Why Micro Hustles Are the New Route to Freedom (Especially After 50)

Earn more, stress less, and live life on your terms

Yesterday I ticked off zero business tasks. Instead, I floated around a Phuket pool with my daughter.

She’s off to uni in a couple of weeks, so I’m soaking up every moment.

In a few weeks, I’ll swap the pool for pasta and wine on the Amalfi Coast, then trade that for a backpack, some samba, and a South American adventure. 💃🏻

There’ll be train selfies, market feasts, and probably a dodgy waterfall jump somewhere in Guatemala. (And no, not in a thong. I’m 52, not 22. Nobody needs that visual. 😂)

The thing is, I get to choose all of it. Where I am, what I’m doing, and when (or if) I open my laptop.

I’m not running a corporate empire with 300 employees and a schedule that eats my life. My “team” is one VA, a few brilliant freelancers I rope in when I need them, and me. That’s it.

You don’t need a VC-funded startup, a massive business, or millions in the bank to be free. Honestly, most of the time, those things make you less free.

What you need are micro hustles. Small, portable income streams that fit around your life instead of consuming it.

And if you want to go big? You can.

Plenty of people (yours truly included) have turned micro hustles into million-pound empires without burning out, losing their weekends, or sacrificing their sanity.

And the best part is that you can start one today, without even swapping your pool float for a desk chair.

The Problem With “Go Big or Go Home”

Somewhere along the way, we were sold the idea that freedom only comes after you’ve built something massive.

• The seven-figure business.

• The global brand.

• The endless hustle that has you “grinding” from sunrise to bedtime with motivational quotes plastered all over your Instagram feed.

It’s exhausting just thinking about it. And I think it’s why so many people over 50 don’t start at all.

Because if the only version of success you’ve seen involves being online 24/7, scaling at lightning speed, hiring teams, and being “always on,” no wonder you’d rather just stick with the day job.

The truth is, the “go big or go home” mindset is completely backwards for the life most of us want now.

Big businesses bring big responsibilities. Staff to manage, deadlines to meet, fires to put out. Your freedom shrinks as the business grows.

But take it from me, freedom after 50 isn’t about building the biggest thing.

It’s about building something small enough to fit in your carry-on, flexible enough to work from a beach café, and light enough that it doesn’t weigh down your days.

Introducing ‘the micro hustle’.

Why There’s Never Been a Better Time

The beauty of living and working right now is that the barriers to entry have never been lower.

AI, automation, and tech tools have turned what used to take weeks (and entire teams) into something you can do in an afternoon with a laptop and a decent Wi-Fi signal.

You can design a product, write sales copy, build a website, and publish it to the world without ever leaving your kitchen table.

Yes, the world is changing. Jobs are shifting. Whole industries are being reinvented. But that’s exactly why now is such a powerful time to create your own income streams.

Instead of waiting for someone else to hand you security, you can build it yourself, on your terms.

And if you’re over 50, you’re in a unique position to take full advantage.

You’ve got the experience, the judgement, the skills, and the perspective that only come from decades of living and working in the real world.

Combine that with the speed and reach of today’s technology, and you have a huge advantage over the twenty-somethings who are still figuring it all out.

All you need is a small, flexible business model, (aka a ‘micro hustle’), and the willingness to start.

Why Micro Hustles Win After 50

A micro hustle is my kind of business. No grand opening. No shiny new office with a coffee machine that costs more than your car.

Just a simple, portable way to make money that fits into your life without taking it over.

And at our age, that matters more than ever.

We’ve done the long hours. We’ve worked through flu, sat in endless meetings that could have been emails, and spent years juggling work, family, and life admin.

At this stage, I want my work to give me more energy, not drain what’s left of it.

Here’s why micro hustles are such a good fit now:

• Low risk, low stress – You can start small, spend little, and test ideas without betting the house.

• Fits around your life – Work a few hours here and there, not 60 a week. You decide when to switch on, and when to close the laptop and go for a swim.

• Portable by design – A good micro hustle can be run from anywhere with decent Wi-Fi (or at least a café with strong coffee and a patient barista).

• Quick to start – You don’t need a 6-month business plan. You can be earning while you’re still figuring out the finer points.

The beauty is, you can choose how far you take it. Keep it small and steady for a bit of extra income, or slowly grow it into something substantial, all without locking yourself into the stress of a traditional business.

And if you think small can’t be powerful? Remember, Amazon started with one guy selling books from his garage. Granted, he took “scaling” to another level, but you don’t have to.

Your goal is freedom, not world domination.

Real-Life Examples (From My Own Backpack)

When I look back over the last 15 years, I realise I’ve been running micro hustles all along, I just didn’t have a name for them.

In my head, I was “building businesses.” Launching big things. Chasing the next idea.

But in truth, most of what I’ve built has been small, self-contained income streams that could be run from a laptop anywhere in the world. (Even my 7 fig Amazon business).

• I’ve created and sold video courses.

• Earned affiliate commissions promoting products I loved.

• Built and sold blogs.

• Shipped digital cooking thermometers from Amazon warehouses.

And now I’m doing it again.

My Substack, my travel blog, my new e-commerce venture ‘This Big World’, my books on Kindle, my courses. All micro hustles.

Each one can stand alone and each one can scale or shrink as I need.

Here’s the best bit:

Over the years, these streams, big and small, have added up to multiple seven figures in revenue, all while I’ve been travelling the world, raising my daughter, and spending a frankly ridiculous amount of time floating in warm oceans.

And that’s the magic of micro hustles. One on their own can be enough to fund a trip or cover your rent.

A few running together? That’s a freedom engine.

How to Pick Your First Micro Hustle

The trick with a micro hustle is to choose something you’ll want to show up for consistently. If it feels like a slog before you’ve even started, you’ll find excuses to put it off until “someday.”

Here’s some things to consider:

1. Are you curious about it? – You don’t need to be an expert. Curiosity is enough to start, and interest (and passion) grows with momentum.

2. Is it portable? – Can you run it from a laptop in a café in Lisbon or a hammock in Koh Samui? If not, you run the risk of creating yourself another job.

3. Is it in demand? – Is there’s a market for it? Are people already spending money on this type of product or service?

4. Is it light on overhead? – No massive startup costs. No huge inventory to store or ship. You want freedom, not a garage full of boxes.

5. Can it grow with you? – Start small, but give yourself the option to scale if you fall in love with it or see a bigger opportunity.

Most importantly, it needs to fit the lifestyle you want to live. Your micro hustle is there to serve you, not the other way around.

3 Micro Hustle Models to Consider

1. Digital Products

eBooks, printables, templates, online courses. Once created, they can be sold over and over again without extra work for each sale.

• Example: A set of Canva templates, a “how to” mini course, or a recipe collection.

• Why it works: Low overhead, instant delivery, and scalable without extra hours.

2. Service-Based Micro Hustles

Use the skills you already have to offer a small, focused service. This could be freelance writing, consulting, coaching, or design work. But keep the offer narrow so it’s easy to deliver.

• Example: Helping small businesses improve their Instagram bios, or running a 60-minute “ask me anything” call in your area of expertise.

• Why it works: Quick to start, gets cash flowing fast, and builds confidence while you explore other streams.

3. E-commerce Lite

Selling physical products without running a giant warehouse or managing huge stock. Think print-on-demand, dropshipping, or very small, high-margin product lines you can have fulfilled by a third party.

• Example: Quirky pet lover mugs, a small line of art prints, or something niche like spice jar labels for home cooks.

• Why it works: Physical products people can hold often have higher perceived value, and you can test with a small range before expanding.

The Mindset Shift

For years, I thought “building a business” meant going all in. Big launches. Big teams. Big goals. Somewhere in my head, anything less felt like I wasn’t taking it seriously enough.

But as we’ve established, “big” isn’t always better.

Freedom doesn’t come from the size of your revenue. It comes from the size of your choices.

A micro hustle gives you:

• The freedom to turn down work you don’t enjoy.

• The flexibility to work a few hours in the morning and spend the rest of the day exploring.

• The security of knowing you have more than one income stream, without the stress of running a corporate machine.

The goal isn’t to become the next unicorn, it’s to generate enough to fund your travels, enjoy your life, and wake up excited for the day ahead.

Once you let go of the idea that success has to look like someone else’s highlight reel, you open the door to creating something far better: portable income that’s built to suit you.

Your Next Step

15 years ago, I didn’t know the term “micro hustle.” I just knew I wanted more freedom, and I was willing to try different things until I found it.

Looking back, every course I created, every affiliate link I shared, every quirky product I sold was a stepping stone.

None of them were massive on their own, but together they built the life I have now.

• The life where I can spend a Tuesday by the pool in Phuket.

• Where I can travel the world and work from wherever my laptop fits.

• And where my income comes from a handful of small, flexible streams instead of one big, demanding business.

You can do the same. Start with one small idea. Something you can set up in the next month, test without a huge investment, and run from anywhere.

Let it be light, let it be fun, and let it grow when you’re ready.

Because freedom after 50 doesn’t come from building the biggest thing. It comes from building the right thing for you. ❤️

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