Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this idea of an “extracurricular brand,” and I wanted to share my whole process, like, from the very beginning. It’s been a wild ride, so buckle up!
The Spark of an Idea
It all started when I was scrolling through, you know, just wasting time. And I kept seeing all these people, not just big-shot influencers, but regular folks, doing cool stuff outside of their 9-to-5. Like, this one dude was a software engineer by day, but a killer DJ by night. And that got me thinking…
Brain Dump Time
I grabbed my notebook – a real, physical notebook, yeah – and just started scribbling down everything that came to mind. What am I actually good at? What do I enjoy doing, even when I’m tired? What could I realistically keep up with, even with a full-time job? It was a mess. I had stuff like:
- “Baking really good cookies (but who doesn’t?)”
- “Actually understanding how to fix my bike (kind of)”
- “Being weirdly good at organizing things (my closet is a masterpiece)”
- “Playing guitar (badly)”
The list and select one theme, for me the choice is “Being weirdly good at organizing things (my closet is a masterpiece)”.
Digging a Little Deeper
So, organizing stuff. Sounds boring, right? But I realized there’s something super satisfying about taking chaos and turning it into, well, not chaos. Plus, I’m always getting compliments on how I keep my tiny apartment from looking like a disaster zone. I started thinking about how I could turn that into something… more.
The (Slightly Scary) First Step
This is where I almost chickened out. I decided to, gulp, offer my “organizing services” to a friend. She’s got a home office that looks like a paper bomb exploded. I figured, worst-case scenario, I’d just be helping a friend out. Best-case scenario? I’d get some practice and maybe, just maybe, figure out if this whole “extracurricular brand” thing was even possible.
The Trial Run (and the Unexpected Results)
I spent a Saturday at my friend’s place, armed with nothing but some boxes, labels, and a whole lot of nervous energy. We tackled that office, and honestly, it was… fun! We blasted music, sorted through piles of who-knows-what, and by the end of the day, it looked like an actual workspace. And my friend? She was over the moon. She even insisted on paying me (which I totally wasn’t expecting!).
Realizing I Might Be Onto Something
That’s when it hit me. This wasn’t just a hobby anymore. This could actually be a thing. I had a skill, people needed it, and I actually enjoyed doing it. The seed of my “extracurricular brand” was officially planted.
The Next Steps (and the Ongoing Journey)
I’m still figuring things out. I’m working on building, not really a website, and maybe a real business workflow to handle this, taking more photos of my work, and just generally trying to get my name out there. It’s a slow process, but it’s exciting. It’s like I’ve discovered this whole other side of myself, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me. I’ll keep you guys posted!
