Side Hustle Success: How to turn your side hustle into your full time gig, or not

So you have a side hustle (or an idea for a side hustle), but want to know ‘is it time to go all in?’ Maybe you are wondering if you can win at work and win with your business on the side simultaneously?

We invite three exceptional leaders and serious hustlers to weigh in. For Anju, SSEW was initially a passion project before becoming a full-time professional role. Ee Ling Lim, Executive Director at 500 Global and Co-Founder and CEO of Smarter Me, is enmeshed in the world of start ups and is wearing multiple hats. Kriti Gupta quit her job at EDB earlier this year to transition into becoming a full-time entrepreneur.

With their varied experiences, we are going deep on how they divide their time when they are hustling two(or more) jobs; how starting a business impacts their work-life balance; and how to evaluate the right work combination and what metrics they are using to assess their businesses and their side hustle strategies.

Join us for this juicy conversation to see how you too can grow your business and make the right decisions for you on the side hustle journey.

Anju Cawthra

Director, Seasoned Singapore Expat Women (SSEW)

Anju is the Director of Seasoned Singapore Expat Women (SSEW), an online social community and business network. The group is affectionately known as the #Wisetribe and has been called “Better than Google”!

SSEW is a place where women can seek tried and tested recommendations, quality intel, and unbiased support. They can come together under the umbrella of sisterhood, in a safe, non-judgmental space, to connect and bond with like-minded women in their shared home-away-from-home. As well as online forums, groups and pages, SSEW hosts many in-person events throughout the year, helping members to strengthen their connections and make the most of the Little Red Dot we call home.

Anju is from the UK and is definitely Seasoned having lived in Singapore for 15 years. She was a Graphic Designer in her ‘past life’ in London; working on branding, print and packaging briefs for a boutique design agencies servicing clients in the hospitality industry.

She has creative vision and is a dynamic problem solver – she loves finding synergies and ‘connecting the dots’ in all kinds of situations. Anju is a girl-about-town and enjoys bringing people together to share new experiences. A self confessed ‘culture vulture,’ she appreciates the richness that Singapore and Asia has to offer.

Through her shifting career path, she has identified the personal importance of carrying out service to others and loves working with the expat community to enhance member’s day-today- lives, maintain a supportive forum, and foster long lasting connections within SSEW and beyond.

Ee Ling Lim

Co-founder, Smarter Me & Young Founders Summit and Executive Director, 500 Global

Ee Ling Lim is the Executive Director of Market Launch at venture capital fund 500 Global, where she oversees the strategic development and implementation of global programs for 500’s network of startups all over the world. In her role, she also advises governments, corporations, and foundations in designing and developing startup ecosystems and innovation programs.

Prior to 500 Global, Ee Ling was an Investment Banker with Bank of America Merrill Lynch and CIMB Investment Bank, advising large listed corporations on M&A, equity and debt capital market transactions in Southeast Asia.

Ee Ling co-founded a K-12 edutech startup equipping students with digital technology and entrepreneurship education. She is also the co-founder and host of Young Founders Summit, a startup program for high school students in Asia that provides aspiring teenage founders with workshops and mentorship to launch impact-based startups.

Ee Ling is an active judge, speaker, and mentor for startup programs and competitions across Asia Pacific, and is particularly passionate about youth entrepreneurship, impact-based entrepreneurship, and women-led businesses. She is a Council Member of National Youth Council Singapore, and is also recognized as Singapore’s 100 Women in Tech by the Infocomm Media Development Authority.

Kriti Gupta

Founder & CEO, Nimbu

Kriti, an Indian born Singaporean mama of 2 is the founder and CEO of Nimbu, Singapore’s first circular brand for kids specializing in premium cotton clothing, toys, baby essentials and gift sets for little ones from 0-14. She has an Honors in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the National University of Singapore and has extensive experience in the electromobility industry having contributed to the sector for more than a decade in Singapore.

In her last role at the Economic Development Board of Singapore, a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, she headed the sustainable mobility practice securing the latest innovation and setting up the local ecosystem for success in the space. She decided to take her passions for sustainability into her own venture, and transitioned to being a full-time Entrepreneur in July 2022 to better enable parents everywhere to shop guilt-free with Nimbu.

Key Takeaways

1) Decide whether the side hustle life is for you.
2) Learn how you can make a full-time job and a side gig or 2 work for you.
3) Key strategies to put in place.
4) Key metrics to track for success.
5) How to avoid burnout.