Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel From Side Hustle to Main Meal: How Nicaila Matthews Okome Scaled Her Passion Project
Jul 7, 2025
Nicaila Matthews Okome, a prominent creator and host of Side Hustle Pro, shares her journey from a corporate employee at NPR and Google to empowering Black women entrepreneurs. She delves into the importance of side hustles as a career safety net and strategies to transition these projects into full-time ventures. Nicaila discusses how to differentiate hobbies from businesses, manage time effectively to avoid burnout, and navigate the unique challenges faced by Black women in entrepreneurship. Her insights are a roadmap for anyone aspiring to turn passion into profit.
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Learn and Implement Strategically
- Learn from others ahead of you by taking focused courses to build relevant skills.
- Avoid overwhelming yourself by taking one course at a time and applying what you learn.
Prioritize Platforms for Growth
- Identify your core audience and focus your energy on the platforms where they engage the most.
- Expand to new platforms gradually and only at a sustainable pace.
Representation Matters in Entrepreneurship
- Showcasing stories of Black women entrepreneurs who scale side hustles fills a gap in representation.
- Representation is crucial because "you can't be what you can't see."
