What a portfolio career *actually* looks like

A week of chaos, a year of growth, and what I'm doing differently next year

Hi, I’m Hannah! Welcome to Nonlinear News, where I write for ambitious people with unconventional paths.

Follow me for ~weekly posts on pivots, portfolio careers, and personal brands.

I had this newsletter post outlined and ready to go in my Notion.

I was going to write about how I’m planning for 2026 - goals, vision boarding, how I plan and execute…

But it feels fake. That version is organized, structured, and tactical. The reality over the past few weeks has felt like anything but that.

I write for a living, both as a marketer and a creator, so packaging scattered thoughts into 'value,' numbered lists, and strategic frameworks feels like instinct.

But it’s against the ethos of why I started sharing content about nonlinear and portfolio careers, where the reality of growing and reinventing is messy.

I’m saving the vision boarding for when I have more mental space and clarity next week. (If you’re getting a head start, this is the template I use to turn my vision board into a phone wallpaper.)

Here’s what a real day looked like this week. Vs what things look like when I zoom out to reflect on the full year.

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Portfolio careers can feel like chaos day-to-day

My 9-5 (let’s be real…9-7)

I lead marketing at a startup. Worked on the plan for a product launch. Finalized our website redesign. Had a call with a freelance content marketer. Another call to brainstorm a conference speaker submission. Another with a news outlet about partnering on thought leadership in the new year. Started drafting a customer story (didn’t finish).

My content business

Connected with a founder who quit finance to build a CPG business. Posted on LinkedIn because I saw interesting news about McKinsey hiring a creator economy advisor. Read a social media trends wrap I’d bookmarked weeks ago. Drafted notes for this newsletter because I didn’t want to forget. Responded to a brand I’m negotiating a partnership with.

My personal life

Ate my first meal at 1pm. Wanted to get my nails done but couldn’t find the time. Got the apartment ready for friends coming into town this weekend who are dog sitting for me over the holiday.

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It’s only when you zoom out that you see the bigger picture.

I went to Othership on Friday evening after all the busyness of the past few weeks because I knew I needed to slow down.

That’s when I finally started getting perspective on everything that happened this year. (Yes, I’m crazy and need a sauna + ice bath to do that.)

This year, I pivoted into marketing at a high-growth startup and grew my content business to 130K+ followers and six figures.

January: I was a few months into my content creation journey and did my first brand deal ever. I wanted to post on LinkedIn but was scared. At the same time, I felt stagnant in my full-time role. I’d just pivoted from strategy to product marketing internally and didn’t feel like I was learning in a slow environment.

April: Hit 100K on Instagram but felt burnt out from making videos. Started posting on LinkedIn more intentionally but was barely getting visibility. Felt more antsy in my full-time role.

June: Finally started getting traction on LinkedIn and steady partnerships on Instagram with major brands. Got inbounds (to my surprise) on LinkedIn from startup founders for marketing roles because of my content, even though I lacked the formal experience.

September: Started a new job as first marketer at a Series A startup, which felt like drinking from a firehose. Still grew to over 10K followers on LinkedIn and continued to partner with major brands.

November: Got more into a rhythm at my full-time job. Decided to revamp my Substack (paid off - grew 600 subscribers in the last 30 days!). Started thinking about the direction for my content in the new year, not just as a creator but as a business.

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Now…I AM TIRED.

We think we can sprint at full speed indefinitely. We can’t. We need time to rest. And then run at full speed again.

Here’s what I’m focusing on over the next two weeks.

Rest for real. Spend time with loved ones. Sit on the beach. Read the newest Dan Brown book. Actually recharge and not try to turn everything into content (probably fail a little.)

Reflect and plan from first principles. How do I want to design my life? How do I want the next year to look - not just professionally but personally?

Rethink my business strategy with fresh eyes. How do I build a business driven by content as the marketing engine, as opposed to where content is the product? Something built intentionally for you and with you.

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A few more thoughts on a portfolio career:

You have to be ruthless about where and how you spend your time. 80/20 rule, prioritizing big bets, outsource and delegate wherever possible…

When you have creative pursuits, you need time to rest and recharge to feed that creativity. It’s not being lazy - it’s the fuel that keeps you going. I’ve had weeks where I forced myself to push through and create anyway, and everything I made felt flat. Then I’ve had days where I did nothing but read and walk and let my brain wander - and suddenly the ideas come rushing back.

Balance feels impossible some days when everything is truly important and energizing. I have days when I want to quit my full-time job - which gives me so much learning and growth and meaningful interactions - to go all in on my own thing. I have days where I want to give up on content entirely (they’re rare). But then I get Substack replies and DMs saying how my content has resonated - and that feels like a calling.

Surround yourself with examples of people building successful portfolio careers, whether in your personal life or online. It’s easier to do hard things in community.

Be ok with saying: when there comes a time that balancing doesn’t serve me anymore, I can choose one. I can pivot. I can go a different way.

But for now, balancing is still the plan. Here to soak it all up!

See you in the new year. Until then, I hope you find time to rest and recharge. Thank you for being here.