How 9 agency creatives turned their passions into side hustles

Agencies are full of powerhouse ideas, and the out-of-the-box thinkers who work there can easily let that creativity bleed into their lives outside of the office. 

We found nine such entrepreneurs within agencies who have started their own side hustles, turning passion projects into full-fledged businesses that cover the gamut from artwork and streetwear to ice cream and Santa's helper.

Tommy Holl | executive assistant at Publicis Media 

Tommy Holl was told he resembled a certain shelf-dwelling Christmas elf in 2012 and began to don that now-famous red onesie outfit for fun at parties. Then, in 2014, after a cancer scare, he decided to make The Real Elf into a business that provides appearances, "Elf" merchandise, "elfie" pictures with people and "Elf grams," or video messages that people can buy for others.

Since then, he has appeared on "The Today Show," iHeartMedia and WGN News in Chicago. And in 2021, he won an investment deal on "Shark Tank" for $50,000 in cash and a $75,000 loan from Barbara Corcoran. Holl has made between $15,000 and $20,000 a year during the holiday season and a share of that goes to cancer support groups.

“It’s kind of like Clark Kent and Superman, like Peter Parker and Spider-Man,” Holl said. “You put on this magical onesie suit and it’s just been a joy. It just sort of happened and here we are 10 years later. I still fit in the onesie.”

Cristiana Ladki Williams | executive producer at TBWA\Media Arts Lab

In September 2020, Cristiana Williams launched Rue32, which sells her homemade spicy za'atar oil, a staple in Lebanese cuisine. It is made with ingredients such as thyme, sesame seeds, salt, pomegranate molasses and sumac spice. The oil pairs well with chicken, fish, potatoes and just about everything, according to Williams. She made it for many years before deciding to open a business. 

“Honestly, what I eat every day is yogurt, I love just plain Greek yogurt,” Williams said. “I put that on top and mix it—it’s my favorite.”

She works out of her garage, selling about 750 jars every few months. The oil is sold in multiple shops around California and can be bought online for $16 a jar. Overall, Williams has made around $20,000 in revenue since the launch.

Carly Owen | creative director at FCB Chicago 

A decade ago, Carly Owen opened a shop on Etsy mainly focused on designs inspired by movie quotes. In 2017, she revamped the shop into Minimal Fandom, to begin selling minimalistic print designs featuring sports teams. The pieces subtly use team colors and symbols rather than splashy logos. 

“I love being a fan of things, but I don’t want my house to look like a sports bar,” Owen said. “So that’s kind of where it started and it really blew up from there.”

Owen said she fields 10 orders a month, which she prints and packs from her home. Prices range from $28 to $60 depending on size. 

Upahar Rana | creative director at Assembly 

Rana and her best friend Marian Miranda launched Half Hippy, an all-natural skincare brand, in 2016. The shop currently sells deodorant—its top seller—as well as restorative face oil and multi-use muscle and vapor rub. 

Prices range from $6 to $48, depending on size. The products can be bought at select stores throughout the country and online. On average, the pair sells anywhere from 75 to 150 products a month, including wholesale. 

Right now the business “doesn’t really sustain our lifestyles, that’s why we have full-time jobs,” Rana said, adding that it is “really beautiful to see this community of people that even send the most beautiful notes and reviews. It’s really gratifying.”

Bob Ranew | creative director at Baldwin&

When Bob Ranew was a kid, he loved motorcycles, but was never allowed to ride them. It wasn’t until after he married that he was finally able to get a bike. In 2014, he started his business Redeemed Cycles, restoring classic motorcycles.

He’s rebuilt 16 motorcycles—another five are currently in the works—that can take anywhere from six months to a year to complete. Some models include a 1974 CB450, 1978 KZ650, 1974 CB750 and a 1979 CB750. Ranew has brought in about $30,000 in revenue with his side hustle.

“Really kicking the motor on for the first time and hearing that thing start back up, is the greatest feeling in the world,” he said. “To me, it’s just somehow we’ve resurrected this old machine again and it's really a lot of fun.”

Benny Gold | design director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners 

Over 15 years ago, Benny Gold started his streetwear business, Benny Gold, which sells everything from hats, shirts and socks. Before making it a side hustle, it was his main source of income, with his brand being sold in big-name stores such as Pacsun, Zumiez and Urban Outfitters. At the time, he was raking in more than $2 million a year. 

But in 2018, Gold said the retail landscape had changed, causing him to rethink his career aspirations. A friend recommend he try advertising and soon after he landed a job at GS&P. There, Gold made the hard decision to make his business more of a side hustle and now works strictly out of his home, going from a team of 11 to just himself. He still sells to smaller stores, with his most recent deal closing at $10,000. 

Even though the business is smaller now, Gold feels that his identity as a creator has still grown, saying that “it’s really nice to see that people still care and keep asking me to make more stuff and stores will keep calling for it.”

Meghan Linehan | account director at Something Different

Three years ago, Meghan Linehan, who said she's always been a “classic meeting doodler,” launched the website Sawwft, where she began to sell prints. But Linehan had to put that on the back burner when she became an illustrator for New York Magazine, where she has a weekly column called “What a Week, a Diary in Scribbles.”

Linehan, who used to sell her prints for $30 and do commission work for around $100, is focusing on her editorial illustrations moving forward. 

“I would love to do more of them,” she said. “I like the way my brain spins when I'm doing it or just comes up with ideas.”

Jolene Delisle | founder and head of creative at The Working Assembly

In 2021, Jolene Delisle and her husband decided to buy a defunct ice cream shop located in New York's Catskill Mountains. The shop first opened in the 1950s but had cycled through many owners. After revamping the ice creamery—now known as Cherries—and hiring staff, Delisle opened the shop in May of this year, just in time for the summer season.

Ice cream scoops at Cherries range from $4 to $8 and the shop sells over 20 flavors that can also be used to make shakes and floats. 

Delisle was attracted to the idea of buying the shop because it “was just something different to do that was like another creative expression” and that it’s nice to have something “that you feel like you have a little bit more control, creativity and freedom over.”

Adam Jones | executive technology director at R/GA

Adam Jones is the founder and CEO of Token Events, a blockchain-based business geared towards the complete digital transformation of the live event space. He started building it in 2015 and Token Events will fully launch sometime between August and October.