Let me tell you, motherhood is absolutely wild. But you know what's even crazier? Trying to earn extra income while managing kids, laundry, and approximately 47 snack requests per day.
I started my side hustle journey about a few years back when I discovered that my random shopping trips were reaching dangerous levels. I was desperate for some independent income.
The Virtual Assistant Life
Okay so, I started out was jumping into virtual assistance. And honestly? It was perfect. I could get stuff done when the house was finally peaceful, 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. Pretty straightforward. I started at about $20/hour, which wasn't much but when you don't know what you're doing yet, you gotta start somewhere.
What cracked me up? Picture this: me on a client call looking like I had my life together from the waist up—full professional mode—while rocking pajama bottoms. That's the dream honestly.
Selling on Etsy
After getting my feet wet, I decided to try the handmade marketplace scene. All my mom friends seemed to sell stuff on Etsy, so I figured "why not get in on this?"
I created creating PDF planners and wall art. The thing about selling digital stuff? Design it once, and it can keep selling indefinitely. For real, I've made sales at ungodly hours.
The first time someone bought something? I literally screamed. He came running thinking I'd injured myself. Negative—just me, celebrating my $4.99 sale. Judge me if you want.
The Content Creation Grind
Then I ventured into writing and making content. This particular side gig is definitely a slow burn, let me tell you.
I created a blog about motherhood where I documented real mom life—the messy truth. Not the highlight reel. Only the actual truth about surviving tantrums in Target.
Growing an audience was slow. Initially, I was basically my only readers were my mom and two bots. But I didn't give up, and slowly but surely, things started clicking.
At this point? I earn income through affiliate marketing, brand partnerships, and advertisements on my site. Recently I brought in over $2K from my blog income. Crazy, right?
The Social Media Management Game
When I became good with managing my blog's social media, brands started inquiring if I could manage their accounts.
Here's the thing? Many companies suck at social media. They know they need a presence, but they don't have time.
That's where I come in. I oversee social media for three local businesses—various small businesses. I develop content, schedule posts, engage with followers, and check their stats.
I charge between five hundred to fifteen hundred monthly per account, depending on what they need. What I love? I manage everything from my phone while sitting in the carpool line.
Writing for Money
For the wordy folks, freelance writing is where it's at. I don't mean writing the next Great American Novel—I mean content writing for businesses.
Businesses everywhere always need writers. I've written everything from literally everything under the sun. You don't need to be an expert, you just need to know how to Google effectively.
On average earn $0.10-0.50 per word, depending on length and complexity. On good months I'll crank out fifteen articles and earn one to two thousand extra.
What's hilarious: I was that student who barely passed English class. And now I'm making money from copyright. Life is weird.
Virtual Tutoring
2020 changed everything, everyone needed online help. As a former educator, so this was kind of a natural fit.
I signed up with a couple of online tutoring sites. You make your own schedule, which is non-negotiable when you have tiny humans who throw curveballs daily.
I mostly tutor elementary school stuff. The pay ranges from fifteen to twenty-five hourly depending on where you work.
Here's what's weird? Sometimes my own kids will interrupt mid-session. I once had to teach fractions while my toddler screamed about the wrong color cup. The parents on the other end are very sympathetic because they're living the same life.
Flipping Items for Profit
Okay, this side gig wasn't planned. I was cleaning out my kids' stuff and posted some items on various apps.
Things sold immediately. I had an epiphany: people will buy anything.
Now I shop at estate sales and thrift shops, looking for quality items. I'll find something for three bucks and flip it for thirty.
It's labor-intensive? Yes. I'm photographing items, writing descriptions, shipping packages. But it's oddly satisfying about finding hidden treasures at the thrift store and making profit.
Plus: the kids think it's neat when I bring home interesting finds. Last week I discovered a rare action figure that my son freaked out about. Made $45 on it. Score one for mom.
The Truth About Side Hustles
Truth bomb incoming: side hustles take work. The word 'hustle' is there for a reason.
Some days when I'm exhausted, doubting everything. I wake up early being productive before the madness begins, then doing all the mom stuff, then more hustle time after 8pm hits.
But you know what? That money is MINE. I can spend it guilt-free to treat myself. I'm contributing to our household income. My kids are learning that moms can do anything.
What I Wish I Knew
If you're thinking about a mom hustle, this is what I've learned:
Begin with something manageable. You can't start five businesses. Choose one hustle and nail it down before adding more.
Be realistic about time. If naptime is your only free time, that's totally valid. Whatever time you can dedicate is more than enough to start.
Avoid comparing yourself to other moms. The successful ones you see? She probably started years ago and has help. Do your thing.
Spend money on education, but wisely. There are tons of free resources. Don't waste massive amounts on training until you've tried things out.
Do similar tasks together. This changed everything. Block off time blocks for different things. Monday could be making stuff day. Make Wednesday organizing and responding.
Dealing with Mom Guilt
I'm not gonna lie—guilt is part of this. There are days when I'm hustling and my child is calling for me, and I feel guilty.
But then I think about that I'm showing them that hard work matters. I'm proving to them that motherhood doesn't mean giving up your identity.
Additionally? Earning independently has helped me feel more like myself. I'm more content, which translates to better parenting.
The Numbers
So what do I actually make? Generally, between all my hustles, I earn three to five thousand monthly. Some months are lower, some are slower.
Is it life-changing money? Not really. But we've used it to pay for stuff that matters to us that would've been impossible otherwise. Plus it's creating opportunities and experience that could evolve into something huge.
Wrapping This Up
Look, hustling as a mom isn't easy. There's no such thing as a magic formula. A lot of days I'm flying by the seat of my pants, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and praying it all works out.
But I'm proud of this journey. Every penny made is validation of my effort. It demonstrates that I'm not just someone's mother.
So if you're considering launching a mom business? Take the leap. Begin before you're ready. Future you will be so glad you did.
Don't forget: You're not merely enduring—you're growing something incredible. Even when you probably have snack crumbs in your workspace.
For real. The whole thing is where it's at, complete with all the chaos.
From Rock Bottom to Creator Success: My Journey as a Single Mom
Real talk—single motherhood wasn't on my vision board. I never expected to be building a creator business. But yet here I am, three years into this wild journey, earning income by being vulnerable on the internet while doing this mom thing solo. And honestly? It's been life-changing in every way of my life.
The Beginning: When Everything Imploded
It was 2022 when my marriage ended. I remember sitting in my half-empty apartment (he got the furniture, I got the memories), staring at my phone at 2am while my kids slept. I had barely $850 in my checking account, two kids to support, and a salary that was a joke. The panic was real, y'all.
I'd been mindlessly scrolling to numb the pain—because that's what we do? in crisis mode, right?—when I came across this divorced mom discussing how she became debt-free through content creation. I remember thinking, "No way that's legit."
But desperation makes you brave. Or stupid. Usually both.
I grabbed the TikTok app the next morning. My first video? Me, no makeup, messy bun, talking about how I'd just used my last twelve bucks on a cheap food for my kids' school lunches. I hit post and panicked. Who wants to watch someone's train wreck of a life?
Apparently, way more people than I expected.
That video got 47,000 views. 47,000 people watched me breakdown over chicken nuggets. The comments section was this validation fest—people who got it, people living the same reality, all saying "this is my life." That was my aha moment. People didn't want perfection. They wanted raw.
My Brand Evolution: The Unfiltered Mom Content
The truth is about content creation: your niche matters. And my niche? I stumbled into it. I became the mom who tells the truth.
I started posting about the stuff everyone keeps private. Like how I didn't change pants for days because executive dysfunction is real. 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 where daddy went, and I had to talk about complex things to a kid who is six years old.
My content was rough. My lighting was non-existent. I filmed on a phone with a broken screen. But it was authentic, and evidently, that's what resonated.
Within two months, I hit 10,000 followers. Three months later, 50,000. By month six, I'd crossed six figures. Each milestone felt impossible. Actual humans who wanted to follow me. Plain old me—a struggling single mom who had to Google "what is a content creator" not long ago.
My Daily Reality: Managing It All
Let me paint you a picture of my typical day, because this life is totally different from those aesthetic "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm sounds. I do not want to move, but this is my precious quiet time. I make coffee that I'll forget about, and I start recording. Sometimes it's a GRWM discussing budgeting. Sometimes it's me cooking while sharing co-parenting struggles. The lighting is not great.
7:00am: Kids get up. Content creation stops. Now I'm in survival mode—pouring cereal, hunting for that one shoe (it's always one shoe), making lunch boxes, mediating arguments. The chaos is real.
8:30am: Drop off time. I'm that mom creating content in traffic when stopped. Not my proudest moment, but content waits for no one.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my work block. Kids are at school. I'm editing videos, replying to DMs, thinking of ideas, sending emails, reviewing performance. Folks imagine content creation is just making TikToks. Absolutely not. It's a whole business.
I usually batch content on Mondays and Wednesdays. That means shooting multiple videos in one sitting. I'll swap tops so it seems like separate days. Life hack: Keep different outfits accessible for easy transitions. My neighbors think I've lost it, making videos in public in the backyard.
3:00pm: Getting the kids. Back to parenting. But plot twist—often my viral videos come from real life. Last week, my daughter had a massive breakdown in Target because I wouldn't buy a toy she didn't need. I made content in the parking lot after about handling public tantrums as a single mom. It got 2.3M views.
Evening: Dinner, homework, bath time, bedtime routines. I'm generally wiped out to create content, but I'll plan posts, check DMs, or plan tomorrow's content. Often, after the kids are asleep, I'll edit videos until midnight because a partnership is due.
The truth? Balance is a myth. It's just managed chaos with random wins.
Income Breakdown: How I Generate Income
Okay, let's talk dollars because this is what people ask about. Can you actually make money as a content creator? Absolutely. Is it straightforward? Not even close.
My first month, I made $0. Month two? Also nothing. Month three, I got my first sponsored post—one hundred fifty dollars to feature a meal kit service. I cried real tears. That $150 bought groceries for two weeks.
Fast forward, three years in, here's how I earn income:
Brand Partnerships: This is my primary income. I work with brands that my followers need—practical items, single-parent resources, children's products. I ask for anywhere from five hundred to several thousand per deal, depending on deliverables. Just last month, I did four partnerships and made $8K.
Creator Fund/Ad Revenue: Creator fund pays not much—$200-$400 per month for tons of views. AdSense is actually decent. I make about $1,500/month from YouTube, but that took forever.
Affiliate Income: I share links to products I actually use—ranging from my beloved coffee maker to the beds my kids use. If someone purchases through my link, I get a kickback. This brings in about $800-1,200 monthly.
Downloadables: I created a single mom budget planner and a meal prep guide. Each costs $15, and I sell dozens per month. That's another over a thousand dollars.
Coaching/Consulting: People wanting to start pay me to guide them. I offer one-on-one coaching sessions for $200/hour. I do about five to ten per month.
Total monthly income: Most months, I'm making between ten and fifteen grand per month at this point. It varies, some are less. It's inconsistent, which is terrifying when you're the only income source. But it's three times what I made at my previous job, and I'm there for them.
The Dark Side Nobody Mentions
From the outside it's great until you're sobbing alone because a video didn't perform, or reading vicious comments from random people.
The negativity is intense. I've been called a bad mom, told I'm problematic, called a liar about being a solo parent. A commenter wrote, "Maybe that's why he left." That one destroyed me.
The platform changes. One week you're getting insane views. Then suddenly, you're barely hitting 1K. Your income fluctuates. You're always on, always "on", scared to stop, you'll fall behind.
The mom guilt is amplified beyond normal. Every upload, I wonder: Is this too much? Am I protecting my kids' privacy? Will they resent this when they're older? I have strict rules—minimal identifying info, no sharing their private stuff, nothing humiliating. But the line is blurry sometimes.
The I get burnt out. Sometimes when I don't want to film anything. When I'm depleted, socially drained, and completely finished. But bills don't care about burnout. So I do it anyway.
What Makes It Worth It
But listen—despite the hard parts, this journey has given me things I never expected.
Financial stability for once in my life. I'm not a millionaire, but I became debt-free. I have an savings. We took a vacation last summer—Disney World, which seemed impossible two years ago. I don't panic about money anymore.
Control that's priceless. When my child had a fever 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 school event, I'm present. I'm there for them in ways I couldn't be with a normal job.
My people that saved me. The creator friends I've connected with, especially other single parents, have become true friends. We talk, collaborate, encourage each other. My followers have become this family. They celebrate my wins, send love, and validate me.
My own identity. After years, I have something for me. I'm the post below more than an ex or only a parent. I'm a content creator. A content creator. Someone who created this.
What I Wish I Knew
If you're a single parent wanting to start, here's my advice:
Just start. Your first videos will be trash. Mine did. That's okay. You improve over time, not by waiting.
Authenticity wins. People can spot fake. Share your actual life—the unfiltered truth. That resonates.
Guard their privacy. Establish boundaries. Be intentional. Their privacy is non-negotiable. I keep names private, rarely show their faces, and protect their stories.
Build multiple income streams. Diversify or one income stream. The algorithm is unpredictable. Multiple income streams = stability.
Create in batches. When you have available time, make a bunch. Future you will thank present you when you're drained.
Connect with followers. Answer comments. Respond to DMs. Be real with them. Your community is crucial.
Track metrics. Not all content is worth creating. If something takes forever and gets nothing while something else takes 20 minutes and gets massive views, change tactics.
Prioritize yourself. You matter too. Unplug. Protect your peace. Your wellbeing matters most.
Give it time. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me half a year to make decent money. My first year, I made barely $15,000. The second year, $80,000. Year three, I'm hitting six figures. It's a process.
Don't forget your why. On difficult days—and trust me, there will be—remember why you're doing this. For me, it's independence, being present, and demonstrating that I'm capable of more than I thought possible.
Being Real With You
Here's the deal, I'm being honest. Being a single mom creator is hard. Incredibly hard. You're basically running a business while being the lone caretaker of demanding little people.
Some days I second-guess this. Days when the trolls sting. Days when I'm completely spent and asking myself if I should get a regular job with stability.
But but then my daughter says she appreciates this. Or I look at my savings. Or I receive a comment from a follower saying my content helped her leave an unhealthy relationship. And I know it's worth it.
My Future Plans
Not long ago, I was lost and broke how I'd survive as a single mom. Now, I'm a full-time content creator making way more than I made in corporate America, and I'm available when they need me.
My goals now? Get to half a million followers by end of year. Start a podcast for single parents. Write a book eventually. Keep building this business that gives me freedom, flexibility, and financial stability.
This path gave me a lifeline when I had nothing. It gave me a way to take care of my children, show up, and build something real. It's not the path I expected, but it's exactly where I needed to be.
To every single mom out there on the fence: Hell yes you can. It will be hard. You'll doubt yourself. But you're currently doing the most difficult thing—doing this alone. You're more capable than you know.
Jump in messy. Stay the course. Prioritize yourself. And don't forget, you're not just surviving—you're changing your life.
Gotta go now, 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, one TikTok at a time.
Honestly. This path? It's the best decision. Even if there's definitely old snacks everywhere. No regrets, chaos and all.