Each Sunday morning, Communication second-year Piper Miller sets up rows of plastic press-ons, sparkling charms and a rainbow of nail glitter along her wooden desk, then she opens the door to greet a new client — one she only knows through Instagram DMs.

“It’s really cool seeing people light up when they notice their nails in their peripheral vision,” Miller says. “Especially the ones I put a lot of time and effort into — they feel like a wearable art piece, and I’m glad other people feel the same way about them.”  

Miller has been painting nails since Fall Quarter, after falling in love with the intricacy of the craft this past summer. She serves as many customers as possible throughout the week while balancing schoolwork, offering anything from painting natural nails to designing complex press-on sets. Each customer can take up to three hours of Miller crouching over her tiny canvases, but she charges less than Evanston nail salons with her personal rate ranging from $40 to $70 per person. 

Nail artistry is just one of many side hustles run by Northwestern students developing supplemental businesses to make money outside of traditional work. From dorm-room cosmetology to designing groundbreaking apps and running comedy open-mic nights in an attic, these students are finding ways to turn their interests into profit. 

“I’ve always heard people say if you’re good at something, don’t do it for free,” barber and Weinberg first-year Nathaniel Chavez says. “And it gives me a little rush in my day — I think all passion projects are meaningful in a type of way.”

Since getting a bad haircut this summer and realizing he could fix it himself, Chavez has been running a makeshift barbershop for his short-haired classmates in need. Charging just $15 per cut, he’s making a quick buck and expanding his social circle in the process. 

“I’m an introvert, so it breaks that shell of mine to talk to other people and get to know people well and just reach out to others in that way,” he says. 

The deeper impact of side hustles is not lost on others in the community, including Communication second-year Eliza Fisher. When her close friend brought up the idea of a crochet balaclava — a cozy hooded head covering — Fisher decided to try it out, not only to enhance her friend’s style but also as a way to maintain her own well-being. 

“I got sick over the summer, and then I really had to learn how to prioritize self-care as opposed to getting work done,” Fisher says. “I needed one thing to ground me in taking time for myself. I feel like making balaclavas is the way to do that.”

Fisher has since expanded her clientele beyond close friends, bringing all varieties of balaclavas to the student body — or at least those who commission her through her Instagram account, @balaclavasby.lize. While her creations were originally priced as an “IOU,” Fisher is now charging around $40 per design, enough to cover both the time she puts in and the various brightly-colored yarns she uses.

While Fisher’s side hustle is more casual, some others are just gaining traction. For the past few weeks, Weinberg third-year Mateo Garcia-Bryce and his roommates have been running a Monday night comedy show out of their off-campus attic on Pratt Court. What started out as a group of friends throwing jokes around has evolved into a full-on comedy production with seating, beverages and even a spotlight for the featured comedian on stage. Attracting upwards of 85 people and filling the room in under five minutes, the aptly named “Prattic” has become a Monday night mainstay.  

“I think people like this because, one, it’s in a super cool venue and, two, it’s super laid back, very lowkey,” Garcia-Bryce says. “We encourage essentially everyone to do it.”

This event has reached many corners of the student body, from Greek life to performance arts groups and other inspired side-hustlers. With a newly-instated weekly cover fee of $3, “Prattic” has always been about bringing people laughs during the school week as opposed to making major profit. 

“We didn’t really feel like charging people when we were also having to worry about doing our own sets,” Garcia-Bryce says. “We wanted to make the barrier of entry as low as humanly possible.”

Some side hustles are less about financial gain and more about fueling a stifled creativity. Others explore what it’s like to monetize an interest. Miller, for example, was further inspired to pursue her nail art after hearing from a PhD student whose research focuses on the use of masks throughout theater history — taking a love of art and turning it into a degree.

“Even if your passion is so singular and focused, you can find a way to turn that into an education and a career,” Miller says.  

While getting a side hustle off the ground can seem intimidating, there are many ways to find success. For one, Weinberg fourth-year Moritz and a few of his friends launched the app “Polo” in February, creating a platform for Northwestern students to advertise their various hustles and services. From seniors selling their couches to Moritz’s own personal chef services, the app allows almost anyone to turn their passions into income. 

“Our main priority is just proving scalability, proving proof of concept and providing something that’s going to add value to the community,” Moritz says. “Students want a source of income in college but can’t really commit to a full or even part-time job because of how sporadic the college schedule is.”

Like many other students in the side hustle community, Moritz recognizes this platform is more than just a pastime for his crew, even with graduation looming.

“I just feel like our work isn’t done here yet,” Moritz says.

Print design by Sachin Chawla.