Side Hustle to Main Gig’s Inaugural Class Spring 2021
Ever feel like you’re doing what you have to do but all-the-while dreaming of doing what you really want to do? Fortunately, Side Hustle to Main Gig can provide the road map you need to turn your daydream into your day job.
The Business Development Board of Martin County (BDBMC) unveiled this groundbreaking new series last year as part of our commitment to cultivate our rich entrepreneurial potential.
“We have some tremendously successful entrepreneurs in Martin County,” says Joan K. Goodrich, executive director of the BDBMC. “When you get a chance to hear their story, you find out that there’s always a key mentor who played a pivotal role in where they are today. So, this program aims to share valuable knowledge but also enable the relationships that could make all the difference in inspiring tomorrow’s next great Martin County entrepreneur.”
Created in conjunction with Martin County, City of Stuart, NAACP of Martin County, Indian River State College and the Small Business Development Center, Side Hustle to Main Gig starts in March. Here’s something for everyone—novice to seasoned professional.
“For someone who really had no idea about how to start a business or even if your business is a good idea, this course explained things in a way that even those without business experience could follow the flow,” says Maygan Milton, a 24-year-old graduate of the inaugural class. “Side Hustle also gave me the confidence in thinking outside my comfort zone when it comes to potentially starting my own company in the future.”
This time, the six-week course—which features speakers from diverse industries sharing insights and principles vital to successfully launching a business—takes place in Indiantown, thanks to our partnership with the village.
Attendees will enjoy such subjects as:
- 6 Steps to Success
- Lean Biz Planning
- Magnetic Marketing
- Side Hustle Financial Basics
Following a panel of local experts, a raffle is conducted with Side Hustle to Main Gig participants for a new business laptop.
Even without attaining the grand prize, the lessons imparted carry invaluable weight, says Jorge Wander Santana Urena, 32.
“I liked the way that everyone was sharing the knowledge and expertise about what they did,” he says. “There were some exercises where we could practice what we learned. And I left more confident to talk with other business owners—and got better opportunities—because I learned how to express myself through the information that I learned in these scenarios.”
Even established business owners found the program beneficial, or—as in Steve Ottley’s case—inspirational.
“I have an existing business and I wanted to make sure I was doing everything correctly—so I went there for inspiration,” says Steve, in his mid-40s. “It was a younger crowd—which was perfect—and I wish I could have done something like that when I was their age. Here, there were all the resources to steer you in the right direction.”
For Maygan, that direction is still something of a mystery. The Stuart native is currently earning a master’s in Research Administration at University of Central Florida after gaining a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and Clinical Psychology. She hopes to one day start a research company to help people with autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome in Martin County.
“Now,” she says, “I kind of have a better understanding about what I need to do to get to that point in the future.”
