A 39-year-old earns $18,000 monthly in passive income with no college degree: "I work just 4 hours a day."

In 2007, I made the decision to drop out of college, even though I had about $50,000 in student loan debt. At the time, I believed it was the best decision for me.

Despite knowing that none of my graduated friends were landing jobs, I still decided to go further into debt to finish my degree. However, I was fortunate enough to land a great position as a public policy assistant.

Still, starting out on such shaky financial ground was far from ideal.

Although I was hesitant to leave school, I realized that I had a passion for video creation that I pursued outside of work. I was thrilled to discover YouTube, a platform where I could upload my videos for free and share them with my friends.

As social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter gained popularity, I discovered my knack for utilizing them effectively.

These discoveries have turned out to be game-changers for me. Now, my hobby has become my career, and I earn about $18,000 a month in passive income, as per my recent calculations. I work only four hours a day.

'The aha moment that changed everything': Realizing I had in-demand skills

A friend noticed my talent for comprehending video content and social media platforms a few years after I dropped out of college. They suggested I pursue a professional career in this field.

My side projects were not only enjoyable but also imparted valuable skills that were increasingly in demand.

I started a side hustle by utilizing the strategies I learned about content and social media, acting as a one-woman show posting on Facebook and Twitter to increase brand awareness for small businesses.

For over a year, I worked evenings and weekends before quitting my full-time job in 2010 to focus on my agency.

I utilized my video editing abilities to create content related to social media marketing, such as tutorials, recommendations, and strategies, in order to promote my new business.

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In a challenging month with minimal income for the agency, I decided to experiment by offering a course on how businesses can produce their own videos. I marketed the course to my small email list of around 200 individuals, providing an exclusive pre-launch discount for early subscribers.

I made about $1,000 in revenue in a single day from one email, which was my first taste of passive income.

I created six live hour-long webinars once a week, which provided me with the momentum to deliver the content after receiving early validation and a surge to my bank account.

Creating and teaching the course took me approximately 30 hours. However, after making it available for purchase on my website and social media channels, it became a passive income source.

Over a decade later, my passive income portfolio has evolved significantly.

How I grew my passive income to about $18,000 a month

I have over 1,000 videos on my YouTube channel, AmyTV, which take me an hour to prepare and another hour to film, and can generate income through advertising revenue and more indefinitely.

My planner is gaining popularity as more people discover my video "Plan Your Best Year Ever! My 7 Step Goal Setting Process," which was posted in December 2020.

My audience repeatedly requested a clear explanation of my video content strategy, prompting me to write books on the subject.

"Vlog Like a Boss," "Good Morning, Good Life," and "365 Days of Good Morning, Good Life" are the three books I have written.

Since 2017, my three self-published books, which took an average of three weeks to write and a few months of design to prepare for print and e-book formats, have sold approximately 40,000 copies through Amazon's print-on-demand and audiobook creation platforms.

My first non-book product, a paper planner, was inspired by "Good Morning, Good Life" and has generated over $140,000 in sales.

My personal brand generates approximately $18,000 in monthly passive income through YouTube ads, affiliate revenue, brand deals, and the sale of books and other products.

By serving others, you can experience great outcomes, such as improving your financial situation.

AmyTV on YouTube is an award-winning creation by personal brand coach Amy Landino. Follow her on Instagram.

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