A 42-year-old yacht captain earns $124,000 annually through his side hustle: "It's the simplest thing to do."

The Six-Figure Side Hustle series by CNBC Make It features individuals with successful side hustles who share their routines and habits for generating income in addition to their full-time jobs. If you have a story to share, please email us at [email protected].

Kelly Gordon now depends on social media for her side hustle, whereas she used to avoid it.

A 42-year-old woman from Indiana is a full-time superyacht captain for wealthy clients, currently commanding a 108-foot boat in Palm Beach, Florida. She started using Facebook and Instagram in 2019 to stay connected with her siblings.

Captain Kelly J. Gordon's videos about her daily life, which included travel, boating tips, and mental health, gained popularity among users she didn't know. As a result, she was able to monetize her business and bring in $124,000 in revenue last year, according to CNBC Make It.

According to Gordon, the majority of that money is used to pay for a PR manager, video editor, and three part-time employees, with the remaining funds coming from advertising payouts, sponsorships, public speaking gigs, and merchandise sales.

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She devotes approximately five hours each week to her side hustle, and when she's not actively captaining, she states. Her objective is to begin earning a self-sustaining income from it by the end of the year.

"I hope to make this my retirement job, traveling the world, attending events, motivating people, and continuing with my social media," Gordon said to Make It last week, adding, "I'm not ready to retire from running boats yet."

Gordon talks about combining her diverse experiences into a single side hustle, why she outsources tasks rather than keeping revenue, and how she sets healthy boundaries.

CNBC Make It: Do you think your side hustle is replicable?

Authenticity is the easiest thing to achieve if you are comfortable with yourself, but can be the hardest if you are not.

My content is genuine, and people love it because of that.

Through self-reflection and introspection, I learned to love myself and feel comfortable in my own skin.

It's challenging to feel confident in oneself, let alone share that with the entire cosmos.

How much does it cost to start a side hustle on social media?

I initially started off by posting myself, but then I quickly laughed at myself and decided to hire some assistance.

If you find yourself thinking, "I don't have extra money to spend on social media," when you reach the point where you want to allocate $100 per month, you may need to reconsider your budget.

You might have the money in savings, but you can't do everything.

Instead of keeping your earnings for yourself, you choose to allocate a significant portion of them towards paying others. What was the reasoning behind that choice?

I am not a videographer or an editor, but a boat captain.

I have limited time for my side hustle when I'm not on the water, and I'm smart enough to know that editing videos is not my strong suit.

I excel at delivering engaging and motivational content on camera, but I require assistance in producing high-quality content to generate revenue.

Currently, I am reinvesting all the resources I have into growing the business.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a side hustle or switch careers but believes they lack relevant experience?

Young people often claim they lack experience to become yacht crew members, but I believe they have something in common.

My yachting career is related to my chemistry background in two ways. The chemistry is applicable in a mechanical sense, and my ability to teach a large group of students translates to my ability to lead a boat with a crew.

Consider what you typically devote the most of your leisure time to.

What is the key to maintaining a balance between your part-time work and your full-time job in a sustainable manner?

The conversations in our heads are the most important ones.

I've learned to recognize when I'm on the brink of exhaustion. To prevent burnout, I take a break. However, self-talk can be detrimental, leading to self-doubt and negative self-talk, such as "You can't do it," "You're not good enough," and the thought becomes stuck in a loop.

When I'm beating myself up, I imagine a looping projector tape and picture myself cutting it. Then, I ask myself, "Would you say these things to your best friend?" If the answer is no, I stop.

As I expand my social media and public speaking business, I anticipate encountering haters. Although I have made significant progress in accepting criticism, I am still human and it will still hurt. I am actively preparing myself for this possibility.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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