I'm gonna be honest with you, motherhood is not for the weak. But you know what's even crazier? Attempting to hustle for money while managing toddlers and their chaos.
I entered the side gig world about three years ago when I figured out that my random shopping trips were way too frequent. I had to find funds I didn't have to justify spending.
The Virtual Assistant Life
Right so, I started out was becoming a virtual assistant. And real talk? It was perfect. I was able to grind during those precious quiet hours, and literally all it took was my laptop and decent wifi.
Initially I was doing simple tasks like email sorting, managing social content, and entering data. Pretty straightforward. My rate was about fifteen dollars an hour, which seemed low but as a total beginner, you gotta begin at the bottom.
Here's what was wild? I'd be on a client call looking like a real businesswoman from the chest up—business casual vibes—while rocking pants I'd owned since 2015. Peak mom life.
The Etsy Shop Adventure
After a year, I thought I'd test out the whole Etsy thing. Literally everyone seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I thought "why not join the party?"
I began crafting downloadable organizers and digital art prints. The thing about selling digital stuff? You create it once, and it can generate passive income forever. Genuinely, I've gotten orders at 3am while I was sleeping.
That initial sale? I literally screamed. He came running thinking there was an emergency. Nope—I was just, celebrating my $4.99 sale. No shame in my game.
Content Creator Life
Eventually I ventured into blogging and content creation. This hustle is not for instant gratification seekers, trust me on this.
I began a blog about motherhood where I wrote about what motherhood actually looks like—the good, the bad, and the ugly. No Instagram-perfect nonsense. Only authentic experiences about the time my kid decorated the walls with Nutella.
Building up views was painfully slow. The first few months, I was basically my only readers were my mom and two bots. But I stayed consistent, and eventually, things gained momentum.
At this point? I generate revenue through affiliate links, collaborations, and display ads. Last month I brought in over two grand from my website. Mind-blowing, right?
SMM Side Hustle
After I learned managing my blog's social media, brands started inquiring if I could run their social media.
Here's the thing? Many companies don't understand social media. They understand they need a presence, but they don't know how.
I swoop in. I now manage social media for three local businesses—a bakery, a boutique, and a fitness studio. I plan their content, queue up posts, engage with followers, and track analytics.
I bill between five hundred to a thousand dollars per month per account, depending on what they need. Best part? I do this work from my phone during soccer practice.
Writing for Money
For those who can string sentences together, writing gigs is seriously profitable. I'm not talking becoming Shakespeare—I'm talking about commercial writing.
Businesses everywhere are desperate for content. I've created content about everything from the most random topics. You just need to research, you just need to be good at research.
Usually charge $50-150 per article, depending on length and complexity. Some months I'll produce ten to fifteen pieces and bring in a couple thousand dollars.
The funny thing is: Back in school I hated writing papers. And now I'm earning a living writing. Talk about character development.
The Online Tutoring Thing
When COVID hit, everyone needed online help. With my teaching background, so this was right up my alley.
I started working with various tutoring services. The scheduling is flexible, which is essential when you have tiny humans who throw curveballs daily.
My sessions are usually K-5 subjects. The pay ranges from $15-$25/hour depending on the company.
What's hilarious? There are times when my kids will burst into the room mid-session. I've had to maintain composure during complete chaos in the background. The families I work with are usually super understanding because they're parents too.
Reselling and Flipping
So, this one started by accident. During a massive cleanout my kids' closet and put some things on Facebook Marketplace.
They sold so fast. I suddenly understood: you can sell literally anything.
Now I shop at thrift stores, garage sales, and clearance sections, on the hunt for things that will sell. I'll buy something for $3 and sell it for $30.
This takes effort? Not gonna lie. It's a whole process. But it's oddly satisfying about finding a gem at Goodwill and earning from it.
Bonus: my kids think I'm cool when I bring home interesting finds. Just last week I scored a collectible item that my son freaked out about. Got forty-five dollars for it. Score one for mom.
Real Talk Time
Let me keep it real: these aren't get-rich-quick schemes. The word 'hustle' is there for a reason.
There are days when I'm exhausted, questioning my life choices. I'm grinding at dawn being productive before the madness begins, then all day mom-ing, then back at it after 8pm hits.
But you know what? These are my earnings. I can spend it guilt-free to treat myself. I'm contributing to my family's finances. My kids are learning that you can be both.
Advice for New Mom Hustlers
If you're considering a hustle of your own, here's my advice:
Don't go all in immediately. Avoid trying to launch everything simultaneously. Pick one thing and master it before expanding.
Be realistic about time. If naptime is your only free time, that's fine. Whatever time you can dedicate is more than enough to start.
Avoid comparing yourself to what you see online. The successful ones you see? She's been grinding forever and has resources you don't see. Do your thing.
Spend money on education, but wisely. There are tons of free resources. Don't waste $5,000 on a coaching program until you've tested the waters.
Batch your work. This saved my sanity. Use days for specific hustles. Monday might be making stuff day. Make Wednesday handling business stuff.
Dealing with Mom Guilt
I have to be real with you—the mom guilt is real. There are days when I'm hustling and my child is calling for me, and I struggle with it.
But then I remind myself that I'm showing them work ethic. I'm showing my daughter that moms can have businesses.
And honestly? Having my own income has made me a better mom. I'm happier, which makes me a better parent.
The Numbers
So what do I actually make? On average, total from all sources, I pull in $3,000-5,000 per month. Certain months are higher, some are slower.
Is it life-changing money? No. But it's paid for so many things we needed that would've stressed us out. It's giving me confidence and knowledge that could turn into something bigger.
Final Thoughts
Here's the bottom line, being a mom with a side hustle is challenging. There's no such thing as a magic formula. Most days I'm improvising everything, surviving on coffee, and doing my best.
But I'm proud of this journey. Every penny made is validation of my effort. It demonstrates that I'm a multifaceted person.
So if you're considering starting a side hustle? Start now. Start before it's perfect. Future you will appreciate it.
And remember: You aren't only enduring—you're creating something amazing. Even if you probably have old cheerios stuck to your laptop.
For real. This is incredible, mess included.
From Rock Bottom to Creator Success: My Journey as a Single Mom
Here's the truth—becoming a single mom wasn't on my vision board. Neither was building a creator business. But here I am, years into this crazy ride, supporting my family by posting videos while doing this mom thing solo. And real talk? It's been scary AF but incredible of my life.
The Beginning: When Everything Imploded
It was a few years ago when my marriage ended. I will never forget sitting in my bare apartment (I kept the kids' stuff, he took everything else), staring at my phone at 2am while my kids slept. I had eight hundred forty-seven dollars in my bank account, two humans depending on me, and a income that didn't cut it. The anxiety was crushing, y'all.
I'd been mindlessly scrolling to escape reality—because that's self-care at 2am, right? when our lives are falling apart, right?—when I stumbled on this solo parent discussing how she became debt-free through posting online. I remember thinking, "She's lying or got lucky."
But rock bottom gives you courage. Or both. Usually both.
I grabbed the TikTok studio app the next morning. My first video? Raw, unfiltered, messy hair, sharing how I'd just spent my last $12 on a dinosaur nuggets and snacks for my kids' lunch boxes. I posted it and immediately regretted it. Who wants to watch my broke reality?
Turns out, way more people than I expected.
That video got 47K views. 47,000 people watched me almost lose it over processed meat. The comments section became this validation fest—people who got it, other people struggling, all saying "same." That was my aha moment. People didn't want perfection. They wanted raw.
Finding My Niche: The Hot Mess Single Mom Brand
The truth is about content creation: finding your niche is everything. And my niche? I stumbled into it. I became the real one.
I started posting about the stuff everyone keeps private. Like how I lived in one outfit because executive dysfunction is real. Or when I let them eat Lucky Charms for dinner several days straight and called it "survival mode." Or that moment when my six-year-old asked where daddy went, and I had to discuss divorce to a kid who thinks the tooth fairy is real.
My content was raw. My lighting was terrible. I filmed on a busted phone. But it was unfiltered, and evidently, that's what connected.
Two months later, I hit 10,000 followers. Month three, fifty thousand. By half a year, I'd crossed 100K. Each milestone felt impossible. These were real people who wanted to know my story. Little old me—a financially unstable single mom who had to learn everything from scratch recently.
My Daily Reality: Juggling Everything
Here's what it actually looks like of my typical day, because this life is the opposite of those aesthetic "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm goes off. I do NOT want to get up, but this is my precious quiet time. I make coffee that will get cold, and I begin creating. Sometimes it's a GRWM discussing single mom finances. Sometimes it's me making food while talking about dealing with my ex. The lighting is natural and terrible.
7:00am: Kids wake up. Content creation pauses. Now I'm in parent mode—making breakfast, finding the missing shoe (where do they go), prepping food, breaking up sibling fights. The chaos is intense.
8:30am: Getting them to school. I'm that mom creating content in traffic in the car. Don't judge me, but the grind never stops.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my productive time. Peace and quiet. I'm in editing mode, replying to DMs, planning content, sending emails, analyzing metrics. People think content creation is simple. Nope. It's a whole business.
I usually batch content on certain days. That means making a dozen videos in one go. I'll switch outfits so it appears to be different times. Hot tip: Keep multiple tops nearby for quick changes. My neighbors probably think I'm unhinged, making videos in public in the driveway.
3:00pm: School pickup. Mom mode activated. But this is where it's complicated—sometimes my viral videos come from this time. Just last week, my daughter had a epic meltdown in Target because I refused to get a expensive toy. I filmed a video in the car after about dealing with meltdowns as a single parent. It got millions of views.
Evening: All the evening things. I'm usually too exhausted to create content, but I'll queue up posts, reply to messages, or outline content. Certain nights, after they're down, I'll edit videos until midnight because a deadline is coming.
The truth? There's no balance. It's just controlled chaos with some victories.
The Financial Reality: How I Actually Make a Living
Alright, let's talk dollars because this is what you're wondering. Can you legitimately profit as a creator? Absolutely. Is it simple? Not even close.
My first month, I made zero dollars. Second month? $0. Third month, I got my first collaboration—a hundred and fifty bucks to promote a meal delivery. I broke down. That one-fifty fed us.
Now, years later, here's how I earn income:
Brand Partnerships: This is my primary income. I work with brands that align with my audience—practical items, single-parent resources, kid essentials. I get paid anywhere from $500-5K per campaign, depending on the scope. Last month, I did four collabs and made $8K.
Platform Payments: Creator fund pays basically nothing—$200-$400 per month for millions of views. YouTube money is better. I make about fifteen hundred a month from YouTube, but that required years.
Link Sharing: I post links to items I love—ranging from my beloved coffee maker to the kids' beds. If someone clicks and buys, I get a cut. This brings in about $1K monthly.
Online Products: I created a money management guide and a food prep planner. $15 apiece, and I sell maybe 50-100 per month. That's another $1,000-1,500.
One-on-One Coaching: New creators pay me to show them how. I offer consulting calls for $200/hour. I do about several per month.
Total monthly income: Typically, I'm making ten to fifteen thousand per month currently. Certain months are better, some are tougher. It's inconsistent, which is nerve-wracking when there's no backup. But it's 3x what I made at my 9-5, and I'm there for them.
The Hard Parts Nobody Shows You
It looks perfect online until you're sobbing alone because a post tanked, or handling cruel messages from strangers who think they know your life.
The haters are brutal. I've been accused of being a bad mother, told I'm exploiting my kids, questioned about being a single mom. I'll never forget, "Maybe your husband left because you're annoying." That one stuck with me.
The algorithm is unpredictable. One month you're getting insane views. The next, you're lucky to break 1,000. Your income fluctuates. You're always creating, always "on", scared to stop, you'll fall behind.
The mom guilt is amplified times a thousand. Every video I post, I wonder: Am I sharing too much? Am I doing right by them? Will they be angry about this when they're adults? I have clear boundaries—limited face shots, keeping their stories private, nothing that could embarrass them. But the line is not always clear.
The burnout hits hard. Certain periods when I have nothing. When I'm depleted, talked out, and this commentary totally spent. But rent doesn't care. So I push through.
The Unexpected Blessings
But here's what's real—through it all, this journey has blessed me with things I never dreamed of.
Economic stability for once in my life. I'm not wealthy, but I eliminated my debt. I have an safety net. We took a real vacation last summer—Orlando, which seemed impossible a couple years back. I don't stress about my account anymore.
Time freedom that's priceless. When my child had a fever last month, I didn't have to ask permission or panic. I worked from the doctor's office. When there's a field trip, I'm there. I'm there for them in ways I wasn't able to be with a normal job.
My people that saved me. The other influencers I've met, especially single moms, have become my people. We connect, collaborate, lift each other up. My followers have become this amazing support system. They hype me up, support me, and remind me I'm not alone.
Me beyond motherhood. For the first time since having kids, I have an identity. I'm not just an ex or somebody's mother. I'm a content creator. A businesswoman. Someone who made it happen.
Advice for Aspiring Creators
If you're a single mother thinking about this, listen up:
Begin now. Your first videos will be trash. Mine did. That's okay. You get better, not by procrastinating.
Keep it real. People can sense inauthenticity. Share your honest life—the chaos. That resonates.
Keep them safe. Create rules. Know your limits. Their privacy is the priority. I don't use their names, minimize face content, and keep private things private.
Diversify income streams. Don't put all eggs in one basket or one way to earn. The algorithm is fickle. Diversification = security.
Batch your content. When you have time alone, create multiple pieces. Future you will thank present you when you're burnt out.
Connect with followers. Engage. Respond to DMs. Create connections. Your community is everything.
Monitor what works. Not all content is worth creating. If something requires tons of time and flops while a different post takes 20 minutes and gets 200,000 views, change tactics.
Prioritize yourself. You matter too. Step away. Protect your peace. Your mental health matters more than anything.
Be patient. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me months to make real income. Year one, I made maybe $15,000 total. Year two, eighty thousand. This year, I'm making six figures. It's a process.
Don't forget your why. On difficult days—and there will be many—remember your reason. For me, it's financial freedom, being there, and demonstrating that I'm stronger than I knew.
The Honest Truth
Real talk, I'm keeping it 100. Being a single mom creator is tough. So damn hard. You're managing a business while being the sole caretaker of demanding little people.
Certain days I second-guess this. Days when the hate comments get to me. Days when I'm drained and wondering if I should just get a "normal" job with consistent income.
But then my daughter mentions she's proud that I work from home. Or I see my bank account actually has money in it. Or I read a message from a follower saying my content gave her courage. And I know it's worth it.
Where I'm Going From Here
Three years ago, I was broke, scared, and had no idea what to do. Now, I'm a professional creator making more money than I ever did in my old job, and I'm available when they need me.
My goals moving forward? Get to half a million followers by this year. Start a podcast for other single moms. Possibly write a book. Keep growing this business that supports my family.
This path gave me a lifeline when I was drowning. It gave me a way to take care of my children, be available, and create something meaningful. It's not the path I expected, but it's meant to be.
To any single parent considering this: Hell yes you can. It will be challenging. You'll doubt yourself. But you're managing the hardest job—doing this alone. You're tougher than you realize.
Start messy. Keep showing up. Guard your peace. And always remember, you're beyond survival mode—you're changing your life.
BRB, I need to go create content about why my kid's school project is due tomorrow and I'm just now hearing about it. Because that's the reality—content from the mess, video by video.
Seriously. This path? It's worth it. Even if I'm sure there's Goldfish crackers everywhere. Living the dream, mess included.