LOPATCONG, N.J. (WLVT) - "We eat pancakes. One, two, three. Pancakes and strawberries!"
Jane Batchelder is making a difference -- thousands of miles away from her Warren County home.
She retired after a 22-year teaching career, but six days a week, she finds herself teaching in a new way -- working with VIPKid as an online ESL teacher, teaching English to school-age children in China and other countries.
"I usually teach four or five classes in the morning, and then, I also teach two or three classes on Friday and Saturday evenings," Batchelder said.
She's one of several people in the Lehigh Valley with a side hustle, earning extra income in what's called "the gig economy."
A June 2019 report from Bankrate.com found 45 percent of American workers surveyed have a side hustle. Three out of ten people with a side hustle say they do it to make ends meet.
The survey shows 34 percent use the extra money for non-essential items, and 27 percent say it's to beef up their savings.
Batchelder, known to her students as "Teacher Jane," says she makes around $1,200 a month with VIPKid.
"It isn't a necessary income," she said, "but it allows me to do things I wouldn't otherwise be able to do."
The company lets teachers set their own schedule. Batchelder says she doesn't see an end to her side hustle.
"I'll just keep going as long as I feel comfortable and happy and don't look like a prune at my age," she joked.
Over in Williams Township, Northampton County, Becka Bossons is hoping her side hustle turns into a full-time job.
She's a stay-at-home mom and graduate student, but she's also been a hypnotherapist for four years, as owner of Tender Empowerment Hypnocoaching.
"If there's any unresolved trauma, we can go back and help you get over that," she said. "Just about everything that you can throw at me...hypnosis can help with that."
As she studies online at Southern New Hampshire University to earn her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, Bossons said she wants to weave in hypnosis.
"I like to tell people that it's kind of like a massage for your mind," she said.
She and her husband turned their porch into an office. She said she sees a handful of clients a month, as she balances her side business while studying and caring for her kids.
"If you're doing a side job that you don't like, you're not going to find the time," she said. "So, making sure that you love what you're doing and just putting time aside."
For some side hustlers, that love started in high school. Allentown’s Debbi Pereira made jewelry as a student and now runs a business while working as a nanny.
"I have recently just gotten into five stores in this area, and I'm trying to get into more," she said. "My goal is really to go...probably more wholesale and still do some shows."
Pereira has combined her love of jewelry with aromatherapy, designing handmade pieces with essential oils. She said her business PurpleSage Jewelry is a creative outlet that she couldn’t find working in corporate America.
"If you're doing what you like, it doesn't feel like work to me," she said.
Sometimes, side hustles evolve into permanent positions. Jessica Greiss sells products from the national clothing line LuLaRoe from her mobile boutique in Kutztown.
"I never imagined I would go from a pair of leggings to this," she said.
Greiss was a stay-at-home mom before she started the venture in 2015.
"I did this for me. It's not that we necessarily needed the money," she said. "It was something that I wanted to call my own."
She and her husband bought a trailer and transformed it into her boutique. Greiss has traveled around the Lehigh Valley and across the country, marketing her business at pop-up shops and on social media. She said persistence will pay off.
"Work your business every day," she said. "You have to wake up with a purpose, somewhat of a plan, and you just have to hit the ground running."
"You're listening to WDLS Radio -- live 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Live from Allentown, Pennsylvania.”
On the airwaves, Daniel Duch goes by the name "DJ D Smoove," but he has a different way to describe himself.
"I'm what you call an 'entrepre-hustler.' I do everything," he said. "I am a car dealer. I'm a radio host. I'm a plumber. I'm a computer nerd. I do some of everything."
Duch said he's always juggled jobs -- not just to pay the bills, but also to give back to his community.
"Before I leave the earth, I want to help as many people as possible," he said, "whether it be radio, plumbing, electricity, landscaping, painting."
Duch details cars as his primary job, but says he'll always have something else to work on.
"Doing several different things builds your confidence, builds structure in your life, builds rapport with people," he said. "It could bring you love life, you know? I mean, it could be so many different things."
Jane Batchelder is making a difference -- thousands of miles away from her Warren County home.
She retired after a 22-year teaching career, but six days a week, she finds herself teaching in a new way -- working with VIPKid as an online ESL teacher, teaching English to school-age children in China and other countries.
"I usually teach four or five classes in the morning, and then, I also teach two or three classes on Friday and Saturday evenings," Batchelder said.
She's one of several people in the Lehigh Valley with a side hustle, earning extra income in what's called "the gig economy."
A June 2019 report from Bankrate.com found 45 percent of American workers surveyed have a side hustle. Three out of ten people with a side hustle say they do it to make ends meet.
The survey shows 34 percent use the extra money for non-essential items, and 27 percent say it's to beef up their savings.
Batchelder, known to her students as "Teacher Jane," says she makes around $1,200 a month with VIPKid.
"It isn't a necessary income," she said, "but it allows me to do things I wouldn't otherwise be able to do."
The company lets teachers set their own schedule. Batchelder says she doesn't see an end to her side hustle.
"I'll just keep going as long as I feel comfortable and happy and don't look like a prune at my age," she joked.
Over in Williams Township, Northampton County, Becka Bossons is hoping her side hustle turns into a full-time job.
She's a stay-at-home mom and graduate student, but she's also been a hypnotherapist for four years, as owner of Tender Empowerment Hypnocoaching.
"If there's any unresolved trauma, we can go back and help you get over that," she said. "Just about everything that you can throw at me...hypnosis can help with that."
As she studies online at Southern New Hampshire University to earn her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, Bossons said she wants to weave in hypnosis.
"I like to tell people that it's kind of like a massage for your mind," she said.
She and her husband turned their porch into an office. She said she sees a handful of clients a month, as she balances her side business while studying and caring for her kids.
"If you're doing a side job that you don't like, you're not going to find the time," she said. "So, making sure that you love what you're doing and just putting time aside."
For some side hustlers, that love started in high school. Allentown’s Debbi Pereira made jewelry as a student and now runs a business while working as a nanny.
"I have recently just gotten into five stores in this area, and I'm trying to get into more," she said. "My goal is really to go...probably more wholesale and still do some shows."
Pereira has combined her love of jewelry with aromatherapy, designing handmade pieces with essential oils. She said her business PurpleSage Jewelry is a creative outlet that she couldn’t find working in corporate America.
"If you're doing what you like, it doesn't feel like work to me," she said.
Sometimes, side hustles evolve into permanent positions. Jessica Greiss sells products from the national clothing line LuLaRoe from her mobile boutique in Kutztown.
"I never imagined I would go from a pair of leggings to this," she said.
Greiss was a stay-at-home mom before she started the venture in 2015.
"I did this for me. It's not that we necessarily needed the money," she said. "It was something that I wanted to call my own."
She and her husband bought a trailer and transformed it into her boutique. Greiss has traveled around the Lehigh Valley and across the country, marketing her business at pop-up shops and on social media. She said persistence will pay off.
"Work your business every day," she said. "You have to wake up with a purpose, somewhat of a plan, and you just have to hit the ground running."
"You're listening to WDLS Radio -- live 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Live from Allentown, Pennsylvania.”
On the airwaves, Daniel Duch goes by the name "DJ D Smoove," but he has a different way to describe himself.
"I'm what you call an 'entrepre-hustler.' I do everything," he said. "I am a car dealer. I'm a radio host. I'm a plumber. I'm a computer nerd. I do some of everything."
Duch said he's always juggled jobs -- not just to pay the bills, but also to give back to his community.
"Before I leave the earth, I want to help as many people as possible," he said, "whether it be radio, plumbing, electricity, landscaping, painting."
Duch details cars as his primary job, but says he'll always have something else to work on.
"Doing several different things builds your confidence, builds structure in your life, builds rapport with people," he said. "It could bring you love life, you know? I mean, it could be so many different things."