The Art Of The Portfolio Career

Forbes

a day ago

Marian Evans, Managing Director at Elevate BC Ltd.
The 'portfolio career,' once a niche path favored by creatives and consultants, is rapidly becoming a strategy for ambitious professionals navigating an increasingly fluid world of work. For some, it's a necessity born from pressures or shifting sectors. For others—like myself—it's a deliberate and long-standing choice. A portfolio career is a strategic approach to professional development. It's when individuals curate a mix of part-time roles, consulting engagements and entrepreneurial ventures. It's a means of diversifying skills, income and impact.
From a young age, I found myself drawn to side ventures—what we now call 'side hustles'—and that curiosity has never left me. Over 25 years, despite having a corporate career, I've also founded businesses, served on boards, made direct investments and advised growth-stage companies. While the terrain has shifted over the decades, the fundamental challenge has remained the same: How do you lead a multifaceted professional life without losing your edge or burning out?
I don't believe you can truly manage time—not in the literal sense. Time moves forward regardless of how many productivity tools or color-coded calendars we use. What you can manage is your energy, attention and priorities. These are the currencies of a successful portfolio career.
Here are the disciplines that I have found keep me grounded and performing at a high level. They're as much about sustaining resilience as productivity.
1. Operate On Priorities, Not Noise
One of the hardest but most important skills I've learned is to be selective. Early in my career, I said "yes" far too often. Sometimes out of politeness, sometimes out of fear that a better opportunity wouldn't come along.
In a world of perpetual connectivity, the temptation to always be available is strong. But availability is not the same as effectiveness. I've learned to be decisive about what deserves my attention and, more importantly, what doesn't.
That means saying "no," often. Not rudely but firmly and with purpose. Every 'yes' is a trade-off. The clearer you are about your goals and values, the easier it becomes to prioritize with intention.
2. Protect The Early Hours
I guard my mornings religiously. This is when I tackle the most cognitively demanding work—strategic planning, writing and complex decision-making.
In a portfolio career, where context-switching is constant and demands are diverse, preserving windows of deep focus is not just useful—it's essential. For me, the early hours offer clarity before the day fragments.
Everyone has a different rhythm. The key is to identify your most productive window—and defend it.
3. Design Your Week With Intent
If your calendar is running you, you're not leading—you're reacting. The difference between sustainable output and exhaustion often comes down to how you structure your time.
I batch similar tasks together to reduce cognitive switching, build in meeting-free days where possible and ensure I've allocated time not just for delivery but for thinking. Strategy requires space. Creativity requires silence. In a world that rewards busyness, carving out that space is an act of leadership.
4. Prioritize Recovery And Reflection
This might be the most undervalued aspect of high performance.
Many professionals still associate rest with indulgence or idleness. I used to be one of them. But high performance—across any discipline—is unsustainable without recovery. Stamina in business, like in sport, depends on how well you recharge.
These days, I protect time for sleep, movement and reflection with the same rigor I bring to board meetings or investment decisions. I've learned that clarity rarely comes in chaos. Stepping back isn't a retreat—it's a strategic pause.
A Sustainable Model For The Future Of Work?
So, is the portfolio career a future model or a personal indulgence?
For me, it's pragmatic and purposeful but also lucrative. It offers autonomy, intellectual variety and resilience. It allows for cross-pollination—skills and insights from one sector often strengthen performance in another. It satisfies my entrepreneurial spirit without requiring me to fit into a single professional box.
But it's not easy. It requires strong internal systems, clear external boundaries and the discipline to prioritize impact over activity. Above all, it demands a continual recalibration of what success looks like—not just in financial terms but in personal fulfilment and contribution.
Not everyone wants to live this way. But for those of us who do, it's not about doing more—it's about doing the right things, in the right way, at the right time.
I'm still refining. There's no perfect formula. But these principles have helped me build a life that feels aligned, expansive and deeply satisfying.
And if you're exploring this path yourself—whether you're stepping down from an executive role, branching into non-executive work, launching a business or investing in others—ask yourself this: What structures, rituals and disciplines will you need to thrive?
Because a portfolio career, done well, isn't chaotic. It's intentional.
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