Let me spill, motherhood is not for the weak. But you know what's even crazier? Attempting to hustle for money while managing children who have boundless energy while I'm running on fumes.
I started my side hustle journey about three years ago when I realized that my Target runs were getting out of hand. It was time to get my own money.
Being a VA
Okay so, my first gig was jumping into virtual assistance. And real talk? It was perfect. It let me get stuff done when the house was finally peaceful, and literally all it took was my trusty MacBook and a prayer.
I began by simple tasks like email management, doing social media scheduling, and data entry. Not rocket science. I started at about $20/hour, which seemed low but when you're just starting, you gotta build up your portfolio.
What cracked me up? Picture this: me on a video meeting looking completely put together from the shoulders up—looking corporate—while wearing sweatpants. Living my best life.
My Etsy Journey
After getting my feet wet, I decided to try the handmade marketplace scene. Everyone and their mother seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I thought "why not get in on this?"
I created making printable planners and digital art prints. The beauty of printables? Design it once, and it can generate passive income forever. For real, I've gotten orders at midnight when I'm unconscious.
My first sale? I literally screamed. My partner was like there was an emergency. Not even close—I was just, doing a happy dance for my first five bucks. No shame in my game.
Blogging and Creating
Next I discovered creating content online. This particular side gig is a marathon not a sprint, trust me on this.
I began a family lifestyle blog where I shared what motherhood actually looks like—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Not the highlight reel. Simply authentic experiences about how I once found a chicken nugget in my bra.
Building up views was slow. For months, I was essentially my only readers were my mom and two bots. But I stayed consistent, and slowly but surely, things took off.
These days? I make money through affiliate links, collaborations, and advertisements on my site. Just last month I made over $2K from my blog alone. Wild, right?
SMM Side Hustle
When I became good with my own content, brands started inquiring if I could run their social media.
Truth bomb? Most small businesses are terrible with social media. They know they need a presence, but they're too busy.
I swoop in. I handle social media for several small companies—various small businesses. I create content, schedule posts, respond to comments, and analyze the metrics.
I bill between $500-$1500/month per business, depending on the complexity. Here's what's great? I manage everything from my phone.
Freelance Writing Life
For the wordy folks, content writing is seriously profitable. I don't mean literary fiction—this is blog posts, articles, website copy, product descriptions.
Websites and businesses always need writers. I've written everything from the most random topics. You just need to research, you just need to know how to Google effectively.
Usually make fifty to one hundred fifty bucks per piece, depending on how complex it is. When I'm hustling hard I'll produce fifteen articles and bring in a couple thousand dollars.
What's hilarious: I'm the same person who struggled with essays. Now I'm making money from copyright. Talk about character development.
Virtual Tutoring
During the pandemic, tutoring went digital. With my teaching background, so this was an obvious choice.
I joined various tutoring services. You choose when you work, which is crucial when you have kids with unpredictable schedules.
I mainly help with elementary reading and math. Rates vary from $15-25 per hour depending on where you work.
The awkward part? Occasionally my children will burst into the room mid-session. I once had to maintain composure during complete chaos in the background. The parents on the other end are totally cool about it because they're living the same life.
Reselling and Flipping
Here me out, this one happened accidentally. I was cleaning out my kids' things and put some things on various apps.
They sold immediately. I had an epiphany: you can sell literally anything.
Now I visit secondhand stores and sales, looking for quality items. I grab something for a few the cited reference dollars and make serious profit.
This takes effort? For sure. I'm photographing items, writing descriptions, shipping packages. But I find it rewarding about finding hidden treasures at a yard sale and making profit.
Bonus: my kids are impressed when I find unique items. Just last week I found a collectible item that my son lost his mind over. Got forty-five dollars for it. Mom win.
The Honest Reality
Let me keep it real: side hustles take work. It's called hustling because you're hustling.
There are moments when I'm completely drained, questioning my life choices. I'm up at 5am hustling before the chaos starts, then doing all the mom stuff, then more hustle time after 8pm hits.
But you know what? I earned this money. No permission needed to buy the fancy coffee. I'm adding to the family budget. I'm showing my kids that you can be both.
Tips if You're Starting Out
If you're considering a mom hustle, here's what I'd tell you:
Begin with something manageable. You can't start five businesses. Pick one thing and nail it down before adding more.
Work with your schedule. Your available hours, that's perfectly acceptable. A couple of productive hours is more than enough to start.
Comparison is the thief of joy to the highlight reels. Everyone you're comparing yourself to? She's been grinding forever and has help. Stay in your lane.
Don't be afraid to invest, but strategically. Start with free stuff first. Avoid dropping huge money on programs until you've tested the waters.
Batch tasks together. This changed everything. Use certain times for certain work. Make Monday writing day. Wednesday might be admin and emails.
Dealing with Mom Guilt
I have to be real with you—I struggle with guilt. There are days when I'm on my laptop and they want to play, and I feel guilty.
Yet I remember that I'm showing them how to hustle. I'm showing my daughter that motherhood doesn't mean giving up your identity.
Plus? Having my own income has made me a better mom. I'm happier, which makes me a better parent.
The Numbers
My actual income? Most months, between all my hustles, I earn three to five thousand monthly. Some months are better, it fluctuates.
Will this make you wealthy? No. But this money covers stuff that matters to us that would've been really hard. It's also building my skills and skills that could evolve into something huge.
Final Thoughts
Listen, being a mom with a side hustle isn't easy. There's no such thing as a secret sauce. Most days I'm improvising everything, surviving on coffee, and hoping for the best.
But I'm proud of this journey. Every single dollar I earn is a testament to my hustle. It's proof that I'm not just someone's mother.
So if you're considering launching a mom business? Do it. Begin before you're ready. You in six months will thank you.
Don't forget: You're more than getting by—you're creating something amazing. Despite the fact that there's probably old cheerios on your keyboard.
Not even kidding. The whole thing is where it's at, chaos and all.
My Content Creator Journey: My Journey as a Single Mom
I'm gonna be honest—becoming a single mom wasn't on my vision board. I never expected to be building a creator business. But fast forward to now, years into this crazy ride, making a living by posting videos while raising two kids basically solo. And I'll be real? It's been scary AF but incredible of my life.
The Beginning: When Everything Changed
It was a few years ago when my divorce happened. I can still picture sitting in my half-empty apartment (he got the furniture, I got the memories), scrolling mindlessly at 2am while my kids slept. I had $847 in my account, two kids to support, and a job that barely covered rent. The anxiety was crushing, y'all.
I'd been mindlessly scrolling to distract myself from the anxiety—because that's self-care at 2am, right? when everything is chaos, right?—when I found this solo parent discussing how she became debt-free through making videos. I remember thinking, "That's either a scam or she's incredibly lucky."
But rock bottom gives you courage. Or stupid. Often both.
I got the TikTok studio app the next morning. My first video? Completely unpolished, venting about how I'd just spent my last $12 on a cheap food for my kids' school lunches. I shared it and felt sick. Who wants to watch this disaster?
Spoiler alert, way more people than I expected.
That video got nearly 50,000 views. Forty-seven thousand people watched me almost lose it over $12 worth of food. The comments section turned into this incredible community—other single moms, other people struggling, all saying "same." That was my lightbulb moment. People didn't want filtered content. They wanted authentic.
Finding My Niche: The Unfiltered Mom Content
Here's the secret about content creation: niche is crucial. And my niche? I stumbled into it. I became the mom who tells the truth.
I started sharing the stuff nobody talks about. Like how I once wore the same yoga pants for four days straight because executive dysfunction is real. Or the time I gave them breakfast for dinner three nights in a row and called it "creative meal planning." Or that moment when my six-year-old asked why daddy doesn't live here anymore, and I had to discuss divorce to a kid who thinks the tooth fairy is real.
My content was rough. My lighting was non-existent. I filmed on a cracked iPhone 8. But it was real, and evidently, that's what resonated.
After sixty days, I hit ten thousand followers. 90 days in, 50K. By six months, I'd crossed 100,000. Each milestone blew my mind. People who wanted to hear what I had to say. Plain old me—a financially unstable single mom who had to Google "what is a content creator" not long ago.
My Daily Reality: Balancing Content and Chaos
Here's what it actually looks like of my typical day, because this life is not at all like those aesthetic "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm blares. I do not want to move, but this is my precious quiet time. I make coffee that I'll microwave repeatedly, and I begin creating. Sometimes it's a get-ready-with-me talking about money struggles. Sometimes it's me making food while venting about dealing with my ex. The lighting is whatever natural light comes through my kitchen window.
7:00am: Kids get up. Content creation ends. Now I'm in mommy mode—pouring cereal, locating lost items (where do they go), prepping food, stopping fights. The chaos is real.
8:30am: Carpool line. I'm that mom creating content in traffic at stop signs. Don't judge me, but content waits for no one.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my productive time. House is quiet. I'm cutting clips, being social, planning content, doing outreach, reviewing performance. Folks imagine content creation is just making TikToks. Wrong. It's a whole business.
I usually create multiple videos on Monday and Wednesday. That means filming 10-15 videos in one sitting. I'll change clothes so it looks like different days. Life hack: Keep multiple tops nearby for easy transitions. My neighbors definitely think I'm crazy, making videos in public in the driveway.
3:00pm: Picking them up. Parent time. But here's the thing—many times my biggest hits come from these after-school moments. Last week, my daughter had a full tantrum in Target because I refused to get a $40 toy. I recorded in the vehicle afterward about handling public tantrums as a single parent. It got over 2 million views.
Evening: The evening routine. I'm typically drained to film, but I'll schedule uploads, reply to messages, or outline content. Many nights, after they're down, I'll work late because a brand deadline is looming.
The truth? No such thing as balance. It's just chaos with a plan with moments of success.
Income Breakdown: How I Generate Income
Alright, let's talk dollars because this is what you're wondering. Can you actually make money as a creator? Yes. Is it effortless? Hell no.
My first month, I made nothing. Second month? Also nothing. Month three, I got my first paid partnership—one hundred fifty dollars to post about a meal box. I actually cried. That one-fifty bought groceries for two weeks.
Now, three years later, here's how I make money:
Collaborations: This is my biggest income source. I work with brands that fit my niche—things that help, parenting tools, children's products. I bill anywhere from five hundred to several thousand per collaboration, depending on what's required. Last month, I did four collabs and made eight grand.
Creator Fund/Ad Revenue: Creator fund pays very little—a few hundred dollars per month for massive numbers. YouTube money is actually decent. I make about $1,500 monthly from YouTube, but that took forever.
Affiliate Links: I post links to items I love—ranging from my beloved coffee maker to the bunk beds I bought. If they buy using my link, I get a cut. This brings in about $1K monthly.
Online Products: I created a budget template and a food prep planner. $15 apiece, and I sell 50-100 per month. That's another $1,000-1,500.
Coaching/Consulting: People wanting to start pay me to teach them the ropes. I offer consulting calls for two hundred dollars. I do about five to ten of these monthly.
Total monthly income: On average, I'm making $10,000-15,000 per month at this point. It varies, some are lower. It's inconsistent, which is stressful when you're solo. But it's triple what I made at my old job, and I'm home when my kids need me.
The Struggles Nobody Shows You
It looks perfect online until you're sobbing alone because a post got no views, or dealing with cruel messages from keyboard warriors.
The trolls are vicious. I've been accused of being a bad mother, told I'm exploiting my kids, questioned about being a single mom. Someone once commented, "Maybe that's why he left." That one stung for days.
The algorithm changes constantly. Certain periods you're getting huge numbers. The next, you're barely hitting 1K. Your income goes up and down. You're never off, always working, afraid to pause, you'll fall behind.
The mom guilt is intense exponentially. Each post, I wonder: Am I sharing too much? Am I protecting my kids' privacy? Will they be angry about this when they're teenagers? I have firm rules—protected identities, keeping their stories private, nothing that could embarrass them. But the line is fuzzy.
The I get burnt out. There are weeks when I am empty. When I'm depleted, socially drained, and totally spent. But the mortgage is due. So I create anyway.
What Makes It Worth It
But here's what's real—through it all, this journey has blessed me with things I never expected.
Economic stability for the first time in my life. I'm not a millionaire, but I eliminated my debt. I have an savings. We took a real vacation last summer—the Mouse House, which was a dream a couple years back. I don't stress about my account anymore.
Control that's priceless. When my child had a fever last month, I didn't have to call in to work or stress about losing pay. I worked from the pediatrician's waiting room. When there's a class party, I attend. I'm present in my kids' lives in ways I wasn't with a normal job.
Connection that saved me. The other influencers I've connected with, especially solo parents, have become actual friends. We connect, help each other, have each other's backs. My followers have become this incredible cheerleading squad. They hype me up, encourage me through rough patches, and validate me.
Me beyond motherhood. For the first time since having kids, I have something that's mine. I'm not just an ex or somebody's mother. I'm a content creator. A creator. Someone who built something from nothing.
What I Wish I Knew
If you're a single mom thinking about this, here's my advice:
Don't wait. Your first videos will be trash. Mine did. That's normal. You learn by doing, not by waiting until everything is perfect.
Keep it real. People can spot fake. Share your real life—the unfiltered truth. That resonates.
Prioritize their privacy. Set limits. Decide what you will and won't share. Their privacy is non-negotiable. I protect their names, limit face shots, and protect their stories.
Diversify income streams. Don't rely on just one platform or a single source. The algorithm is unreliable. Diversification = security.
Batch create content. When you have time alone, create multiple pieces. Next week you will thank present you when you're too exhausted to create.
Interact. Engage. Answer DMs. Build real relationships. Your community is what matters.
Analyze performance. Not all content is worth creating. If something requires tons of time and tanks while another video takes 20 minutes and gets massive views, shift focus.
Self-care matters. Self-care isn't selfish. Rest. Create limits. Your mental health matters most.
Stay patient. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me ages to make any real money. Year one, I made $15K total. Year two, eighty thousand. This year, I'm hitting six figures. It's a process.
Stay connected to your purpose. On hard days—and there will be many—recall your purpose. For me, it's financial freedom, flexibility with my kids, and validating that I'm capable of more than I thought possible.
The Reality Check
Look, I'm keeping it 100. This life is difficult. So damn hard. You're managing a business while being the only parent of tiny humans who need you constantly.
Certain days I wonder what I'm doing. Days when the hate comments hurt. Days when I'm burnt out and questioning if I should get a regular job with stability.
But then suddenly my daughter tells me she appreciates this. Or I see my bank account actually has money in it. Or I see a message from a follower saying my content changed her life. And I know it's worth it.
What's Next
Three years ago, I was terrified and clueless how to make it work. Currently, I'm a full-time creator making way more than I made in corporate America, and I'm available when they need me.
My goals for the future? Hit 500,000 followers by this year. Start a podcast for single moms. Maybe write a book. Continue building this business that supports my family.
This path gave me a second chance when I was desperate. It gave me a way to take care of my children, show up, and build something I'm genuinely proud of. It's a surprise, but it's exactly where I needed to be.
To every single mom out there wondering if you can do this: You can. It will be challenging. You'll want to quit some days. But you're handling the toughest gig—parenting solo. You're stronger than you think.
Jump in messy. Stay consistent. Protect your peace. And remember, you're doing more than surviving—you're building an empire.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go make a video about the project I just found out about and nobody told me until now. Because that's the reality—turning chaos into content, one TikTok at a time.
No cap. This journey? It's everything. Even if I'm sure there's Goldfish crackers stuck to my laptop right now. No regrets, mess included.