It was circa 1998, Guillebeau was in college and was working the graveyard shift at FedEx.

He didnt know what he was doing with his life.

But he knew he was fed up.

Author Chris Guillebeau smiles for a portrait.

An example from Guillebeau’s latest book “100 Side Hustles: Unexpected Ideas for Making Extra Money Without Quitting Your Day Job.” Photo courtesy of Chris Guillebeau

Then, by chance, he stumbled onto eBay, joined the gig economy and everything changed.

That was 21 years ago.

Then he authored several best-sellers and started the successful podcast Side Hustle School.

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A Q&A Interview With Chris Guillebeau

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Probably not as good as youd like.

It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.

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But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?

Before we jump in, can you first explain how you define these terms?

Chris Guillebeau: I define it as an income-generating project that you start aside from your day job.

Ideally, its not a part-time job.

Its something that has the potential to be an asset for you.

And there are a lot of things you should be passionate about that shouldnt make you money.

When it comes to having a money-making project, its more important to follow your skills.

Ask yourself: What am I good at?

What skills do I have that could be applied in a different way than my day job?

Whats your advice to them?

CG: This comes up a lot when I meet with my readers at book events.

So I think its a perception issue.

Most of those people probably said at one point.

I dont have a marketable skill.

I really, really do believe that everyone has a marketable skill.

But I do think its about uncovering that skill, adapting it and applying it to this new economy.

AH: You traveled to every country on earth.

What are some of the most interesting side hustles you came across in your travels?

This kind of thing really isnt new.

Some of the technology is new, but the concept isnt.

All those people are entrepreneurs, whether they call themselves that or not.

I was like No, I want pictures of this!

The book was actually photo-copied.

Like how long did that take, first of all?

AH: Wow, thats some dedication right there.

CG: Yes and yes, and a little more on top of that.

One, theres a realization that we cant depend on corporations, organizations or government for our well-being.

That doesnt mean they are all inherently bad.

Side hustles should be sustainable, not just another job you go to after an eight- or 10-hour day.

They should help you have more options in the future.

Ive never been the kind of person to do just one thing.

But I would guess somewhere around five to eight projects at once.

Some people thrive on that, and other people get really overwhelmed.

It depends on your goals.

It can be really empowering to make your first $100.

If youve never made money outside of a paycheck from your employer, it can feel really good.

But I wouldnt recommend doing 10 things at once.

To start, pick one thing and see what it’s possible for you to do with it.

If it doesnt work, stop after 30 days and do something different.

AH: What was your first $100 working for yourself?

CG: I can tell you exactly what that was.

This goes back 21 years.

Then I learned about online auctions for the first time, and I looked up how to do it.

It wasnt just the financial aspect, it was the freedom.

Everything I do stems from that.

Goals are good, of course.

Are you trying to pay off debt?

Do you need extra money?

Are you trying to replace the income from your day job?

All good things to think about.

But I also see and hear from a lot of people that get hung up on this.

They get kind of stuck in analysis paralysis.

So if youre not sure what you want to do, just do something.

And if you dont like it after about 30 days, do something else.

Not everything has to connect to your larger life purpose.

AH: Youve mentioned that number a couple times: 30 days.

Is this a good amount of time to give yourself to try out a new gig?

Is that the best way?

CG: I would say after 30 days, cut your losses and start over.

Dont be afraid to say I thought this was a good idea but it wasnt.

Maybe you’re free to learn something from that process that motivates you to try something different.

I feel that most successful people in this world have false starts, and thats normal.

Well, not necessarily.

I think adaptation is the key.

Thats when youre going to be more successful.

Dont be afraid of letting go of something.

CG: The simple answer is yes.

You know, what could go wrong?

Adam Hardy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.

He specializes in ways to make money that dont involve stuffy corporate offices.

Read his latest articles here, or say hi on Twitter@hardyjournalism.

(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)

You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…