What is a portfolio career?
Quite simple, it’s holding several different roles (paid or unpaid), often involving very different skillsets working on different projects. It’s a way to showcase and develop multi interest areas of your life (passions, strengths, meaningful work) so you create a balance and variety in how you spend your workweek or year. As opposed to one full-time job, portfolio careers often involve one role being contract or freelance-based, using a strengths built from a previous full-time job or career often, to cover much of your living expenses. The other roles may further increase income and you may be able to create a role purely to give back to society.
In Phil Evangelou’s case, not too long ago he was in a high-pressure city job as a lawyer for several year and made a big change. After living in Africa for a few months, learning new skills to start businesses remotely, he was inspired to not only start an ecommerce business with his friend, he also founded his own incredible charity, Kupendo Kids
This is a story of how to find balance in life, building a portfolio career rather than just one job, and how to bring passion to your work and where purpose can be found in your life to give it true meaning. So if you feel that being tied to one role is limiting your creativity and potential, you want more variety in your work life, or you simply want to give back and perhaps start or work for a charity, this talk is for you.
Resources mentioned:
- Kupendo Kids – the amazing charity that Phil started in Africa to support the education of children through producing and selling toys.
- Eternal Empire – ecommerce business Phil set up with his friend
- Nomad MBA (now called Nomad Academy) – course Phil went through where he lived in Africa and learnt the key digital marketing and business skills to start his own ecommerce company Eternal Empire.