Hustling Mentality and Entrepreneurship in the Creative Economy

Cynthia Pengilly

Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia

Abstract

In the new information economy which is characterized as having a decentralized authority and focus on creativity, a correlation between act of "hustling" or the "hustler mentality" and entrepreneurship is beginning to echo through the Internet waves of online bloggers.  It is believed that hustlers and entrepreneurs are resourceful people and are both concerned with using unique strategies (i.e. whatever means necessary) to earn money.  Specifically, this boundary distinction explicitly defines "hustling" as another form of entrepreneurship - a specific form which separates a small group of hard working individuals from the masses.  I am arguing that this attempt to re-appropriate (or reassign) the connotative meaning of a metaphor is also an attempt to reconstruct character attributes commonly associated with the hustler mentality.  As such, I have analyzed a blog text employing an extremely complicated interweaving of several narratives which provides the foundation for the argument. Labov's six-scheme narrative analysis framework was applied in order to understand the use of narration as a rhetorical act which works to tell how hustlers are like (or the same as) entrepreneurs and why entrepreneurs are different than other people (i.e. normal workers). 

In the new information economy, a correlation between act of "hustling" or the "hustler mentality" and entrepreneurship is beginning to echo through the Internet waves of online bloggers.  The parallel drawn between entrepreneurs and hustlers remains an interesting one because of the obvious opposite connotative meanings of the two words.  Specifically, the two words seem to be on opposite poles since an entrepreneur is deemed good and a hustler is deemed bad or untrustworthy (FreeDictionary, Princeton University Press, 2008).  Generally speaking, to "hustle" means to shove roughly, to be in a hurried or urgent state, or to act aggressively in business meanings (Hustler, 2008).  Other forms of this word include "hustled," "hustling," "hustles," or even the noun "hustler."  To hustle seems to imply that an unfavorable act is being done to someone or something, which gives it a negative connotation.  The slang use of the word is often considered to be a deceitful and unethical way to obtain something from someone.  For example, "to sell or get by questionable means," "to pressure into buying or doing," or "to misrepresent one's skill in order to deceive" are all considered slang definitions of the word (Hustler, 2008). In many ways, the act of "hustling" is considered to be a negative attribute, but there is one definition of the word - a more uncommon one - that is currently being used to focus the argument and bring a new sense of understanding to the word.  Many of the internet blogs describe "hustle" or "hustling" as a way of life instead of just a single act; it is commonly referred to as the hustling mentality.  This is the sense of the word "hustler" that is used in the circulating Internet blogs written mostly by men about "getting by" in the new economy.  This paper will study a single web text written by a blogger named Ian Fernando that is entitled, "You Have to Have the Hustler Mindset" (Fernando, 2008).  Fernando makes great use of the narration form to draw a distinction between workers and entrepreneurs using an us versus them framework.  This distinction is best evidenced in the following statement taken from Ian's video blog biography entitled, Who is Ian Fernando?:  "Is he really an entrepreneur or is he just a regular guy." 

Statement of the Problem

It is believed that hustlers and entrepreneurs are resourceful people and are both concerned with using unique strategies (i.e. whatever means necessary) to earn money.  It is this resourcefulness that separates them from the rest of people.  Specifically, this boundary distinction explicitly defines "hustling" as another form of entrepreneurship - a specific form which separates a small group of hard working individuals from the masses.  I am arguing that this attempt to re-appropriate (or reassign) the connotative meaning of a metaphor is also an attempt to reconstruct character attributes commonly associated with the hustler mentality.  Also, because the hustler mentality is a specialized slang-version of the word hustler that is typically associated with a specific group of individuals, namely minority and lower-class, it also works as an idiom.  Furthermore, in order to make sense of the larger argument, it is necessary to understand the narrative structure of the blog text.  As such, I have analyzed the text using Labov's six-scheme narrative analysis framework in order to understand the use of narration as a rhetorical act which works to tell how hustlers are like (or the same as) entrepreneurs and why entrepreneurs are different than other people (i.e. normal workers). 

Limitations and Delimitations

The delimitations of this study (boundaries) are limited in scope by the assignment requirements which affected the number of artifacts analyzed and the methods applied to the text.  For example, this study only involves the narrative analysis of one blog artifact related to the topic of the hustler mentality.  While this study would benefit in the analysis of additional artifacts, it is still not uncommon in discourse analysis to focus on a smaller sub-set of artifacts in order to provide rich descriptions about difficult concepts such as language ideology and identity.  In addition, methods of analysis were predetermined by course structure which could possibly omit other options of analysis that would be more useful to the selected text. Finally, due to access concerns, the study was limited to selecting among web texts due to ease of accessibility and because of the relationship to the creative economy and emerging labor practices.

The limitations of this study include the use of narration as a primary methodology.  The results of a narrative analysis can be limited in the sense of generalizability because of the highly subjective and interpretative nature of the results.  On the other hand, narration is a rhetorical act that tells how and why something happened (Edwards, 2006); in the case of this artifact, the narration serves a rhetorical act that tells how hustlers are like (or the same as) entrepreneurs and why entrepreneurs are different than other people (i.e. normal workers).  While many studies exist which contribute to the understanding of language ideologies and language use and their relationship to socially-constructed identities (Woolard & Schieffelin, 1994; Billing & MacMillan, 2005; Bucholtz & Hall, 2005; Johnstone, 2008), this research is unique in that it also necessarily places such an analysis of the micro (i.e. individual identity) within the larger or macro space of the new information economy (i.e. new labor force and language ideologies).

This paper analyzes a blog entry written by Ian Fernando entitled, "You Have to Have the Hustler Mindset" (2008).  It was originally posted on December 5, 2008 and was located on Ian Fernando's personal website at http://www.ianfernando.com. Within this discourse analysis, I will be applying Labov's six-part narrative schema to the web text.  Labov's schema includes the following: abstract, orientation, complicating action, result or resolution, evaluation and coda (Labov, 2006).  The schema can be imagined as a body of work or an essay that involves and intro, body, and conclusion.  In the introduction, a summary of the upcoming story is provided along with contextual information such as the characters, setting (temporal and physical), and situation.  These two items are referred to as the abstract and orientation respectively.  The body of the narrative, or the complicating action, includes the sequence of events leading up to and including the climax of the story.  The complicating action answers the question, "And then what happened?"  The conclusion of the narrative includes the result or resolution and the coda.  The result answers the question, "What finally happened?"  The coda is sometimes omitted from narratives.  The coda indicates that the story is over; this indication can be overt such as "And that was that!" or more subtle.  For example, codas are also used to summarize a story, bring the story into the present, or transition into a new topic.  Finally, the last schema is the evaluative part which can occur at any time in the narration, but is commonly found immediately before the resolution.  The evaluation(s) answer the question, "So what?"

The narrative structures are categorized according to Labov's schemas and strategically analyzed in order to understand the following issues: 1) the narrator's understanding of language ideology as evidenced through the use of metaphors and idioms; 2) the similarities made between hustlers and entrepreneurs as the narrator understands them; 3) the application of the us versus them framework used to identify what separates entrepreneurs from regular workers; and 4) the function of the hustler/entrepreneur as a part of the newly emerging labor force in the new information economy.

          According to Edwards (2006), narratives show social attitudes which make it easier to understand the larger arguments at play.  If language ideology is a set of attitudes, beliefs, and values about language (Woolard & Schieffelin, 1994), then the discursive construction of the hustler mentality is an excellent example of language in-use.  First and foremost, the hustler mentality is an idiom or a specific kind of metaphor.  Idioms are a group of words which take on a different meaning when used together.  A great example of this can be understood with the idiom "smoking gun" which has implications of accusation (Billing & MacMillian, 2005).  The word "hustler," in and of itself, has implications of deceit.  In contrast, the "hustler mentality" takes upon a different meaning when the two words are fused together; it has implications of a frame of mind or way of thinking that shares many of the same values as entrepreneurship including successful business ventures involving high risk, autonomy, and satisfactory monetary rewards. Idioms can also be defined as a specialized vocabulary, style, or manner of expression used by a certain group of people (Idiom, 2008).  Because the word "hustle" is commonly associated with inner-city or gang culture who have fewer economic means (i.e. hustle for money), the "hustler mentality" is an idiom in both senses of the definition.  Language ideology is a link between different social structures and forms of life (Woolard & Schieffein, 1994).  It is in this manner that the "hustler mentality" idiom is ideological because it is rooted in assumptions about class (and possibly race) and character attributes.  Second, this idiom is employed by Fernando to create new meanings and understandings; in this case, Fernando seeks to understand and experience entrepreneurship in terms of the "hustler mentality."  By doing so, he is re-appropriating the use of the term "hustler" and giving it new meaning and thus placing it in a more positive light.  What is especially significant about this re-appropriation of the word "hustler" is that when placed in the "hustler mentality" idiom, it not only changes the understanding of the idea, but it also opens up the idea to anyone regardless of class.  If anyone can be an entrepreneur, then anyone can be a hustler and vice versa (because they are one and the same).  This is a perfect example of how usage and meaning of metaphors change over time.

The new economy has been characterized as being digital in nature because of its networked infrastructure and ability to provide information quickly and cheaply (Benkler, 2006; Hartley, 2005).  The success of the new information economy lies in its ability to cultivate innovation which spurs economic growth (Benkler, 2006; Hartley, 2005; Moykr, 2002; Nelson, 1996).  According to Murphy et al (1991), the growth rate of the economy is determined by the ability of the entrepreneur, so there must be a good balance of entrepreneurs versus the number of workers.  Entrepreneurs are innovators because they are concerned with creating new ideas.  In this sense of the word, entrepreneurs are considered a unique group of individuals who take initiative in turning business ideas into a reality.  This is done by assuming the risk of a new business and being solely responsible for its operation and management (Entrepreneurs, 2008).  The hustling mentality would entail that someone is accustomed to thinking or acting like a hustler. As it is brought onto the center stage, to hustle (as it is used within the hustling mentality framework) means to have energetic activity and drive.  When this sense of the word is coupled with aggressive business practices, it becomes clearer to see the correlation made between hustling and entrepreneurship.  In American business practices, aggression is not necessarily a bad thing (this obviously depends on cultural setting and context), and it is considered a unique skill set that separates winners from losers.  This can be seen in comments such as "they are an aggressive and successful company" or "she was aggressive in her tactics, which won her the proposal."

There are broader implications of the function of the hustler/entrepreneur as a part of the newly emerging labor force in the new information economy.  The new information economy involves new technology, workers, and types of labor (Terranova, 2000).  And in order to understand the logic of the hustler mentality/entrepreneur dualism, it is necessary to place the conversation within a larger context of the political economy.  This will make it easier to understand how the changing economic model and shifting language ideology has consequently changed conceptions of work and labor, including entrepreneurship.  As already mentioned, many scholars believe that the success of the new information economy lies in its ability to cultivate innovation through the creation of new ideas.  For example, government and universities provide a cushion for this type of creative labor, allowing it to move from the margins to mainstream; they also employ many who critically write about creative labor workers (Hartley, 2005).  As it relates to technology, the new information economy is built on cheap products, but technology is not enough because it has no value in and of itself (Benkler, 2006; Hartley, 2005; Terranova, 2000).  Individuals are needed to change the content of cheaply-produced information outputs into something valuable.  This type of work requires a certain kind of creativity - one that is user-driven. Specifically, the new economy is based on ideas and personal expression (Hartley 2005).  Some scholars even refer to the new information economy as the creative economy because creativity is the core of the new economy (Flew, 2005). 

Creativity is done and made differently in post-industrial societies.  According to Benkler (2006), the pattern of organization has changed to more decentralized individual action resulting in an increased production of non-market and non-proprietary artifacts. For example, with the use of the Internet and other new media capabilities (keyword searching, RSS feeds, personal websites, blogs, and wikis), it is now possible to locate and access technical documentation for a multitude of technology products that are authored by both professional technical communicators, such as those employed by a specific organization, and non-professional technical communicators. As a result, the outputs produced in the new economy are a creative blend of public information and private information.  The public and private have always been blurred, but have only recently been recognized as such (Benkler, 2006; McRobbie, 2005; Hartley, 2005; Terranova, 2000).  This can be further explained by Hartley's (2005) concept of twin energies between the citizen and consumer.  The citizen is concerned with freedom (public) and the consumer is concerned with comfort (private).  It is believed that individual selves are formed at the joint between citizen and consumer.  In the creative economy, the users are active and involved in the production and consumption process resulting in products that are specialized (unique/personal), flexible, and creative (Benkler, 2006).  There have been profound changes which have occurred at this juncture between citizen and consumer which require us to think about consumption as action (i.e. designer-audiences) and not as a mere behavior (Hartley, 2005; Slack & Wise, 2007; Strinati, 2004). 

A majority of workers in the creative economy are independent (not tied to any one organization) and multi-skilled professionals.  For instance, the bloggers who identify themselves as entrepreneurs slash hustlers slash affiliate marketers are participants in the creative industry because of their need to manage multiple and competing identities.  Specifically, Ian Fernando is a self-proclaimed blogger, learner, fashion expert, and "idea-making guy," among other things.   As a result of the new economy, the creative industries necessarily employ many individualized workers, forcing them to take on the identity of entrepreneurs.  A specific example of this could be the acceptance of longer work hours as well as handling many jobs at once.  One particular scholar describes the new working environment as equal to that of youth club culture where speedy work, managing several jobs, and being multi-skilled is expected (McRobbie, 2005).  As such, there is a strong affinity for entrepreneurs in the new economy because of their soft management skills and focus on innovation and creativity. The creative economy uses a different management style called soft control which involves self management, peer recognition and pressure, and intrinsic motivation through work (Hartley, 2005).  In this context, creative workers or entrepreneurs are becoming the mainstream, but a new form of entrepreneurship is emerging.  For example, distance education or learning has proliferated in the last decade as more students are choosing to attend college virtually (online, hybrid, or even via cell phones) in order to maintain a flexible schedule.  As such, online instructors are in high demand and much like traditional notions of adjunct teaching, online instructors are free to work for any institution on a contract or as-needed basis.  However, there is no such thing as guaranteed work or a guaranteed paycheck, which forces many professors to "add on" or "become affiliated" with as many institutions as possible so as to increase their odds of having work at any given time.  This type of arrangement is becoming prevalent in the creative economy, and it represents an emerging work and labor force where everyone is an entrepreneur involved in a high risk business venture - the ability to put food on the table depends on one's ability to successfully self-market and self-promote one's skills (McRobbie, 2005; Hartley, 2005).  Some of the risks involved include trading bossy managers for independence, job security for autonomy, and work/home separation for expressing personal identity at work (Hartley, 2005). 

          The web text includes a total of eight narratives that are intricately weaved throughout the overall argument (1. how hustlers are the same as entrepreneurs and 2. why entrepreneurs are different than other people).  I have broken the text into three main sections: the introduction - comprised of one narrative; the body - comprised of two argument sections and six narratives in total; and the conclusion - comprised of two statements of a non-narrative nature. 

The first part of the web text is a narrative, as seen in the table below, which serves as an introduction to the overall story and to the argument being presented.  The ending of this narrative leaves the reader in limbo wondering what kind of reality they are about to discover.  It is an effective rhetorical strategy because it places the audience in an open-mode to receive new information even if they may not necessarily agree with the premise of the argument.

Yesterday we had our mastermind meetup and it was very informative, a lot of topics spoken and a lot of new things learned. We all drank and ate and discussed strategic plans on attacking a specific niche. We even criticized each others LPs and tactics on attacking our own niches, all 3 of our inputs helps one another without one of us trying to kill each other on traffic. Besides the planning and learning we also discussed reality.

[O] [A] [E] [CA] [E] [O] [CA] [E] [CA] [R] [C]

Overall Introduction: 1^st Narrative

Following the basic introduction, the second part of the web text begins; this is where the first part of the argument begins to map the difference between entrepreneurs and "others."  This section is comprised of four distinct narratives which serve as examples of the need for survival and the hard work involved in hustling.  The first narrative uses a combined experience example providing a broad overview of all the participant's hustling experiences. The second narrative provides more specifics about the other two participant's experiences; the third and fourth narratives are about the narrator's own hustling experiences.  Interwoven throughout this part of the argument is the concept of the hustler's mindset.  It is first introduced at the end of the 1^st narrative, then again at the end of the 3^rd and 4^th narratives in this section.  In the interest of time space, I will only present the narrative analysis for the 1^st and 4^th narratives in this section in order to show the intricate and seemingly well-planned nature of the argument structure.

We discussed aspects of normal people and entrepreneurs, this was a really good topic we just talked about over dinner. Everyone talked about how they hustled prior to online marketing and it ranges. I remember doing crazy stuff when I was younger, especially in the hood - when I was a young young young dude - like 20 years ago. But it says something you have to have a hustler's mindset to survive.

[A] [E] [O] [CA] [E] [O] [O] [R] [C]

Argument Part 1: 2^nd Narrative in text; 1^st in Argument sequence

The readers were already braced to learn about some new type of reality and they are initially met with a commonsensical statement - the differences between normal people and entrepreneurs.  In this way, the author has only partially entered into the full argument, but by easing into the argument in this manner, he has increased the amount of trust and rapport with the audience. It is at the end of this narrative, the resolution, when the true argument form begins to take shape - the hustler's mindset.  In an attempt to rebuttal possible objections to this statement, the author fires off three quick examples of how this mindset or mentality is important to any type of survival.  In the second narrative example of this section, the hustler's mindset or mentality is avoided as a resolution, which is another strategic move on the part of the author to not push the reader's boundaries too far.  Instead, the author uses a comparison between drug dealing and selling on eBay - these are considered equal acts of hustling.  In my opinion, this is also a comparison that the audience is less likely to discard.  In the third narrative of this section, the author provides additional examples of hustling (all considered equal) such as computer repair work, eBay sales, game playing, and online marketing.  For the resolution in this section, a different type of thinking is identified; it is not named, per set, but it has implicatures referring back to the hustler mentality.  The fourth narrative of this section brings it all to a close by making explicit connections between hustling, mindset, and different ways of thinking.  What is most important about this summary narrative is that it introduces an important concept - risk.  This can be seen by closely examining the second complicating action clause.  From an argumentative and rhetorical standpoint, this is a significant move on the part of the author because entrepreneurship is all about risk (i.e. laying it all out there in hopes of great reward). Specifically, the general definition of an entrepreneur is someone who assumes the risk of a new business and is solely responsible for its operation and management.  Therefore, whether the mention of 'risk' was done consciously or not, it provides the perfect transition into the second part of the argument (the relationship between the two groups).

I personally went heavy on the internet went I got kicked out of my parents house and started working 3 jobs! I started heavy with eBay and made good money that I started and risking it on affiliate marketing and information marketing. When I was doing eBay I even did local marketing, selling things out of my trunk. I sold to employees at Wal-Mart, I went to local McDonald and just stood outside chilling and selling stuff out of the trunk of my car. It was crazy and I was definitely hustling heavy. This type of mindset definitely help me where I am today. It helps be thinking and rethink certain marketing aspects, how does a customer think and how do they react towards preselling topics.

[A] [O] [CA] [E] [CA]; risk = entrepreneurship [O] [CA] [CA] [CA] [E] [R] [C]

Argument Part 1: 5^th Narrative in text; 4^th in Argument sequence

Overall, the author has done a great job of briefly introducing the argument (the relationship between the two groups) in the overview; the first argument section is used to begin laying the foundation for this argument.  Next, the necessary background information was provided to the reader in order for the argument to make sense.  For example, parallel examples were given between labors associated with the creative industries (i.e. internet marketing, affiliate marketing, auction selling on eBay, blogging) and those found in past social understandings of hustling (i.e. drug dealing, rolling dice).  In addition, the author provided a concrete definition of what makes the different ideologies similar in nature - type of mindset.  This similarity is then used a transition into the second part of the argument - the between group differences.

The between group differences are picked up at the beginning of the second argument section.  Specifically, this group difference is considered a direct relationship to how people think.  Those that "think differently" and "seek improvement" are entrepreneurs, which makes everyone else workers.

Thinking differently and putting a different spin on how you look at things is important. There are people in this world who likes repetition and no change, basically workers. Then there are other people who like to think different and want to improve their situation, entrepreneurs. Thinking differently and doing something others are not puts you in a different boat.

Two examples are provided in the form of narratives to support this thinking different mentality.  In the interest of time, I will not provide the transcript for these examples.  In summary, the first example is about the earning profit, increasing inventory, and creating additional income as a result.  The object of discussion is a pack of Juicy Fruit gum, which is also very clever by the author because it is a simplified example of a complex process.  The second example is along the same lines but uses mixed CD's as the object of discussion. 

          The last part of the web text is the conclusion, which is the only part of the text that does not involve a narration.  Instead, it employs a different rhetorical strategy that is just as effective - the rhetorical question.  The author poses questions to the audience that is commonsensical in nature:

Why isn't the whole world thinking like this? Is it too complex for someone to grasp an idea and run with it? Repetition and no change is the typical Americans, it is a safe place - there is no risk involved. Which is fine because it separates the entrepreneurs from the typical corporate America.

It could be inferred that the author is challenging the audience to become more independent and to think differently about life in general.  In this sense, the author is inviting everyone to participate in the hustler/entrepreneur mentality, regardless of race or class.  He strategically mentions the word 'risk' in combination with the group differences again; specifically, he asserts that Americans have gotten comfortable and that risk is considered unsafe.  Even as he contends to step down from his accusations, he simultaneously encourages the blog readers to share their hustling stories as evidence in the final part of this section.

I would ike to nkow how you started hustling prior to the internet, if its selling fake girl scout cookies to your neighbors or selling ice to an eskimo. How did you earn some sort of lunch money prior to internet marketing! Definitely would like to here all your stories.

The second summary section is a great closing to the web text because it connects the audience back to the present; in a sense, it acts as the stories entire coda because it reminds the reader that the hustling/entrepreneur mentality (as a way of thinking) existed before the internet and will likely remain long after.

Discussion

Just as the economy has changed, so have notions about entrepreneurship and self-employment.  In the online professor example, it is hard to imagine the professor as an entrepreneur in the historical or past sense of the word; in fact, this conception would indeed result in a bit of cognitive dissonance because this would ring as false within the logic of the older economic models.  Within the new creative economy however, this form of labor is more natural and closely related to the "jostling" and "resourcefulness" imagined in traditional notions of entrepreneurship.  Specifically, it is clearly understood that an online professor does not usually work for a single corporation (they could but it is rare) and must instead be strategic about their individual self-promotion and self-marketing.  Much like the hustler/entrepreneur, many jobs or tasks must be juggled simultaneously in order to ensure financial success. Thus, it is not just a new type of labor that is emerging; a new type of entrepreneurship is also evident.  What the hustler mentality argument has achieved is the start of a necessary reinterpretation of language ideology and cultural stereotypes.  In addition, this ideological reinterpretation should result in a new conception of entrepreneurship within the new creative (and political) economy.  It is in this sense that the correlation between entrepreneurship and the hustler mentality begins to make sense.

In a larger (and well-funded) project, I believe it would be useful to use the comments and narrative stories of the blog readers to further understand the prevalence of this idiom in culture.  Specifically speaking, the accommodation theory would be an obvious and useful technique for measuring affiliation or emphasis between groups.  A close analysis may provide details about language shifts through convergence (more alike), divergence (more different) and maintenance (maintaining sameness); these shifts can be observed in two ways: shifts between audience members and shifts between audience and author.  The value in accommodation theory is that it provides yet another way watch the ways in which positive social identities are maintained.

In a different study, the re-imagining of hustler mentality and entrepreneurship would do well to incorporate aspects of class, race, and gender ideologies and larger power relations.  This would be especially useful since "hustling" is typically associated with a younger group of adults involved in a distinct sub-culture: hip-hop and gang cultures.  While this web texts makes some implied connections between language ideology and class/race stereotypes, there are other web texts situated around the hustler mentality and entrepreneurship that are more explicit in their connections.  In addition, in researching for this project, I was even able to locate some youth-centered organizations such as church groups, YMCA, and summer camps warning adult mentors about the sweeping prevalence of the hustler mentality.  Gender ideology could also play a large role in such an analysis since the concept of hustling tends to evoke mental images of young men involved in questionable activity.  This could be synonymous with conceptions of rappers and pimps in hip-hop culture that are also usually associated with non-white males.  In addition, since it is believed that young men not associated with the dominant race are discriminated against, it could possibly explain the reason for the negative connotation of the "hustler" word, generally speaking, and the "hustler mentality" idiom, specifically speaking.