Real talk, motherhood is not for the weak. But what's really wild? Trying to make some extra cash while managing children who have boundless energy while I'm running on fumes.
I entered the side gig world about a few years back when I had the epiphany that my impulse buys were way too frequent. I needed funds I didn't have to justify spending.
The Virtual Assistant Life
Here's what happened, I kicked things off was jumping into virtual assistance. And not gonna lie? It was exactly what I needed. I was able to grind during those precious quiet hours, and the the cited reference only requirement was my laptop and decent wifi.
I began by basic stuff like email management, managing social content, and entering data. Pretty straightforward. My rate was about fifteen dollars an hour, which wasn't much but when you don't know what you're doing yet, you gotta prove yourself first.
Honestly the most hilarious thing? I'd be on a Zoom call looking completely put together from the shoulders up—looking corporate—while wearing my rattiest leggings. That's the dream honestly.
Selling on Etsy
About twelve months in, I decided to try the selling on Etsy. All my mom friends seemed to have an Etsy shop, so I thought "why not join the party?"
My shop focused on crafting downloadable organizers and digital art prints. The thing about selling digital stuff? You create it once, and it can sell forever. Genuinely, I've made sales at times when I didn't even know.
When I got my first order? I freaked out completely. He came running thinking something was wrong. Negative—I was just, cheering about my glorious $4.99. No shame in my game.
Blogging and Creating
After that I got into the whole influencer thing. This venture is playing the long game, let me tell you.
I launched a mom blog where I wrote about the chaos of parenting—everything unfiltered. Not the highlight reel. Only real talk about surviving tantrums in Target.
Building traffic was like watching paint dry. At the beginning, it was basically writing for myself and like three people. But I kept at it, and eventually, things gained momentum.
At this point? I make money through affiliate links, working with brands, and advertisements on my site. This past month I earned over two thousand dollars from my blog income. Insane, right?
Managing Social Media
When I became good with social media for my own stuff, local businesses started reaching out if I could help them.
Truth bomb? Most small businesses are terrible with social media. They understand they need a presence, but they're too busy.
This is my moment. I now manage social media for several small companies—a bakery, a boutique, and a fitness studio. I plan their content, queue up posts, respond to comments, and analyze the metrics.
My rate is between five hundred to fifteen hundred monthly per business, depending on the complexity. What I love? I manage everything from my phone during soccer practice.
The Freelance Writing Hustle
If you can write, writing gigs is seriously profitable. Not like writing the next Great American Novel—I mean commercial writing.
Businesses everywhere need content constantly. I've written articles about everything from dental hygiene to copyright. Being an expert isn't required, you just need to know how to Google effectively.
Usually charge $50-150 per article, depending on how complex it is. On good months I'll create ten to fifteen pieces and earn $1-2K.
Plot twist: I'm the same person who barely passed English class. These days I'm earning a living writing. Talk about character development.
Virtual Tutoring
When COVID hit, virtual tutoring became huge. I used to be a teacher, so this was an obvious choice.
I started working with a couple of online tutoring sites. It's super flexible, which is essential when you have children who keep you guessing.
I focus on K-5 subjects. The pay ranges from fifteen to thirty bucks per hour depending on the platform.
Here's what's weird? There are times when my kids will burst into the room mid-session. There was a time I be professional while chaos erupted behind me. My clients are totally cool about it because they understand mom life.
The Reselling Game
So, this hustle happened accidentally. While organizing my kids' stuff and tried selling some outfits on various apps.
They sold within hours. Lightbulb moment: one person's trash is another's treasure.
At this point I visit secondhand stores and sales, looking for name brands. I'll buy something for a few dollars and make serious profit.
It's definitely work? For sure. I'm photographing items, writing descriptions, shipping packages. But it's oddly satisfying about discovering a diamond in the rough at Goodwill and making money.
Also: my kids think I'm cool when I score cool vintage stuff. Recently I discovered a retro toy that my son lost his mind over. Sold it for $45. Mom for the win.
Real Talk Time
Truth bomb incoming: side hustles aren't passive income. It's called hustling because you're hustling.
Certain days when I'm exhausted, asking myself what I'm doing. I wake up early getting stuff done while it's quiet, then handling mom duties, then back to work after bedtime.
But you know what? That money is MINE. No permission needed to splurge on something nice. I'm contributing to our household income. I'm showing my kids that you can have it all—sort of.
Tips if You're Starting Out
For those contemplating a side gig, here's what I'd tell you:
Start with one thing. You can't do everything at once. Focus on one and master it before starting something else.
Be realistic about time. If naptime is your only free time, that's perfectly acceptable. Even one focused hour is more than enough to start.
Comparison is the thief of joy to the highlight reels. Those people with massive success? They put in years of work and has help. Focus on your own journey.
Spend money on education, but carefully. Start with free stuff first. Be careful about spending massive amounts on training until you've tried things out.
Work in batches. I learned this the hard way. Set aside certain times for certain work. Monday could be writing day. Wednesday might be administrative work.
Dealing with Mom Guilt
Let me be honest—mom guilt is a thing. Sometimes when I'm on my laptop and they want to play, and I feel guilty.
Yet I remind myself that I'm showing them that hard work matters. I'm demonstrating to my children that moms can have businesses.
And honestly? Making my own money has been good for me. I'm more fulfilled, which helps me be better.
Let's Talk Money
How much do I earn? Generally, combining everything, I pull in three to five thousand monthly. Some months are better, it fluctuates.
Is this millionaire money? Not really. But we've used it to pay for family trips and unexpected expenses that would've stressed us out. It's building my skills and knowledge that could become a full-time thing.
Final Thoughts
Listen, combining motherhood and entrepreneurship is hard. There's no such thing as a magic formula. Often I'm making it up as I go, fueled by espresso and stubbornness, and hoping for the best.
But I don't regret it. Every dollar earned is evidence of my capability. It shows that I'm more than just mom.
If you're on the fence about starting a side hustle? Take the leap. Don't wait for perfect. You in six months will be grateful.
Don't forget: You aren't only getting by—you're building something. Even if you probably have old cheerios stuck to your laptop.
No cap. It's pretty amazing, chaos and all.
Surviving to Thriving: My Journey as a Single Mom
Real talk—single motherhood was never the plan. Neither was becoming a content creator. But yet here I am, three years into this wild journey, paying bills by sharing my life online while doing this mom thing solo. And honestly? It's been scary AF but incredible of my life.
How It Started: When Everything Fell Apart
It was 2022 when my divorce happened. I can still picture sitting in my new apartment (he took what he wanted, I kept what mattered), staring at my phone at 2am while my kids were finally quiet. I had less than a thousand dollars in my bank account, two kids to support, and a income that didn't cut it. The anxiety was crushing, y'all.
I'd been mindlessly scrolling to avoid my thoughts—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 paid off $30,000 in debt through making videos. I remember thinking, "That can't be real."
But when you're desperate, you try anything. Maybe both. Usually both.
I grabbed the TikTok creator app the next morning. My first video? Me, no makeup, messy bun, sharing how I'd just spent my last $12 on a frozen nuggets and juice boxes for my kids' lunches. I uploaded it and wanted to delete it. Why would anyone care about someone's train wreck of a life?
Spoiler alert, way more people than I expected.
That video got nearly 50,000 views. Nearly fifty thousand people watched me get emotional over processed meat. The comments section became this incredible community—people who got it, others barely surviving, all saying "I feel this." That was my turning point. People didn't want the highlight reel. They wanted real.
Finding My Niche: The Honest Single Parent Platform
Here's what nobody tells you about content creation: your niche matters. And my niche? It chose me. I became the real one.
I started sharing the stuff people hide. Like how I wore the same leggings all week because I couldn't handle laundry. Or the time I let them eat Lucky Charms for dinner several days straight and called it "breakfast for dinner week." Or that moment when my daughter asked where daddy went, and I had to have big conversations to a kid who is six years old.
My content wasn't polished. My lighting was trash. I filmed on a cracked iPhone 8. But it was unfiltered, and apparently, that's what hit.
Two months later, I hit ten thousand followers. Three months later, fifty thousand. By half a year, I'd crossed 100,000. Each milestone blew my mind. Actual humans who wanted to listen to me. Me—a financially unstable single mom who had to learn everything from scratch six months earlier.
The Actual Schedule: Managing It All
Let me show you of my typical day, because this life is nothing like those pretty "day in the life" videos you see.
5:30am: My alarm screams. I do absolutely not want to wake up, but this is my work time. I make coffee that I'll reheat three times, and I start recording. Sometimes it's a GRWM discussing single mom finances. Sometimes it's me cooking while sharing parenting coordination. The lighting is not great.
7:00am: Kids emerge. Content creation stops. Now I'm in parent mode—pouring cereal, hunting for that one shoe (where do they go), throwing food in bags, mediating arguments. The chaos is next level.
8:30am: Getting them to school. I'm that mom in the carpool line filming TikToks when stopped. Not proud of this, but I gotta post.
9:00am-2:00pm: This is my work block. Peace and quiet. I'm in editing mode, being social, thinking of ideas, doing outreach, reviewing performance. They believe content creation is just posting videos. Absolutely not. It's a full business.
I usually create multiple videos on certain days. That means making a dozen videos in a few hours. I'll switch outfits so it looks like different days. Pro tip: Keep different outfits accessible for outfit changes. My neighbors think I've lost it, making videos in public in the yard.
3:00pm: Getting the kids. Parent time. But this is where it's complicated—sometimes my best content ideas come from these after-school moments. Just last week, my daughter had a full tantrum in Target because I refused to get a expensive toy. I made content in the vehicle later about surviving tantrums as a solo parent. It got millions of views.
Evening: Dinner, homework, bath time, bedtime routines. I'm completely exhausted to create anything, but I'll queue up posts, answer messages, or outline content. Some nights, after the kids are asleep, I'll work late because a partnership is due.
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 numbers because this is what you're wondering. Can you make a living as a content creator? 100%. Is it easy? Nope.
My first month, I made zero dollars. Second month? $0. Third month, I got my first sponsored post—$150 to promote a meal kit service. I literally cried. That hundred fifty dollars paid for groceries.
Today, three years later, here's how I earn income:
Brand Deals: This is my biggest income source. I work with brands that make sense—affordable stuff, single-parent resources, kid essentials. I ask for anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per campaign, depending on what's required. Just last month, I did 4 sponsored posts and made eight thousand dollars.
Creator Fund/Ad Revenue: TikTok's creator fund pays basically nothing—a few hundred dollars per month for millions of views. YouTube revenue is more lucrative. I make about $1,500/month from YouTube, but that required years.
Affiliate Marketing: I share links to items I love—anything from my beloved coffee maker to the kids' beds. If someone purchases through my link, I get a commission. This brings in about $800-1,200 monthly.
Online Products: I created a budget template and a food prep planner. $15 apiece, and I sell 50-100 per month. That's another $1,000-1,500.
Coaching/Consulting: Other aspiring creators pay me to mentor them. I offer private coaching for $200 hourly. I do about several of these monthly.
My total income: Typically, I'm making $10-15K per month currently. Some months are higher, some are tougher. It's unpredictable, which is terrifying when you're it. But it's three times what I made at my 9-5, and I'm available for my kids.
The Struggles Nobody Shows You
It looks perfect online until you're sobbing alone because a video flopped, or reading cruel messages from internet trolls.
The negativity is intense. I've been called a bad mom, told I'm a bad influence, called a liar about being a single mom. A commenter wrote, "Maybe your husband left because you're annoying." That one stuck with me.
The algorithm shifts. One month you're getting insane views. Next month, you're barely hitting 1K. Your income goes up and down. You're never off, 24/7, scared to stop, you'll be forgotten.
The guilt is crushing exponentially. Every video I post, I wonder: Is this appropriate? Am I protecting my kids' privacy? Will they resent this when they're older? I have strict rules—no faces of my kids without permission, nothing too personal, nothing that could embarrass them. But the line is fuzzy.
The exhaustion is real. Certain periods when I don't want to film anything. When I'm depleted, over it, and just done. But bills don't care about burnout. So I show up anyway.
What Makes It Worth It
But listen—even with the struggles, this journey has given me things I never imagined.
Economic stability for once in my life. I'm not wealthy, but I cleared $18K. I have an cushion. We took a vacation last summer—Disney, which I never thought possible a couple years back. I don't dread checking my balance anymore.
Schedule 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 pediatrician's waiting room. When there's a class party, I attend. I'm present in my kids' lives in ways I couldn't manage with a corporate job.
Connection that saved me. The other influencers I've met, especially single moms, have become my people. We support each other, exchange tips, have each other's backs. My followers have become this beautiful community. They support me, send love, and make me feel seen.
My own identity. Finally, I have something for me. I'm not defined by divorce or somebody's mother. I'm a entrepreneur. A businesswoman. Someone who created this.
My Best Tips
If you're a single mother curious about this, here's what I'd tell you:
Start before you're ready. Your first videos will be trash. Mine did. That's normal. You learn by doing, not by overthinking.
Authenticity wins. People can spot fake. Share your true life—the chaos. That resonates.
Keep them safe. Create rules. Have standards. Their privacy is the priority. I keep names private, rarely show their faces, and protect their stories.
Multiple revenue sources. Don't rely on just one platform or one revenue source. The algorithm is unstable. Multiple income streams = stability.
Batch create content. When you have available time, create multiple pieces. Future you will appreciate it when you're too exhausted to create.
Connect with followers. Answer comments. Respond to DMs. Create connections. Your community is what matters.
Track metrics. Some content isn't worth it. If something takes forever and flops while another video takes very little time and gets 200,000 views, change tactics.
Prioritize yourself. You matter too. Unplug. Create limits. Your wellbeing matters most.
Be patient. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It took me eight months to make real income. My first year, I made barely $15,000. Year two, $80K. Now, I'm on track for six figures. It's a journey.
Don't forget your why. On tough days—and there are many—remember why you're doing this. For me, it's independence, time with my children, and demonstrating that I'm stronger than I knew.
The Reality Check
Real talk, I'm keeping it 100. This journey is hard. Incredibly hard. You're managing a business while being the sole caretaker of tiny humans who need you constantly.
Some days I doubt myself. Days when the trolls hurt. Days when I'm burnt out and asking myself if I should quit this with consistent income.
But then my daughter says she appreciates this. Or I look at my savings. Or I read a message from a follower saying my content gave her courage. And I understand the impact.
What's Next
Not long ago, I was terrified and clueless how to make it work. Today, I'm a content creator making more than I imagined in my old job, and I'm there for my kids.
My goals moving forward? Reach 500K by this year. Create a podcast for single moms. Write a book eventually. Continue building this business that makes everything possible.
Being a creator gave me a path forward when I had nothing. It gave me a way to take care of my children, be available, and build something I'm genuinely proud of. It's a surprise, but it's perfect.
To all the single moms on the fence: Yes you can. It will be hard. You'll struggle. But you're currently doing the toughest gig—doing this alone. You're more capable than you know.
Begin messy. Keep showing up. Protect your peace. And don't forget, you're doing more than surviving—you're building something incredible.
BRB, I need to go make a video about homework I forgot about and I just learned about it. Because that's the content creator single mom life—making content from chaos, one TikTok at a time.
For real. Being a single mom creator? It's the best decision. Even though I'm sure there's Goldfish crackers everywhere. That's the dream, one messy video at a time.