Financial Biographies: “Just Try to Knock Me Down – I’ll Get Up Again”

A side hustler juggles multiple part-time jobs to weather financial storms

By Marisol Hernandez, Heather Odell, Shane Sullivan, Rosemary Ventura, Kim Wilson

Maikel is an extraverted community leader who has achieved financial stability by simultaneously pursuing four side hustles. He sells coffee from a cart, works as a construction assistant, teachers the occasional Zumba class, and emcees children’s parties. He has managed to meld these hustles to hedge against the chance of negative financial shocks. Although he hasn’t been able to validate his degree or exercise his profession in Colombia, his resourcefulness and energetic personality have allowed him to constantly stitch together multiple gigs as they become available, usually allowing him to get by month-to-month.

Originally published at The Journeys Project.