Keeping your 9-to-5 (or 8-to-6) while side hustling doesn't (necessarily) mean you're a fraud.

- Your side hustle may not yet bring in enough to replace your salary.

- And/or you may still want or need the benefits of your salaried position (e.g., health insurance).

- And/or you may want to turbo-charge your investments for a few more years.

- And/or you really love the work and the people where you work.

In short, it's ok to raise a question or three to try and suss out if someone's claims about their side-hustle achievements make sense given other information they give out.

However, it should come with at least a grain of civility and curiosity rather than an out-of-the-gate assumption of deception.