Intro

Building a side hustle is one thing…

👉 But building a successful business while working a full-time job? That’s a completely different challenge.

In this episode of The Side Hustler’s Society, Elijah Bilel dives into a topic he openly admits he has less experience with:

👉 Balancing a 9–5 job while scaling a profitable side business.

To break it down, Elijah brings in someone who has mastered this exact path.

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Intro to Annie Margarita Yang

• Personal finance content creator and YouTuber with over 1 million views  
• Bestselling author focused on helping young professionals build wealth and escape debt  
• Built a side business generating over $80K/year while maintaining a full-time job  
• Specializes in practical, no-nonsense financial strategies for millennials
• Started her business by turning her accounting job skills into freelance services

👉 Check out Annie Margarita Yang’s YouTube channel: Here 
👉 Get her book The 5-Day Job Search: here 

Episode Overview

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to build a side business while working full-time
• The difference between freelancing vs traditional side hustles
• How Annie scaled her income without quitting her job
• Why packaging your skills is key to making money
• The mindset required to balance both worlds

Listen to the Episode

Check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! While you’re there, hit subscribe so you don’t miss our latest episodes!

Side Hustler’s Society Resources

Side Hustle to Full-Time Strategy Session

The Personalized Side Hustle Starter Kit

The Anatomy Of Financial Success Paperback

Quick Takeaways

• Elijah Bilel highlights the importance of flexibility vs structure
• Annie Margarita Yang shows how to turn a job skill into a scalable business
• Freelancing can be more strategic than traditional side hustles
• You don’t need to quit your job to build serious income
• Systems and packaging matter more than hours worked

The Reality of Building While Employed

One of the biggest insights from this episode:

👉 There is no “perfect time” to start

Unlike Elijah’s journey—where he built businesses while self-employed—Annie had to:

• Manage limited time
• Work around a fixed schedule
• Stay consistent despite constraints

How Annie Built Her Side Business

Instead of chasing random side hustles…

👉 Annie used what she already knew

She:

• Worked in accounting full-time
• Identified repeatable tasks
• Offered those tasks as freelance services

Example services she provided:

• Entering bills
• Paying bills
• Bank account reconciliation

👉 Simple… but valuable

The Key Strategy: Break Skills Into Smaller Services

This is one of the most important gems in the episode:

👉 You don’t have to sell the whole package

Annie explains that many clients:

• Don’t need full-time help
• Don’t have big budgets
• Only need specific tasks completed

So instead of selling “everything”…

👉 She sold pieces of her skillset

Why This Strategy Works

This approach allowed her to:

• Get clients faster
• Charge monthly retainers
• Build consistent income
• Scale without overworking

👉 Her first client paid $150/month
👉 That alone covered her course investment  

Turning Skills Into Income Streams

Over time, Annie expanded beyond freelancing:

• YouTube content creation
• Brand partnerships (real estate & finance companies)
• Educational content

One standout example:

👉 She earns $500 per video for brand content—with minimal editing required  

Balancing a Job and a Business

A lot of people assume:

👉 You need 12+ hour days to make this work

But Annie’s reality is different:

• ~3–4 hours on her job
• ~3–4 hours on her business
• ~8 total working hours per day

👉 It’s not about working more…
👉 It’s about working smarter

The Power of Deadline-Based Work

Another key advantage of her business model:

👉 It’s deadline-driven, not hourly

That means:

• Less stress about time tracking
• More control over schedule
• Higher efficiency

The Mental Challenge No One Talks About

This episode also touches on something deeper:

👉 Completion anxiety

Even when everything is done…

👉 It still feels like it’s not enough

Annie shares that:

• Tasks constantly pile up
• There’s always more to do
• It creates a subtle level of stress

Elijah’s Perspective

Elijah Bilel brings an interesting contrast:

👉 He built businesses with full control over his schedule

Which highlights a key difference:

• Annie = structured growth
• Elijah = flexible growth

The Big Lesson

You don’t need to choose one path.

👉 You can build BOTH

• A stable income
• A scalable business

The key is:

👉 Strategy, not speed

Who This Episode Is For

• People working a 9–5 who want to start a business
• Freelancers trying to get their first clients
• Side hustlers looking to scale income
• Beginners who feel stuck between job vs business

Key Topics Covered

• Annie Margarita Yang’s business model
• Insights from Elijah Bilel
• Freelancing vs side hustles
• Building income streams while employed
• Productivity and time management

Watch The Podcast On Youtube!