When Did Second Jobs Become 'The Gig Economy' ...

The same ideas and thoughts have a habit of resurfacing with a fresh coat of paint, metaphorically speaking. Taking a second job can provide extra income to pay bills, savings for a vacation, help the budget for holiday shopping, supplement for college extras, pay for college, put food on the table, or bring alive a personal career goal.

For Millennials, the second job you and I grew up with is now referred to as "the Gig Economy" or more precisely as NPR put it, "Millennials and the Side Hustle Economy." I guess radio personalities have been leading the way for years. Many of us were ahead of our time and didn't even know it. A study by Intuit predicts that by 2020, 40% of American workers will be independent contractors.

The Money Is There ... Go Get It

Radio has always afforded air personalities outside opportunities that mere mortals rarely have a shot at without considerable effort. There is something magical about radio that makes the regular world feel as if an air personality is like a relative worthy of nepotism. I have seen it get people jobs they are barely qualified for. Radio personalities can be like snake charmers.

Make Celebrity Payoff...

There is nothing like being an air personality -- adoring listeners, free stuff and extra income opportunities. When I worked in Chicago, I learned how to make money independent of paid station appearances and remotes. For example, if you offer your services to nonprofit organizations, you can network with all sorts of people. These contacts can lead to paying gigs. I made money hosting celebrity auctions, doing emcee work for civic groups, taught college classes, guest emceed at weddings, and performed a godawful comedy magic act at kids' birthday parties. My entrepreneurial efforts got to the point it almost matched my station paycheck. I took the Chicago experience and transitioned it to my programming relationships with personalities who worked for me over the years.

Focus & Get It Done...

I always tell people that time and patience can be your best friend. Instead of waiting for paid remotes, I suggest volunteering for as many public service appearances as possible. Go and shake hands, kiss babies and meet people. I am not saying that every person you meet at one of these events will be profitable, but one thing leads to another and before you know it, you're a part of an annual events expenses. Meanwhile, the station-paid remote situation will take care of itself, but in the meantime, you'll be making side money legitimately. By the way, remember unless an organization is buying time or has a public service announcement on the air, you can't just mention an event. Even if it's a charity, if you are being paid to participate.

Work Smart To Maximize...

My formula for making side money as a personality has always been simple, minimum effort for maximum financial gain. For example, DJing events or parties does not have to be labor-intensive. I still suggest to personalities who do this as a side hustle to hire a skilled non-radio mixer to do the work. This will allow the air personality/star to act as more of a host and do celebrity mixes. Money-wise, it's the personality the event has hired as a draw, therefore charge top dollar in accordance to what the client can afford. You can then do a 60/40 or 70/30 split with the DJ you hired to do the heavy lifting for the evening. I know an OM who once did the mobile DJ thing as a side business and booked some 200 events a year and took my advice to heart; he amended his approach and increased his business because it allowed him to network more at events, do less spinning, and gained a loyal cohort whose business also grew because of his association with the OM.

Possibilities Galore...

If you are an air personality looking for a way to make extra money and need some ideas, here is a list of a side jobs I have known other personalities to take on:

• Teacher
• Car Sales
• IT Technician
• Cab Driver
• Uber Driver
• Mortician
• Web Host
• Web Designer
• Fireman
• Census Taker
• IRS Agent
• Wedding Planner
• Musician
• College professor
• Commercial Voiceover
• Mobile DJ
• Online Retailer
• Apartment Manager
• House Sitter
• Freelance Writer