About DirkJan
My name is DirkJan. Born in 1952. Side hustles, community projects, and small businesses have been my passion since 1984. Over the years, I have started 14 different side hustles. Some earned extra income. Others strengthened communities or supported social change.
I rarely started as an expert. Most of the time, I began with an idea, learned what I needed, and figured things out along the way. That experience taught me something important: You do not need to be an expert to start something meaningful later in life.
That is the idea behind Helping Hustle™.
For 45 years, I worked in psychiatric care while building projects on the side. My projects ranged from small online businesses and holiday rentals to community initiatives and senior support networks. Sofware and programming were my best friends.
Today, I help people over 60 start a simple local side hustle using free digital tools, AI, and practical How-To guidance.
I love traveling by train, folding bike, and backpack through Europe. Three days a week, I travel across the Netherlands. I build my Helping Hustle™ using trains, station cafés, and public libraries as my office. The rest of the week, I live in a small Frisian village with my partner Janette. We enjoy a quiet life with family, grandchildren, camping, and cooking.
Helping Hustle™ is my 15th side hustle and the project where I bring together what I have learned.
If you are wondering whether it is too late to start something meaningful, my answer is simple:
No.
Start small.
Learn as you go.
Hope to see you inside,
DirkJan
