20: The Hobby Stigma
In this episode, we are talking about how entrepreneurial jobs are viewed as more of a hobby or can be seen as “less than” in the home and the world, especially for women. We will get into some of the gender bias that can play into this and how certain roles are viewed in society. Really, how gender plays into leadership dynamics and entrepreneurship.
For so many of us, we have turned something we love or had as a hobby into our business. Take something you’re good at, realize there is a gap in the market, fill that gap and boom - you are off to the races. Or maybe this started as your career (like Carly) and led to a full time business. The same perception can exist with a job that is fun. As a graphic designer, Carly has felt like her job was viewed as a hobby a lot during her career. Just because it’s fun and she loves it, doesn’t mean it isn’t a real job. Honestly, it feels like it comes from a place of jealousy or some perception that fun jobs or entrepreneurial jobs are more of a hobby. Since starting White Space Design, when Carly tells people that she started her own design business, a lot of times, people will respond with, “oh, so you’re freelance now.” Which only downplays the hard work she has put into actually starting a business.
Women own nearly 40% of all businesses in the U.S. generating over $3 trillion in revenue.
Here are some misconceptions as to why this might be the case:
Cultural bias toward traditional employment — People often view 9–5 jobs with a salary as “real work” and anything self-created as “play” or “side hustle.”
Lack of visibility — Much of entrepreneurial work happens behind the scenes (emails, proposals, planning), so outsiders only see the “fun” or creative parts.
Income inconsistency — If income isn’t steady yet, it’s assumed to be “just a hobby.”
Gender bias — Women-led businesses, especially in creative or lifestyle industries, are more often labeled as “cute hobbies” compared to male counterparts. Which we will talk about later.
Why It’s a Misconception:
Entrepreneurial work demands more skills — marketing, finances, networking, product development, customer service — often handled by one person.
Economic contribution — Small businesses make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses and employ nearly half the private workforce.
Risk factor — Hobbyists don’t risk their own savings, take on legal responsibilities, or navigate taxes like business owners do.
Professional expertise — Many entrepreneurs have years of industry experience before launching.
Side hustles have taken a huge leap forward in recent years.
39% of U.S. adults currently have a side hustle—about 80 million people adding onto their primary income.
Generational breakdown of those with a side hustle:
Gen Z (18–26): 53%
Millennials (27–42): 50%
Gen X (43–58): 40%
Baby Boomers (59–77): 24%
Entreprenuerial jobs have a huge imact on the economy finanically and with effecting the unemployment rate.
In 2018, the U.S. side hustle and freelance market was valued at $2–2.6 trillion.
Small businesses (often single-person ventures) make up over half of non-farm private GDP in the U.S.
Approximately 22 million small businesses (under 500 employees), including 17 million sole proprietorships.
A big shift is also happening with women in the workforce.
Women are leaving the workforce at a concerning rate, driven by factors such as caregiving responsibilities, lack of flexibility, and workplace inequities.
Time Magazine Article Highlights:
Since January 2025, 212,000 women aged 20 and over have left the U.S. workforce, while 44,000 men have entered it—a stark reversal of previously rising participation trends, especially among mothers. TIME
Among women aged 25–44 with a child under five, labor force participation fell by nearly three percentage points—from 69.7% to 66.9%—between January and June. TIME
The decline coincides closely with sweeping rollbacks in remote work policies:
Federal workers were ordered back to office five days a week by presidential mandate.
Companies like Amazon, JPMorgan, and AT&T similarly reversed flexible work setups.
Consequently, full-time in-office requirements among Fortune 500 companies jumped from 13% to 24% in one quarter.
SOURCE: TIME
Additional cost and policy factors include:
Expiration of federal childcare subsidies, leading to rising care costs.
Reduced immigrant labor in childcare, due to stricter deportation efforts, further shrinking available caregiving support.
Reasons why:
Caregiving Responsibilities
A significant number of women are leaving the workforce due to the increased burden of childcare and eldercare, especially during and after the pandemic.
Workplace Inequities
Women face gender bias in promotions and advancement opportunities, with research suggesting they are less likely to be promoted internally than men.
Workplace culture can be unwelcoming, with women experiencing harassment and not being taken seriously.
The lack of flexibility in the workplace is a major concern, with many women feeling unable to ask for accommodations for fear of career repercussions.
Burnout and Mental Health:
Burnout is a significant factor driving women out of the workforce, with many feeling unsupported in their mental health needs.
Pandemic's Impact:
The pandemic significantly impacted women's employment, with many leaving the workforce due to school closures and childcare disruptions.
While some sectors have recovered, others, particularly those with a higher percentage of women, have not fully rebounded.
The pandemic highlighted existing inequalities and amplified the challenges women face in balancing work and family responsibilities.
Economic Downturn:
The economic downturn, exacerbated by the pandemic, has disproportionately affected women, with some sectors experiencing job losses and cuts.
This economic instability can force women to leave the workforce, especially those with caregiving responsibilities.
Policy shifts and changing workplace norms are not just headlines—but career-altering moves for millions of women.
SOURCE: GOOGLE
How gender bias plays a role:
We discuss ladies who lunch / ladies of leisure vs. business meetings on the golf course for men and how they are viewed.
The Stereotypes
Men on the Golf Course → Seen as “doing business,” closing deals, building networks. Expense often written off as a strategic meeting.
Women at Lunch → Seen as “socializing,” gossiping, or just catching up. Rarely perceived as “serious” networking, even when real business is discussed.
Cultural framing → Golf is historically associated with executives and high-level networking; lunch has been socially coded as “personal time.”
Expense reports → Corporate culture legitimizes golf outings as a business expense but rarely lunch with female peers.
Gender norms → Men’s networking spaces (golf, sports events, cigar lounges) are framed as power hubs; women’s gatherings are often framed as “nice-to-haves.”
Some good news for us, though. Women are working hard both in the home and at the “office” and therefore putting more on the dads in the family. The Female Quotient says:
“Dads are spending much more time with their children than previous generations. But why? It could point to a number of positive changes like more women (and moms!) in the workforce, a shift in sharing family responsibilities between men and women, and a flexible work-life balance that benefits families as a whole. Present dads are powerful drivers of their children’s success, social skills, and mental health, so this is a win for everyone! Well done, millennial dads.”
And, According to a Harvard study, daughters of working mothers are more likely to grow up resilient, pursue careers, earn higher salaries, and step into leadership roles.
Companies that are women-led, known for promoting gender equality, and for advancing women into C-level positions.
Cisco - Female Vice President
Ingka Group (IKEA) - 50/50 gender split in management roles.
Eventbrite - 40-50% of management roles are held by women
Notable women-owned businesses:
You Handled That Perfectly
White Space Deisgn
Avalon Professional Services
Canva
Spanx
The Honest Company
Glossier
Rent the Runway
Bumble
Stitch Fix
Orangetheory Fitness
Perfectly Good Advice:
This is from Alecia who owns The UPS Store 7587.
Here’s my advice in order to prove those naysayers wrong: if you want to be an entrepreneur and you have some solid ideas, don’t wait unless you have to! Right out of college, all my boyfriend (now husband) and I wanted was to start making money ASAP and be self-sufficient. The thing is, right out of school is the perfect time to give your passion a go! Or if you’re empty-nesters and have a good amount of money tucked away, that’s a great time to give it a go too! Failing certainly won’t feel as heavy when you don’t have hungry mouths to feed at your dinner table. Or if you have someone that can help out financially in the mean time while you’re figuring out the world of entrepreneurship, that’s great too!
Having a back up plan will definitely take a lot of pressure off your shoulders, but if that’s not you and you still want to go for it, make sure you have the confidence and the drive to give it your best. And if that’s still not you, well, then just know that the journey will probably be a difficult one. It was certainly difficult for my husband and I but we’re making it work - you can too! You know that song, “Try Everything” by Shakira? Being from the entrepreneurial world and being a mama of 3 (I’ve watched Zootopia too many times to count), it’s one of my favorites! You certainly don’t want to regret not trying.
Our fave song this week is Golden from Kpop Demon Hunters!!
Check out our Playlist Here.
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