This Former Microsoft Consultant Started a Side Hustle After a Frustrating Vacation Experience — It Hit $250,000 Fast and Makes Millions Now When Nicole Smith met up with her best friend in Paris and struggled to get good photos of them together, she knew there had to be a better way.

It's the era of the side hustle, and if you've ever considered starting one to earn some extra cash outside of your 9-5, you're in good company. These days, more than one-third of U.S. adults have side hustles, and their supplemental gigs make an average of $891 a month, according to recent research from Bankrate. Of course, the most successful side hustlers see much higher earnings, especially when they start a business that brings in nearly as much as — or significantly more than — their full-time sources of income.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Flytographer. Nicole Smith.}