Nashville Creatives Turning Side Hustles into Successful Careers, Contributing Billions to Local Economy

Nashville: Music City Creatives Making Thousands with Side Hustles

Nashville, often known as Music City, has become a hotbed for freelancers looking for creative side gigs that can bring in a significant income each month. Far from the traditional 9-5 jobs, these creatives have found a way to blend passion and income, contributing over $3 billion to the economy and making Nashville one of the top cities for creative freelancers in the nation.

Transitioning from Music to Luxury Real Estate and Freelance

Not all freelancers in Nashville come from a straightforward career path. Daniella Wheeler, a former preschool teacher and country singer, quadrupled her income by switching from music to luxury real estate. Although she and her sister achieved a top-40 hit with their country duo “The Wheeler Sisters,” the income wasn’t enough, and the duo resorted to waiting tables to make ends meet. Wheeler eventually started selling luxury condos. However, she found a creative outlet in making intricate, personalized charcuterie boards, growing a flourishing side business.

Creative Entrepreneurs in Nashville : A Growing Trend

Wheeler is not alone in this trend. The number of full-time independent workers has grown from 64% in 2022 to 71% in 2023, recognising the lucrative nature of freelance work. Despite this, up to three in 10 independent workers still maintain a permanent job for guaranteed income, balancing their 9-5 job with their side hustle.

Nashville: Third in Revenue for Creative Services

Nashville has been featured as the third largest city in revenue for creative services, contributing over $1.4 billion in 2023. This puts Music City behind Los Angeles and New York City, which contributed $6.4 billion and $5 billion respectively.

From Teaching to Voice Acting

Susan Fouche, a former teacher, discovered the potential of voice acting as a side gig and transformed her career completely. After landing her first voice acting work in 2014, Fouche eventually quit her teaching job to focus on her voice acting career full-time. Jumping from a simple $99 microphone to her home recording studio, her income quadrupled, enabling her to afford private school for her children.

Popular Side Hustle in Tennessee: Podcasting

Data from Freedom Bound Business shows that Tennesseans are becoming increasingly interested in side hustles this year. The most Google-searched side hustle in the state is podcasting, with an average of 1,303 monthly searches. Angie Lawless and Brandon Miller, co-founders of Wagon Wheel Title, created the “Climbing the Charts” podcast in 2022. The podcast showcases influential people whose work shape the city, providing a platform to highlight the ongoing transformation of Nashville.

As Nashvillians continue to capitalize on the popularity of side hustles and freelance work, Nashville is set to continue its standing as one of the top cities for creative freelance work in the US.