This 30-Year-Old's $6,000-a-Month Side Hustle Started Making Money 'Immediately' — But He's Not Quitting His Day Job Derrick Mathy works in orthopedic surgical device sales and is on a mission to bring people together in real life.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- More than one-third of U.S. adults have side hustles, with their supplemental gigs averaging $891 a month.
- See how Chicago-based entrepreneur Derrick Mathy is growing his side business month over month.
It's the era of the side hustle, and if you've ever considered starting one to earn some extra cash outside of your 9-5, you're in good company. These days, more than one-third of U.S. adults have side hustles, and their supplemental gigs make an average of $891 a month, according to recent research from Bankrate. Of course, the most successful side hustlers see much higher earnings, especially when they start a business that brings in nearly as much as — or significantly more than — their full-time sources of income.
Thirty-year-old Derrick Mathy, a Chicago-based entrepreneur, is one of those side hustlers. Learn how Mathy balances his day job with growing his side business, here.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Quality Time Company. Derrick Mathy.
What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
My current day job is in orthopedic surgical device sales. It remains an anchor in the stability required to cultivate community at a natural, organic pace.
When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
We founded Quality Time Company in January 2024. We were inspired by an ever-evolving landscape of personal healing modalities, research on the impact of alcohol on mental and spiritual well-being and a persistent sense of disconnection in alcohol-centric spaces.
Recognizing the need for more intentional social experiences, we set out to create the kind of gatherings we longed for —spaces designed to foster genuine connection. Rather than starting with the environment and hoping connection follows, we reversed the creative process, prioritizing meaningful interactions as the foundation of our events.
What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground?
We began by identifying what we felt was missing from traditional third spaces: the permission and environment to connect vulnerably. Instead of replicating existing social settings, we focused on designing experiences that prioritized meaningful interaction. Our launch was intentionally organic — a soft launch with close friends — allowing us to refine the experience in an intimate, supportive setting.
Drawing inspiration from the communities where we felt the most emotionally regulated and connected, we prioritized events that encouraged deep, authentic engagement. We built our website and established a presence on Eventbrite to easily sell tickets and promote our events, helping us gain traction online and reach more people.
From there, we continuously explored the diverse ways humans connect. By staying flexible in the "how" while remaining steadfast in our "why," we gave ourselves the freedom to evolve alongside the seasons, interests and needs of our community. This adaptability has been key to our growth and allows us to refine and expand our offerings without losing sight of our core mission.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Quality Time Company
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle, and how did you navigate them?
Balancing a full-time job with this passion project has been a powerful lesson in presence and intentionality. I strive to be fully engaged in whatever I'm doing — including intentional rest and disconnection — so I can show up with clarity and purpose. I do not subscribe to the sleepless entrepreneur mentality; instead, meditation, exercise and personal development help me cultivate the grounded leadership my community deserves. To me, true work ethic isn't about burnout — it's about sustaining passion and purpose by caring for myself as much as I do for my work.
Another invaluable lesson from developing a side hustle has been the power of aligned collaboration. This means seeking out those who share your mission and finding ways to build together. When shared intention meets complementary skill sets, the potential for impact expands exponentially. But alignment is key — move thoughtfully through any potential collaboration, ensuring that you share core values. Purposeful partnerships are built on trust, clarity and a mutual commitment to the bigger vision.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
We saw consistent monthly revenue immediately, as there was a strong community demand for opportunities to gather. However, popularity and profitability were not always linear for us.
Although our events consistently generated around $2,500 per month, we reinvested every dollar into the business to cover costs and support growth. Rather than focusing on short-term profit, our priority has been refining the experience, expanding our reach and building a sustainable foundation for the future.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Quality Time Company
What does growth and revenue look like now?
Our events now bring in north of $6,000 per month by increasing the frequency of events and profitability of our systems.
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
The creative process of drawing inspiration from my experiences, refining it for connection within the community and seeing who vulnerably shows up time after time is why I do this work. Creativity can sometimes feel abstract in its impact, and to witness the very tangible ripples that this work has in the community surrounding us is what I enjoy most.
We live in a generation that understandably finds solace and connection through online communities. Bringing those niche interests into connective fourth spaces aligns the like-mindedness of the attendees in a way that you can really sense at each of our events.
What's your advice for others hoping to start successful side hustles or full-time businesses of their own?
Trust in the individuality that your experiences and perspective bring and create a niche. The more specific and unique your vision is, the more it will resonate with those who are meant for you.
Do not discount the power that the stability of a full-time job can have for pursuing your side hustle. Side hustle culture can glorify the "all-in" moment. Only move at a pace that you feel grounded in. If you have truly identified a community in need, then there is no rush. Oftentimes, urgency is just anxiety disguised as opportunity.
