Embracing A Multi-Hyphenate Career Path
Giving ourselves permission to be more than just one thing.
Hi, I’m Reid! I write about my life experiences and how we can all live in brave new ways. Dare You is an entirely reader-supported publication. To receive weekly posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Recently, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Flor Macias on her Substack Que Onda. I was flattered that she had asked to interview me in the first place. The experience was very fulfilling as she asked some really great questions that made me think and reflect on my life in a different way. When the interview was published, I got chills when I saw that she had referred to me as a multi-hyphenate in the subtitle. “Me!? A multi-hyphenate? There’s no way.” I thought. But as I took a moment to scan over my life at the current moment, I realized in true millennial fashion, “OMG, I AM a multi-hyphenate!” I never thought I was well-rounded enough to be one. I told myself there was a glamour in just being “one thing” …but isn’t being all of it just way more fun? I believe so.
THE OLD MINDSET
When I was younger, for some reason, I believed that people who did more than one thing for work only did so because they weren’t completely successful at the thing they really wanted to do. Boy, was I WRONG. It’s funny what forms of thinking and opinions about the world we make our minds up on in our formative years.
I remember when I was a kid, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be a singer or an actress. My after school activities were filled with both of them…. School plays, singing in the church choir, community theatre, voice lessons, dance class. I loved it all. But at the young age of 12 I felt this pressure to pick one. I’m sure it was well intentioned. I’ve always been the kind of person where once I decide I want to do something, I do everything I can to make it happen. At that age, I felt I had to pick just one and give it my all in order to be successful. A self imposed limitation I now see. After much thought and still no decision, I decided to ask my mom “Who makes more money, a singer or an actress?” “Gosh, I don’t know Reid.” She replied. “But if you HAD to choose, which one would it be?” She paused for quite a while, then said “I don’t know….an actress?” And so it was decided. I was going to be an Actress when I grew up.
I definitely didn’t want to be an actress just for the money. If anything, the current actors strike has revealed is that actors aren’t really paid that much, unless they are the 0.001%. But at such a young age, I was already concerned about how I was going to survive in the world, and money definitely helps with that.
Up until this year, the idea of becoming a multi-hyphenate felt completely out of reach for me. I had put all my eggs into one basket and felt that if I put any of my energy towards other interests, I would surely distract myself from my big goal. I’ve had plenty of what I call “side jobs” to support myself over the years as I pursued my acting career… but those were just jobs I did to pay the bills. Yes, I learned many new skills in the process that have become valuable or will hopefully prove useful in the future, but none of them were anything I was passionate about. Sure, I had visions of how my life would be if I pursued my other passions, but it never seemed possible.
But something changed this year…
THE NEW MINDSET
It feels like I became a multi-hyphenate overnight without a real plan to do so. Funny how in life, sometimes things just fall into place when we aren’t clutching tightly to the outcome.
Over the past few years, I was unintentionally preparing to step into this new lifestyle by following my interests but in secret. I completed my Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training during the pandemic, so that was kept mostly to myself. I wrote pages and pages every morning but only for myself in a journal. I even wrote and recorded a song this year, thanks to the encouragement of my boyfriend who after listening to me sing in the shower time and time again, insisted I pursue it.
It has become increasingly common in today's world to feel like your career has become your identity. I certainly felt that way. But something that once completely lit you up might not be enough more. There is no shame in wanting to pivot and embrace a new career path. Currently, I have the privilege of witnessing my boyfriend transition from a college tennis coach to a career in business. Ironically, I’ve never seen him enjoy playing tennis more than he does now. While I am not making a complete career transition like he is, but rather adding more irons in the fire, I find his ability to dive headfirst into a new career while also keeping his love for tennis alive to be inspiring.
For most of my adult life, my identity was “I’m an actress.” This limited me. Now that I have started to embrace my other interests and begun sharing them with the world, I find myself feeling freed from the old limiting identity I had attached myself to. I am more than just one thing. My identity is definitely not centered around my career path anymore; my career paths are expressions of my identity. Changing my mindset from a one-tracked mind to one of a multi-Hyphenate feels like I’m breaking out of my shell. Whereas I used to make excuses for why I shouldn’t pursue other endeavors, I now feel like there is no other option but to do so.
I found great inspiration when I read “The Multi-Hyphen Method” by Emma Gannon. Emma is the perfect example of a person with a thriving multi-hyphenate career. In this book, she provides a ton research on why a multi-hyphen life can be extremely beneficial and maps out ways you can create this life for yourself. I highly recommend reading this book and also checking out her Substack, The Hyphen where she delves deeper into this topic. I have also been encouraged by my new pal, Hannah Ashe, who’s Substack Chez Hanny is dedicated to empowering women to make creative career changes and tracking her own multi-hyphen life.
It’s important to note that as you expand into your multi-hyphenate career, you might not bring in any revenue from your new endeavors at first. That’s okay and to be expected. Don’t let a lack of revenue or compensation in the beginning discourage you from carrying out your long-term vision. Focusing on what you are actually creating rather than the outcome is helpful.
Also, don’t be discouraged if people don’t take you seriously when you first begin to make a career transition; you can use their doubts as fuel. Some of the naysayers are probably just jealous because you have the guts, which they lack, to try something new.
You have permission to try new things and step outside the box of what was once your status quo. I’m starting to realize that I was always a multi-hyphenate; I just had to give myself permission to be my true self and take up space.
In tomorrow’s first ever Monthly workshop, we will dive deep into how we can let go of the resistance and excuses that stand in the way of pursuing our interests. If this is something that interests you, make sure to subscribe or upgrade to a paid subscription to receive it in your inbox tomorrow.
-Reid
Dare You:
+ What is one passion or interest you have that you’d like to spend more time doing?
+ What is standing in the way of you pursuing this?
+ Take one action today that gets the ball rolling. It can be as small as telling a friend you have the desire to pursue it!
Your best post yet. This same subject comes up when talking about young athletes as well. Great job...
The part about being a singer or an actress as a child resonated with me. Sometimes, early on, we feel the pressure to pigeonhole ourselves into one path, thinking it's the only way to be successful. Your story highlights the freedom that comes from embracing your multifaceted interests. It's refreshing to see that shifting from 'I'm an actress' to 'I'm more than just one thing' has been liberating for you.