Side Hustle’s Aren’t For the Faint of Heart
Exactly five months ago I got my first subscriber to pay $5 per month to my exclusive content on Patreon. (Thank you to Aaron Kuney!) Since then, I’ve written 190+ articles on the topic of “How to win your career.”
Today, I have 32 subscribers, with 4 of those serving as people I provide coaching and mentorship for at a rate of $50 per month. I have a recurring revenue line of $303 monthly, and I’ve earned $858 to date.
In 5 months, I’ve earned $858 so let’s break that down.
Since I post content seven days per week, let’s use that as our metric of time. This means that if we use average 30 day months, I’ve written for ~150 days since gaining my first paying subscriber. If we use an average of one hour a day to write, post content, create images on Canva, etc., then I’ve earned roughly $5.72 per hour of work.
Currently, the state of Wyoming and Georgia pay $5.15 for minimum wage, so I’m earning slightly less than the minimum pay in 48 states across the country. I have a college degree, and 18+ years of experience.
Side hustles, if that’s what you want to call it, are not for the faint of heart……
Still, I can’t begin to tell you how much I love writing on Patreon and despite the lack of return on monetization, it’s energized my soul, and it’s given me a passion to work on outside of my 9 to 5. It’s filled a space in my brain that drives creativity, and it’s further helped my brand as I think about building on my career.
Yes, it’s hard, but if it was easy, anyone and everyone would do it.
I’ve learned a lot on this journey, and I’ve developed a true respect for anyone who makes their full time living on a subscription model or through content creation. Self discipline, focus, and a dedication to the cause are all things that must come from deep within and they can’t be fabricated.
I’ve started an Instagram, a Youtube channel, and I write frequently on LinkedIn all in an effort to drive people to my Patreon.
If you’re thinking about taking this journey on your own, my best pieces of advice are:
Find a topic that comes easy to you
Writing or creating content about something that you love will make life so much easier. If you try to go down a path of being an expert on a topic that you’re not that well versed in, you’ll not only come off as a phony but you’ll also struggle to find your daily stride. Focus on a topic or a path that you are already talking about with consistency or that you’re excited about. It’s always easier to spend time on a topic that you enjoy, rather than trying to hang out in places that you don’t. Imagine going on a date every night with someone you’re not interested in; that’s the equivalent of producing content with consistency on a topic you dislike.
Find your rhythm to create
Dedication is one thing, but finding the process and rhythm to be able to pull off consistency in creation is the challenge. My best advice is to find a time of the day that you can create, or find a way to weave it into your calendar. If you can repeat this behavior at the same time every day, you’ll be more likely to stick with it and find your voice. You should also be mindful of your current schedule and what tools you can use to help. Tools like AI, Canva, and more can help your processes.
Be patient
It’s going to take time, and the different between success and quitting is a fine line of you losing your patience with the journey to monetization. After all, why are you doing it if you’re not in it to earn? This path to monetizing is hard because nobody is an overnight success. But like anything, you will learn along the way, make adjustments, and you’ll find your success if you are in it for the long haul.
I’m in it for the long haul and my goal is to get 100 subscribers before the end of the year. At my current pace of signups, I won’t make it, but I’m confident in the journey and will continue all my efforts to get there.
If you want to read my content and unlocked 190+ articles no how to win your career, you can sign up on my Patreon here.
by Scott Bond
