Yes, one of them is to start a podcast.

We’ve been down this road before. Late night Googling, trying to figure out how to get ahead before it’s too late. Looking for any way to make ends meet so we can enjoy the finer things in life, like bottomless mimosas and weekly trips to Target. Or an extra roll of toilet paper just in case the world goes crazy again and you don’t wanna be caught slipping. In my search for answers, I wasn’t shocked one bit when my rabbit hole ended on a search result page that read, “The traditional 9 to 5 is dead.”

When COVID came through and kicked us all on the couch, everybody was looking for a way to supplement their incomes, and side hustles became more common than the DVD man, as 53% of millennials have reported side hustles. Even Gen Xers have picked up on the habit, according to an April 2023 Bankrate survey. As many of us begin to reconsider the workday, choosing to work from home or adopting a four-day- workweek even if your boss doesn’t know it. Others have stepped out on faith and ditched the traditional 9 to 5 to work for themselves and spend more time doing what they love most.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PLAN FIRST!

I doubt my little article convinces you to quit your job no more than Beyoncé did. But if you are considering a change, make sure you are mentally prepared. Making such a drastic change is going to challenge your current mindset. There is no shame in buying a planner, burning some sage, or claiming affirmations. To start this journey, you will need to shift your mindset to bring forth new opportunities and activate your mind and body. It’s one thing to ‘build it so they come’ and a whole ‘nother to stay sane and focused while you wait for them to get there.

Take your time and explore your options. Begin with things you’re interested in. Somewhere across this Internet, I picked up the tidbit that we were not meant to work. Depending on what higher power you believe in, God equipped all of us with a particular set of skills to serve others. Make a list of your interests. Can you turn one of them into a career? As social media continues to rot our brains and change the world, more and more Americans are abandoning their jobs and going into business for themselves. Wix, Shopify, Esty, Teespring, Amazon, Fiverr, Trend, TikTok, OnlyFans, Audible, Patreon, Upwork, Fansly, YouTube, Medium, GoFundMe; There are so many websites, apps, and tutorials available today to help you make your queen proud.

So without further ado, here are five ways you can, eventually, replace your 9 to 5 and start living the life you always knew you deserved.

I Googled it myself first, just to be sure I wasn’t alienating any options because I needed another excuse to pursue my own deluding dreams. And to no one’s surprise, amongst the clickbait, I found endless listicles of fun, groundbreaking ways to ditch the desk and say yes to the joys of influencing. So maybe that’s not exactly what the articles said, but in 2023, let’s be for real. Having an engaged YouTube audience, a loyal group of Discord buddies, or any social media following is like having a built-in customer base. It is no different than Bruh-Man outside of Pep Boys selling his mixtapes. (It’s just way less legwork.)

1) . Start A Podcast

Even though I went ahead and gave Blubrry my money, too, I think I speak for all of us when I say it may be time to sit the mics down and find something else to play with. From 2022 to 2023 alone, the number of podcast listeners grew by over 40 million for a grand total of around 464.7 million people worldwide. 62% of all US consumers listen to podcasts, and 52% are men. My undiagnosed ADHD leads me to imagine this is because women are in the living room watching Love and Housewives while their better half tries to find them something to do. So we got stuck with all The Fresh & Fit Joe Rogan Experience with DJ Akademiks Podcast, No Jumper, knockoffs, all pandemi.

Entertainment, open conversation, solo, and interview are not the only types of podcasts that exist. While comedy remains the top genre, narrative and fictional podcasts like true crime stories or other non-fictional fables continue to become even more popular as amateur storytellers like myself are finding out new ways to incorporate the hobby into their business plans. The real reason why podcasting has become more popular is that broadcasting tools have become more affordable. They are making it easier for newbie content creators to get their podcasts out there.

It takes about $20 to start a podcast. When it comes to said equipment, you can go all out and set up four cameras, two boom mikes, and seventeen headsets for you and your crew, or you can use your laptop and rant about whatever you want until your lungs collapse. Audacity is free. Adobe is free for a week as long as you got an email. All you have to do is pay for hosting. After you select a hosting service, upload it to Spotify, Audible, Apple, Google, or wherever else (You can do this directly from your hosting site in just a few clicks), and BOOM, BABY! You just became a podcaster.

“Anything Worth Having (Is Worth Waiting For)” turned out to be a song by Johnny Kemp, but that doesn’t mean it’s not great advice for your affirmation jar. Remember, these are ways to replace your job eventually. I wouldn’t add “start a podcast” to my list unless you actually want to start a podcast. Podcasting can definitely serve as an excellent way to make money and provide you with a steady income, whether you’re selling ads or offering a tiered membership. Although it takes a lot of hard work, and not everyone will make millions of dollars, there is plenty of room for new podcasters and many opportunities for growth.

2) . Write a Book

When I came across this suggestion, I laughed. Pretty sure the article came across my desk thanks to targeted advertising. Still, the idea of writing a book for a quick payout doesn’t sound that bad, especially when there are so many ways to work around actually writing the book these days and getting it published. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing have been words I’ve mumbled in my sleep since 2007. Amazon’s e-book publishing platform that allows authors and publishers to publish their books directly to the Amazon Kindle Store. No literary agent or prerequisite required. Just a couple of clicks.

The only downside would be getting your book out there after you’ve published it. Amazon doesn’t pay you for the book. You earn money every time the book is purchased. It’s a perfectly passive way to follow the leader; hire an AI bot to pen you an intergalactic love letter between long-lost friends trapped in different dimensions to pass off as yours and collect the residuals. But it’s not as helpful if no one reads it. Whether you’re reading this article because you plan on quitting like yesterday or you’re reading to see if it is, in fact, too late. In 2023, the bottom line is, you’re going to need a following.

3) . Create a Digital Product

When I put together my little list, I wanted to put ‘ways’ two and three together because of all the different ways Amazon can benefit new entrepreneurs. We already covered KDP for full-length novels, but Amazon also offers Kindle Vella, a serialized reading platform where writers can release stories in short episodes between 600–5000 words. Launched by Amazon in April 2021, it’s still a bit new, and you earn revenue when people pay to unlock your episodes. You can even purchase a manuscript from a writer, hire a voice actor, and list the audiobook on Amazon’s Audiobook Creation Exchange. You get to keep the profits, and it only costs however much iReadForCheap charged you on Fiverr. Amazon’s affiliate marketing program allows you to earn up to to 10% in commissions through social media and other channels by recommending products for sale on Amazon. And Amazon Handmade is an online community of artisans selling unique goods to a global audience. Amazon’s Merch on Demand program allows you to design custom apparel and accessories on a print-on-demand basis. And Amazon Business is designed to help you reach business-to-business customers of all sizes. If you want or have your own brand, Amazon offers a host of tools that brand owners can benefit from.

Then, of course, there’s dropshipping on Amazon. On AliExpress. On Shopify. On Esty. While popularized in 2006, the idea of dropshipping has been around since the 60s. Dropshipping is when a person or company sells goods on their website that they do not keep in stock. You basically look for a product on a website, list it on yours for profit, and when a customer orders it from you — you order it from the original site with the money the customer sent you. You wanna be sure to pick a trending product that can scale. Most dropshippers use AliExpress and other online marketplaces because you can find trending products for dirt cheap and mark them up by almost 20%.

Whether you’re writing a book, creating a product, or permissively setting up your tripod, the 9 to 5 from the 1800s is long gone. During COVID, nearly 11% of the total population lived in poverty. Many Americans who kept their jobs recently reported needing a second to survive, and 44% of side hustlers believe they’ll always need one. Modern jobs require us to focus on a series of specific tasks while collaborating with others or solving complex problems. And before the Boomers start complaining, nobody’s saying they don’t want to work — they just don’t want to work until death.

We all really stayed up this late because the typical 9 to 5 isn’t really nine to five. There’s a whole genre of Reels and TikToks making fun of the “three-day weekend,” By the time you get home from work, it’s time to go to work again. Four-day work weeks, hybrid work, and working from home seem to get shot down, like tuition-free college and affordable healthcare. So in the meantime, why not use what the good Lord gave you to get what you want?

4) . Invest in Crypto and NFTs

Investing in crypto or creating or purchasing NFTs are another way you can begin padding your life savings until you can afford to kiss your work spouse goodbye. It’s okay if you Google it first; I Googled this whole blog. NFTs are a kind of cryptocurrency representing a unique digital asset or unique artwork. Cryptocurrency is a digital currency. You can set aside a few dollars a month in a crypto wallet and cash out whenever the market is best for it. Or you can purchase an NFT and sell it on NFT marketplaces like OpenSea or Rarible. You can also create NFTs and sell them for crypto.

I want to say you don’t have to be an art master to create NFTs, but come on — Of course, the higher your skill level, the better chances you have of selling your collection. Just because you’re ready to try something different doesn’t mean you should forget who you are. After you narrow down your list of interests, put it to use! Successful people aren’t afraid to go the extra mile. There are many ways to market and promote yourself online without showing your face. Get to know your audience and give yourself some time. Most businesses take at least two to three years to be profitable and don’t become successful until they hit the seven to ten-year mark.

Just like with investing, there will be ups, and there will be downs. You’ll find yourself in a cycle of ‘Trial-Action-Plan.’ Planning out what works best for you, putting it to use, watching it fall apart, and figuring out how to put it all back together and start from the top. Just remember your game plan, stay clear of Janice and her stapler, and Tweet (or X out, I guess) your links from your private car-side breakroom like the rest of us.

5) . Freelance

When I started writing on this topic, I never intended to sway you away from working and into the nearest Best Buy. If you just need to break away from the traditional workplace, consider taking your list of interests and working for yourself and not a big company. I know that’s basically like starting a business where you’re selling your own e-book on how you started your own business. But it’s a model that works! At least 59 million Americans have freelanced at least once and have made freelance and contracting their full-time jobs.

Contracts are great for working on your own terms. You get to meet new people and work on a wide variety of projects. You have more control over the type of projects you work on and the clients you work with. You can add a ton of skills to your resume, and once you get yourself out there, you can get the same stability of a full-time job with none of the commitment. And, of course, you get to set your own hours!

If you’re not sure how to start freelancing, you already know what you can do. Sign up for a Fiverr or Upwork account and let the work come to you. There’s also Compose.ly and Writers Work for writers, Trend and Afluencer to connect brands with influencers, creators, and ambassadors. And apparently, you can even use LinkedIn.

But be warned; it takes time to build a reliable clientele, so you might want to keep your day job for a while.

Five Ways to (Eventually) Replace Your 9 to 5 Today