Let me tell you, motherhood is a whole vibe. But plot twist? Working to earn extra income while handling tiny humans who think sleep is optional.
I started my side hustle journey about three years ago when I realized that my impulse buys were becoming problematic. I needed cash that was actually mine.
Being a VA
Right so, my initial venture was jumping into virtual assistance. And honestly? It was chef's kiss. I could work during naptime, and literally all it took was my laptop and decent wifi.
I started with simple tasks like email sorting, managing social content, and data entry. Pretty straightforward. I started at about $15-20 per hour, which seemed low but when you don't know what you're doing yet, you gotta prove yourself first.
What cracked me up? There I was on a Zoom call looking all professional from the chest up—blazer, makeup, the works—while sporting pajama bottoms. Peak mom life.
My Etsy Journey
After getting my feet wet, I ventured into the whole Etsy thing. Everyone and their mother seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I figured "why not me?"
I started creating digital planners and wall art. The thing about selling digital stuff? One and done creation, and it can sell forever. Genuinely, I've gotten orders at ungodly hours.
When I got my first order? I lost my mind. My partner was like I'd injured myself. But no—I was just, celebrating my five dollar sale. No shame in my game.
The Content Creation Grind
Then I discovered creating content online. This venture is not for instant gratification seekers, let me tell you.
I launched a family lifestyle blog where I posted about real mom life—all of it, no filter. None of that Pinterest-perfect life. Just authentic experiences about the time my kid decorated the walls with Nutella.
Growing an audience was painfully slow. Initially, it was basically my only readers were my mom and two bots. But I stayed consistent, and after a while, things gained momentum.
At this point? I make money through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and ad revenue. Recently I generated over two grand from my blog alone. Crazy, right?
Managing Social Media
After I learned my own content, other businesses started asking if I could run their social media.
Truth bomb? Many companies don't understand social media. They know they need a presence, but they're too busy.
This is my moment. I oversee social media for several small companies—various small businesses. I make posts, queue up posts, engage with followers, and monitor performance.
My rate is between $500-$1500/month per account, depending on how much work is involved. What I love? I handle this from my iPhone.
Freelance Writing Life
For those who can string sentences together, content writing is seriously profitable. This isn't literary fiction—I mean commercial writing.
Websites and businesses constantly need fresh content. My assignments have included everything from dental hygiene to copyright. You just need to research, you just need to be good at research.
On average earn $50-150 per article, depending on how complex it is. Certain months I'll crank out 10-15 articles and earn an extra $1,000-2,000.
Here's what's wild: I'm the same person who thought writing was torture. And now I'm a professional writer. Life is weird.
Tutoring Online
After lockdown started, online tutoring exploded. I used to be a teacher, so this was perfect for me.
I started working with several tutoring platforms. It's super flexible, which is absolutely necessary when you have children who keep you guessing.
I mainly help with elementary reading and math. The pay ranges from fifteen to thirty bucks per hour depending on which site you use.
Here's what's weird? Sometimes my own kids will photobomb my lessons mid-session. There was a time I be professional while chaos erupted behind me. Other parents are very sympathetic because they get it.
Flipping Items for Profit
Alright, this side gig I stumbled into. During a massive cleanout my kids' closet and posted some items on Mercari.
Stuff sold out instantly. Lightbulb moment: there's a market for everything.
Now I visit secondhand stores and sales, searching for name brands. I'll find something for cheap and resell at a markup.
It's definitely work? Absolutely. There's photographing, listing, and shipping. But it's strangely fulfilling about spotting valuable items at the thrift store and turning a profit.
Plus: my kids are impressed when I bring home interesting finds. Just last week I found a retro toy that my son went crazy for. Flipped it for forty-five bucks. Score one for mom.
Real Talk Time
Real talk moment: this stuff requires effort. The word 'hustle' is there for a reason.
Certain days when I'm exhausted, doubting everything. I'm up at 5am hustling before the chaos starts, then doing all the mom stuff, then back at it after everyone's in bed.
But here's the thing? I earned this money. I can spend it guilt-free to treat myself. I'm helping with our financial goals. My kids see that you can have it all—sort of.
Advice for New Mom Hustlers
For those contemplating a mom hustle, this is what I've learned:
Start small. Avoid trying to launch everything simultaneously. Pick one thing and become proficient before adding more.
Work with your schedule. If naptime is your only free time, that's perfectly acceptable. Whatever time you can dedicate is a great beginning.
Stop comparing to Instagram moms. The successful ones you see? She's been grinding forever and has resources you don't see. Focus on your own journey.
Invest in yourself, but carefully. You don't need expensive courses. Be careful about spending thousands on courses until you've validated your idea.
Batch your work. This changed everything. Use time blocks for different things. Use Monday for content creation day. Make Wednesday handling business stuff.
The Mom Guilt is Real
I'm not gonna lie—mom guilt is a thing. Sometimes when I'm working and my kid wants attention, and I struggle with it.
But then I consider that I'm modeling for them how to hustle. I'm demonstrating to my children that women can be mothers and entrepreneurs.
Also? Earning independently has helped me feel more like myself. I'm happier, which makes me more patient.
Let's Talk Money
My actual income? On average, combining everything, I make three to five thousand monthly. It varies, some are slower.
Is this getting-rich money? No. But this money covers family trips and unexpected expenses that would've caused financial strain. It's building my skills and experience that could become a full-time thing.
Wrapping This Up
Here's the bottom line, combining motherhood and entrepreneurship is hard. It's not a perfect balance. A lot of days I'm making it up as I go, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and crossing my fingers.
But I'm proud of this journey. Every penny made is validation of my effort. It shows that I'm a multifaceted person.
So if you're considering starting a side hustle? Start now. Start before it's perfect. Future you will thank you.
Don't forget: You're not just making it through—you're hustling. Despite a background piece the fact that you probably have snack crumbs on your keyboard.
For real. The whole thing is pretty amazing, mess included.
Surviving to Thriving: My Journey as a Single Mom
Real talk—becoming a single mom wasn't the dream. Nor was becoming a content creator. But fast forward to now, years into this crazy ride, making a living by creating content while raising two kids basically solo. And I'll be real? It's been life-changing in every way of my life.
How It Started: When Everything Changed
It was 2022 when my relationship fell apart. I can still picture sitting in my new apartment (I kept the kids' stuff, he took everything else), staring at my phone at 2am while my kids were asleep. I had eight hundred forty-seven dollars in my bank account, two humans depending on me, and a income that didn't cut it. The panic was real, y'all.
I'd been scrolling TikTok to escape reality—because that's how we cope? when everything is chaos, right?—when I came across this single mom talking about how she made six figures through content creation. I remember thinking, "No way that's legit."
But desperation makes you brave. Or crazy. Often both.
I downloaded the TikTok creator app the next morning. My first video? Raw, unfiltered, messy hair, talking about how I'd just blown my final $12 on a cheap food for my kids' lunch boxes. I shared it and felt sick. Who wants to watch my mess?
Spoiler alert, thousands of people.
That video got forty-seven thousand views. 47,000 people watched me get emotional over processed meat. The comments section was this unexpected source of support—women in similar situations, people living the same reality, all saying "me too." That was my lightbulb moment. People didn't want perfection. They wanted authentic.
Discovering My Voice: The Real Mom Life Brand
Here's the secret about content creation: your niche matters. And my niche? It happened organically. I became the real one.
I started filming the stuff people hide. Like how I lived in one outfit because I couldn't handle laundry. Or the time I fed my kids cereal for dinner multiple nights and called it "breakfast for dinner week." Or that moment when my child asked why daddy doesn't live here anymore, and I had to talk about complex things to a kid who thinks the tooth fairy is real.
My content wasn't pretty. My lighting was trash. I filmed on a ancient iPhone. But it was real, and turns out, that's what worked.
In just two months, I hit 10K. Month three, fifty thousand. By month six, I'd crossed a hundred thousand. Each milestone felt surreal. Real accounts who wanted to follow me. Me—a barely surviving single mom who had to figure this out from zero months before.
The Daily Grind: Content Creation Meets Real Life
Let me show you of my typical day, because this life is totally different from those curated "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm sounds. I do absolutely not want to wake up, but this is my work time. I make coffee that will get cold, and I begin creating. Sometimes it's a get-ready-with-me discussing money struggles. Sometimes it's me meal prepping while venting about co-parenting struggles. The lighting is natural and terrible.
7:00am: Kids get up. Content creation ends. Now I'm in full mom mode—feeding humans, finding the missing shoe (seriously, always ONE), making lunch boxes, stopping fights. The chaos is real.
8:30am: School drop-off. I'm that mom filming at red lights at red lights. I know, I know, but content waits for no one.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my productive time. Peace and quiet. I'm in editing mode, responding to comments, thinking of ideas, reaching out to brands, reviewing performance. Folks imagine content creation is only filming. Wrong. It's a entire operation.
I usually batch-create content on Mondays and Wednesdays. That means making a dozen videos in a few hours. I'll switch outfits so it looks varied. Hot tip: Keep different outfits accessible for outfit changes. My neighbors think I've lost it, talking to my camera in the yard.
3:00pm: Picking them up. Parent time. But this is where it's complicated—often my viral videos come from this time. Last week, my daughter had a complete meltdown in Target because I wouldn't buy a forty dollar toy. I created a video in the vehicle once we left about dealing with meltdowns as a lone parent. It got 2.3 million views.
Evening: All the evening things. I'm generally wiped out to create content, but I'll schedule uploads, respond to DMs, or plan tomorrow's content. Certain nights, after they're down, I'll edit videos until midnight because a deadline is coming.
The truth? Balance is a myth. It's just controlled chaos with some victories.
Income Breakdown: How I Actually Make a Living
Look, let's get into the finances because this is what everyone's curious about. Can you actually make money as a online creator? Yes. Is it easy? Not even close.
My first month, I made zilch. Second month? Zero. Month three, I got my first paid partnership—$150 to feature a meal box. I literally cried. That $150 bought groceries for two weeks.
Fast forward, three years in, here's how I generate revenue:
Sponsored Content: This is my main revenue. I work with brands that make sense—practical items, mom products, kids' stuff. I ask for anywhere from five hundred to several thousand per deal, depending on deliverables. Last month, I did 4 sponsored posts and made $8,000.
Ad Money: Creator fund pays not much—$200-$400 per month for massive numbers. YouTube revenue is way better. I make about $1.5K monthly from YouTube, but that required years.
Affiliate Links: I share links to things I own—everything from my go-to coffee machine to the kids' beds. If someone purchases through my link, I get a kickback. This brings in about eight hundred to twelve hundred.
Info Products: I created a budget template and a meal prep guide. They're $15 each, and I sell fifty to a hundred per month. That's another $1-1.5K.
One-on-One Coaching: People wanting to start pay me to show them how. I offer 1:1 sessions for two hundred dollars. I do about several a month.
My total income: Most months, I'm making ten to fifteen thousand per month currently. It varies, some are less. It's up and down, which is nerve-wracking when there's no backup. But it's three times what I made at my old job, and I'm present.
The Hard Parts Nobody Shows You
This sounds easy until you're sobbing alone because a post tanked, or handling cruel messages from keyboard warriors.
The hate comments are real. I've been called a bad mom, told I'm a bad influence, accused of lying about being a solo parent. Someone once commented, "Maybe that's why he left." That one destroyed me.
The algorithm is unpredictable. Sometimes you're getting insane views. The next, you're lucky to break 1,000. Your income goes up and down. You're never off, never resting, worried that if you take a break, you'll fall behind.
The mom guilt is intense to the extreme. Everything I share, I wonder: Am I oversharing? Am I doing right by them? Will they hate me for this when they're grown? I have firm rules—limited face shots, no sharing their private stuff, nothing that could embarrass them. But the line is blurry sometimes.
The I get burnt out. There are weeks when I have nothing. When I'm done, talked out, and completely finished. But rent doesn't care. So I create anyway.
What Makes It Worth It
But listen—despite everything, this journey has blessed me with things I never dreamed of.
Financial freedom for once in my life. I'm not rich, but I paid off $18,000 in debt. I have an cushion. We took a real vacation last summer—the Mouse House, which seemed impossible two years ago. I don't check my bank account with anxiety anymore.
Schedule freedom that's priceless. When my child had a fever last month, I didn't have to stress about missing work or lose income. I handled business at urgent care. When there's a class party, I attend. I'm in their lives in ways I couldn't manage with a normal job.
Connection that saved me. The fellow creators I've befriended, especially single moms, have become true friends. We vent, exchange tips, lift each other up. My followers have become this beautiful community. They support me, send love, and make me feel seen.
Identity beyond "mom". After years, I have something that's mine. I'm not defined by divorce or somebody's mother. I'm a CEO. An influencer. Someone who created this.
What I Wish I Knew
If you're a single mom considering content creation, here's my advice:
Start before you're ready. Your first videos will be terrible. Mine did. Everyone starts there. You grow through creating, not by waiting until everything is perfect.
Be authentic, not perfect. People can sense inauthenticity. Share your true life—the mess. That's what works.
Guard their privacy. Set boundaries early. Decide what you will and won't share. Their privacy is non-negotiable. I protect their names, protect their faces, and keep private things private.
Diversify income streams. Don't put all eggs in one basket or a single source. The algorithm is fickle. More streams = less stress.
Batch your content. When you have quiet time, film multiple videos. Future you will thank present you when you're burnt out.
Build community. Answer comments. Respond to DMs. Create connections. Your community is everything.
Monitor what works. Time is money. If something takes forever and tanks while another video takes very little time and gets massive views, adjust your strategy.
Self-care matters. You can't pour from an empty cup. Rest. Create limits. Your health matters most.
Give it time. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me half a year to make meaningful money. The first year, I made maybe $15,000 total. Year 2, eighty grand. Year 3, I'm on track for six figures. It's a journey.
Don't forget your why. On bad days—and they happen—remember your reason. For me, it's supporting my kids, time with my children, and validating that I'm more than I believed.
Real Talk Time
Listen, I'm being honest. This life is hard. So damn hard. You're basically running a business while being the lone caretaker of children who require constant attention.
Some days I second-guess this. Days when the nasty comments get to me. Days when I'm exhausted and stressed and asking myself if I should quit this with consistent income.
But then my daughter says she appreciates this. Or I check my balance and see money. Or I receive a comment from a follower saying my content gave her courage. And I remember why I do this.
The Future
Not long ago, I was terrified and clueless how I'd survive as a single mom. Currently, I'm a full-time creator making way more than I made in corporate America, and I'm home when my kids get off the school bus.
My goals moving forward? Hit 500,000 followers by end of year. Launch a podcast for single moms. Consider writing a book. Keep building this business that makes everything possible.
This path gave me a lifeline when I needed it most. It gave me a way to feed my babies, be present in their lives, and build something real. It's unexpected, but it's meant to be.
To all the single moms considering this: Hell yes you can. It will be challenging. You'll struggle. But you're managing the most difficult thing—parenting solo. You're more capable than you know.
Jump in messy. Stay consistent. Guard your peace. And don't forget, you're more than just surviving—you're creating something amazing.
BRB, I need to go create content about another last-minute project and I'm just now hearing about it. Because that's the reality—content from the mess, one video at a time.
Honestly. Being a single mom creator? It's worth it. Even when I'm sure there's crushed cheerios all over my desk. That's the dream, one messy video at a time.