sharp distinction, so thank you. Let
me ask the group this. Does the amount of money
matter? Is it still a hustle if it only makes
enough? To buy one coffee each week? Or does
it need to have the potential to grow into something
bigger? Highlight, what do you think? I think
it's still a hustle. The act of creating value
and having someone pay for it, even a small amount,
is a huge mental shift. It validates your skill.
Some of the biggest businesses started as tiny
projects that just covered their own costs. That's
a great way to look at it. It's about the validation.
Have you guys seen any real -world examples of
that? A tiny start that proves the concept? Esther,
what about you? Absolutely. There was a feature
on a show called Make It about a university student
in Texas who started creating and selling digital
planners on Etsy. She initially just designed
one for her own use, but her friends liked it
so much she decided to list it for a few dollars.
According to the article, that single small step
grew into a six -figure business. It all started
with one template that solved her own problem.
That's a perfect example, so thank you. Solving
your own problem first. Josiah, have you seen
something similar? A recent article in Wired
talked about the growing economy of video game
coaching. They highlighted a college student
who was highly ranked in the game Apex Legends.
He started informally helping his friends improve
and then listed himself on a coaching site. He
charged just $15 for a session. and now it's
a significant income stream for him, all built
on a hobby he loves. All right, those examples
are perfect. Thank you. These examples capture
the modern definition of a side hustle, ownership,
passion, and that first step into monetization,
no matter the scale. It's fascinating because
when I started my first side hustles in the 1990s
and early 2000s, Doing graphic design and building
websites for customers, the term side hustle
didn't exist. We just called it freelancing.
And freelancing was mostly about earning extra
money, upskilling and building your professional
reputation outside of the often stuffy and enclosed
corporate environment. This brings us to the
big question. Why is this exploding now? Josiah,
how much has technology made it easier just to
get started? It's a night and day difference.
Now the tools of production are in everybody's
pocket, available 24 -7. Absolutely. So what
took me a week or more of designing and coding
a simple five -page website for a client back
in 1998? Can you believe it? Well, today a person
with no designing and coding knowledge can launch
an online e -commerce store on Shopify in one
day or less. And if you don't want to pay for
Shopify, you can have an AI tool now write all
your code for you while you grab a cup of coffee.
But it's not just about the creative tools, is
it? What about the business tools like getting
paid or marketing? Esther, what do you think
about that? That's maybe an even bigger problem.
In the past, how would you have even been able
to accept a payment from someone in another country?
Now you have Stripe and PayPal, not to mention
sometimes having the option to pay with crypto.
How would you market your product? Now you can
build an entire audience on TikTok or Instagram,
YouTube, or Facebook for free. The entire infrastructure
of conference is now accessible to anyone. Exactly.
So the technology makes it possible. But let's
talk about the pressure that makes it necessary.
Hilah, you mentioned this before. From a student's
view, how much of this do you think is driven
by financial need? I think it's a big factor.
The costs for everything are rising. A traditional
job isn't always flexible enough with classes
or other obligations. So finding something you
can do on your own time isn't just a bonus for
many. It's a lifeline. A lifeline, absolutely.
Josiah, do you think there's also an element
of wanting lifestyle money? Not just to survive,
but to afford experiences that seem out of reach?
For sure. I think social media plays a big role
there. You see people traveling or going to concerts,
and a side hustle can feel like a ticket to participating
in that. It's a difference between just getting
by and actually living the life you see online.
Ooh, that's a key insight. Thank you. And both
are valid. I once worked as a barista on the
side for almost a year. It had nothing to do
with passion. It was just purely about having
some extra cash and... a little help with health
insurance. Sometimes a hustle is just a hustle
and that's okay. So we have tech making it possible,
finances making it necessary. Let's talk about
the final piece, the mindset. Esther, the skill
stacking idea is powerful. Is that trend also
a rejection of the traditional career path? What
do you think? I think so. Our generation has
seen how quickly industries get disrupted and
change. Relying on one employer for 20, 30, or
40 years feels very risky. Having a portfolio
of skills, being someone who can write, who can
understand videos, and who also sells crafts
makes you more adaptable. It's about future -proofing
yourself. Oh, that's a great point. It leads
to a bigger idea then. Is the side hustle changing
the very definition of success? Is the new dream
a portfolio of interesting projects instead of
a corner office? What do you think, Josiah, or
Highlight? I think for many, yes. Success is
starting to look more like freedom and control
over your own time rather than a specific job
title. A successful side hustle, even a small
one, is proof that you can create that for yourself.
I would add to Josiah that success is also about
building a personal brand. Here's an analogy
that might help. A traditional career path is
like being a character in a story someone else
wrote, but a portfolio of side hustles lets you
be the author of your own story. I see it with
some of my friends and even in my own side work
that public -facing projects becomes a huge part
of our identity and how we start to measure our
own success. So future -proofing, freedom, upskilling,
personal brand building, all powerful ideas.
This is a complex mix of opportunity, necessity,
and a whole new philosophy on work. We've looked
at all of it, the what and the why. But the biggest
question remains, how do you actually do it?
That's what we'll be talking about after the
break. We'll give you the practical first steps
and count down a list of the top 10 most popular
side hustles you can start today. So don't go
anywhere. We'll be right back after this short
PSA. If the first half of our show has you feeling
inspired, you might be asking yourself, OK, but
where do I even start? Well, one of the best
first steps is simply to learn a new skill and
you don't need to spend a fortune to do it. There
are incredible free resources online that can
teach you things that are directly valuable for
a side hustle. For example, if you have a creative
spark, check out the Canva Design School. They
have dozens of free video tutorials on everything
from creating a professional logo to designing
engaging social media posts. If you're more business
-minded, Google's Digital Garage offers free
certified courses in fundamentals like digital
marketing and data analytics. These are real
resume -worthy skills that you can learn completely
at your own pace. right from your laptop. So
turn that inspiration into action and just take
30 minutes to explore a free course and add a
new tool to your toolkit. Now, back to the show.
Welcome back to the show. Before the break, we
really unpacked the what and the why of the side
hustle generation. Now we're going to get practical
and dive into the how. When I look at the landscape
of opportunities today, I see three major overlapping
worlds that have completely changed the game
from when I started back in the 1990s. First,
there's the classic gig economy. This is about
task -based work, freelance writing, driving
for a ride share, or completing a project on
a platform like Fiverr. Then there's the digital
services market, which is where you sell your
skills like graphic design or consulting to a
global client base. And finally, there's the
booming creator economy. which is built around
creating content, building an audience, and then
monetizing that attention. Esther, I want to
start with you. Do you see these as separate
paths or are they starting to blur together for
most people? They're definitely blurring. Think
about successful creators on YouTube. They operate
in the creator economy by making videos. But
they might also sell digital products like video
editing presets, which are in the digital service
markets. And they might take on a one -off sponsorship
deal which functions like a project in the gig
economy. It's not one or the other anymore. It's
a stack. Yeah, it's a stack. That brings up the
most crucial point about starting. So many people
get paralyzed trying to find the perfect profitable
idea right out of the gate. In my experience,
that's the wrong approach. The most successful
ventures, including some of my side hustle projects
from the past, came from a simple place. I was
just trying to solve a problem. Is it better
to start by looking for a problem rather than
a product? What do you think, Josiah? I think
if you start by trying to invent a product, you
might build something nobody wants. But if you
start with a problem your friends are having,
like it's too hard to find good study notes for
this class, or all the part -time jobs conflict
with our lab schedule, the potential solutions,
the potential side hustles, become much clearer.
Exactly. And what about the skills needed to
solve that problem? Highlight. How important
is it for someone to do an honest inventory of
what they're already good at before they jump
into something new? I think it's critical. So
many students undervalue the skills they already
have. Maybe you're the person everyone asks to
proofread their essays. That's a potential editing
service. Or maybe you're known for your amazing
presentation slides. That's a design skill business
will pay for. The easiest way to start is to
monetize a skill you've already built instead
of trying to learn something from scratch. Yeah,
I think that's great advice. So you find a problem,
you audit your skills, but then you have to act.
That formula. Problem, skill, action is timeless.
With that framework in mind, let's get into some
specific ideas. Our team did some research digging
into recent 2025 reports from publications like
Forbes, CNBC, and Wired to compile a list of
the top 10 fastest growing side hustles for students
right now. So Esther, why don't you kick us off
with number 10? At number 10, we have custom
craft goods. Etsy's own market reports show that
the demand for personalized and handmade items,
from jewelry to art prints, remains one of the
strongest categories in e -commerce. Number nine
is a classic but with a modern twist. Local task
and delivery services. Gig economy data shows
that the flexibility of using apps like TaskRabbit
for errands or DoorDash for delivery still makes
this a go -to for immediate, flexible income.
And if you are here in Thailand, there are apps
like Grab, Lalamove, and others. Coming in at
number eight is one for our listeners, podcast
production assistant. Media industry reports
from places like PodNews show that with millions
of podcasts out there, the need for remote help
with audio editing, creating show notes, and
managing social media is at an all -time high.
Okay, number seven is a very new and interesting
one. Esther, what do you have? Number seven,
we have UGC, user -generated content creator.
Publications like AdAge are all over this. Brands
are not paying everyday people to create authentic
TikTok -style videos for their ad campaigns because
it feels more trustworthy than slick, polished
commercial. At number six, we have niche tutoring
and coaching. Data from freelance platforms like
Upwork and Fiverr shows that beyond standard
academic tutoring, there's a huge profitable
market for coaching and specific skills, like
getting better at a video game, learning music
production, or even public speaking. Number five
is all about sustainability. It's e -commerce
reselling. Features in the New York Times and
other outlets have highlighted the massive boom
in the second -hand market. Drifting vintage
clothes, sneakers, or furniture and flipping
them on platforms like Depop is huge right now.
All right, we are halfway through at number four,
another one that's booming because of the creator
economy, community management. Tech publications
like Business Insider have pointed out that successful
online brands and creators need people to manage
their communities on platforms like Discord or
on Facebook groups. Esther, back to you for number
three. At number three, we have a massive demand,
which is in short -form video editing. Every
marketing report out there confirms that businesses
are desperate for freelance editors who can create
engaging TikToks, Instagram Reels, and YouTube
Shorts. Number two is a favorite for those who
like passive income. It's digital template design.
We've all seen success stories on CNBC Make It
about students making incredible money selling
pre -made templates for Notion, Canva, resumes,
or social media. And that brings us to number
one, the top trend, which publications from Forbes
to Wired are calling a massive growth area for
freelancers, is AI -assisted content services.
This means using powerful new AI tools to help
you offer services like copywriting, market research,
or presentation design for clients. The AI helps
you work faster and deliver a high -quality product.
So, so many opportunities, but I have to add
a dose of reality. From my own experience, I
know it's not always a smooth ride. What are
some of the biggest challenges we should warn
students about? Things like time management,
burnout, or even the dreaded topic of taxes.
Time management is the big one. It's so easy
to let your side hustle bleed into study time
or sleep time, and then both your grades and
your health can suffer. It's a real balancing
act. And the always -on culture. When you're
your own boss, your brain never really clocks
out. It's hard to switch off, and that can lead
to serious burnout if you're not intentional
about setting boundaries and scheduling downtime.
And taxes is the boring part nobody wants to
talk about. When you're a freelancer, no one
is withholding taxes for you. You have to be
disciplined enough to set aside a portion of
everything you earn, or you'll get a very nasty
surprise by the end of the year. All incredibly
important points. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
To wrap this up, I want to ask everyone a final
big picture question. Looking five years into
the future, do you think having a portfolio of
skills from side hustles will be the new expectation
for graduates entering the workforce? Esther,
let's start with you. I think it's heading that
way. It shows initiative, practical skills, and
an ability to self -start, which is what employers
want. It's like a real -time resume. I agree.
A degree proves that you can learn in a structured
environment, but a successful side hustle proves
you can do something in the real world. It's
a project you can actually show, not just talk
about. I think it will almost be essential. It
shows you're adaptable, you're curious, and you've
built tangible skills outside the traditional
curriculum. In a competitive job market, that's
a huge advantage. I think you're all right. What
we've discussed today isn't a ladder to the top
of a career. It's a portfolio. It's not about
climbing. It's about building a collection of
skills, experiences, and projects that make you
uniquely valuable and resilient. And whether
you're driven by financial necessity, a deep
creative passion, or simply the desire to have
more control over your future, what's clear from
our conversation is that the tools and opportunities
are more accessible than they have ever been.
The final piece of advice I could offer is this.
Be curious, be brave enough to start small, and
don't be afraid to be the author of your own
story. Building that path for yourself might
just be the most important project you ever take
on. And that's a wrap on this episode. We've
talked about what the side hustle generation
is, why it's happening, and most importantly,
how you can be a part of it. The key takeaways
for me are simple. Start by solving a problem.
Use the skills you already have and don't be
afraid to take that first small step. I want
to give a big thank you to my co -host Josiah
and Esther and a special thanks to our producer
Highlight for stepping out from behind the scenes
and joining us on the mic. And of course, thank
you to all of you for listening and sharing your
time with us. If you found this conversation
valuable, the best way you can support our show
is by hitting that subscribe or follow button
on whatever podcast app you're using right now.
It's free and it means you'll never miss an episode.
You can also continue the conversation with us
on our social media channels like Instagram at
Students Incorporated. We'll be back next week
with another brand new episode. Until then, keep
building. And as always, this podcast would not
be possible without the hard work and support
of our international student production team.
All music and sound effects are courtesy of Pixabay
.com, a vibrant community of creatives sharing
copyright -free images, videos, and music. And
we are signing off until next time. We are Students
Incorporated, because your voice matters.