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When Tejal Rives was laid off from Amazon in October 2025, she and her husband had a plan. They had bought a career-coaching and résumé-writing business, Do My Resume LLC, in 2024.
Rives used some smart time management hacks to turn it into a side hustle alongside her job at Amazon, hoping she could one day quit and make it a full-time venture. After witnessing other layoffs at Amazon, the couple agreed that if her product marketing role were to be eliminated, she'd become the primary parent to their child while running the business.
When the time came, Rives turned her attention to the business as planned, and has used her background in recruitment to share tips for job seekers online to boost the brand. Rives told Business Insider she doesn't think everyone needs a side hustle, but it could be a helpful income stream and a safety net from an unexpected job loss if you're single or your family's breadwinner.
In her case, her husband is the breadwinner, but the business has given her some "fun money" to spend after being laid off, she said. Here's how she juggled a full-time job with a side hustle, without burning out. If you're planning to start a side hustle alongside your day job, time management is an important skill to master, Rives said.
To avoid feeling overstretched at Amazon, Rives would block out dedicated hour-long slots in the evenings and on weekends to work on her business. When that timer went off, she'd walk away from whatever she was doing and take a break.
"That helped me not get burnt out," she said, adding, "I didn't want to lose myself and take too much time away from things that brought me joy. "She also kept her side hustle separate from her full-time job by taking client calls only in the evenings and on weekends. When she bought the business, she inherited some team members who could also handle calls and emails, which made things easier for her, she said.
Rives recommended that those building a side hustle commit small chunks of time each week, and increase that commitment based on their own desire and availability.
"People should consider their own lifestyle and responsibilities. Kids, family obligations, etc., all come into play," she said. Do you have a story to share about starting a side hustle? Contact this reporter at ccheong@businessinsider.com
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