Let me tell you, mom life is literally insane. But you know what's even crazier? Attempting to earn extra income while managing tiny humans who think sleep is optional.
I started my side hustle journey about three years ago when I figured out that my Target runs were way too frequent. It was time to get some independent income.
Being a VA
Right so, I started out was becoming a virtual assistant. And not gonna lie? It was ideal. It let me work during naptime, and the only requirement was a computer and internet.
I began by easy things like organizing inboxes, posting on social media, and basic admin work. Not rocket science. My rate was about $15-20 per hour, which felt cheap but when you don't know what you're doing yet, you gotta begin at the bottom.
Honestly the most hilarious thing? I'd be on a Zoom call looking like I had my life together from the chest up—business casual vibes—while rocking my rattiest leggings. That's the dream honestly.
My Etsy Journey
After getting my feet wet, I wanted to explore the Etsy world. Literally everyone seemed to be on Etsy, so I was like "why not me?"
I started making printable planners and wall art. Here's why printables are amazing? You create it once, and it can keep selling indefinitely. Genuinely, I've gotten orders at midnight when I'm unconscious.
That initial sale? I literally screamed. My partner was like there was an emergency. Negative—just me, cheering about my $4.99 sale. Don't judge me.
The Content Creation Grind
Then I started the whole influencer thing. This venture is a marathon not a sprint, let me tell you.
I started a blog about motherhood where I wrote about real mom life—the messy truth. Not the highlight reel. Only the actual truth about finding mystery stains on everything I own.
Growing an audience was a test of patience. At the beginning, I was essentially writing for myself and like three people. But I stayed consistent, and eventually, things began working.
At this point? I generate revenue through affiliate marketing, working with brands, and ad revenue. Just last month I earned over $2,000 from my blog income. Crazy, right?
SMM Side Hustle
After I learned managing my blog's social media, small companies started asking if I could manage their accounts.
And honestly? Most small businesses don't understand social media. They know they should be posting, but they can't keep up.
Enter: me. I oversee social media for several small companies—different types of businesses. I make posts, plan their posting schedule, respond to comments, and monitor performance.
I charge between $500-$1500/month per business, depending on how much work is involved. Here's what's great? I can do most of it from my phone during soccer practice.
The Freelance Writing Hustle
For the wordy folks, freelancing is incredibly lucrative. I don't mean writing the next Great American Novel—I'm talking about content writing for businesses.
Brands and websites always need writers. I've written articles about everything from dental hygiene to copyright. You don't need to be an expert, you just need to know how to find information.
Usually bill $0.10-0.50 per word, depending on what's involved. Some months I'll create a dozen articles and pull in $1-2K.
What's hilarious: I'm the same person who barely passed English class. Currently I'm getting paid for it. Life is weird.
The Online Tutoring Thing
After lockdown started, everyone needed online help. I was a teacher before kids, so this was an obvious choice.
I signed up with several tutoring platforms. The scheduling is flexible, which is essential when you have unpredictable little ones.
I mainly help with elementary reading and math. Rates vary from fifteen to thirty bucks per hour depending on which site you use.
What's hilarious? Occasionally my children will photobomb my lessons mid-session. I've had to teach fractions while my toddler screamed about the wrong color cup. My clients are incredibly understanding because they're parents too.
The Reselling Game
So, this side gig I stumbled into. I was cleaning out my kids' closet and put some things on Mercari.
They sold immediately. I had an epiphany: there's a market for everything.
At this point I hit up estate sales and thrift shops, looking for name brands. I purchase something for $3 and sell it for $30.
Is it a lot of work? Yes. You're constantly listing and shipping. But it's oddly satisfying about finding a gem at Goodwill and making profit.
Plus: my kids are impressed when I find unique items. Just last week I found a vintage toy that my son absolutely loved. Sold it for $45. Score one for mom.
Real Talk Time
Real talk moment: side hustles aren't passive income. The word 'hustle' is there for a reason.
There are moments when I'm running on empty, asking myself what I'm doing. I wake up early getting stuff done while it's quiet, then doing all the mom stuff, then back to work after 8pm hits.
But here's the thing? I earned this money. I'm not asking anyone to treat myself. I'm adding to our financial goals. I'm teaching my children that women can hustle.
Tips if You're Starting Out
If you're considering a hustle of your own, here's my advice:
Start small. Don't attempt to do everything at once. Pick one thing and become proficient before expanding.
Work with your schedule. If you only have evenings, that's totally valid. A couple of productive hours is valuable.
Don't compare yourself to Instagram moms. Everyone you're comparing yourself to? She's been grinding forever and doesn't do it alone. Run your own race.
Invest in yourself, but smartly. You don't need expensive courses. Be careful about spending thousands on courses until you've tested the waters.
Do similar tasks together. This is crucial. Dedicate days for specific hustles. Monday might be creation day. Wednesday might be organizing and responding.
Let's Talk Mom Guilt
Let me be honest—mom guilt is a thing. There are days when I'm hustling and my child is calling for me, and I feel guilty.
However I remind myself that I'm showing them how to hustle. I'm demonstrating to my children that you can be both.
Plus? Earning independently has been good for me. I'm more satisfied, which helps me the document here be better.
Income Reality Check
My actual income? Most months, combining everything, I bring in between three and five grand. Certain months are higher, others are slower.
Is this millionaire money? Not really. But we've used it to pay for vacations, home improvements, and that emergency vet bill that would've been really hard. It's also creating opportunities and knowledge that could evolve into something huge.
Wrapping This Up
At the end of the day, hustling as a mom is hard. There's no such thing as a perfect balance. Often I'm making it up as I go, surviving on coffee, and crossing my fingers.
But I don't regret it. Every penny made is evidence of my capability. It demonstrates that I'm a multifaceted person.
If you're thinking about beginning your hustle journey? Go for it. Begin before you're ready. You in six months will thank you.
Always remember: You're not merely enduring—you're creating something amazing. Even if you probably have Goldfish crackers in your workspace.
Not even kidding. It's incredible, complete with all the chaos.
Surviving to Thriving: My Journey as a Single Mom
Here's the truth—being a single parent wasn't on my vision board. I never expected to be turning into an influencer. But fast forward to now, years into this crazy ride, making a living by creating content while parenting alone. And not gonna lie? It's been scary AF but incredible of my life.
Rock Bottom: When Everything Fell Apart
It was three years ago when my life exploded. 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 checking account, two mouths to feed, and a job that barely covered rent. The stress was unbearable, y'all.
I was scrolling social media to avoid my thoughts—because that's what we do? in crisis mode, right?—when I came across this single mom discussing how she paid off $30,000 in debt through posting online. I remember thinking, "That can't be real."
But rock bottom gives you courage. Or both. Often both.
I downloaded the TikTok creator app the next morning. My first video? Raw, unfiltered, messy hair, explaining how I'd just spent my last $12 on a dinosaur nuggets and snacks for my kids' lunches. I shared it and felt sick. Who wants to watch someone's train wreck of a life?
Apparently, thousands of people.
That video got forty-seven thousand views. 47,000 people watched me breakdown over frozen nuggets. The comments section was this incredible community—other single moms, folks in the trenches, all saying "me too." That was my epiphany. People didn't want perfect. They wanted honest.
Discovering My Voice: The Unfiltered Mom Content
The truth is about content creation: finding your niche is everything. And my niche? It chose me. I became the mom who tells the truth.
I started creating content about the stuff no one shows. Like how I wore the same leggings all week because laundry felt impossible. Or the time I gave them breakfast for dinner three nights in a row and called it "cereal week." Or that moment when my child asked why we don't live with dad, and I had to talk about complex things to a kid who thinks the tooth fairy is real.
My content wasn't polished. My lighting was non-existent. I filmed on a phone with a broken screen. But it was honest, and apparently, that's what hit.
In just two months, I hit ten thousand followers. Month three, 50K. By month six, I'd crossed a hundred thousand. Each milestone felt surreal. Actual humans who wanted to hear what I had to say. Little old me—a struggling single mom who had to Google "what is a content creator" not long ago.
The Daily Grind: Juggling Everything
Let me show you of my typical day, because content creation as a single mom is nothing like those perfect "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm screams. I do NOT want to get up, but this is my work time. I make coffee that I'll forget about, and I start filming. Sometimes it's a morning routine sharing about single mom finances. Sometimes it's me making food while sharing parenting coordination. The lighting is not great.
7:00am: Kids emerge. Content creation stops. Now I'm in full mom mode—cooking eggs, locating lost items (seriously, always ONE), packing lunches, referee duties. The chaos is real.
8:30am: Carpool line. I'm that mom creating content in traffic when stopped. I know, I know, but content waits for no one.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my productive time. Kids are at school. I'm editing videos, engaging with followers, ideating, doing outreach, looking at stats. People think content creation is just making TikToks. Wrong. It's a entire operation.
I usually batch-create content on Monday and Wednesday. That means shooting multiple videos in a few hours. I'll switch outfits so it looks varied. Advice: Keep several shirts ready for quick changes. My neighbors definitely think I'm crazy, talking to my camera in the yard.
3:00pm: Pickup time. Back to parenting. But here's where it gets tricky—often my viral videos come from this time. Just last week, my daughter had a complete meltdown in Target because I couldn't afford a toy she didn't need. I created a video in the parking lot once we left about handling public tantrums as a solo parent. It got over 2 million views.
Evening: The evening routine. I'm generally wiped out to film, but I'll queue up posts, check DMs, or outline content. Some nights, after bedtime, I'll edit videos until midnight because a deadline is coming.
The truth? There's no balance. It's just managed chaos with random wins.
Income Breakdown: How I Actually Make a Living
Okay, let's talk dollars because this is what everyone wants to know. Can you legitimately profit as a content creator? For sure. Is it straightforward? Nope.
My first month, I made nothing. Second month? $0. Third month, I got my first collaboration—a hundred and fifty bucks to share a meal box. I literally cried. That one-fifty covered food.
Fast forward, three years later, here's how I make money:
Sponsored Content: This is my primary income. I work with brands that make sense—things that help, parenting tools, family items. I ask for anywhere from five hundred to five thousand dollars per partnership, depending on what they need. Just last month, I did four partnerships and made eight thousand dollars.
Platform Payments: The TikTok fund pays basically nothing—$200-$400 per month for huge view counts. YouTube revenue is better. I make about $1,500 monthly from YouTube, but that was a long process.
Affiliate Links: I share links to things I own—ranging from my favorite coffee maker to the bunk beds I bought. If someone purchases through my link, I get a percentage. This brings in about $800-1,200 monthly.
Downloadables: I created a budget template and a cooking guide. They sell for fifteen dollars, and I sell maybe 50-100 per month. That's another over a thousand dollars.
Consulting Services: Other aspiring creators pay me to teach them the ropes. I offer private coaching for two hundred dollars. I do about five to ten a month.
Combined monthly revenue: Typically, I'm making between ten and fifteen grand per month at this point. Some months I make more, some are lower. It's up and down, which is terrifying when you're solo. But it's 3x what I made at my previous job, and I'm available for my kids.
The Hard Parts Nobody Shows You
This sounds easy until you're losing it because a post got no views, or handling hate comments from keyboard warriors.
The haters are brutal. I've been accused of being a bad mother, told I'm a bad influence, accused of lying about being a solo parent. A commenter wrote, "No wonder he left." That one stuck with me.
The algorithm is unpredictable. One month you're getting viral hits. Then suddenly, you're barely hitting 1K. Your income goes up and down. You're never off, always "on", afraid to pause, you'll lose relevance.
The mom guilt is amplified beyond normal. Every video I post, I wonder: Is this too much? Am I protecting my kids' privacy? Will they regret this when they're adults? I have non-negotiables—limited face shots, no discussing their personal struggles, nothing humiliating. But the line is blurry sometimes.
The I get burnt out. Certain periods when I don't want to film anything. When I'm done, socially drained, and just done. But life doesn't stop. So I show up anyway.
The Unexpected Blessings
But here's what's real—despite everything, this journey has created things I never imagined.
Money security for the first damn time. I'm not a millionaire, but I cleared $18K. I have an safety net. We took a vacation last summer—Disney, which I never thought possible not long ago. I don't dread checking my balance anymore.
Flexibility that's priceless. When my child had a fever last month, I didn't have to call in to work or panic. I handled business at urgent care. When there's a class party, I can go. I'm in their lives in ways I wasn't able to be with a corporate job.
Support that saved me. The other creators I've befriended, especially solo parents, have become real friends. We talk, collaborate, have each other's backs. My followers have become this incredible cheerleading squad. They cheer for me, send love, and make me feel seen.
My own identity. Since becoming a mom, I have something that's mine. I'm not defined by divorce or somebody's mother. I'm a content creator. An influencer. Someone who made it happen.
My Best Tips
If you're a single mom considering content creation, here's my advice:
Don't wait. Your first videos will be terrible. Mine did. Everyone starts there. You improve over time, not by waiting until everything is perfect.
Keep it real. People can smell fake from a mile away. Share your real life—the messy, imperfect, chaotic reality. That's what works.
Protect your kids. Establish boundaries. Know your limits. Their privacy is sacred. I protect their names, limit face shots, and respect their dignity.
Build multiple income streams. Don't put all eggs in one basket or a single source. The algorithm is unstable. Multiple income streams = stability.
Film multiple videos. When you have free time, film multiple videos. Tomorrow you will be grateful when you're unable to film.
Engage with your audience. Engage. Answer DMs. Be real with them. Your community is everything.
Monitor what works. Not all content is worth creating. If something requires tons of time and gets 200 views while a different post takes no time and goes viral, pivot.
Take care of yourself. You matter too. Unplug. Protect your peace. Your wellbeing matters most.
This takes time. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me ages to make meaningful money. Year one, I made barely $15,000. The second year, eighty grand. This year, I'm on track for six figures. It's a marathon.
Don't forget your why. On hard days—and there are many—think about your why. For me, it's money, time with my children, and showing myself that I'm capable of more than I thought possible.
Being Real With You
Real talk, I'm telling the truth. This journey is hard. So damn hard. You're running a whole business while being the only parent of tiny humans who need you constantly.
Many days I second-guess this. Days when the hate comments affect me. Days when I'm completely spent and wondering if I should just get a "normal" job with benefits and a steady paycheck.
But then suddenly my daughter shares she appreciates this. Or I see financial progress. Or I get a DM from a follower saying my content changed her life. And I understand the impact.
Where I'm Going From Here
Years ago, I was broke, scared, and had no idea how to make it work. Currently, I'm a content creator making triple what I earned in traditional work, and I'm available when they need me.
My goals going forward? Get to half a million followers by year-end. Start a podcast for other single moms. Consider writing a book. Keep building this business that makes everything possible.
This path gave me a lifeline when I had nothing. It gave me a way to take care of my children, be there, and accomplish something incredible. It's a surprise, but it's exactly where I needed to be.
To all the single moms on the fence: Hell yes you can. It will be hard. You'll consider quitting. But you're currently doing the hardest job in the world—doing this alone. You're more capable than you know.
Start messy. Stay consistent. Keep your boundaries. And don't forget, you're doing more than surviving—you're building something incredible.
BRB, I need to go create content about homework I forgot about and I'm just now hearing about it. Because that's the reality—content from the mess, one post at a time.
Seriously. This journey? It's worth it. Even though there's probably Goldfish crackers everywhere. No regrets, mess included.