How I Built a Portfolio Career While Working Full-Time

Written By Brie Abramowicz

A practical guide to managing multiple income streams, avoiding burnout, and building a body of work on your terms.

"Wait, how do you juggle your own business AND a full-time job?"

I've heard this question so many times I've lost count. And I totally get why people ask. On paper, it sounds impossible. Full-time job. Weekly podcast. Coaching clients. Course development. A book in progress. It looks like I'm either lying about my schedule or running on three hours of sleep.

But here's the thing—there's actually a method to what might look like madness.

I didn't wake up one day and decide to become a "portfolio career person." There was no dramatic resignation letter or inspirational LinkedIn post about "following my passion." Instead, I kind of backed into this whole thing, making one small decision after another.

And it all started when I got laid off.

When Everything Changed

For over ten years, I was that person at work. You know the type—the one who never says no to the impossible projects, who somehow keeps everything running even when the wheels are falling off. I was really good at being reliable. Maybe too good.

When the layoff happened, it knocked me sideways. But it also did something unexpected: it made me realize I didn't want to just bounce back into the same cycle.

I wanted to build something different this time.

The Ten-Month Experiment

Instead of immediately job hunting, I gave myself ten months. A self-imposed break to figure out what "different" might actually look like.

That's when I stumbled across this idea of a portfolio career—basically, creating multiple income streams that work together, built around what you're actually good at and care about.

Now, if you spend any time on business Twitter or LinkedIn, you've probably seen the advice: "Just leap! Quit your job! Go all in!"

And sure, maybe that works for some people. But for those of us dealing with actual adult responsibilities—rent, student loans, kids, aging parents—that kind of advice can lead to what I call panic entrepreneurship.

You know what I mean:

  • Taking any client who'll pay you

  • Undercharging because you're desperate

  • Making decisions based on fear instead of strategy

What you end up with isn't really a business. It's just a more stressful version of having a job.

And I hadn't left corporate life just to create a worse version of it for myself.

The Art of Building Slowly

So instead of jumping off the cliff, I treated those ten months like a laboratory. I tried different services, tested various ways of talking about my work, experimented with content. I paid attention to what energized me and what made me want to hide under a blanket.

Most importantly, I stopped trying to look like I had it all figured out and started actually figuring it out.

When I eventually went back to full-time work, I didn't see it as giving up on my dreams. I saw it as adding another income stream—one that gave me health insurance, steady pay, and clear boundaries so I could work on my own projects without constantly worrying about money.

Could I have gone the freelance route? Absolutely. But I knew that would mean spending mental energy on business development, client management, and constant context-switching. I was trying to build a podcast, develop a course, and write a book. I needed focused creative time, not additional stress.

What I've Figured Out (So Far)

After a few years of doing this, here are a few principles that I give all my clients that are just getting started in building their portfolios

Rule #1: Build with the End in Mind. Are you creating something that's all about you—your voice, your expertise, your content? Or are you building a service business that could eventually run without you? Both are valid, but they require completely different strategies for marketing, pricing, and time management.

If you're building around your personal brand, don't wait until you're "ready" to start putting yourself out there.

Rule #2: Give Yourself a Window to Build Without Interference. Don't try to build clarity while your life is chaos. If you can carve out even a few months of breathing room—between jobs, during a slow season, or by negotiating a sabbatical—use it wisely. That's when you validate your ideas, test your first offers, and build some momentum. Add the constraints of a full-time schedule later.

Rule #3: Choose your anchor income strategically. You need money coming in the door—the question is from where.

If you crave predictability, a traditional job might be perfect.

If flexibility matters more to you, freelancing or fractional could be better options, but be prepared for the mental overhead of constantly managing your biz dev pipeline and managing boundaries with your clients.

Regardless of which anchor income strategy you choice, the key is making sure your primary income source doesn't completely drain you. It should fuel your next steps, not sabotage them!

What This Actually Looks Like Day-to-Day

Let me get specific about how I structure my own time with a 9-5 in the mix!

Early mornings (6:45–8:30 AM)

  • This is prime time for client calls, podcast recording, and writing.

  • My brain is sharpest before the workday starts, so I protect this window fiercely.

  • Time investment: ~6 hours/week

Strategic lunch breaks (twice a week)

  • I batch all my social media work into two focused lunch sessions.

  • No mindless scrolling—just content creation and genuine engagement.

  • Time investment: ~2 hours/week

Evenings or weekend afternoons

  • This is for bigger-picture work—strategy sessions, longer writing projects, course development.

  • I keep this flexible because some work weeks are more demanding than others.

  • Time investment: ~7 hours/week

Total weekly commitment: 15-17 hours

During launches or busy periods, this might spike to 20-25 hours, but that's only allowed a few times a year.

Burnout is NOT part of my business model.

If You're Thinking About Starting…

You don't need to quit your job tomorrow. You don't need a perfect business plan or a crystal-clear vision of exactly where you're headed. You just need some protected time, a basic strategy, and clarity about what actually matters to you in this particular moment.

This approach isn't right for everyone, I know. But if you value creativity, autonomy, flexibility, and long-term sustainability over quick wins and a dramatic pivot, this may just be the right approach.

You get to do this however you want to.

And if fifteen hours a week is all you have? I promise you that is enough as long as you use those hours with real intention!

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Looking to build a portfolio career and want some support? I offer focused strategy sessions where we map out your portfolio staregy and build a product or service test plan to get you going. Book a free discovery call with me or watch my free Portfolio Career Webinar on Youtube to get started!

Brie Abramowicz