I'm a therapist with a modeling side hustle. The extra cash is nice, but it also helps offset the emotional weight of my day job.

Mia Cosco. Courtesy of Mia Cosco Mia Cosco balances a modeling side hustle with her full-time job as a children's behavioral therapist. Despite early discouragement from her father, Mia pursued modeling for confidence and creative expression. Her modeling side hustle supplements her therapist's salary and provides a creative outlet. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mia Cosco, a 30-year-old therapist with a side hustle as a model based in Boston. It has been edited for length and clarity. When I was 14, I expressed an interest in modeling. My father was a fashion photographer for many years, so he said no. He agreed that if I was still seriously interested in a year, we could talk. One year later, I kept him to his promise, and he agreed.