Let me spill, motherhood is no joke. But here's the thing? Attempting to hustle for money while handling kids, laundry, and approximately 47 snack requests per day.
I entered the side gig world about three years ago when I had the epiphany that my random shopping trips were getting out of hand. I had to find some independent income.
Being a VA
Here's what happened, I started out was becoming a virtual assistant. And real talk? It was exactly what I needed. I could get stuff done when the house was finally peaceful, and the only requirement was my laptop and decent wifi.
Initially I was doing basic stuff like organizing inboxes, doing social media scheduling, and basic admin work. Super simple stuff. I charged about $20/hour, which felt cheap but when you're just starting, you gotta start somewhere.
What cracked me up? Picture this: me on a Zoom call looking all professional from the shoulders up—looking corporate—while wearing my rattiest leggings. That's the dream honestly.
The Etsy Shop Adventure
About twelve months in, I thought I'd test out the selling on Etsy. Every mom I knew seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I figured "why not start one too?"
I began crafting digital planners and wall art. The thing about selling digital stuff? Make it one time, and it can generate passive income forever. Genuinely, I've earned money at times when I didn't even know.
The first time someone bought something? I actually yelled. My husband thought the house was on fire. Not even close—it was just me, doing a happy dance for my $4.99 sale. Don't judge me.
The Content Creation Grind
Then I got into creating content online. This particular side gig is playing the long game, trust me on this.
I created a blog about motherhood where I wrote about what motherhood actually looks like—everything unfiltered. Not the highlight reel. Only authentic experiences about finding mystery stains on everything I own.
Growing an audience was a test of patience. The first few months, it was basically my only readers were my mom and two bots. But I didn't give up, and over time, things began working.
These days? I generate revenue through promoting products, sponsored posts, and advertisements on my site. This past month I earned over two grand from my blog income. Wild, right?
Managing Social Media
Once I got decent at running my own socials, brands started reaching out if I could run their social media.
Real talk? Many companies don't understand social media. They recognize they need a presence, but they don't have time.
Enter: me. I oversee social media for several small companies—various small businesses. I create content, plan their posting schedule, engage with followers, and track analytics.
I charge between five hundred to a thousand dollars per month per client, depending on the scope of work. Here's what's great? I manage everything from my phone.
Freelance Writing Life
If writing is your thing, writing gigs is where it's at. I'm not talking literary fiction—this is content writing for businesses.
Businesses everywhere always need writers. My assignments have included everything from the most random topics. Being an expert isn't required, you just need to know how to Google effectively.
Usually bill between fifty and two hundred per article, depending on what's involved. Some months I'll produce ten to fifteen pieces and earn a couple thousand dollars.
What's hilarious: Back in school I thought writing was torture. These days I'm getting paid for it. Life's funny like that.
Tutoring Online
During the pandemic, online tutoring exploded. With my teaching background, so this was kind of a natural fit.
I signed up with VIPKid and Tutor.com. The scheduling is flexible, which is crucial when you have kids with unpredictable schedules.
I mainly help with K-5 subjects. Income ranges from fifteen to thirty bucks per hour depending on which site you use.
The awkward part? Sometimes my children will photobomb my lessons mid-session. I've literally had to educate someone's child while mine had a meltdown. The parents on the other end are totally cool about it because they get it.
Flipping Items for Profit
Alright, this one happened accidentally. I was decluttering my kids' things and put some things on copyright.
They sold instantly. I suddenly understood: there's a market for everything.
At this point I shop at secondhand stores and sales, searching for name brands. I'll buy something for three bucks and flip it for thirty.
It's definitely work? Absolutely. There's photographing, listing, and shipping. But there's something satisfying about finding a gem at the thrift store and making profit.
Also: my children are fascinated when I find unique items. Recently I discovered a retro toy that my son lost his mind over. Got forty-five dollars for it. Mom for the win.
The Honest Reality
Real talk moment: this stuff requires effort. It's called hustling because you're hustling.
There are moments when I'm surviving on caffeine and spite, wondering why I'm doing this. I'm up at 5am working before my kids wake up, then handling mom duties, then working again after the kids are asleep.
But this is what's real? These are my earnings. No permission needed to get the good coffee. I'm helping with our financial goals. My kids are learning that you can be both.
Tips if You're Starting Out
If you're thinking about a side hustle, this is what I've learned:
Begin with something manageable. Don't attempt to do everything at once. Focus on one and become proficient before expanding.
Be realistic about time. Whatever time you have, that's totally valid. A couple of productive hours is a great beginning.
Avoid comparing yourself to what you see online. Those people with massive success? They put in years of work and doesn't do it alone. Stay in your lane.
Spend money on education, but smartly. Start with free stuff first. Be careful about spending thousands on courses until you've validated your idea.
Batch tasks together. I learned this the hard way. Dedicate time blocks for different things. Monday could be writing day. Use Wednesday for admin and emails.
Let's Talk Mom Guilt
Let me be honest—guilt is part of this. Certain moments when I'm hustling and my child is calling for me, and I hate it.
Yet I think about that I'm demonstrating to them what dedication looks like. I'm proving to them that moms can have businesses.
Also? Financial independence has improved my mental health. I'm happier, which helps me be better.
Income Reality Check
My actual income? Typically, from all my side gigs, I make between three and five grand. Some months are better, some are slower.
Will this make you wealthy? Not exactly. But we've used it to pay for stuff that matters to us that would've been really hard. It's also giving me confidence and skills that could evolve into something huge.
In Conclusion
Look, being a mom with a side hustle isn't easy. There's no one-size-fits-all approach. Most days I'm winging it, surviving on coffee, and crossing my fingers.
But I don't regret it. Each penny made is a testament to my hustle. It shows that I'm not just someone's mother.
For anyone contemplating starting a side hustle? Go for it. Start before it's perfect. Your tomorrow self will appreciate it.
And remember: You aren't only making it through—you're hustling. Even when there's probably old cheerios in your workspace.
No cap. The whole thing is the life, chaos and all.
From Rock Bottom to Creator Success: My Journey as a Single Mom
Here's the truth—being a single parent wasn't the dream. I also didn't plan on making money from my phone. But yet here I am, years into this crazy ride, earning income by posting videos while handling everything by myself. And honestly? It's been the best worst decision of my life.
The Starting Point: When Everything Changed
It was 2022 when my marriage ended. I can still picture sitting in my bare apartment (I kept the kids' stuff, he took everything else), scrolling mindlessly at 2am while my kids were finally quiet. I had $847 in my checking account, little people counting on me, and a job that barely covered rent. The stress was unbearable, y'all.
I'd been scrolling TikTok to escape reality—because that's self-care at 2am, right? when we're drowning, right?—when I came across this single mom talking about how she made six figures through content creation. I remember thinking, "She's lying or got lucky."
But when you're desperate, you try anything. Or both. Sometimes both.
I downloaded the TikTok studio app the next morning. My first video? Completely unpolished, talking about how I'd just put my last twelve dollars on a cheap food for my kids' lunches. I uploaded it and wanted to delete it. Who wants to watch this disaster?
Apparently, way more people than I expected.
That video got nearly 50,000 views. Forty-seven thousand people watched me breakdown over $12 worth of food. The comments section was this safe space—fellow solo parents, other people struggling, all saying "this is my life." That was my lightbulb moment. People didn't want the highlight reel. They wanted honest.
Finding My Niche: The Hot Mess Single Mom Brand
Here's what they don't say about content creation: finding your niche is everything. And my niche? It found me. I became the unfiltered single mom.
I started posting about the stuff people hide. Like how I didn't change pants for days because washing clothes was too much. Or the time I served cereal as a meal multiple nights and called it "breakfast for dinner week." Or that moment when my child asked why we don't live with dad, and I had to have big conversations to a kid who thinks the tooth fairy is real.
My content wasn't polished. My lighting was awful. I filmed on a cracked iPhone 8. But it was authentic, and apparently, that's what worked.
Two months later, I hit 10,000 followers. Month three, 50,000. By half a year, I'd crossed six figures. Each milestone blew my mind. Actual humans who wanted to know my story. Me—a struggling single mom who had to Google "what is a content creator" six months earlier.
The Daily Grind: Balancing Content and Chaos
Here's the reality of my typical day, because being a single mom creator is nothing like those curated "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm sounds. I do NOT want to get up, but this is my precious quiet time. I make coffee that I'll microwave repeatedly, and I begin creating. Sometimes it's a morning routine talking about financial reality. Sometimes it's me prepping lunches while venting about parenting coordination. The lighting is whatever I can get.
7:00am: Kids wake up. Content creation ends. Now I'm in parent mode—cooking eggs, locating lost items (it's always one shoe), packing lunches, stopping fights. The chaos is real.
8:30am: Getting them to school. I'm that mom creating content in traffic at stop signs. Not proud of this, but content waits for no one.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my power window. I'm alone finally. I'm editing content, responding to comments, planning content, pitching brands, checking analytics. Folks imagine content creation is only filming. Absolutely not. It's a whole business.
I usually create multiple videos on specific days. That means filming 10-15 videos in one sitting. I'll change clothes so it seems like separate days. Advice: Keep wardrobe options close for easy transitions. My neighbors probably think I'm unhinged, recording myself alone in the driveway.
3:00pm: School pickup. Back to parenting. But this is where it's complicated—sometimes my top performing content come from the chaos. Last week, my daughter had a full tantrum in Target because I couldn't afford a $40 toy. I created a video in the vehicle once we left about managing big emotions as a single mom. It got 2.3M views.
Evening: Dinner through bedtime. I'm generally wiped out to film, but I'll queue up posts, answer messages, or plan tomorrow's content. Some nights, after bedtime, I'll edit for hours because a partnership is due.
The truth? Balance is a myth. It's just controlled chaos with moments of success.
The Financial Reality: How I Support My Family
Look, let's get into the finances because this is what you're wondering. Can you legitimately profit as a influencer? For sure. Is it simple? Nope.
My first month, I made zilch. Month two? Zero. Third month, I got my first collaboration—a hundred and fifty bucks to post about a meal box. I broke down. That one-fifty paid for groceries.
Today, three years later, here's how I earn income:
Brand Deals: This is my biggest income source. I work with brands that make sense—practical items, mom products, family items. I ask for anywhere from $500-5K per campaign, depending on the scope. This past month, I did four collabs and made $8K.
TikTok Fund: Creator fund pays pennies—two to four hundred per month for massive numbers. YouTube ad revenue is more lucrative. I make about $1.5K monthly from YouTube, but that took forever.
Affiliate Income: I post links to stuff I really use—ranging from my favorite coffee maker to the bunk beds I bought. If someone purchases through my link, I get a commission. This brings in about $1K monthly.
Info Products: I created a budget template and a meal planning ebook. They sell for fifteen dollars, and I sell maybe 50-100 per month. That's another thousand to fifteen hundred.
Consulting Services: 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 per month.
Combined monthly revenue: Generally, I'm making $10-15K per month at this point. It varies, some are less. It's unpredictable, which is scary when there's no backup. But it's 3x what I made at my corporate job, and I'm home when my kids need me.
The Hard Parts Nobody Mentions
From the the full article outside it's great until you're losing it because a post tanked, or dealing with nasty DMs from random people.
The trolls are vicious. I've been mom-shamed, told I'm a bad influence, questioned about being a solo parent. A commenter wrote, "No wonder he left." That one hurt so bad.
The algorithm is unpredictable. One week you're getting huge numbers. Next month, you're lucky to break 1,000. Your income goes up and down. You're always creating, always "on", scared to stop, you'll lose momentum.
The mom guilt is amplified to the extreme. Every upload, I wonder: Is this too much? Am I protecting my kids' privacy? Will they be angry about this when they're teenagers? I have clear boundaries—no faces of my kids without permission, no discussing their personal struggles, no embarrassing content. But the line is hard to see.
The burnout hits hard. Some weeks when I can't create. When I'm touched out, talked out, and totally spent. But the mortgage is due. So I push through.
The Unexpected Blessings
But listen—through it all, this journey has given me things I never dreamed of.
Financial stability for the first time ever. I'm not a millionaire, but I cleared $18K. I have an cushion. We took a actual vacation last summer—Disney World, which seemed impossible not long ago. I don't panic about money anymore.
Time freedom that's priceless. When my child had a fever last month, I didn't have to use PTO or panic. I handled business at urgent care. When there's a school thing, I attend. I'm in their lives in ways I couldn't be with a normal job.
Connection that saved me. The creator friends I've connected with, especially solo parents, have become real friends. We talk, exchange tips, have each other's backs. My followers have become this beautiful community. They celebrate my wins, send love, and remind me I'm not alone.
Identity beyond "mom". For the first time since having kids, I have my own thing. I'm not just someone's ex-wife or just a mom. I'm a entrepreneur. A businesswoman. Someone who built something from nothing.
What I Wish I Knew
If you're a single mom wanting to start, here's what I wish someone had told me:
Start before you're ready. Your first videos will be terrible. Mine did. It's fine. You improve over time, not by overthinking.
Be authentic, not perfect. People can tell when you're fake. Share your actual life—the messy, imperfect, chaotic reality. That's what works.
Guard their privacy. Set boundaries early. Have standards. Their privacy is the priority. I don't use their names, protect their faces, and protect their stories.
Don't rely on one thing. Diversify or a single source. The algorithm is fickle. Multiple income streams = stability.
Film multiple videos. When you have available time, record several. Future you will thank yourself when you're unable to film.
Build community. Engage. Reply to messages. Be real with them. Your community is your foundation.
Monitor what works. Be strategic. If something takes forever and tanks while something else takes no time and goes viral, shift focus.
Prioritize yourself. You need to fill your cup. Take breaks. Set boundaries. Your mental health matters most.
Be patient. This takes time. It took me ages to make real income. My first year, I made fifteen thousand. The second year, eighty thousand. This year, I'm hitting six figures. It's a marathon.
Stay connected to your purpose. On difficult days—and they happen—think about your why. For me, it's money, being present, and demonstrating that I'm stronger than I knew.
The Honest Truth
Listen, I'm telling the truth. This life is tough. Like, really freaking hard. You're basically running a business while being the sole caretaker of tiny humans who need you constantly.
There are days I wonder what I'm doing. Days when the nasty comments sting. Days when I'm burnt out and wondering if I should quit this with a 401k.
But but then my daughter shares she loves that I'm home. Or I check my balance and see money. Or I see a message from a follower saying my content gave her courage. And I remember why I do this.
What's Next
Years ago, I was broke, scared, and had no idea how I'd survive as a single mom. Now, I'm a full-time creator making more money than I ever did in traditional work, and I'm home when my kids get off the school bus.
My goals for the future? Hit 500K by end of year. Create a podcast for solo parents. Possibly write a book. Continue building this business that changed my life.
This path gave me a second chance when I had nothing. It gave me a way to provide for my family, be present in their lives, and accomplish something incredible. It's a surprise, but it's where I belong.
To all the single moms considering this: Yes you can. It will be hard. You'll doubt yourself. But you're handling the hardest job—raising humans alone. You're tougher than you realize.
Jump in messy. Keep showing up. Prioritize yourself. And remember, you're not just surviving—you're changing your life.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go record a video about the project I just found out about and nobody told me until now. Because that's how it goes—chaos becomes content, video by video.
Honestly. This path? It's worth it. Even when there's probably old snacks all over my desk. No regrets, mess included.