How have you promoted & built your brand on social while still working a 9-5?

jikajika·Nov 10

Posted in:Advice

I'm working a 9-5 right now.

I'm looking to do a few things to eject myself from there:

Looking to build my brand on social, including LinkedIn (I've started posting at least 1 video a week)
Built a course, Charisma on Camera, which I'll be looking to promote very soon
And take on some clients for some influencer video editing work (e.g., a person who regularly does speaking gigs, interviews, etc. — and needs the long footage chopped up into reels, shorts, TikToks — so they can sprinkle it across their social. Perfect for people or brands that're looking to build their reach)

My employer is following me on some of these platforms.

I don't talk about them, bad mouth them — hell, I haven't even put on my LinkedIn profile that I work for them.

And I don't plan to.

I talk about topics that are COMPLETELY separate from what the company does, so there are no worries there.

Though for anyone else who has had experience with their boss following their social profiles, how have you promoted your product/service/business on these platforms while still working your day job?

And are there any "red flags 🚩🚩🚩" or minefields I should avoid or be aware of?

I know it's none of my company's business what I do after hours & the founder isn't stupid, though I still have some concerns.

Thank you in advance.

Morgan·Nov 11

Schedule things with Buffer or LinkedIn's tool. I do this and write on my paper calendar when things are scheduled to go out.I would look through the terms of your employment. Look for things regarding side hustles. If you can't find the information without contacting HR, be careful how you ask them for it.A company believes if they employ you, they own every moment of working hours; They may get panicky and go "Well you're giving too much of your time to making yourself better and not us."

jikajika·Nov 11

Yes! I schedule everything on LinkedIn's platform. Same thing for YouTube. I use a Notion template to keep myself organized on when I need to write, record, or publish something 😉I'm positive that there is nothing in my contract about doing what I'm doing, as long as it's not competing with what they're doing (not even close).And I only work on my stuff after hours — or after 3pm EST. It IS hard to make them look good, but I'm doing my best & the ball is slowly starting to get rolling. Finally!There's no harm I'm sure, but still curious to hear what others have gone through when they've built their brand in public (e.g., did the boss get mad that you have a bigger following than him or the company?)

kaxuson·Nov 12

do you have a good relationship with your boss? i asked because when I was still fully employed while starting my businesses, I was upfront with my manager about it. so we could talk about her concerns regarding potential implications on my capacity to deliver on my role. having her on my corner also made sure nobody else was raising an eyebrow at me.

jikajika·Nov 12

I would feel much better if I had a conversation with one of my managers (that both left 2 months after I joined 😅🤦🏾‍♀️) than my boss that is the founder of the company. So far, I've been staying ahead of schedule of all the tasks asked of me — and I plan to keep it that way. Though perhaps I should be telling that to him as I go on this journey. Alleviate any worries he might have about it.

kaxuson·Nov 12

if there's nothing in your contract that stops you from doing your side hustle, then have the conversation for yourself if it helps you alleviate your concerns :)

jikajika·Nov 12

Agreed.

kaxuson·Nov 14

best of luck with your side hustle!!!

jikajika·Nov 14

Thank you😊May the side hustle turn into the main hustle within 6 months! 🥂

lindsaymartinez·Nov 18

@jikajika -- Agree with this! As long as, #1 - there is nothing in your contract or non-compete that conflicts with this THEN#2 - having an open conversation with your boss is usually helpful in this case AND#3 - recap the meeting in an email so you have written proof of the transparent conversationYou can also tell your manager, "I'm really interested in pursuing XYZ as my side hustle. This job, however, is still my #1 priority and want to make sure I'm still meeting / exceeding expectations. Are there any areas in which I could improve or that you would like me to focus on going forward?"This shows you being proactive in your work AND trying to further your own career goals. They are not mutually exclusive.Good luck!P.S. I'm always up for a coffee chat about this kind of stuff! :)

jikajika·Nov 19

I'm saving this script 👍🏾

yeseniaodalyss·Nov 12

Chiming in to say you go girl! I love to see women making their dreams happen *outside* of their 9-5.

jikajika·Nov 12

Definitely putting the effort in!😅Now all I need to do is get this sequence right & execute on it — and away we go!😊