Angelina Viglione
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Angelina Viglione, a 36-year-old based in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, who works as a barista and laundry professional. The following has been edited for length and clarity.I work around 35 hours a week as a barista, and have a side hustle doing other people's and small businesses' laundry in my home.My laundry gig has given me the freedom I need to balance multiple jobs and my family's needs. My son is severely autistic, and either my husband or I always need to be available to support him, which makes it difficult for us to work traditional jobs.Being able to work from home is such a great privilege, allowing us to give better care and attention to our son. I'm able to be more present with my family, and I can take a mental health day when life gets too overwhelming, without fear of losing my job.The extra income has helped me pay for things that I normally wouldn't be able to afford, such as my son's birthday party, sensory equipment for him, Christmas presents, home repairs, and our car payment.My side hustle gives me flexibilityI first started my laundry gig in 2022, but started taking it more seriously in 2023. I initially found out about Poplin — the platform I use — by accident, after seeing an ad for it while looking for a job I could do from home.At that time, my son was having a lot of struggles in school, so finding a typical W-2 job was next to impossible. I was a little skeptical at first — it was nerve-racking having other people's belongings in my possession — but I decided to try it out. After my first couple of clients, I started to get the hang of it and liked being able to make my own hours.
