The sports mascots earning $75K+ per year 🏀

Hey there! Shout out to everyone who attended our first ever “Green Out” at the Mystics vs. Sparks game on Friday! Of course we were jazzed that our home team, the Mystics, won, but our real fight is for pay equity in the Women’s National Basketball Association. Thank you to everyone who attended to help us bring awareness to this important issue. 💚

 1   The writers' strike marches on 🪧

Last Friday, the hotly anticipated meeting between the Writers Guild of America and representatives for Hollywood’s biggest studios (their first meeting since the strike began on May 2) did not produce an agreement.

“Insulting and out-of-touch.” That’s how writers characterized executives’ proposals. They refused to budge on residuals, guaranteed weekly pay, and other proposals on the WGA’s list.

But not (all) hope is lost. There’s now an open door for further conversations, with one studio source telling Hollywood Reporter, “I anticipate we’ll be back at the table in a week, but we’re not there yet on either side.” We’ll keep you posted.

 2   Side hustles are on the rise—but at what cost? 💸

What do 39% of Americans and Jennifer Lopez have in common? They’re hustlers. Nearly two in five U.S. adults have a side hustle (and 44% believe they’ll “always need” one), according to a survey from Bankrate.

The two ✌️ main reasons why people are side hustling:

1. To earn extra income to keep up with rising living costs, low-paying jobs, and a slowing job market.

2. It’s easy to turn almost any hobby into 💰 thanks to social media and online marketplaces (Etsy, Mercari, Depop…the list goes on).

But as more people turn their hobbies into side hustles, that hobby becomes, well…just another job. And without real downtime (downtime that’s free from profit and productivity), you’re more susceptible to stress and burnout.

 3   Ever wonder what being a mascot is really like? ⚾️

Wonder no further. Tom Burgoyne, the man behind the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team mascot, Phanatic, is giving us the 411. After landing the job full-time in 1994, Tom now does around 580 shows a year, performing at hospitals, stadiums, and schools around the world.

Let’s chat compensation.💲The top sports mascots earn up to six figures, but that’s pretty rare—in the minor leagues, most mascots nab $50 a game. If you’re looking for more solid pay to live out your mascot dreams, we’d suggest the NBA, where the starting salary is closer to $75,000 or $80,000.

Sponsored by Indeed

How to Make Money WFH

If you're looking for a full-time job or side hustle for extra cash, there are plenty of ways to earn decent money while working from home. A Technical Writer, for example, can make upwards of $60,000/year researching, developing, and documenting technical design specifications.

Here are 20 more work-from-home jobs that also pay well!

Let’s play a game. 🧩 Guess the job based on the following details:

• Description: Use analytics tools and techniques to extract meaningful insights from data.

• Pay: In May 2021, the average annual salary for this position was $100,910.

• Education: It’s a mix! Certain companies require a bachelor’s degree in computer science or another relevant field. But others will readily hire candidates who received an online certification from a reputable boot camp.

If you guessed a data scientist, you are correct! 🥳 In our latest video, we compiled all our interviews with data scientists so you can get a better idea of how much they’re earning (which, by the way, is largely north of six figures).

Interested in pursuing this career? Here are 17 data science certifications to help you break into the field.

• How to stop your boss from talking to you (unprompted) about politics.

• You got the job. 🎉 Now, learn how to negotiate your salary so you’re not leaving money on the table.

• Reason 3,267 why SAG-AFTRA is striking: Studios are body-scanning background actors without their consent to create digital replicas.

• S​​tarting a new job? Don't leave behind your 401(k)! Use Capitalize for free to roll it over to an IRA of your choice.*

• Searching for a new job…while on the job? Here are five strategies so you don’t tip off your boss.

_{* This is sponsored advertising content.}

Thanks for reading! FYI: If you’re on a Zoom interview and the recruiter asks to see your room to ensure you have a “quiet space to work in,” (yes, this actually happened 🙃) know that is 100% not normal. It’s not only an indication of micromanagement, but it’s also just downright weird.

See you next Tuesday!