Here's the tea, being a mom is literally insane. But here's the thing? Working to secure the bag while handling toddlers and their chaos.
My hustle life began about three years ago when I realized that my Target runs were becoming problematic. I had to find funds I didn't have to justify spending.
Being a VA
So, I started out was jumping into virtual assistance. And not gonna lie? It was perfect. I could work during naptime, and literally all it took was a computer and internet.
I began by basic stuff like handling emails, scheduling social media posts, and basic admin work. Not rocket science. I started at about $20/hour, which felt cheap but for someone with zero experience, you gotta begin at the bottom.
What cracked me up? I would be on a Zoom call looking like I had my life together from the chest up—business casual vibes—while rocking pajama bottoms. That's the dream honestly.
Selling on Etsy
After a year, I wanted to explore the Etsy world. Everyone and their mother seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I thought "why not join the party?"
I started creating PDF planners and digital art prints. Here's why printables are amazing? You create it once, and it can keep selling indefinitely. Genuinely, I've gotten orders at 3am while I was sleeping.
The first time someone bought something? I actually yelled. He came running thinking there was an emergency. Nope—just me, doing a happy dance for my glorious $4.99. No shame in my game.
Content Creator Life
Next I started the whole influencer thing. This particular side gig is playing the long game, let me tell you.
I started a family lifestyle blog where I shared real mom life—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Keeping it real. Simply authentic experiences about the time my kid decorated the walls with Nutella.
Building up views was a test of patience. The first few months, I was essentially my only readers were my mom and two bots. But I kept at it, and over time, things took off.
Now? I earn income through promoting products, brand partnerships, and display ads. Recently I made over two thousand dollars from my blog income. Crazy, right?
The Social Media Management Game
Once I got decent at running my own socials, local businesses started inquiring if I could do the same for them.
Truth bomb? Many companies don't understand social media. They understand they need a presence, but they don't have time.
I swoop in. I now manage social media for three local businesses—various small businesses. I develop content, queue up posts, engage with followers, and check their stats.
I bill between five hundred to fifteen hundred monthly per client, depending on what they need. The best thing? I do this work from my iPhone.
Freelance Writing Life
For the wordy folks, freelance writing is where it's at. I'm not talking writing the next Great American Novel—I mean commercial writing.
Businesses everywhere always need writers. I've written everything from dental hygiene to copyright. You just need the background info to research, you just need to be able to learn quickly.
Usually bill $0.10-0.50 per word, depending on the topic and length. Some months I'll crank out a dozen articles and bring in an extra $1,000-2,000.
What's hilarious: I was the person who hated writing papers. These days I'm getting paid for it. Life is weird.
Tutoring Online
During the pandemic, virtual tutoring became huge. As a former educator, so this was perfect for me.
I registered on VIPKid and Tutor.com. It's super flexible, which is non-negotiable when you have children who keep you guessing.
I focus on elementary reading and math. The pay ranges from fifteen to thirty bucks per hour depending on where you work.
The awkward part? Occasionally my kids will interrupt mid-session. There was a time I maintain composure during complete chaos in the background. The families I work with are very sympathetic because they understand mom life.
Reselling and Flipping
Alright, this one I stumbled into. I was decluttering my kids' things and posted some items on Mercari.
Stuff sold out immediately. That's when I realized: one person's trash is another's treasure.
Now I shop at thrift stores, garage sales, and clearance sections, hunting for quality items. I'll buy something for $3 and sell it for $30.
This takes effort? Not gonna lie. I'm photographing items, writing descriptions, shipping packages. But it's oddly satisfying about finding hidden treasures at the thrift store and turning a profit.
Additionally: my kids think I'm cool when I bring home interesting finds. Just last week I discovered a collectible item that my son lost his mind over. Sold it for $45. Mom for the win.
The Truth About Side Hustles
Real talk moment: these aren't get-rich-quick schemes. There's work involved, hence the name.
Certain days when I'm completely drained, questioning my life choices. I'm grinding at dawn being productive before the madness begins, then being a full-time parent, then back to work after the kids are asleep.
But this is what's real? That money is MINE. I can spend it guilt-free to treat myself. I'm contributing to my family's finances. My kids are learning that women can hustle.
Tips if You're Starting Out
If you're considering a hustle of your own, here's what I'd tell you:
Start small. Avoid trying to start five businesses. Focus on one and get good at it before taking on more.
Honor your limits. Your available hours, that's totally valid. Two hours of focused work is a great beginning.
Avoid comparing yourself to Instagram moms. The successful ones you see? They put in years of work and has support. Do your thing.
Invest in yourself, but smartly. You don't need expensive courses. Don't waste massive amounts on training until you've tested the waters.
Batch tasks together. This changed everything. Set aside time blocks for different things. Make Monday making stuff day. Wednesday might be handling business stuff.
Dealing with Mom Guilt
I'm not gonna lie—the mom guilt is real. There are days when I'm hustling and my child is calling for me, and I hate it.
However I think about that I'm demonstrating to them that hard work matters. I'm showing my daughter that women can be mothers and entrepreneurs.
Plus? Making my own money has made me a better mom. I'm happier, which helps me be better.
Income Reality Check
My actual income? On average, combining everything, I make $3K-5K. It varies, some are slower.
Will this make you wealthy? Not exactly. But this money covers family trips and unexpected expenses that would've been impossible otherwise. It's building my skills and knowledge that could evolve into something huge.
Final Thoughts
Look, hustling as a mom is hard. There's no one-size-fits-all approach. A lot of days I'm winging it, surviving on coffee, and doing my best.
But I don't regret it. Every single dollar I earn is a testament to my hustle. It demonstrates that I have identity beyond motherhood.
So if you're considering starting a side hustle? Start now. Start messy. Future you will be grateful.
Keep in mind: You're not just surviving—you're hustling. Even if there's probably snack crumbs on your keyboard.
Seriously. It's where it's at, despite the chaos.
From Survival Mode to Content Creator: My Journey as a Single Mom
Let me be real with you—becoming a single mom wasn't the dream. I also didn't plan on becoming a content creator. But here I am, three years later, paying bills by posting videos while doing this mom thing solo. And honestly? It's been life-changing in every way of my life.
Rock Bottom: When Everything Changed
It was three years ago when my marriage ended. I can still picture sitting in my half-empty apartment (I kept the kids' stuff, he took everything else), wide awake at 2am while my kids slept. I had eight hundred forty-seven dollars in my checking account, two humans depending on me, and a job that barely covered rent. The stress was unbearable, y'all.
I was scrolling social media to escape reality—because that's how we cope? when everything is chaos, right?—when I came across this single mom discussing how she made six figures through being a creator. I remember thinking, "She's lying or got lucky."
But rock bottom gives you courage. Or stupid. Often both.
I installed the TikTok studio app the next morning. My first video? Raw, unfiltered, messy hair, talking about how I'd just put my last twelve dollars on a cheap food for my kids' school lunches. I shared it and felt sick. Who wants to watch someone's train wreck of a life?
Apparently, a lot of people.
That video got 47K views. Forty-seven thousand people watched me breakdown over chicken nuggets. The comments section turned into this validation fest—women in similar situations, folks in the trenches, all saying "me too." That was my epiphany. People didn't want perfection. They wanted authentic.
Building My Platform: The Honest Single Parent Platform
The truth is about content creation: your niche matters. And my niche? It chose me. I became the real one.
I started posting about the stuff no one shows. Like how I wore the same leggings all week because I couldn't handle laundry. Or the time I fed my kids cereal for dinner multiple nights and called it "creative meal planning." Or that moment when my six-year-old asked about the divorce, and I had to talk about complex things to a kid who is six years old.
My content was raw. My lighting was non-existent. I filmed on a cracked iPhone 8. But it was real, and turns out, that's what worked.
In just two months, I hit 10,000 followers. 90 days in, 50K. By six months, I'd crossed 100K. Each milestone seemed fake. Real accounts who wanted to listen to me. Plain old me—a financially unstable single mom who had to Google "what is a content creator" six months earlier.
My Daily Reality: Juggling Everything
Let me paint you a picture of my typical day, because creating content solo is nothing like those curated "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm screams. I do absolutely not want to wake up, but this is my sacred content creation time. I make coffee that I'll microwave repeatedly, and I start filming. Sometimes it's a getting ready video discussing budgeting. Sometimes it's me prepping lunches while sharing parenting coordination. The lighting is not great.
7:00am: Kids wake up. Content creation ends. Now I'm in mommy mode—pouring cereal, the shoe hunt (why is it always one shoe), throwing food in bags, stopping fights. The chaos is next level.
8:30am: Carpool line. I'm that mom making videos while driving in the car. Not proud of this, but content waits for no one.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my hustle time. I'm alone finally. I'm editing content, engaging with followers, thinking of ideas, doing outreach, analyzing metrics. People think content creation is just making TikToks. Nope. It's a whole business.
I usually batch-create content on Monday and Wednesday. That means filming 10-15 videos in a few hours. I'll change shirts between videos so it looks like different days. Hot tip: Keep wardrobe options close for fast swaps. My neighbors definitely think I'm crazy, filming myself talking to my phone in the parking lot.
3:00pm: Picking them up. Back to parenting. But here's the thing—often my viral videos come from the chaos. A few days ago, my daughter had a massive breakdown in Target because I couldn't afford a expensive toy. I recorded in the parking lot once we left about dealing with meltdowns as a solo parent. It got 2.3M views.
Evening: Dinner through bedtime. I'm generally wiped out to film, but I'll plan posts, respond to DMs, or plan tomorrow's content. Some nights, after everyone's sleeping, I'll edit for hours because a brand deadline is looming.
The truth? There's no balance. It's just managed chaos with occasional wins.
The Money Talk: How I Actually Make a Living
Look, let's talk dollars because this is what you're wondering. Can you legitimately profit as a content creator? Yes. Is it simple? Hell no.
My first month, I made nothing. Month two? Also nothing. Month three, I got my first paid partnership—$150 to post about a meal kit service. I actually cried. That hundred fifty dollars bought groceries for two weeks.
Currently, three years later, here's how I earn income:
Brand Deals: This is my primary income. I work with brands that make sense—budget-friendly products, parenting tools, children's products. I get paid anywhere from $500-5K per partnership, depending on what they need. This past month, I did four brand deals and made eight grand.
TikTok Fund: TikTok's creator fund pays very little—$200-$400 per month for huge view counts. AdSense is better. I make about $1,500 monthly from YouTube, but that required years.
Affiliate Income: I share affiliate links to products I actually use—everything from my favorite coffee maker to the bunk beds I bought. If someone clicks and buys, I get a cut. This brings in about eight hundred to twelve hundred.
Digital Products: I created a budget template and a meal planning ebook. They're $15 each, and I sell 50-100 per month. That's another thousand to fifteen hundred.
Coaching/Consulting: Aspiring influencers pay me to mentor them. I offer private coaching for two hundred per hour. I do about several each month.
Overall monthly earnings: Generally, I'm making between ten and fifteen grand per month currently. It varies, some are less. It's up and down, which is stressful when there's no backup. But it's triple what I made at my 9-5, and I'm home when my kids need me.
The Struggles Nobody Posts About
This sounds easy until you're sobbing alone because a post tanked, or reading hate comments from strangers who think they know your life.
The negativity is intense. I've been called a bad mom, told I'm problematic, questioned about being a solo parent. I'll never forget, "I'd leave too." That one stuck with me.
The algorithm changes constantly. One week you're getting insane views. Then suddenly, you're struggling for views. Your income goes up and down. You're always creating, 24/7, afraid to pause, you'll fall behind.
The mom guilt is intense times a thousand. Every upload, I wonder: Is this too much? Am I protecting my kids' privacy? Will they regret this when they're teenagers? I have non-negotiables—no faces of my kids without permission, nothing too personal, no embarrassing content. But the line is fuzzy.
The I get burnt out. Certain periods when I can't create. When I'm touched out, over it, and totally spent. But the mortgage is due. So I push through.
The Unexpected Blessings
But here's what's real—even with the struggles, this journey has blessed me with things I never anticipated.
Financial stability for the first time in my life. I'm not loaded, but I paid off $18,000 in debt. I have an cushion. We took a vacation last summer—Disney World, which I never thought possible a couple years back. I don't check my bank account with anxiety anymore.
Control that's priceless. When my son got sick last month, I didn't have to use PTO or stress about losing pay. I worked from the pediatrician's waiting room. When there's a field trip, I'm there. I'm in their lives in ways I wasn't with a regular job.
Support that saved me. The other creators I've met, especially other single parents, have become my people. We talk, help each other, support each other. My followers have become this amazing support system. 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 something for me. I'm not just someone's ex-wife or someone's mom. I'm a CEO. A content creator. Someone who made it happen.
Advice for Aspiring Creators
If you're a single parent curious about this, here's my advice:
Just start. Your first videos will be trash. Mine did. That's okay. You get better, not by waiting until everything is perfect.
Be yourself. People can sense inauthenticity. Share your actual life—the messy, imperfect, chaotic reality. That's the magic.
Guard their privacy. Set limits. Know your limits. Their privacy is non-negotiable. I never share their names, minimize face content, and protect their stories.
Diversify income streams. Spread it out or a single source. The algorithm is unstable. Diversification = security.
Batch your content. When you have free time, record several. Future you will appreciate it when you're too exhausted to create.
Engage with your audience. Engage. Reply to messages. Be real with them. Your community is everything.
Monitor what works. Some content isn't worth it. If something takes forever and gets 200 views while a different post takes no time and goes viral, pivot.
Self-care matters. You can't pour from an empty cup. Rest. Set boundaries. Your wellbeing matters more than views.
This takes time. This is a marathon. It took me eight months to make meaningful money. My first year, I made fifteen thousand. Year two, eighty thousand. Now, I'm making six figures. It's a marathon.
Remember why you started. On tough days—and they happen—remember your reason. For me, it's independence, being there, and showing myself that I'm capable of anything.
Being Real With You
Real talk, I'm being honest. Being a single mom creator is challenging. Like, really freaking hard. You're operating a business while being the sole caretaker of demanding little people.
There are days I second-guess this. Days when the nasty comments affect me. Days when I'm drained and questioning if I should get a regular job with insurance.
But then my daughter says she's happy I'm here. Or I look at my savings. Or I see a message from a follower saying my content inspired her. And I remember why I do this.
Where I'm Going From Here
A few years back, I was terrified and clueless how to survive. Today, I'm a full-time content creator making triple what I earned in my old job, and I'm available when they need me.
My goals going forward? Hit 500K by end of year. Start a podcast for single parents. Write a book eventually. Keep building this business that changed my life.
Content creation gave me a path forward when I needed it most. It gave me a way to provide for my family, be present in their lives, and build something real. It's unexpected, but it's perfect.
To every single mom out there considering this: Yes you can. It isn't simple. You'll want to quit some days. But you're managing the hardest job in the world—doing this alone. You're more capable than you know.
Start messy. Stay the course. Prioritize yourself. And remember, you're beyond survival mode—you're building an empire.
Gotta go now, I need to go film a TikTok about why my kid's school project is due tomorrow and I just learned about it. Because that's this life—content from the mess, one video at a time.
Seriously. Being a single mom creator? It's worth it. Even if there might be crushed cheerios in my keyboard. No regrets, chaos and all.