I have the pleasure of calling Charleston, SC my home, and I have to tell you, most of the time it’s a great place to call home.  It is beautiful, there is water everywhere, wildlife is abundant, it is not unusual to see Bald Eagles, Deer and Flying Fish on a average walk through my neighborhood.   People here are very nice, and come from all over the country as Charleston has seen a big boom in migration for some of the reasons I just mentioned.  The one thing Charleston does not have a ton of is what I would call traditional economy.  There are NOT a ton of companies to employ people, and one of the questions we all ask is, what do you people do in Charleston if you don’t work at X companies,  teacher, a doctor or are a lawyer etc?

On my walk today I think I might have come up with the right term for what many people “do” in Charleston, I am calling it The Charleston Hustle, and its dance/philosophy that we can all learn from.

A little background on the influences of The Charleston Hustle, as I see them

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston_(dance)

The Charleston is a dance named for the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called The Charleston by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin’ Wild[1] and became one of the most popular hits of the decade. Runnin’ Wild ran from 10/29/1923 through 06/28/1924.[1]

While it developed in African-American communities in the USA, the Charleston became a popular dance craze in the wider international community in the 1920s. Despite its origins, Charleston is most frequently associated with white flappers and the speakeasy. Here, these young women would dance alone or together as a way of mocking the “drys,” or citizens who supported the Prohibition amendment, as the Charleston was then considered quite immoral and provocative.

Here is a fun video of examples of the dance.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNAOHtmy4j0

Hustle or Hustler Definition:

A hustle is a way to make money in other ways than traditional 9 to 5 jobs, maybe its babysitting, waiting tables on the side, or blogging.  Typically, its something you can do fairly quickly, when in the need of some cash, or can do on the side.  For example, PrivateEyes is my side hustle.  I saw this entry on Urban Dictionary and I thought it articulated the concept well:

H.U.S.T.L.E.R – How U Survive This Life Everyday, Resourcefully.  <http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hustler>

Ok, now that we know some history, back to what is the Charleston Hustle, and what we can all learn from it.

A lot of people are very dedicated to living in Charleston,  so people do a lot of different thing s to live here.  A lot of people you meet do a lot of different things, we have a lot of freelance writers, artists, real estate, hip hop dancers,  yoga instructors, fisherman, massage therapists,  instructors, entrepreneurs  of all types etc.    What I think it unique and what I suspect makes a good hustle, is that typically people are doing something they are passionate about and have figured out how to commercialize it.  It seems to me that people doing the Charleston Hustle have  identified their DUH’s, (http://privateeyeundies.com/finding-your-duh-in-2010/ ) and a lot of their DUH’s include wanting to live in Charleston, and they have figured how to make it happen.

I know everyone knows how I feel about 2009, but not only am I pissed at 2009, but 2009 really terrified me.  While I do have a good day job, and have not been laid off, but I saw people all around me getting laid off.  People’s businesses were not supporting them in the same way as they were a few years ago… I mean we all know, we are all living it. I wont go on forever, but I basically realized that while I was lucky enough to have a good job, I could not depend on that always being there, and more importantly I could not count on a job to make me feel secure, or define who I was etc.    That was up to me, hence I created my philosophy of measuring where I was in each of the important areas with The Duh’s and finally I had what I think is a good idea and way for me to be creative, support other woman, and basically hold it together, and PrivateEyes was born.   I will credit the examples of all the other Charleston Hustlers with showing me real life examples of figuring out how to make the life you want to have happen.

If you look at the examples of the people dancing the original Charleston, you can see that there is not ONE way to do it, you can do it by yourself, with friends, with someone special, and by the looks of it, everyone seems to be having a great time.  These images are from the 1920′s not exactly the best economic time either, so when life kicks you in the teeth, think of the original Charleston dancers…. And figure out your next move…. They don’t have to be perfect, but keep dancing and keep hustling…. It does not hurt to have a fabulous flapper dress  or some fun dance companions either.

Does anyone have good examples of people who are doing the Charleston Hustle ( they don’t have to be in Charleston )

Think Outside the Box is a blog that features stories and outlooks from women in the trenches of the working world.   My hope is that the blog will be an interactive environment where women can come for a moment of inspiration, levity, perspective, and help in managing their days.  We will feature stories and opinions from different authors, and depending on the topic we will feature these storeis anonymously.  If Tiger Woods has taught us anything, is that sometimes its best not to be associated with everything you have written.  The hope is that you will give us your opinions and feedback openly and honestly and don’t need to worry about offending your boss, family, etc.  So the rule is Be Yourself, Just Don’t be You.

We can borrow from a fun tradition of CB radio handles, here is an explanation of the practice:

A handle is moniker for a person communicating using a CB. Choose a name that people will remember. Part of the fun of selecting a handle is doing some soul-searching. Be guided by a name that is a reflection of your identity. Select a CB handle that is an extension of your inner persona. http://www.ehow.com/how_2057776_choose-cb-radio-handle.html Don’t feel like you need to over think this, maybe just an explanation of how you are feeling that day.  For example:

• Overworked and Under Stimulated
• Kicking Ass and Taking Names
• At Capacity