DALLAS _ Kathy Doyle Thomas sits at her kitchen breakfast bar, sorting receipts.
The pile to the left is for her travel expenses to a Los Angeles trade show incurred as executive vice president of Half Price Books. To the right are those for Ready Ritas, her margarita mix that comes in team colors and in a freezable, pourable bag _ perfect for tailgating.
"This is how I compartmentalize my life," she says, adding paper receipts for 2,500 sampling cups from Sam's and a case of Trader Joe's chardonnay to the Ready Ritas stack.
The second-in-command at Half Price, Thomas is among a mounting legion of Americans with a side hustle _ a way to haul in extra cash aside from their main source of income or add a little spice to their lives.
In her case, Thomas, known for decades for serving up mean frozen margaritas from Ziploc bags at parties, wanted to have fun, get hands-on with a small business and spend more time with family.
Sharon Anderson Wright, owner of Half Price Books, thinks the idea is brilliant and isn't the least bit surprised that her longtime friend and colleague is starting a business without missing a beat at her day job.
"Kathy seems to be able to tap an endless source of energy," says Anderson Wright. "She's like me in that we never like to be idle and always want to be doing something. We don't ever get the recommended hours of sleep because there aren't enough hours in the day."
Don't ask Thomas how much money she has sunk into the project. She doesn't really want to know. Sales certainly aren't covering expenses.
"My youngest just graduated, so I kinda think of it as another kid in college," she says. "Everyone says, 'You need to go on Shark Tank.' Why would I want an investor? I want to take my mix and run with it."
