If you're reading this, it's probably because you have a side hustle. In today's gig economy, side hustles are the norm.

Nearly 4 in 10 Americans have side hustles. I've met therapists who are Uber drivers, PhD students who manage AirBnB's, and data scientists that sell people's stuff on eBay. Technology makes it easier than ever to take your niche skill or hobby and turn it into a tool for financial independence.

Assistants are no exception to the rule. I meet assistants every week with side hustles. They are bloggers, bakers, brewers, dog walkers, and more. It's needless to say that they work hard both as assistants and in their side careers.

And their motivation in neither is money. We all know that assistants, by and large, should earn more money than they do. That's a conversation for another day, however. Generally speaking, having a side hustle is not the secret to getting rich. The median income for a side hustle is $200 per month.

A side hustle, for most people, is about expressing and executing a creative vision. It's also about finding more fulfillment in our lives through balance, trying new things and taking risks.

Before starting Cabinet, I worked as an assistant and had a couple of side hustles. I rented my apartment on AirBnB when I traveled and hosted pop-up fitness classes at a local brewery. These couldn't be further from the wonderful world of office administration and that's why I found them fulfilling; I needed to stretch different muscles. But, I barely broke even on both of these ventures.

My goal in sharing this story with you is you don't feel alone in your desire to find fulfillment outside your day job. I also want to give you a helpful piece of advice: share you side hustle with your colleagues, if possible.

It's extremely difficult to keep a side hustle private. To me, it was very important that no part of my life be a secret. I knew occasionally I would need to leave work to help an AirBnB tenant, for example, and would never want to lie about where I was. Being honest with my leaders came naturally. I feel fortunate, however. Many employers don't create psychologically safe environments like the one I was in.

This is a mistake. After all, retention is very important to businesses. If this side hustle makes you happy with your current job and you're still doing great work, why wouldn't they want you to continue it?

There's also another argument for sharing your side hustle with your leaders. It is likely to position you in a new light to your colleagues. For most side hustles, the gig will portray you as a boss, as a creative, and as a strategist. It's not surprising that assistants crave a side hustle.

So what is your side hustle? Or rather, what will be your first side hustle? Share in the comment section below.