- Nashville freelancers contribute more than $3 billion to the economy
- Nashville featured as one of the top cities for creative freelancers in the nation.
- Music City ranks third in revenue for creative services at over $1.4 billion.
- Former preschool teacher quadruples her income with freelance career.
Daniella Wheeler moved to Nashville in 2011 to pursue music with her sister in their country duo “The Wheeler Sisters.” Despite releasing top-40 radio hit “This is Gonna Get Ugly,” the sisters still had to wait tables to make ends meet. Plus, Wheeler describes her record deal as “overly 9-5” and soon came to resent what she once called her passion.
So she refocused and has established an eight-year career as a luxury real estate agent.
But she still craved a creative outlet.
Sparked from a love of hosting and cheese, Wheeler launched a flourishing side business from her passion — making elaborate, personalized charcuterie boards.
Wheeler, like an increasing number of workers, embraced the idea of having a side gig to find the right career match. Popular side gigs, from podcasting, blogging, delivering packages and pet sitting, are now reliable entryways into entrepreneurialism.
The number of full-time independent workers, or freelancers, grew from 64% in 2022 to 71% in 2023, according to Fiverr freelancing platform. However, three in 10 independent workers still hold a permanent job for a guaranteed income.
“2024 is the year of the side hustle,” said Wheeler.
The traditional path — from college to a 9-5 job — no longer guarantees a high-paying career. The opportunity to launch a successful business from a passion is an increasingly attractive proposition. Freelancers in Nashville and beyond are capitalizing on this shift in the career landscape, contributing over $3 billion to the economy in the process, according to Fiverr.
A recent study by Fiverr names Nashville as one of the top cities for creative freelancers in the United States.
The report, which analyzes the top 30 markets for independent workers, ranks Music City third in revenue for creative services at over $1.4 billion in 2023, following Los Angeles at $6.4 billion and New York City at $5 billion.
Wheeler founded “Dani Bella’s Boards” in 2022, mainly creating charcuterie spreads for open houses. She meticulously curates an array of meats, cheeses and vegetables for events serving upwards of 200 people.
"I'm a 'yes man' to a fault," Wheeler said. "If anything, I need to prioritize myself, but I want to put my head down, and I want to work. I'm not married and I don't have kids, so I want to take this time to create a business that runs itself."
As the sole employee of this venture, Wheeler has had to balance selling luxury condos in The Gulch with fulfilling charcuterie board orders.
She reinvests a percentage of her commissions back into her side gig through shopping and preparations. Soon, she said part of the revenue will go to hiring new staff.
From teaching to voice acting: An entrepreneurial journey
When Susan Fouche graduated college with her English degree, she believed teaching was the only career path for her. But, after hitting a rough patch financially during the Great Recession, she decided to take a chance on a side gig.
After all, people often told her she has an excellent speaking voice while reading stories to her preschool students.
So, voice acting seemed like a natural fit.
“It would always cross my mind where people would say they really liked the way I talked and when I read stories to kids,” Fouche said. “I just thought, 'Well, maybe I could narrate audiobooks.'"
Today, she has narrated over 100 audiobooks and voiced commercials for companies like Pfizer and Toyota.
It all started when she landed her first voice acting gig in 2014. By the end of the school year, she quit teaching to focus full-time on the new venture.
Ten years since she began voice acting, Fouche has gone from capturing sound waves on her $99 microphone to building a home recording studio. Now, she is preparing to lighten her workload and retire at 50 years old.
For independent professionals like Fouche, freelancing offers the possibility of financial freedom, the benefit of an additional income and the chance to pursue a creative outlet.
“With the ever-evolving job market, many are seeking additional sources of income and greater flexibility in their careers,” said Jonathan Pinedo, founder of Freedom Bound Business, an online marketing company that researches employment trends.
Since transitioning to full-time freelance work, Fouche's salary grew from $2,000 to $8,000 a month, allowing her to put her kids through private school and college.
"I never ever thought in a million years that I would be able to make this kind of money," Fouche said. "You know, (I used to think): 'I'm a teacher. I'm just always going be the way I am.' And to see my income go up like this, it's been great. It's been a great ride. I'm very, very blessed."
Podcasts are the top side hustle for Tennesseans: 'Make an impact'
More and more, Tennesseans are becoming interested in adopting a side hustle this year. Research by Freedom Bound Business analyzed the most Google-searched side hustles in the state, with podcasting topping the ranking with an average of 1,303 monthly searches.
When Angie Lawless and Brandon Miller set out to create their show, they said they searched “how to start a podcast" once or twice — especially since Miller hadn’t listened to one before.
Lawless and Miller co-founded Wagon Wheel Title, a boutique title and real estate settlement provider, in 2006. The two met while working at a corporate law firm and shared an interest in real estate investing and development.
Inspired by the 2013 New York Times article proclaiming Nashville the next “it” city, they, along with their partner Steven Morris, wrote “Climbing the Charts: The Ascent of Nashville.” The book is a collection of dozens of interviews following the development of Music City.
This project was more challenging than the three attorneys anticipated but, when the book was published, they received a greater return on investment than money. Lawless and Miller said devotion to their community fueled their work more than the promise of additional income.
“What we realized was, it was providing and sort of filling our cups with this connection to our community that we, I think, kind of took for granted,” Lawless said. “Can we make an impact and can we make a difference?"
Lawless and Miller wanted to continue connecting with the community, so they created the “Climbing the Charts” podcast in 2022. With their target audience being Nashvillians, their guests are influential people whose work impacts the city.
“I think part of the goal for the podcast is giving a megaphone, or at least a magnifying glass, to people that are kind of writing that next chapter,” Miller said.
Though their biggest returns have been gaining stronger senses of community and purpose, the podcast also provides credibility when pitching investors for their main business Wagon Wheel Title.
“I think, as a young person, (podcasting) is probably one of the best things that you could do for your career too,” Lawless said. “Because you’re striving to set yourself apart, to stand out, to show credibility.”
