I'm gonna be honest with you, being a mom is no joke. But plot twist? Working to secure the bag while handling kids, laundry, and approximately 47 snack requests per day.
This whole thing started for me about several years ago when I realized that my impulse buys were reaching dangerous levels. I was desperate for funds I didn't have to justify spending.
The Virtual Assistant Life
Right so, my initial venture was jumping into virtual assistance. And not gonna lie? It was exactly what I needed. I could work during naptime, and all I needed was a computer and internet.
My first tasks were simple tasks like email sorting, scheduling social media posts, and basic admin work. Nothing fancy. I started at about $15-20 per hour, which felt cheap but as a total beginner, you gotta start somewhere.
Here's what was wild? I'd be on a client call looking like I had my life together from the waist up—full professional mode—while rocking pajama bottoms. Living my best life.
My Etsy Journey
After a year, I wanted to explore the handmade marketplace scene. Every mom I knew seemed to be on Etsy, so I thought "why not start one too?"
I began designing downloadable organizers and home decor prints. The thing about selling digital stuff? Design it once, and it can generate passive income forever. Actually, I've gotten orders at times when I didn't even know.
That initial sale? I literally screamed. My partner was like the house was on fire. But no—it was just me, doing a happy dance for my first five bucks. I'm not embarrassed.
The Content Creation Grind
After that I got into blogging and content creation. This venture is a marathon not a sprint, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it.
I launched a family lifestyle blog where I wrote about real mom life—the good, the bad, and the ugly. No Instagram-perfect nonsense. Just real talk about surviving tantrums in Target.
Building up views was like watching paint dry. The first few months, I was essentially talking to myself. But I kept at it, and over time, things started clicking.
At this point? I earn income through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and advertisements on my site. Just last month I brought in over two grand from my blog income. Crazy, right?
SMM Side Hustle
When I became good with social media for my own stuff, other businesses started inquiring if I could do the same for them.
Truth bomb? Many companies don't understand social media. They recognize they have to be on it, but they can't keep up.
This is my moment. I currently run social media for several small companies—different types of businesses. I plan their content, queue up posts, engage with followers, and analyze the metrics.
My rate is between $500-$1500/month per account, depending on what they need. Here's what's great? I do this work from my phone during soccer practice.
The Freelance Writing Hustle
For those who can string sentences together, freelance writing is a goldmine. This isn't writing the next Great American Novel—I mean commercial writing.
Businesses everywhere are desperate for content. I've written everything from dental hygiene to copyright. Google is your best friend, you just need to know how to Google effectively.
I typically make $50-150 per article, depending on what's involved. Certain months I'll write ten to fifteen pieces and pull in an extra $1,000-2,000.
Plot twist: I was that student who thought writing was torture. And now I'm a professional writer. Talk about character development.
Tutoring Online
After lockdown started, tutoring went digital. With my teaching background, so this was perfect for me.
I joined a couple of online tutoring sites. It's super flexible, which is absolutely necessary when you have children who keep you guessing.
My sessions are usually elementary reading and math. Rates vary from fifteen to twenty-five hourly depending on which site you use.
What's hilarious? There are times when my kids will interrupt mid-session. I once had to teach fractions while my toddler screamed about the wrong color cup. The families I work with are usually super understanding because they understand mom life.
Flipping Items for Profit
Alright, this side gig happened accidentally. During a massive cleanout my kids' closet and put some things on Facebook Marketplace.
They sold within hours. That's when I realized: people will buy anything.
Currently I hit up secondhand stores and sales, hunting for things that will sell. I purchase something for a few dollars and make serious profit.
It's labor-intensive? Absolutely. There's photographing, listing, and shipping. But there's something satisfying about discovering a diamond in the rough at Goodwill and earning from it.
Bonus: my kids are impressed when I score cool vintage stuff. Recently I found a retro toy that my son freaked out about. Flipped it for forty-five bucks. Mom win.
The Truth About Side Hustles
Truth bomb incoming: these aren't get-rich-quick schemes. They're called hustles for a reason.
Certain days when I'm completely drained, wondering why I'm doing this. I'm grinding at dawn hustling before the chaos starts, then being a full-time parent, then back to work after the kids are asleep.
But here's the thing? These are my earnings. I can spend it guilt-free to splurge on something nice. I'm contributing to the family budget. I'm teaching my children that you can be both.
What I Wish I Knew
For those contemplating a side gig, here's my advice:
Don't go all in immediately. Don't try to start five businesses. Focus on one and master it before taking on more.
Be realistic about time. If naptime is your only free time, that's fine. A couple of productive hours is better than nothing.
Stop comparing to what you see online. Everyone you're comparing yourself to? They put in years of work and has help. Focus on your own journey.
Invest in yourself, but strategically. Start with free stuff first. Avoid dropping thousands on courses until you've tried things out.
Work in batches. This changed everything. Use specific days for specific tasks. Monday could be creation day. Wednesday could be organizing and responding.
Let's Talk Mom Guilt
Real talk—the mom guilt is real. Sometimes when I'm on my laptop and they want to play, and I feel guilty.
But then I consider that I'm modeling for them work ethic. I'm proving to them that you can be both.
Also? Making my own money has been good for me. I'm more content, which helps me be better.
The Numbers
My actual income? Most months, combining everything, I bring in $3K-5K. Some months are better, it fluctuates.
Is it life-changing money? Not exactly. But I've used it for family trips and unexpected expenses that would've stressed us out. It's also creating opportunities and expertise that could evolve into something huge.
In Conclusion
Here's the bottom line, doing this mom hustle thing isn't easy. There's no magic formula. A lot of days I'm flying by the seat of my pants, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and doing my best.
But I'm glad I'm doing this. Each dollar earned is proof that I can do hard things. It shows that I'm more than just mom.
If you're on the fence about starting a side hustle? Do it. Start before it's perfect. Future you will appreciate it.
And remember: You're not merely surviving—you're growing something incredible. Despite the fact that you probably have mysterious crumbs everywhere.
Not even kidding. It's pretty amazing, complete with all the chaos.
From Survival Mode to Content Creator: 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 making money from my phone. But here we are, three years into this wild journey, paying bills by posting videos while parenting alone. And real talk? It's been the best worst decision of my life.
The Starting Point: When Everything Came Crashing Down
It was a few years ago when my life exploded. I remember sitting in my bare apartment (he got the furniture, I got the memories), scrolling mindlessly at 2am while my kids were asleep. I had barely $850 in my checking account, two kids to support, and a income that didn't cut it. The panic was real, y'all.
I'd been scrolling TikTok to avoid my thoughts—because that's the move? when everything is chaos, right?—when I found this single mom sharing how she made six figures through content creation. I remember thinking, "That's either a scam or she's incredibly lucky."
But when you're desperate, you try anything. Or both. Usually both.
I grabbed the TikTok app the next morning. My first video? No filter, no makeup, pure chaos, sharing how I'd just used my last twelve bucks on a cheap food for my kids' lunch boxes. I shared it and felt sick. Why would anyone care about someone's train wreck of a life?
Apparently, tons of people.
That video got 47K views. 47,000 people watched me breakdown over frozen nuggets. The comments section became this validation fest—women in similar situations, other people struggling, all saying "I feel this." That was my turning point. People didn't want perfection. They wanted raw.
Discovering My Voice: The Honest Single Parent Platform
Here's the secret about content creation: your niche matters. And my niche? It chose me. I became the mom who tells the truth.
I started creating content about the stuff everyone keeps private. Like how I once wore the same yoga pants for four days straight because laundry felt impossible. Or the time I let them eat Lucky Charms for dinner multiple nights and called it "survival mode." Or that moment when my child asked about the divorce, and I had to discuss divorce to a kid who believes in magic.
My content was raw. My lighting was non-existent. I filmed on a phone with a broken screen. But it was honest, and turns out, that's what connected.
Two months later, I hit 10K. Month three, 50,000. By month six, I'd crossed 100,000. Each milestone seemed fake. Actual humans who wanted to know my story. Plain old me—a struggling single mom who had to learn everything from scratch months before.
A Day in the Life: Managing It All
Here's what it actually looks like of my typical day, because content creation as a single mom is totally different from those aesthetic "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm screams. I do want to throw my phone, but this is my sacred content creation time. I make coffee that I'll reheat three times, and I begin creating. Sometimes it's a morning routine discussing single mom finances. Sometimes it's me meal prepping while talking about parenting coordination. The lighting is whatever natural light comes through my kitchen window.
7:00am: Kids get up. Content creation ends. Now I'm in parent mode—feeding humans, hunting for that one shoe (where do they go), throwing food in bags, mediating arguments. The chaos is overwhelming.
8:30am: Carpool line. I'm that mom in the carpool line filming TikToks at stop signs. I know, I know, but the grind never stops.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my power window. I'm alone finally. I'm editing content, engaging with followers, thinking of ideas, doing outreach, looking at stats. People think content creation is only filming. Nope. It's a whole business.
I usually film in batches on Mondays and Wednesdays. That means making a dozen videos in one go. I'll switch outfits so it appears to be different times. Life hack: Keep multiple tops nearby for outfit changes. My neighbors probably think I'm unhinged, recording myself alone in the yard.
3:00pm: Pickup time. Mom mode activated. But here's where it gets tricky—sometimes my biggest hits come from real life. A few days ago, my daughter had a complete meltdown in Target because I said no to a $40 toy. I created a video in the car after about managing big emotions as a single mom. It got 2.3M views.
Evening: All the evening things. I'm completely exhausted to film, but I'll schedule content, respond to DMs, or plan tomorrow's content. Some nights, after bedtime, I'll stay up editing because a client needs content.
The truth? Balance doesn't exist. It's just organized chaos with random wins.
The Money Talk: How I Generate Income
Alright, let's get into the finances because this is what people ask about. Can you actually make money as a influencer? 100%. Is it simple? Absolutely not.
My first month, I made nothing. Second month? $0. Third month, I got my first paid partnership—$150 to feature a food subscription. I broke down. That $150 bought groceries for two weeks.
Now, three years later, here's how I generate revenue:
Brand Partnerships: This is my primary income. I work with brands that fit my niche—affordable stuff, parenting tools, kid essentials. I bill anywhere from $500-5K per collaboration, depending on what's required. Just last month, I did 4 sponsored posts and made eight grand.
Platform Payments: Creator fund pays basically nothing—two to four hundred per month for huge view counts. YouTube money is way better. I make about fifteen hundred a month from YouTube, but that took two years to build up.
Affiliate Links: I promote products to stuff I really use—ranging from my go-to coffee machine to the beds my kids use. If someone clicks and buys, I get a cut. This brings in about $800-1,200 monthly.
Digital Products: I created a budget template and a meal planning ebook. They're $15 each, and I sell dozens per month. That's another $1,000-1,500.
Consulting Services: People wanting to start pay me to guide them. I offer 1:1 sessions for $200 hourly. I do about five to ten of these monthly.
Overall monthly earnings: Most months, I'm making between ten and fifteen grand per month at this point. Certain months are better, some are tougher. It's inconsistent, which is terrifying when you're solo. But it's three times what I made at my 9-5, and I'm available for my kids.
What They Don't Show Nobody Posts About
This sounds easy until you're crying in your car because a video didn't perform, or reading cruel messages from strangers who think they know your life.
The trolls are vicious. I've been mom-shamed, told I'm exploiting my kids, accused of lying about being a single mom. Someone once commented, "Maybe that's why he left." That one stung for days.
The algorithm is unpredictable. One week you're getting insane views. The following week, you're lucky to break 1,000. Your income is unstable. You're constantly creating, 24/7, worried that if you take a break, you'll be forgotten.
The mom guilt is intense to the extreme. Every upload, I wonder: Is this appropriate? Is this okay? Will they be angry about this when they're older? I have clear boundaries—no faces of my kids without permission, no sharing their private stuff, nothing humiliating. But the line is blurry sometimes.
The I get burnt out. Some weeks when I can't create. When I'm touched out, over it, and totally spent. But rent doesn't care. So I push through.
The Unexpected Blessings
But listen—even with the struggles, this journey has blessed me with things I never anticipated.
Money security for once in my life. I'm not loaded, but I eliminated my debt. I have an safety net. We took a vacation last summer—Disney World, which I never thought possible two years ago. I don't dread checking my balance anymore.
Control that's priceless. When my child had a fever last month, I didn't have to ask permission or lose income. I worked from the pediatrician's waiting room. When there's a field trip, I'm there. I'm present in my kids' lives in ways I couldn't manage with a regular job.
Support that saved me. The creator friends I've found, especially other single parents, have become actual friends. We vent, exchange tips, support each other. My followers have become this amazing support system. They cheer for me, send love, and make me feel seen.
My own identity. Finally, I have something that's mine. I'm not just someone's ex-wife or someone's mom. I'm a content creator. A content creator. Someone who built something from nothing.
Tips for Single Moms Wanting to Start
If you're a solo parent considering content creation, here's what I wish someone had told me:
Begin now. Your first videos will be terrible. Mine did. That's okay. You improve over time, not by overthinking.
Be authentic, not perfect. People can smell fake from a mile away. Share your honest life—the mess. That's what works.
Protect your kids. Establish boundaries. Know your limits. Their privacy is non-negotiable. I keep names private, protect their faces, and protect their stories.
Don't rely on one thing. Don't put all eggs in one basket or one income stream. The algorithm is unstable. Multiple income streams = stability.
Create in batches. When you have quiet time, make a bunch. Next week you will thank present you when you're too exhausted to create.
Build community. Answer comments. Answer DMs. Be real with them. Your community is everything.
Analyze performance. Time is money. If something takes four hours and tanks while a different post takes 20 minutes and gets massive views, pivot.
Take care of yourself. You can't pour from an empty cup. Take breaks. Set boundaries. Your sanity matters more than views.
Give it time. This requires patience. It took me months to make real income. My first year, I made $15K total. The second year, eighty grand. Now, I'm hitting six figures. It's a marathon.
Know your why. On bad days—and there are many—think about your why. For me, it's financial freedom, flexibility with my kids, and validating that I'm capable of anything.
Being Real With You
Here's the deal, I'm telling the truth. This life is tough. Really hard. You're basically running a business while being the only parent of children who require constant attention.
There are days I second-guess this. Days when the nasty comments affect me. Days when I'm completely spent and questioning if I should go back to corporate with stability.
But then my daughter shares she's happy I'm here. Or I look at my savings. Or I see a message from a follower saying my content gave her courage. And I remember my purpose.
What's Next
A few years back, I was terrified and clueless what to do. Currently, I'm a full-time content creator making more than I imagined in my 9-5, and I'm available when they need me.
My an informative article goals for the future? Hit 500K by December. Create a podcast for solo parents. Write a book eventually. Keep growing this business that makes everything possible.
This path gave me a way out when I needed it most. It gave me a way to provide for my family, be there, and build something I'm genuinely proud of. It's a surprise, but it's meant to be.
To all the single moms thinking about starting: Hell yes you can. It will be hard. You'll consider quitting. But you're handling the hardest job in the world—parenting solo. You're stronger than you think.
Start imperfect. Stay the course. Keep your boundaries. And know this, you're beyond survival mode—you're building something incredible.
BRB, I need to go make a video about the project I just found out about and I just learned about it. Because that's this life—turning chaos into content, video by video.
For real. This journey? It's worth it. Even though there might be old snacks stuck to my laptop right now. That's the dream, one messy video at a time.