I went to grad school at 44 and didn't want to take on student loan debt. Thanks to my side hustle, I graduated debt-free.

• 03/26/2026, 12:54 PM
• businessinsider.com

Ekaterina Goncharova/Getty Images

It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to be. After having kids, I finally knew, but didn't have time. Only in midlife did I make the transition to my dream career — but first, I had to find a way to pay for it.