My side hustle is my main hustle

belemo(78)

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When I started writing on hive in 2017, I honestly didn't think it was going to afford me more than a beer or two. Hell, I earned a couple of dollars from posts back then when all the upvotes were in circle-jerking crews and figured that it's a little extra dollars for handling petty stuff.

As the community grew, especially after the fork and the end of bot voting, the love started getting distributed even more. Thanks to that love and some luck, I've been able to diversify into various ventures.

Ever since then, I've been a full-time crypto earner and sometimes trader. The experience has transformed my life and moved me from a casual source of income to something that facilitates my entire life.

Being a full-time crypto guy comes with its perks. On top of the list is that I pay my own salary and in some way, I feel like my own boss.

When you're full-time crypto, it shapes the way you think and takes you out of the mundane. Your entire life becomes an adventure and every day is an opportunity.

The market never sleeps, so regardless of the time of the day, you can always pick up where you left off. Also, since you generally live in the shadow of the law, there's this rush that comes from your way of life.

Thoughts about diversifying

I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman I met at the drink shop yesterday. He's a small business owner that offers logistic services and transportation of goods and services.

We talked for a few minutes about the potential of running a business. We didn't talk too much about profit margins but he did say that the drink business is particularly popping in my area and getting into it is dead certain to be profitable.

Anyway, the key point of the conversation was the time he mentioned how many freelancers often open physical businesses. He said that most of them don't care about the profit and are only concerned about their image.

He was basically talking about how it's a means for people like me to "clean" our crypto money. For what it's worth, I never mentioned crypto to him, he just randomly mentioned it like he was sent by God.

The conversation had me thinking about a lot of things. Investing a few thousand dollars in a physical business isn't part of the plan, especially when you consider my setback and the fact that we're still planning to relocate.

Some time in the future though, I think I'd like to open a personal business of my own in Nigeria. I mean the profit margin is low, and you earn in Naira that's constantly going down the toilet but at least I get to contribute to society.

Whether it's a drink shop or barbershop, I think putting some naira to work in the country is a good idea. However, I don't intend to do it now.

Image and Personality

Getting a functional business in Nigeria is something I'll do in the future though. For now, we're still focused on our relocation plans.

I've often talked about how I'd like to leave Nigeria and never come back, but as I edge closer to the exit, I've started to realise some aspects of the shit hole I'll miss.

First of all, setting up a private business is a thousand times easier than it is in virtually every country in the world.

For example, if I want to sell alcohol, I don't need a license. All I need is money and tax identification number to ensure I pay my dues to the slave masters.

As I mentioned, the downside is a tiny profit margin and the disadvantage of earning in Naira. When you think about it though, earning in Naira is not much different from earning some hive-engine tokens that are always going down.

The point of everything is that my crypto journey has enabled me to create a quality life for myself and my family. We're making big plans and are on course to achieving them.

I also believe that at some point, one has to consider how he can invest in his society and bring profit from crypto into the real world. Through this approach, we'll be a bridge between the real world and crypto. In this process, we'll also create a more welcoming environment for future crypto enthusiasts.