More New Zealanders are quietly rewriting their job titles — and it’s not just freelancers or creatives leading the shift. 

From mid-career parents to recent grads, consultants to contractors, more of us are choosing to build flexible, multi-stream work lives that reflect who we are and what we need.

It’s not about ditching your job on a whim. It’s about expanding the way you earn a living, how you spend your energy, and what you get back from your work life.

Welcome to the rise of the portfolio career.

🧠 So what is a portfolio career?

At its heart, a portfolio career is a mix. It’s a combination of income streams, roles or projects that together form your working life. Think of it like a career pie — where each slice plays a unique role in your fulfilment, flexibility, and financial security.

You might:

• Work three days a week in your current role
  
  

• Offer freelance services in your area of expertise
  
  

• Sell handmade products, write digital guides, or run an Airbnb
  
  

• Coach, consult, or teach others a skill you already use daily
  
  

• Spend time on a passion project that begins to generate income
  
  

There’s no set formula. Some people build their mix around financial goals, others around values, creativity, or family time. The key is this: you get to design it.

👥 Who is this actually for?

Short answer: anyone curious about a different way to work.

What’s interesting is that younger people — especially those in their 20s — are already embracing this lifestyle, often without realising it. Many are running side hustles, offering digital services, selling creative work, or building online communities while studying or navigating early career steps. Social media and platforms like TikTok or Gumroad have made it easier than ever to turn a skill or interest into income — and they’re diving in with openness and creativity.

For those in their 30s, 40s, 50s (and beyond), it can feel like a bigger shift. Many of us were raised with the idea that success meant choosing one career path, climbing a single ladder, and sticking to one industry. The idea of diversifying — or stepping outside that traditional model — can feel confusing or even risky at first.

But the desire is the same:

• To earn in more meaningful or flexible ways
  
  

• To make room for creativity, family, or health
  
  

• To take ownership of your time and energy
  
  

We’ve seen:

• A full-time employee who runs creative workshops on weekends
  
  

• A student offering tutoring while they finish uni
  
  

• A semi-retired HR professional now mentoring early-stage founders
  
  

• A parent juggling part-time work with freelance admin gigs
  
  

• A consultant offering strategy services + building digital products on the side
  
  

They all have one thing in common: a willingness to try something different.

🇳🇿 Why it makes so much sense in Aotearoa

Here in New Zealand, portfolio careers are a natural fit for our culture and economy.

We’re practical. Community-minded. Resourceful. Whether you're in Auckland, Invercargill or somewhere rural in between, chances are you know people who are combining multiple work streams to make life work — from teaching yoga part-time, to flipping furniture, to launching a small online shop or podcast.

And with the rising cost of living, burnout in conventional roles, and a growing sense that work needs to work for us, more Kiwis are asking:

“How can I make this work better for me?”

A portfolio career offers one answer. It’s not just a safety net — it’s a structure that can grow and evolve with your life stage, goals and values.

✍️ Why I created this program

I created The Portfolio Career Coach because I got tired of being asked, “So… what do you actually do?”

The truth is — I do a lot, and intentionally so.

I work as a freelance Marketing Manager, a fractional CMO, and a social strategist. I coach others who are building their own portfolio careers. I also run a hands-on creative business, Inkworks SMP Studio, helping people feel more confident in their appearance.

My career has spanned startups, FMCG, fashion, and founder-led businesses — and each stream I’ve taken on reflects a different strength or interest. It doesn’t fit neatly into one job title. But it adds up to a work life that’s meaningful, energising, and sustainable — and I believe that’s possible for others too.

🔁 Isn’t that a bit unstable?

Actually — it’s the opposite.

A portfolio career creates stability through diversity.

Relying on one job or employer is a single point of failure. But with two or three small streams working together — even if they’re modest — you create options. Confidence. Breathing room.

And the best part? You don’t have to go “all in” from day one. Most people start small:

• A 2-hour freelance gig each week
  
  

• A Sunday market stall
  
  

• A paid newsletter, digital product or coaching call
  
  

• Helping a friend of a friend with something you're good at
  
  

It’s about layering, not leaping. And it’s never too late — or too early — to start.

🛠 Where to start

If you’re in your 20s, you might already be doing this without realising — freelancing, building an audience, offering a service while studying. You have the flexibility and tools right in your pocket.

If you're in your 30s, 40s or 50s, and this is all new — you’re not behind. You’re simply stepping into a different way of thinking about your career. It might feel unfamiliar, but it’s not out of reach.

Start with:

• A quick audit of your time, energy and skills
  
  

• A list of what lights you up — and what drains you
  
  

• One simple offer or idea you can test quietly
  
  

• A reminder that you don’t need to quit to begin
  
  

You don’t need a full plan — just a starting point.

🎓 Ready to build your own portfolio pie?

If this resonates, The Portfolio Career Coach was made for you.

Join Coach+ to unlock:

• The full 5-part Design Your Portfolio Pie mini course
  
  

• Unlimited access to the Portfolio Career Coach (your AI-powered guide)
  
  

• Monthly planning tools, reflection prompts, and NZ-relevant templates
  
  

• All for $9/month — cancel any time
  
  

Because maybe the goal isn’t to find one perfect job — but to build a work life that reflects all of who you are.

Think you need to quit your job or become an influencer to work differently? Think again.

The idea of having a portfolio career can sound appealing — a mix of income streams, more flexibility, and space to explore multiple interests or skill sets. But if it still feels out of reach (or just a bit vague), you’re not alone.

The concept is gaining traction — especially here in Aotearoa — but it’s also wrapped in a few lingering myths that stop people from exploring it fully.

So let’s clear the air.

Here are five of the most common misconceptions about portfolio careers — and what’s actually true.

💭 Myth 1: You have to quit your job to start a portfolio career

Truth: Most people start while they’re still employed.

You don’t need to leap before you’re ready. In fact, one of the best things about a portfolio career is that you can layer it in gradually.

Many people begin with:

• A freelance gig on the side
  
  

• Offering a small paid service to their network
  
  

• Selling something they already know how to make or teach
  
  

You’re allowed to experiment before you restructure your entire work life. That’s the beauty of it — you get to start small, and grow in your own time.

💭 Myth 2: It only works if you’re creative or entrepreneurial

Truth: Portfolio careers are built on range, not personality type.

Yes, creatives often embrace this model — but so do marketers, analysts, builders, teachers, engineers, therapists, parents returning to work, and people with 20+ years of traditional experience.

It’s not about turning yourself into a business. It’s about looking at what you already know, do, and care about — and finding low-pressure ways to monetise, teach, or share that across different streams.

Whether you’re practical, strategic, creative or all three — there’s space for you here.

💭 Myth 3: If you’re not earning a lot yet, it’s not “legit”

Truth: Income isn’t the only measure of success — and most streams take time to grow.

Plenty of people start a portfolio career by making $200/month from a small service or product. That doesn’t mean it’s not valid. That means it’s working — and can be scaled.

Some months you’ll earn more from your 9–5. Other months, your side gig might surprise you. The goal isn’t overnight income. The goal is gradual autonomy — and enough traction to build something that reflects your values and lifestyle.

💭 Myth 4: It’s only for young people or digital natives

Truth: Many of the most successful portfolio careerists are in their 30s, 40s, 50s — and beyond.

Younger people are naturally building multi-stream careers (often without calling it that), but mid-career professionals are increasingly turning to this model for better balance, more income control, or as a transition into something more meaningful.

You bring experience to the table — and that’s bankable.

Whether you’re offering consulting, launching a product, teaching, or setting up a new revenue stream alongside part-time work, it’s never too late to diversify.

💭 Myth 5: It’ll be more work, not less

Truth: Done well, a portfolio career isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what makes sense for your energy, skills and season of life.

Yes, there’s effort involved — especially in the beginning. But the goal is balance, not burnout.

You might do a little less of one thing and a little more of another. You might drop one stream after a season, and add a new one that lights you up. The power of this model is its flexibility — and its ability to evolve as you do.

👀 Final thought

If you’ve been unsure whether a portfolio career is real, valid, or right for you — consider this your permission to explore it properly.

You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You just need to start listening to what your life is already telling you.

The Portfolio Career Coach is here to help you start — one slice at a time.

Join Coach+ for just $9/month and unlock:
✔ The full 5-part Design Your Portfolio Pie course valued $49
✔ Planning templates, prompt packs, and reflection tools
✔ Access to the AI-powered Portfolio Career Coach
✔ NZ-relevant support, examples and guidance

You don’t have to quit your job. You just have to notice the signs.

Most people don’t wake up one day and declare: “I’m going to reinvent my entire career.”

The shift is subtler than that.

It begins with little things — a browser tab full of side hustle ideas, a passing comment from a friend, a growing sense that your job is fine… but not quite right. It’s not always loud. But once it starts, it’s hard to ignore.

This is how a portfolio career begins.

A portfolio career isn’t a job title — it’s a way of working. One where your income comes from multiple streams, your identity isn’t tied to a single role, and your week reflects more of who you are.

So how do you know if you’re ready to take that path?

Here are six signs that you might be closer than you think.

1. Your job still works — but it doesn’t quite fit anymore

Maybe nothing’s “wrong,” technically. You’re good at what you do. Your team’s fine. But the spark has faded. You find yourself zoning out in meetings or daydreaming about doing something completely different.

You’re not broken — you’re just evolving.

Portfolio careers give you permission to explore that evolution without throwing everything away. You can keep the job and test a creative project, freelance offer, or product idea on the side.

2. You’re constantly curious about what else you could be doing

You scroll past people building businesses, running workshops, launching newsletters — and something inside you stirs. Not envy. Recognition.

You’re not just dreaming about a different life. You’re beginning to imagine how it could actually work.

That curiosity is a signal. Pay attention to it.

3. Your career has more depth than one job can hold

Maybe you’re a full-time marketer who’s noticed a gap in the market — and you’re quietly building a product to fill it.
Maybe you’re a teacher with a knack for curriculum design and a vision for your own learning app.
Maybe you’ve always felt pulled in more than one direction — strategy on one side, creativity on the other.

A portfolio career allows you to stop compartmentalising. You don’t have to pick one thing forever. You can build something that reflects everything you bring to the table.

4. You want more flexibility — not just more freedom

This shift often shows up in everyday frustrations:
You’re sick of the commute.
You want to work around your kids’ schedules.
You’d like to go for a walk at 10am, or finish at 3pm without guilt.
You want to stop living in back-to-back blocks of Zoom calls.

The traditional 9–5 was designed around someone else’s priorities. A portfolio career lets you design around your own. Whether that’s a shorter workweek, varied project types, or just more space in your day — flexibility isn’t a luxury. It’s a smart strategy for sustainability.

5. You’re already earning income in more than one way

A friend paid you to help with social media. You sold something online. You built a deck for someone. You helped a client on the side.

These aren’t just side gigs — they’re early indicators. Signs that what you already know, love, or are naturally good at could become part of your income mix. If it’s working in a small way, imagine what it could do with structure and support.

6. You’re craving more you in your work

This one’s hard to explain — but if you know, you know.

It’s that quiet itch for alignment. To feel like your work reflects more of who you are — your values, your talents, your creative spark. Not just your job title.

A portfolio career doesn’t promise instant freedom. But it does offer a structure that can grow with you — and evolve as your life does.

What next?

You don’t need to leap. You just need to listen.

• Notice what energises you
  
  

• Capture the ideas that keep tapping you on the shoulder
  
  

• Try something small and test the waters
  
  

• Don’t wait for permission
  
  

The Portfolio Career Coach was designed for exactly this moment.

Inside Coach+, you’ll get:
✔ A 5-part course to help you map your career pie
✔ Monthly planning tools, reflection prompts and templates
✔ A digital coach you can chat with any time

All for $9/month — cancel any time.

Because the real question isn’t “Should I start a portfolio career?”
It’s: “What could my work life look like if I stopped trying to squeeze it into just one lane?”

Build multiple streams, on your terms — without running yourself into the ground.

So, you’re thinking about building something new.
Maybe you’ve been made redundant, or you’re burned out from your 9–5.
Maybe you’re already freelancing — but itching to explore a new direction.
Or maybe you're just curious about what else your skills and interests could turn into.

However you’ve arrived here, you’re not alone — and you're not too late.

A portfolio career — made up of multiple income streams, projects, or roles — is one of the smartest ways to diversify your work life. But starting one doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch, burning out, or adding more pressure to your plate.

In fact, when done well, it can bring more energy into your life — not less.

Here’s how to take your first steps, without flipping your life upside down.

🛑 First: forget the hustle narrative

If the word “side hustle” makes you feel tired, it’s probably because the hustle culture we’ve been sold isn’t sustainable.

You don’t need to wake up at 5am.
You don’t need to monetise every hobby.
You don’t need to post on TikTok seven days a week.

What you do need is a thoughtful, low-pressure way to explore new income streams — one that fits your lifestyle now, not some fantasy version of it.

✅ Start with what’s already working

The best way to start a portfolio career is to build from what you already know, enjoy, or get asked about.

Ask yourself:

• What do people come to me for?
  
  

• What do I find easy that others find hard?
  
  

• What have I done in my job that could translate outside it?
  
  

It might look like:

• Offering an hour of support to someone in your network
  
  

• Packaging something you know into a digital resource
  
  

• Helping a friend of a friend solve a problem for a small fee
  
  

Simple, valuable, and low-stakes.

⏰ Set a container — not a clock

You don’t need “more time.” You need clear boundaries.

Decide:

• What time block you’re willing to allocate (e.g. Sunday afternoons, one weeknight, one weekend a month)
  
  

• How much energy you realistically have to give
  
  

• How long you’ll try this first idea (e.g. a 30-day sprint, one test client, three mini offers)
  
  

Treat it like a pilot — not a permanent move.

This helps you protect your wellbeing, your bandwidth, and your belief in yourself.

💸 Don’t be afraid to charge — even if it’s small

You don’t need a six-figure offer. You just need a clear, confident way for someone to pay you.

Start small. Keep it simple. Use tools like:

• Gumroad or Stripe for payments
  
  

• Google Docs or Canva to deliver your offer
  
  

• Calendly or Tally to collect bookings or submissions
  
  

Charging something — anything — turns your skills into a real, usable stream. And it builds momentum fast.

🧠 Focus on value, not scale

Forget “growing fast.” Focus on doing one thing well for one person.

Can you:

• Help one person get a result?
  
  

• Create one resource that makes someone’s life easier?
  
  

• Solve one problem others are stuck on?
  
  

That’s value. That’s market insight. That’s the seed of a long-term offer.

🤝 Don’t underestimate the power of talking it out

Some of your best ideas won’t come from spreadsheets — they’ll come from conversation.

Surrounding yourself with others who are exploring new work paths, testing ideas, or freelancing can spark clarity you didn’t know you were missing.

Whether it’s a Slack group, co-working hub, workshop or online community — the more you talk about your skills and strengths, the clearer your potential offer becomes.

You’ll start to see where you fit. Where others struggle. And where your perspective holds real value — even if you’ve been underestimating it.

🧁 In a nutshell – Your gentle starter pack

Here’s what a low-pressure, high-impact start might look like:

• One income idea, built from something you already know
  
  

• One time block per week (or month!)
  
  

• One person to help or test with
  
  

• One clean way to deliver + get paid
  
  

• A soft review after 30 days
  
  

That’s it. That’s a win.

🔁 You can build something real — one slice at a time

Whether you're a full-time professional, a parent, in a pivot season, or just craving change — you don’t have to do it all at once.

Inside Coach+, you’ll find a step-by-step framework to start your first stream — sustainably.

Join now and get:
✔ The 5-part Design Your Portfolio Pie course
✔ Reflection prompts, time-mapping tools + planning templates
✔ Support from the AI-powered Portfolio Career Coach
✔ All for $9/month — cancel anytime

Because this isn’t about hustle.
It’s about building a work life that fits.

📚 Further Reading & Listening

• Frances Cook – Your Money, Your Future: A practical guide to earning more, investing smarter, and building financial freedom on any income.
  
  

• Cooking the Books Podcast – How to Get Paid More Through Side Hustles: Frances Cook explores how to find a side income that fits your life.
  
  

• MoneyHub NZ – Best Side Hustles for New Zealanders: A curated list of profitable side hustles specific to New Zealand.
  
  

• Mum’s Money NZ – 39 Side Hustles to Make Extra Money in New Zealand: A practical breakdown of Kiwi-relevant income ideas.
  
  

• Side Hustles NZ – 101 Side Hustle Ideas to Make $500+ in New Zealand: A big list of inspiration for starting your first stream of income.
  
  

Once you’ve started — here’s how to keep it moving (without burning out or getting stuck).

Starting a portfolio career is one thing.
Growing it — sustainably, strategically, and in a way that still feels like you — is another.

Once you’ve landed your first few projects, launched a service, or started generating income from a new stream, it’s easy to fall into two traps:
1. Overcommitting to everything.
2. Waiting too long to evolve.

But the real power of a portfolio career isn’t just in its variety — it’s in its ability to grow with you.

So how do you build something that can adapt over time, stay aligned with your values, and actually support the lifestyle you want?

Let’s break it down.

🔁 Make reflection a regular practice

In traditional work, we tend to reflect only when we’re forced to — during reviews, restructures, or burnout.

But portfolio careers require regular self-check-ins. You’re the boss, strategist, project manager and performance coach in one.

Every month or quarter, ask yourself:

• What’s energising me? What’s draining me?
  
  

• Which streams are sustainable? Which feel heavy?
  
  

• Have I learned something new that could evolve my offer?
  
  

• What does “enough” look like for me this season?
  
  

Think of it like a mini personal audit. This helps you stay connected to the why behind what you’re building — and avoid overworking for the sake of it.

💡 Try this: Set a 30-minute monthly reflection session using the questions above. Pair it with your coffee, a walk, or your calendar review.

✂️ Know when to trim your pie

Your career pie isn’t set in stone — and that’s the point.

One of the most freeing things about this model is that you’re allowed to stop doing something when it’s no longer working. That could mean:

• Letting go of a service that no longer fits your lifestyle
  
  

• Pressing pause on a stream that’s not delivering ROI (financial or emotional)
  
  

• Saying no to work that looks good on paper, but feels off in practice
  
  

Cutting a slice doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re making space for the next layer of growth.

📈 Expand with intention, not obligation

It’s tempting to say yes to everything — especially when opportunities start to flow in. But not every income stream is a good fit just because it pays.

As you grow, ask:

• Does this align with how I want to work?
  
  

• Does it complement or conflict with my existing streams?
  
  

• Will this create more freedom or more complexity?
  
  

This is especially important for parents, caregivers, and anyone who’s moved away from full-time roles for a reason. Your time and energy are assets — treat them like currency.

🧩 Rebundle what you’ve learned

One of the most exciting parts of a portfolio career is the ability to combine your experiences in creative, strategic ways.

Over time, you’ll gather insight across different roles, industries or offers. This often becomes your next offer — more refined, more valuable, and more uniquely you.

Examples:

• A VA who starts training other VAs
  
  

• A side hustle that becomes a licensed workshop
  
  

• A copywriter who builds a course + coaching model
  
  

• A freelancer who becomes a fractional specialist
  
  

You don’t have to keep reinventing. Sometimes, growth looks like rebundling what you’ve already done — and charging accordingly.

🗂 Systems > scale

You don’t need to grow bigger — but you may want to grow smarter.

As your career pie evolves, build light systems to protect your time and deliver consistently:

• Use Tally or Notion to automate onboarding
  
  

• Create templates for repeatable tasks
  
  

• Batch your calendar: admin, delivery, creative, planning
  
  

• Use AI tools to reduce busywork, not add complexity
  
  

These tweaks keep your business lean and your brain clear — especially if you’re juggling multiple offers or clients.

🤎 Protect your purpose

Here’s the golden rule: Don’t let your portfolio career become the new version of the job you were trying to escape.

Growth doesn’t have to mean scale. It can mean more freedom, more creative space, more time with your whānau, or more control over your schedule.

If you built this to feel aligned — keep checking that it still does.

And if it doesn’t? Good news: You can change it.

✨ Want support as you grow?

If you’ve started your portfolio career and now want to refine, rebalance or expand, Coach+ is here to guide your next chapter.

Inside, you’ll get: ✔ A structured monthly reflection process
✔ Streamline tools to plan your next 90-day sprint
✔ Ongoing access to the AI-powered Portfolio Career Coach
✔ All the templates and planning prompts to evolve your version of success

This isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing what matters — better.

Why I Built a Portfolio Career — and a Life That Fits

“One day I was working in a job I loved. The next, I was being made redundant by people who barely looked me in the eye.”

I didn’t see it coming. I’d taken on a digital and product leadership role that felt meaningful — and stable. I could see myself there for the next five years.

Instead, I walked away from it with a pit in my stomach… and a quiet but growing conviction:
I could do better.

Not better at the job — better at creating a life where I wouldn’t have to rely on someone else’s business to determine my livelihood, value, or future.

💥 When the job goes, so does the confidence

I lost more than just income that day.
I lost confidence in myself. In how businesses treat people. In the story I’d built about what success was supposed to look like.

I honestly didn’t think people could be so cold. But they can.

“For a while, I didn’t even feel employable. I questioned everything I’d done up until that point.”

It took time — years, actually — to build that confidence back.
The turning point? Reconnecting with people. Working one-on-one. Using my hands, my heart, and my creativity to help others feel good about themselves.

That’s when things began to shift.

🛠 Rebuilding on my own terms

I’ve been a marketer for 20 years — across startups, fashion, strategy, and digital. It’s always been my steady foundation.

Freelancing, consulting, and fractional CMO roles with SMEs have long been how I stayed sharp and secure. That work kept me up to date with digital trends, product innovation, and the realities of building something from scratch.

But after the redundancy, I didn’t want to go back to business as usual.
I wanted to build something that meant something.

✨ That’s how Inkworks Studio was born

Inkworks Studio is a cosmetic tattooing studio specialising in scalp micropigmentation and restorative appearance work.

But more than that — it’s a confidence studio.

Every person who walks through the door has a story: hair loss, scarring, trauma, self-consciousness. We sit together. We talk. And slowly, over the course of the treatment, I watch them soften. Straighten. See themselves again.

“Helping people feel like themselves again became the most meaningful work I’ve ever done.”

The treatments are creative. Delicate. Deeply personal. I’m not just working with needles — I’m working with energy, trust, and transformation.

🎨 Creativity was always part of it

I come from an arts background. In another life, I would’ve been a painter.
That creative thread has always run through my work — even when I was deep in marketing strategy.

It’s what makes me so comfortable being hands-on with clients. Whether I’m designing a brand or doing a hairline restoration, I think in shapes, stories, and subtle details. I follow instinct.

And that creative intuition also shows up in how I build businesses — offers, brands, experiences. I like texture. And I like things that last.

🧩 The portfolio career wasn’t a trend — it was a solution

Inkworks was never meant to be everything.
Alongside it, I continued consulting, doing brand strategy, working on launches — and coaching others who were navigating similar crossroads.

Eventually, I realised I hadn’t built just one business — I’d built a portfolio career.

Each stream supported the other.
Some months, consulting paid the bills. Other months, the studio work felt like my purpose.
And the coaching? That was my way of passing the blueprint on.

🌱 What I know now

There are a lot of people like me — people who gave everything to a job, only to be let go, burned out, or left wondering what’s next.

We’re not taught how to pivot.
We’re not taught that work can be flexible, layered, and aligned with our lives.
We’re taught to pick one lane, and stick with it.

“If you’ve lost your job — or just your sense of direction — you’re not alone. Start with one slice. You don’t have to leap, just begin.”

That’s what I did.
That’s what I help others do now, too — through The Portfolio Career Coach.

Because we all deserve to feel confident again — in how we look, how we work, and how we live.