I'm gonna be honest with you, being a mom is literally insane. But plot twist? Trying to make some extra cash while handling kids, laundry, and approximately 47 snack requests per day.
My hustle life began about several years ago when I realized that my Target runs were becoming problematic. I needed funds I didn't have to justify spending.
Virtual Assistant Hustle
Okay so, my first gig was jumping into virtual assistance. And honestly? It was ideal. I could get stuff done when the house was finally peaceful, and literally all it took was my trusty MacBook and a prayer.
I started with basic stuff like organizing inboxes, doing social media scheduling, and data entry. Super simple stuff. I charged about $15-20 per hour, which seemed low but as a total beginner, you gotta begin at the bottom.
Here's what was wild? Picture this: me on a client call looking completely put together from the chest up—full professional mode—while wearing pants I'd owned since 2015. Peak mom life.
The Etsy Shop Adventure
After a year, I decided to try the whole Etsy thing. All my mom friends seemed to sell stuff on Etsy, so I thought "why not get in on this?"
My shop focused on designing downloadable organizers and wall art. The thing about selling digital stuff? Make it one time, and it can keep selling indefinitely. For real, I've made sales at times when I didn't even know.
When I got my first order? I freaked out completely. My partner was like something was wrong. Negative—it was just me, cheering about my $4.99 sale. No shame in my game.
The Content Creation Grind
Next I ventured into creating content online. This hustle is a marathon not a sprint, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it.
I began a family lifestyle blog where I documented real mom life—all of it, no filter. None of that Pinterest-perfect life. Simply authentic experiences about finding mystery stains on everything I own.
Building up views was painfully slow. Initially, it was basically writing for myself and like three people. But I kept at it, and slowly but surely, things took off.
At this point? I generate revenue through promoting products, sponsored posts, and advertisements on my site. Last month I generated over two grand from my website. Crazy, right?
Managing Social Media
When I became good with my own content, brands started reaching out if I could do the same for them.
And honestly? A lot of local businesses suck at social media. They understand they need a presence, but they're too busy.
Enter: me. I oversee social media for a handful of clients—different types of businesses. I create content, queue up posts, handle community management, and monitor performance.
They pay me between five hundred to fifteen hundred monthly per account, depending on how much work is involved. The best thing? I can do most of it from my phone.
Freelance Writing Life
For those who can string sentences together, freelance writing is seriously profitable. I'm not talking literary fiction—I mean business content.
Businesses everywhere need content constantly. My assignments have included everything from subjects I knew nothing about before Googling. You just need to research, you just need to be good at research.
Usually make fifty to one hundred fifty bucks per piece, depending on how complex it is. When I'm hustling hard I'll create 10-15 articles and pull in one to two thousand extra.
Plot twist: Back in school I hated writing papers. Currently I'm earning a living writing. The irony.
The Online Tutoring Thing
After lockdown started, online tutoring exploded. I used to be a teacher, so this was an obvious choice.
I started working with various tutoring services. It's super flexible, which is non-negotiable when you have children who keep you guessing.
My sessions are usually elementary reading and math. Income ranges from $15-25 per hour depending on which site you use.
What's hilarious? Every now and then my own kids will burst into the room mid-session. I've literally had to educate someone's child while mine had a meltdown. Other parents are usually super understanding because they get it.
Flipping Items for Profit
Okay, this one wasn't planned. During a massive cleanout my kids' room and put some things on various apps.
They sold within hours. I suddenly understood: one person's trash is another's treasure.
Currently I hit up estate sales and thrift shops, searching for good brands. I purchase something for $3 and sell it for $30.
This takes effort? For sure. It's a whole process. But it's oddly satisfying about spotting valuable items at a yard sale and making profit.
Plus: my kids are impressed when I bring home interesting finds. Just last week I discovered a rare action figure that my son lost his mind over. Sold it for $45. Victory for mom.
The Truth About Side Hustles
Let me keep it real: side hustles take work. There's work involved, hence the name.
Some days when I'm exhausted, wondering why I'm doing this. I'm grinding at dawn working before my kids wake up, then being a full-time parent, then back to work after bedtime.
But you a detailed post know what? That money is MINE. No permission needed to buy the fancy coffee. I'm adding to our household income. My kids see that you can be both.
Tips if You're Starting Out
For those contemplating a hustle of your own, here's what I'd tell you:
Start small. Don't try to launch everything simultaneously. Pick one thing and master it before starting something else.
Use the time you have. If naptime is your only free time, that's perfectly acceptable. A couple of productive hours is valuable.
Avoid comparing yourself to the highlight reels. The successful ones you see? She's been grinding forever and has support. Run your own race.
Learn and grow, but strategically. There are tons of free resources. Don't waste massive amounts on training until you've validated your idea.
Batch your work. This is crucial. Use days for specific hustles. Monday could be making stuff day. Wednesday might be administrative work.
Let's Talk Mom Guilt
I have to be real with you—mom guilt is a thing. There are times when I'm hustling and my child is calling for me, and I struggle with it.
Yet I consider that I'm showing them how to hustle. I'm proving to them that women can be mothers and entrepreneurs.
Plus? Having my own income has been good for me. I'm more fulfilled, which translates to better parenting.
Let's Talk Money
So what do I actually make? Typically, from all my side gigs, I pull in between three and five grand. Some months are better, it fluctuates.
Is this getting-rich money? No. But I've used it for stuff that matters to us that would've caused financial strain. Plus it's giving me confidence and skills that could grow into more.
Final Thoughts
Look, doing this mom hustle thing is challenging. You won't find a one-size-fits-all approach. Many days I'm flying by the seat of my pants, running on coffee and determination, and crossing my fingers.
But I'm proud of this journey. Every penny made is a testament to my hustle. It's proof that I'm a multifaceted person.
For anyone contemplating launching a mom business? Start now. Start before it's perfect. Your future self will appreciate it.
Don't forget: You aren't only making it through—you're building something. Even though you probably have Goldfish crackers in your workspace.
Seriously. It's pretty amazing, complete with all the chaos.
From Survival Mode to Content Creator: My Journey as a Single Mom
I'm gonna be honest—single motherhood wasn't the dream. I never expected to be becoming a content creator. But fast forward to now, three years into this wild journey, paying bills by being vulnerable on the internet while raising two kids basically solo. And honestly? It's been life-changing in every way of my life.
How It Started: When Everything Changed
It was 2022 when my divorce happened. I can still picture sitting in my new apartment (he got the furniture, I got the memories), scrolling mindlessly at 2am while my kids were asleep. I had $847 in my bank account, two kids to support, and a salary that was a joke. The panic was real, y'all.
I was on TikTok to escape reality—because that's self-care at 2am, right? when we're drowning, right?—when I stumbled on this solo parent sharing how she made six figures through being a creator. I remember thinking, "No way that's legit."
But when you're desperate, you try anything. Or crazy. Usually both.
I grabbed the TikTok studio app the next morning. My first video? Completely unpolished, sharing how I'd just blown my final $12 on a frozen nuggets and juice boxes for my kids' lunch boxes. I hit post and panicked. Who wants to watch my mess?
Plot twist, a lot of people.
That video got nearly 50,000 views. 47,000 people watched me almost lose it over frozen nuggets. The comments section was this unexpected source of support—other single moms, people living the same reality, all saying "I feel this." That was my epiphany. People didn't want the highlight reel. They wanted real.
Building My Platform: The Hot Mess Single Mom Brand
Here's what nobody tells you about content creation: finding your niche is everything. And my niche? It found me. I became the unfiltered single mom.
I started filming the stuff nobody talks about. Like how I wore the same leggings all week because laundry felt impossible. Or when I gave them breakfast for dinner multiple nights and called it "breakfast for dinner week." Or that moment when my child asked about the divorce, and I had to have big conversations to a kid who thinks the tooth fairy is real.
My content wasn't pretty. My lighting was non-existent. I filmed on a ancient iPhone. But it was unfiltered, and evidently, that's what worked.
Within two months, I hit 10,000 followers. Month three, 50K. By month six, I'd crossed 100K. Each milestone felt impossible. People who wanted to hear what I had to say. Plain old me—a financially unstable single mom who had to learn everything from scratch six months earlier.
A Day in the Life: Content Creation Meets Real Life
Here's what it actually looks like of my typical day, because creating content solo is nothing like those aesthetic "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm sounds. I do want to throw my phone, but this is my sacred content creation time. I make coffee that I'll reheat three times, and I start recording. Sometimes it's a GRWM sharing about financial reality. Sometimes it's me making food while sharing parenting coordination. The lighting is not great.
7:00am: Kids emerge. Content creation stops. Now I'm in full mom mode—pouring cereal, locating lost items (seriously, always ONE), prepping food, referee duties. The chaos is next level.
8:30am: Getting them to school. I'm that mom making videos while driving when stopped. Don't judge me, but bills don't care.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my power window. Kids are at school. I'm cutting clips, engaging with followers, planning content, reaching out to brands, checking analytics. People think content creation is just making TikToks. It's not. It's a whole business.
I usually batch content on certain days. That means shooting multiple videos in a few hours. I'll switch outfits so it looks varied. Life hack: Keep multiple tops nearby for outfit changes. My neighbors must think I'm insane, talking to my camera in the driveway.
3:00pm: Getting the kids. Parent time. But this is where it's complicated—often my best content ideas come from the chaos. A few days ago, my daughter had a full tantrum in Target because I said no to a expensive toy. I created a video in the vehicle afterward about surviving tantrums as a single parent. It got over 2 million views.
Evening: All the evening things. I'm usually too exhausted to create content, but I'll schedule content, answer messages, or outline content. Certain nights, after bedtime, I'll edit for hours because a brand deadline is looming.
The truth? Balance doesn't exist. It's just managed chaos with some victories.
The Financial Reality: How I Support My Family
Okay, let's talk numbers because this is what you're wondering. Can you really earn income as a influencer? For sure. Is it straightforward? Hell no.
My first month, I made $0. Month two? Zero. Month three, I got my first brand deal—a hundred and fifty bucks to promote a food subscription. I literally cried. That hundred fifty dollars bought groceries for two weeks.
Currently, three years later, here's how I monetize:
Collaborations: This is my biggest income source. I work with brands that make sense—practical items, mom products, kids' stuff. I charge anywhere from five hundred to five thousand dollars per campaign, depending on what they need. Just last month, I did 4 sponsored posts and made eight thousand dollars.
TikTok Fund: Creator fund pays very little—maybe $200-400 per month for massive numbers. YouTube ad revenue is more lucrative. I make about $1,500 monthly from YouTube, but that took two years to build up.
Affiliate Income: I share affiliate links to stuff I really use—everything from my beloved coffee maker to the beds my kids use. If they buy using my link, I get a kickback. This brings in about $1K monthly.
Digital Products: I created a financial planner and a food prep planner. $15 apiece, and I sell 50-100 per month. That's another $1-1.5K.
Consulting Services: Aspiring influencers pay me to show them how. I offer one-on-one coaching sessions for two hundred dollars. I do about 5-10 of these monthly.
Combined monthly revenue: Typically, I'm making $10,000-15,000 per month at this point. It varies, some are less. It's up and down, which is nerve-wracking when you're the only income source. But it's three times what I made at my old job, and I'm home when my kids need me.
The Dark Side Nobody Posts About
It looks perfect online until you're crying in your car because a video didn't perform, or reading nasty DMs from random people.
The trolls are vicious. I've been told I'm a terrible parent, told I'm a bad influence, called a liar about being a single mom. Someone once commented, "Maybe that's why he left." That one stuck with me.
The algorithm changes constantly. One month you're getting millions of views. The following week, you're struggling for views. Your income fluctuates. You're never off, always "on", nervous about slowing down, you'll lose momentum.
The mom guilt is intense to the extreme. Every video I post, I wonder: Am I sharing too much? Is this okay? Will they be angry about this when they're teenagers? I have clear boundaries—protected identities, nothing too personal, nothing humiliating. But the line is blurry sometimes.
The burnout is real. There are weeks when I have nothing. When I'm depleted, socially drained, and just done. But rent doesn't care. So I show up anyway.
The Beautiful Parts
But listen—despite the hard parts, this journey has given me things I never expected.
Money security 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—the Mouse House, which I never thought possible two years ago. 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 call in to work or stress about losing pay. I worked from the doctor's office. When there's a school thing, I attend. I'm available in ways I wasn't with a regular job.
My people that saved me. The creator friends I've connected with, especially single moms, have become true friends. We connect, share strategies, support each other. My followers have become this incredible cheerleading squad. They cheer for me, encourage me through rough patches, and validate me.
Me beyond motherhood. After years, I have something for me. I'm not defined by divorce or only a parent. I'm a CEO. A content creator. Someone who created this.
My Best Tips
If you're a single mom considering content creation, here's my advice:
Begin now. Your first videos will suck. Mine did. That's okay. You get better, not by procrastinating.
Keep it real. People can tell when you're fake. Share your actual life—the messy, imperfect, chaotic reality. That's the magic.
Protect your kids. Establish boundaries. Have standards. Their privacy is everything. I keep names private, rarely show their faces, and protect their stories.
Multiple revenue sources. Spread it out or one way to earn. The algorithm is unreliable. Multiple income streams = stability.
Create in batches. When you have time alone, record several. Next week you will be grateful when you're unable to film.
Connect with followers. Answer comments. Respond to DMs. Connect authentically. Your community is everything.
Track your time and ROI. Some content isn't worth it. If something takes forever and gets 200 views while a different post takes 20 minutes and gets massive views, shift focus.
Don't forget yourself. Self-care isn't selfish. Take breaks. Guard your energy. Your sanity matters more than going viral.
This takes time. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me months to make meaningful money. The first year, I made $15K total. The second year, $80K. Year three, I'm hitting six figures. It's a long game.
Know your why. On difficult days—and there will be many—think about your why. For me, it's supporting my kids, flexibility with my kids, and proving to myself that I'm more than I believed.
Being Real With You
Listen, I'm being honest. Content creation as a single mom is hard. Incredibly hard. You're operating a business while being the only parent of tiny humans who need you constantly.
Certain days I second-guess this. Days when the hate comments get to me. Days when I'm completely spent and asking myself if I should quit this with insurance.
But and then my daughter tells me she loves that I'm home. Or I check my balance and see money. Or I receive a comment from a follower saying my content changed her life. And I remember why I do this.
What's Next
A few years back, I was lost and broke how to make it work. Currently, I'm a full-time content 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 moving forward? Hit 500K by end of year. Launch a podcast for single moms. Write a book eventually. Keep growing this business that changed my life.
This path gave me a path forward when I was desperate. It gave me a way to feed my babies, be present in their lives, and accomplish something incredible. It's not what I planned, but it's exactly where I needed to be.
To every solo parent thinking about starting: You absolutely can. It will be hard. You'll want to quit some days. But you're handling the hardest job—parenting solo. You're more capable than you know.
Start imperfect. Stay the course. Keep your boundaries. And remember, you're beyond survival mode—you're creating something amazing.
BRB, I need to go record a video about homework I forgot about and I just learned about it. Because that's how it goes—content from the mess, one video at a time.
Honestly. Being a single mom creator? It's the best decision. Even though I'm sure there's old snacks all over my desk. No regrets, imperfectly perfect.