I’ve never considered myself to be a big risk-taker and definitely not an entrepreneur.

When I make a decision to go out to eat, I’m the type of person who has to weigh all of the options, scour the reviews, and then can finally feel good about picking the “best” option.

This analysis paralysis made it super hard for me to figure out what I wanted to do next.

In college, I thought I wanted to be a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) but after a few years of working in the corporate world, I realized I didn’t want to have my boss’s boss’s role. It seemed high-pressure and… not “me.”

And, while I was envious of former colleagues who left their full-time roles to work for themselves, I didn’t know if I wanted to be a product marketing consultant for the rest of my life either.

So, I started brainstorming option after option. Here’s a look at my list of ideas:

• Airbnb Business Consulting

• Product Marketing Consulting

• Food/Travel Content Creator

• Interior Designer

• Graphic Designer

• Solo Travel Company

• Solopreneur Community Builder

• Matchmaker (yep, matchmaker)

• Retreat Designer

• Money Mindset Coach

As you can see, I was all over the place and for awhile, I was waiting for the perfect option to appear or my Ikigai—an intersection of the things I love + the things that I could get paid for + the things I’m good at + the things the world needs.

But what if you don’t have to choose ONE thing? What if you could relieve yourself from the pressure and start doing a variety of things that fill your cup?

📂 Presenting: The Portfolio Career

That’s the beauty of building a portfolio career. You don’t have to choose. For those of you who haven’t heard of this term, here’s how Anna Mack defines it:

The way people view work isn’t the same as our parents.

We’re surrounded by content creators who start from 0 followers but go on to build an audience where they sell their latest book, subscription, or coffee brand.

Even if you don’t want to be a TikTok star, I’m sure you’ve seen former colleagues use their corporate skills to create a digital course.

In my opinion, portfolio careers are perfect for the indecisive, risk-averse people who derive energy from doing lots of different things.

You can jump from idea to idea because you get to decide what you want to do. And by having at least one additional income stream outside of your job, you don’t put all of your eggs in one basket in case of a layoff. Fun fact: 65% of self-made millionaires have 3 streams of income.

My point is: You don’t have to be entrepreneurial to want to start experimenting with the things you enjoy. You just have to be curious.

🧑‍🎨 My portfolio career breakdown

Before the term “portfolio career” existed, I technically had dabbled in one since 2019.

• In 2019, I took on my first side hustle teaching Pilates. It wasn’t for the money, it was because I was curious about teaching and loved taking class.

• In 2023, I taught Pilates again and asked the owner if she needed help with marketing. My second side hustle as a marketing consultant was born. I got my second client as a referral from her.

• In 2024, my Airbnb was up and running, adding another revenue stream.

• In 2025, I don’t have my full-time job, so I’m freelancing, consulting, and building my own business and personal brand.

This will change and evolve this year as I figure out what I like and what works for my lifestyle. Maybe I’ll get tired of freelancing and want to invest more time in building a digital course or product. Maybe I’ll want to turn up the dial on my Airbnb. Either way, it’s freeing that I’m the one who gets to decide.

💬 Your Turn

How do you want to construct your portfolio career pie chart this year? 🥧 

✨ Weekly Feels

• Feeling like a Retreat Planner: Just wrapped up my first 150 person retreat in San Diego with Recess! For one of the first times in awhile, I left feeling excited, energized, and ready to plan the next one, which is crazy considering just a few years ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do next.

🌟 Upcoming Events

• Vision Board Collage Day at Haricort Vert 🎨: Let's make our 2025 vision boards together! We'll gather in haricort vert williamsburg and explore their magazine and ephemera archive to leave with a tangible reflection of your 2025 vision!

📖 Keep Reading

• How I went from product marketing to planning a 150 person company retreat

• Money (used to) rule everything around me

💼 Ways to Work With Me

• Reply to this email to learn about 1:1 private mentoring & coaching! (Highly discounted rates for my first 3 clients)