Here's the tea, motherhood is no joke. But here's the thing? Attempting to secure the bag while dealing with toddlers and their chaos.
I started my side hustle journey about a few years back when I discovered that my Target runs were getting out of hand. I was desperate for my own money.
The Virtual Assistant Life
Right so, my initial venture was becoming a virtual assistant. And I'll be real? It was perfect. It let me hustle while the kids slept, and the only requirement was my trusty MacBook and a prayer.
Initially I was doing easy things like organizing inboxes, managing social content, and data entry. Pretty straightforward. My rate was about fifteen to twenty bucks hourly, which felt cheap but when you're just starting, you gotta begin at the bottom.
Here's what was wild? I'd be on a client call looking like I had my life together from the waist up—full professional mode—while rocking pants I'd owned since 2015. Peak mom life.
Selling on Etsy
After getting my feet wet, I thought I'd test out the Etsy world. Every mom I knew seemed to sell stuff on Etsy, so I figured "why not join the party?"
My shop focused on crafting digital planners and home decor prints. What's great about digital products? Design it once, and it can sell forever. For real, I've made sales at times when I didn't even know.
When I got my first order? I lost my mind. He came running thinking I'd injured myself. Not even close—it was just me, celebrating my five dollar sale. Judge me if you want.
Content Creator Life
Next I got into blogging and content creation. This one is playing the long game, trust me on this.
I began a mom blog where I documented real mom life—all of it, no filter. Not the highlight reel. Only authentic experiences about how I once found a chicken nugget in my bra.
Getting readers was a test of patience. At the beginning, I was essentially writing for myself and like three people. But I didn't give up, and slowly but surely, things gained momentum.
Currently? I generate revenue through affiliate links, collaborations, and ad revenue. Last month I brought in over two grand from my website. Mind-blowing, right?
Managing Social Media
When I became good with managing my blog's social media, local businesses started asking if I could run their social media.
And honestly? Many companies struggle with social media. They recognize they should be posting, but they can't keep up.
This is my moment. I handle social media for several small companies—various small businesses. I create content, schedule posts, engage with followers, and analyze the metrics.
My rate is between $500-$1500/month per client, depending on the scope of work. The best thing? I manage everything from my iPhone.
Freelance Writing Life
If you can write, freelance writing is where it's at. I don't mean literary fiction—this is content writing for businesses.
Businesses everywhere constantly need fresh content. I've written everything from literally everything under the sun. You just need to research, you just need to know how to find information.
Generally make $0.10-0.50 per word, depending on the topic and length. Certain months I'll create fifteen articles and make one to two thousand extra.
Plot twist: I was that student who thought writing was torture. These days I'm earning a living writing. The irony.
Virtual Tutoring
2020 changed everything, online tutoring exploded. With my teaching background, so this was an obvious choice.
I joined various tutoring services. You make your own schedule, which is absolutely necessary when you have children who keep you guessing.
I focus on basic subjects. The pay ranges from fifteen to thirty bucks per hour depending on where you work.
What's hilarious? Sometimes my kids will photobomb my lessons mid-session. I've literally had to educate someone's child while mine had a meltdown. Other parents are totally cool about it because they understand mom life.
Reselling and Flipping
So, this hustle I stumbled into. During a massive cleanout my kids' room and tried selling some outfits on copyright.
Items moved immediately. I had an epiphany: people will buy anything.
Currently I shop at anywhere with deals, looking for quality items. I purchase something for a few dollars and make serious profit.
Is it a lot of work? Not gonna lie. There's photographing, listing, and shipping. But there's something satisfying about finding a gem at the thrift store and making profit.
Plus: my children are fascinated when I discover weird treasures. Recently I scored a vintage toy that my son absolutely loved. Got forty-five dollars for it. Mom win.
The Truth About Side Hustles
Real talk moment: side hustles aren't passive income. The word 'hustle' is there for a reason.
There are days when I'm running on empty, doubting everything. I'm grinding at dawn working before my kids wake up, then doing all the mom stuff, then back at it after the kids are asleep.
But this is what's real? These are my earnings. I'm not asking anyone to treat myself. I'm contributing to the family budget. I'm teaching my children that moms can do anything.
Advice for New Mom Hustlers
If you're thinking about a hustle of your own, here's what I'd tell you:
Start small. Don't attempt to do everything at once. Start with one venture and master it before adding more.
Be realistic about time. Whatever time you have, that's okay. A couple of productive hours is more than enough to start.
Avoid comparing yourself to other moms. Those people with massive success? They put in years of work and has support. Run your own race.
Don't be afraid to invest, but smartly. You don't need expensive courses. Don't spend huge money on programs until you've proven the concept.
Batch tasks together. This saved my sanity. Use certain times for certain work. Make Monday writing day. Use Wednesday for organizing and responding.
Dealing with Mom Guilt
I'm not gonna lie—I struggle with guilt. There are times when I'm hustling and my child is calling for me, and I feel terrible.
Yet I think about that I'm showing them what dedication looks like. I'm demonstrating to my children that motherhood doesn't mean giving up your identity.
And honestly? Earning independently has improved my mental health. I'm more satisfied, which makes me a better parent.
The Numbers
My actual income? Most months, combining everything, I earn $3K-5K. Some months are lower, others are slower.
Will this make you wealthy? Not really. But it's paid for stuff that matters to us that would've been really hard. It's giving me confidence and knowledge that could grow into more.
Wrapping This Up
At the end of the day, doing this mom hustle thing is hard. It's not a perfect balance. Often I'm flying by the seat of my pants, powered by caffeine, and crossing my fingers.
But I'm glad I'm doing this. Every single bit of income is proof that I can do hard things. It demonstrates that I'm a multifaceted person.
For anyone contemplating beginning your hustle journey? Take the leap. Start messy. Your tomorrow self will be grateful.
And remember: You're more than surviving—you're creating something amazing. Even though there's likely snack crumbs in your workspace.
Not even kidding. The whole thing is incredible, complete with all the chaos.
My Content Creator Journey: My Journey as a Single Mom
I'm gonna be honest—being a single parent wasn't on my vision board. I never expected to be becoming a content creator. But yet here I am, three years into this wild journey, making a living by being vulnerable on the internet while handling everything by myself. And I'll be real? It's been life-changing in every way of my life.
The Beginning: When Everything Fell Apart
It was 2022 when my divorce happened. I remember sitting in my half-empty apartment (he got the furniture, I got the memories), 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 paycheck that wasn't enough. The anxiety was crushing, y'all.
I was scrolling social media to escape reality—because that's the move? in crisis mode, right?—when I found this divorced mom sharing how she changed her life through content creation. I remember thinking, "That can't be real."
But when you're desperate, you try anything. Or crazy. Sometimes both.
I got the TikTok creator app the next morning. My first video? Completely unpolished, explaining how I'd just spent my last $12 on a cheap food for my kids' school lunches. I uploaded it and wanted to delete it. Who wants to watch this disaster?
Plot twist, way more people than I expected.
That video got 47,000 views. Nearly fifty thousand people watched me get emotional over frozen nuggets. The comments section was this unexpected source of support—other single moms, others barely surviving, all saying "this is my life." That was my aha moment. People didn't want the highlight reel. They wanted raw.
Building My Platform: The Hot Mess Single Mom Brand
The truth is about content creation: your niche matters. And my niche? It found me. I became the real one.
I started filming the stuff nobody talks about. Like how I once wore the same yoga pants for four days straight because laundry felt impossible. Or when I let them eat Lucky Charms for dinner multiple nights and called it "cereal week." Or that moment when my six-year-old asked about the divorce, and I had to explain adult stuff to a kid who still believes in Santa.
My content wasn't pretty. My lighting was terrible. I filmed on a cracked iPhone 8. But it was honest, and evidently, that's what connected.
In just two months, I hit ten thousand followers. Month three, 50,000. By month six, I'd crossed 100K. Each milestone felt surreal. Real accounts who wanted to listen to me. Little old me—a struggling single mom who had to learn everything from scratch six months earlier.
The Daily Grind: Juggling Everything
Let me paint you a picture of my typical day, because content creation as a single mom is nothing like those pretty "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm sounds. I do absolutely not want to wake up, but this is my sacred content creation time. I make coffee that I'll reheat three times, and I begin creating. Sometimes it's a get-ready-with-me discussing budgeting. Sometimes it's me meal prepping while venting about co-parenting struggles. The lighting is whatever natural light comes through my kitchen window.
7:00am: Kids emerge. Content creation stops. Now I'm in parent mode—feeding humans, hunting for that one shoe (why is it always one shoe), making lunch boxes, mediating arguments. The chaos is intense.
8:30am: School drop-off. I'm that mom making videos while driving when stopped. Not my proudest moment, but content waits for no one.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my power window. House is quiet. I'm cutting clips, responding to comments, thinking of ideas, sending emails, checking analytics. Everyone assumes content creation is just making TikToks. Absolutely not. It's a full business.
I usually batch content on Mondays and Wednesdays. That means making a dozen videos in a few hours. I'll change clothes so it looks varied. Advice: Keep multiple tops nearby for fast swaps. My neighbors think I've lost it, talking to my camera in the backyard.
3:00pm: Pickup time. Transition back to mom mode. But this is where it's complicated—frequently my top performing content come from the chaos. Last week, my daughter had a complete meltdown in Target because I wouldn't buy a $40 toy. I filmed a video in the Target parking lot later about handling public tantrums as a single parent. It got 2.3 million views.
Evening: Dinner through bedtime. I'm usually too exhausted to make videos, but I'll queue up posts, answer messages, or strategize. Often, after they're down, I'll edit for hours because a deadline is coming.
The truth? Balance is a myth. It's just controlled chaos with some victories.
The Money Talk: How I Support My Family
Alright, let's talk dollars because this is what everyone's curious about. Can you actually make money as a content creator? Absolutely. Is it effortless? Absolutely not.
My first month, I made zero dollars. Month two? Zero. Third month, I got my first brand deal—one hundred fifty dollars to post about a meal box. I actually cried. That hundred fifty dollars covered food.
Fast forward, three years in, here's how I generate revenue:
Sponsored Content: This is my primary income. I work with brands that fit my niche—practical items, helpful services, kid essentials. I bill anywhere from five hundred to several thousand per partnership, depending on what they need. Just last month, I did four brand deals and made eight thousand dollars.
Platform Payments: The TikTok fund pays very little—$200-$400 per month for millions of views. AdSense is better. I make about fifteen hundred a month from YouTube, but that took forever.
Affiliate Marketing: I share links to products I actually use—ranging from my beloved coffee maker to the kids' beds. If someone clicks and buys, I get a kickback. This brings in about $1K monthly.
Digital Products: I created a single mom budget planner and a meal prep guide. Each costs $15, and I sell maybe 50-100 per month. That's another $1-1.5K.
Teaching Others: New creators pay me to mentor them. I offer private coaching for two hundred dollars. I do about 5-10 of these monthly.
Total monthly income: Typically, I'm making between ten and fifteen grand per month these days. Some months I make more, some are less. It's inconsistent, which is nerve-wracking when there's no backup. But it's triple what I made at my old job, and I'm there for them.
What They Don't Show Nobody Posts About
From the outside it's great until you're sobbing alone because a video flopped, or reading nasty DMs from internet trolls.
The hate comments are real. I've been mom-shamed, told I'm exploiting my kids, questioned about being a solo parent. Someone once commented, "Maybe that's why he left." That one stuck with me.
The algorithm changes constantly. One week you're getting insane views. Next month, you're getting nothing. Your income fluctuates. You're always on, never resting, afraid to pause, you'll lose relevance.
The mom guilt is amplified exponentially. Every video I post, I wonder: Am I oversharing? Is this okay? Will they be angry about this when they're teenagers? I have firm rules—limited face shots, no sharing their private stuff, no embarrassing content. But the line is fuzzy.
The I get burnt out. Some weeks when I can't create. When I'm done, socially drained, and just done. But rent doesn't care. So I push through.
The Unexpected Blessings
But listen—despite the hard parts, this journey has given me things I never dreamed of.
Money security for once in my life. I'm not wealthy, but I paid off $18,000 in debt. I have an emergency fund. We took a family trip last summer—the Mouse House, which was a dream a couple years back. I don't dread checking my balance anymore.
Control that's priceless. When my kid was ill last month, I didn't have to ask permission or stress about losing the background info pay. I worked from the doctor's office. When there's a school event, I attend. I'm there for them in ways I wasn't able to 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, help each other, encourage each other. My followers have become this beautiful community. They celebrate my wins, send love, and validate me.
Me beyond motherhood. For the first time since having kids, I have something for me. I'm more than an ex or only a parent. I'm a CEO. A content creator. A person who hustled.
What I Wish I Knew
If you're a single mom wanting to start, here's my advice:
Start before you're ready. Your first videos will be trash. Mine did. It's fine. You grow through creating, not by waiting until everything is perfect.
Be authentic, not perfect. People can smell fake from a mile away. Share your real life—the unfiltered truth. That's what works.
Protect your kids. Set limits. Be intentional. Their privacy is everything. I never share their names, rarely show their faces, and respect their dignity.
Diversify income streams. Diversify or one revenue source. The algorithm is unstable. Diversification = security.
Batch your content. When you have available time, film multiple videos. Tomorrow you will appreciate it when you're burnt out.
Engage with your audience. Respond to comments. Check messages. Create connections. Your community is what matters.
Track metrics. Not all content is worth creating. If something is time-intensive and gets nothing while a different post takes minutes and gets 200,000 views, change tactics.
Self-care matters. Self-care isn't selfish. Step away. Create limits. Your mental health matters more than going viral.
Give it time. This takes time. It took me half a year to make meaningful money. Year one, I made barely $15,000. Year two, eighty thousand. This year, I'm hitting six figures. It's a marathon.
Don't forget your why. On difficult days—and there will be many—remember why you're doing this. For me, it's supporting my kids, being present, and validating that I'm more than I believed.
The Reality Check
Listen, I'm telling the truth. This journey is hard. Really hard. You're running a whole business while being the single caregiver of children who require constant attention.
Many days I second-guess this. Days when the hate comments hurt. Days when I'm completely spent and wondering if I should just get a "normal" job with consistent income.
But then suddenly my daughter tells me she loves that I'm home. Or I see financial progress. Or I get a DM from a follower saying my content inspired her. And I understand the impact.
The Future
Years ago, I was lost and broke how to survive. Currently, I'm a full-time creator making triple what I earned in my old job, and I'm available when they need me.
My goals for the future? Get to half a million followers by end of year. Launch a podcast for single moms. Possibly write a book. Continue building this business that supports my family.
This journey gave me a path forward when I was desperate. It gave me a way to provide for my family, be available, and accomplish something incredible. It's not what I planned, but it's perfect.
To every single mom out there considering this: You can. It won't be easy. You'll consider quitting. But you're managing the hardest job in the world—raising humans alone. You're stronger than you think.
Jump in messy. Stay the course. Keep your boundaries. And don't forget, you're doing more than surviving—you're creating something amazing.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go make a video about why my kid's school project is due tomorrow and nobody told me until now. Because that's how it goes—chaos becomes content, one TikTok at a time.
Seriously. This path? It's worth every struggle. Even though there's probably crumbs everywhere. Dream life, one messy video at a time.