Have you ever dreamed of turning your side hustle into a full-time business? Since its founding, Operation HOPE has guided individuals through the process of making this transition. We’ve learned that proficiency in their passion project will only get entrepreneurs so far—to reach their potential, they must learn how to run a business.

This is the situation that Nashville, Tennessee-based entrepreneur, Denise Wells, found herself in. Denise honed her skills in graphic design and photography as a full-time employee while working on freelance projects during nights and weekends. Denise enjoyed the control and freedom that came with freelance work, so in 2023 decided to take the plunge and convert her side hustle into a full-time business. She quickly learned that running her own business demanded more of her time on tasks that were unrelated to design and sought help from an entrepreneurship course offered by Operation HOPE in partnership with a small business incubator in Nashville. 

Operation HOPE Small Business Coach and Advisor for the course, Ronald Harvey, became Denise’s mentor on her entrepreneurship journey. After meeting with Ronald, it became clear to Denise that she needed to network to grow her business. “I’m an introvert by nature so networking is hard for me,” she acknowledged. “I was holding myself back because I didn’t feel that I could confidently say that I’m the best at what I can do. Since then, I have learned that, like many women, I was experiencing imposter syndrome.” Ronald nudged Denise to change her mindset and put herself out there—and she rose to the challenge. “Having to be accountable to Ronald kept me grounded. I’ve always loved talking to people, but how to offer my services without feeling salesy was definitely a mental hurdle I had to learn to overcome,” she said. 

Another practical consideration for entrepreneurs is whether they’ll be able to replace the income that their employee job provided—“running the numbers” is something that can be easily overlooked in the excitement of becoming your own boss. In Denise’s case, she sat down with 

Ronald and together they imagined different scenarios to build her new business that would enable her to replace her full-time employee income. Denise and Ronald also combed through her personal finances to find areas where she could save to provide an additional buffer if the business wasn’t ramping up as fast as she planned. Additionally, a discussion on credit gave her insights into how to use credit cards strategically to help manage her monthly expenses. 

As she approaches her one-year anniversary as a business owner, she believes that her success comes down to mindset and discipline. “Every morning, I make a point to get dressed and start my working hours at a specific time, even if it’s just a day where I’ll be at home by myself.” This daily habit gives her the confidence to continue developing new business relationships while excelling at the new projects she secures. Now in her second year as an entrepreneur, Ronald and Denise are creating a plan for how she can enhance her services to attract higher-paying clients.