Is fear preventing you from launching a new business or side hustle?
Almost every day I get messages like: “I’m afraid to start my side hustle and put myself out there. How do I get over this fear?” 
This anxiety is common for anyone beginning something new.
In this article I interview my friend Christine about practical ways to overcome the fears that come with starting a side hustle or business. We also cover common mindset and productivity challenges I hear from readers.
Christine is a former full-time blogger who became a certified life coach, freelance writer, and online marketer. She has experimented with many side hustles and online businesses and now shares actionable advice for getting started. Christine also runs The Harbor, a monthly coaching membership focused on mindful productivity for online entrepreneurs.
Here are some of the questions we discuss:
- How can someone decide if a side hustle or business is right for them?
- How do you get past the fear of starting and actually begin?
- What planning method maximizes productivity?
- How can entrepreneurs build better work-life balance?
- How do you stop feeling overwhelmed when launching a new business?
- What should someone do if they’re burned out from their side hustle or business?
Starting a business can bring up plenty of questions and fears that stop people from pursuing their goals and earning additional income. In this interview, you’ll learn how to move past fear and take practical steps toward launching a successful side hustle or business.
Please enjoy this interview.
Mindset and Productivity Tips for Starting a New Business
Please give us a little background on yourself and what led you to become a coach.
After college I was stuck in low-paying jobs with no meaningful experience, and my arts degree didn’t pay the bills. I started blogging on weekends as a creative outlet from a soul-draining full-time job, and over time my blog replaced my day-job income.
After four years as a full-time blogger, I felt ready for a change. My blog offered step-by-step advice, but I noticed readers often didn’t create lasting change because they were missing a deeper mindset shift.
That realization led me to pursue coaching. I wanted to help people use their minds to create long-term change. I sold my blog, completed a coach certification program, and launched a new coaching business focused on mindset and productivity.
What side hustles and online businesses have you tried in the past?
I’ve tried a lot. I experimented with proofreading but decided it wasn’t for me. I created low-content journals for Amazon KDP and experimented with selling Canva templates on Etsy.
With my blog, I pursued multiple income streams: affiliate marketing, digital products, and course creation. Freelance writing provided steady income, though it’s mentally taxing and not something I can do at high volume. I still take a few part-time virtual assistant clients, which I enjoy for the variety and insight into other businesses. I also do marketing work for a mid-sized literary company.
Building and running a blog taught me many valuable skills that opened doors to these side hustles and freelance opportunities.
What do your thoughts and emotions have to do with making money?
Everything. Thoughts create emotions, emotions influence actions, and actions produce results. If you want to make money, learning to manage your thoughts and emotions is essential—especially for entrepreneurs and side hustlers.
Here’s the basic sequence:
Thought ➡️ Emotion ➡️ Actions ➡️ Result
For example, if you plan to send a series of three sales emails, fearful thoughts like “I’ll bother people” or “people will unsubscribe” can make you feel timid. That timid feeling can cause procrastination, sending fewer emails than planned, or writing apologetic copy. The likely result is poor revenue.
But if you intentionally choose a different thought—“What I’m sharing could help my readers immensely”—you’ll feel excited, write confident emails, follow through with the plan, serve your audience, and likely earn more.
In short, your internal state changes how you show up, which has a major impact on both earnings and the daily experience of running a business.
How can a person decide if a side hustle or business is for them?
Alignment is key. There are countless ways to make money and everyone will promote what worked for them. What matters is whether the method fits you personally.
Consider the day-to-day work, not just the potential results. If you enjoy the tasks you do daily, you’re more likely to persist, enjoy the process, and ultimately make more money.
How can someone get over their fears of starting a business and actually begin?
Much fear comes from perfectionism. New creators often delay launching while chasing perfection to avoid criticism. Two lessons experienced entrepreneurs learn are:
- Nothing will ever be perfectly finished. Businesses evolve, so publish and share despite imperfections. Waiting for perfection blocks progress and income.
- Your work won’t be for everyone. Criticism often means you’re memorable and distinctive—qualities that help you attract loyal fans.
Start anyway. Even if the first attempt feels imperfect, the skills you gain are valuable and will open future opportunities.
What’s the best planning method for productivity?
The best method is the one that fits your current life stage, provided it includes four essentials:
- Strategy: assign an outcome or purpose to every task.
- Prioritization: focus on the few tasks that move the needle.
- Distraction-free work: protect focused time and minimize interruptions.
- Daily power hours: dedicate a chunk of time to small tasks so you can reserve other periods for focused work.
I used time blocking for years until caregiving responsibilities required more flexibility. Now I switch between to-do lists, a Check-Boxes Method I developed, and simplified time blocking depending on the week. The method matters less than ensuring the four keys are in place and executing consistently.
How can entrepreneurs create better work-life balance?
First define what balance means to you. “Work-life balance” is vague; it’s more about intentional imbalance than strict 50/50 equality. Some weeks you might work long hours to free up time later—what matters is deciding this on purpose.
Balance can also be about mindset: be fully present in whatever you’re doing. If you’re relaxing, single-task and resist checking email; when working, focus deeply and remove distractions.
Try this journaling exercise: imagine your ideal work-life balance, then identify one small step you can take today to move toward that vision. Repeat the exercise regularly as your needs change.
How can someone stop being overwhelmed when starting a new business?
Learn one skill at a time and ignore most of the noise. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by every “must-do” list out there. When I began blogging, I focused on a single habit: publish posts regularly. After mastering that, I added one marketing strategy at a time.
Don’t try to launch with every ideal element in place. Treat entrepreneurship as a marathon: build foundational skills gradually. If you purchase a course, implement everything from that course before buying another. One thing at a time wins.
What should someone do if they are feeling burnout from their side hustle or business?
Improve the quality of rest and downtime. Many entrepreneurs are “half working” all the time—watching TV while checking email or responding to comments in bed—so they never fully disconnect. Rest can feel uncomfortable because the mind worries you should be doing more.
Use intentional thoughts to allow rest: “It is safe for me to relax,” “I am allowed to rest,” “Rest is beneficial even when it doesn’t feel great.” Creating clearer separation between work and downtime helps recovery—sometimes quality of rest matters more than quantity. Your best ideas often come when you’re fully disconnected.
What other tips do you have for someone who wants to start side hustling or start their own business?
Just start. Stop hunting for tips and take messy action. Do it imperfectly and treat everything as an experiment. You can’t research your way to success—implementation matters.
What can a person learn from your coaching membership? How would this benefit someone looking to start a business or side hustle? Can you tell us about some people who have successfully taken this?
The Harbor teaches mindful productivity for online entrepreneurs: how to earn more while doing less by focusing on high-impact tasks and building sustainable systems. A major part of the work is processing emotions and choosing empowering thoughts—foundational skills many people skip but that prevent burnout and busyness culture.
New entrepreneurs will learn to reduce overwhelm, create a practical action plan, manage time and energy, and take empowered action. The membership includes workbooks, weekly group coaching calls, and unlimited written coaching for personalized support.
Clients include bloggers, virtual assistants, coaches, writers, and marketers at different stages. Here are a few client results:
- “In a few months I went from burned out to excited about my business and focused on the actions that move me forward.” — Kayla, Virtual Assistant
- “Systems I implemented freed up my time so I could attract two ideal clients at my highest rates.” — Cassie, Pinterest Manager
- “I stopped busy work and started working strategically, which led to new clients and confidence.” — Shayna, Life Coach
- “I streamlined my weekly schedule to focus only on the most important tasks and stopped feeling guilty.” — Jessica, Blogger
- “New systems helped me scale without burnout and enjoy work more.” — Erin, Email Marketing Specialist
Most entrepreneurs don’t need another strategy; they need mindful productivity skills, better time and energy management, and help applying what they already know. The Harbor focuses on those exact needs.
What’s holding you back? What questions do you have for Christine?