We’re Two for Two!

Respite: a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant.

May was quite a month y’all! Our Founder and Executive Director, Murdock, graduated from the IU McKinney School of Law (I SEE YOU SHININ’), and we hosted the second annual Side Hustle Economy summit!

Walking into each event for the Side Hustle Economy Summit, you could tell that folks were excited to be there. From the Bless the Hustle pt. 2 podcast seminar to the $3 and A Dream convention, side hustlers from across the city were activated and excited to be receiving practical tools for how to enhance their side hustles. During our week of events, we learned about how to develop a podcast from the ground up with the Pregame Podcast, and watched the documentary of the making of the Side Hustle Economy at the Kan Kan cinema. We opened business bank accounts and we heard from HR professionals,  lawyers, and mental health advocates about how to protect your brand and your sanity while building your side hustle at our bootcamp; and on Saturday, we heard a panel discussion and supported Black-owned businesses with $3 and a Dream. If you missed out, you definitely missed a bag—but, that’s okay. We’ll have even more opportunities for you to elevate your side hustle.

As for the month of June, thank you for coming–we’re happy you’re here. The month of June is special for a few reasons, but a major reason is that we get to celebrate Juneteenth. We celebrate Juneteenth (June 19th) because, on this day in 1865, Union soldiers rode into Galveston, Texas to enforce General Order, No. 3—alerting enslaved African-Americans  that they were no longer enslaved, thus catalyzing their journey to self-determination. As entrepreneurs and side hustlers, Juneteenth is significant for us because it reminds us that we have the power to determine things for ourselves.

One major detail of the Juneteenth holiday is that the enslaved African-Americans were told of their freedom two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, which means that their enslavers had no intention of telling them about their freedom. Implicit in this is the enslavers desire to keep the enslaved subdued and subservient. As entrepreneurs, side hustlers, and Black people in Indianapolis, we know that there are constantly forces that are working against us. Together, we can work to build up our communities using our entrepreneurial spirits.

PS: Checkout the pictures from The Summit, captured by @way.too.g