Drop everything and earn $8,700 a month with JustAnswer at 52 years old.
Nora Curl has a rich background with antiques, having worked as both an appraiser and an admirer.
As a child, the 52-year-old went antique shopping with her parents. She later studied connoisseurship in fine and decorative arts at Christie's postgraduate program and worked in magazines, galleries, and as artist Nelson Shanks' assistant.
Since 2012, she has been working on JustAnswer, an online platform that allows users to ask questions to experts in various fields, including lawyers and veterinarians. Experts are compensated for each answer they provide. Curl quickly began earning money on the site and now spends seven days a week, about three to four hours a day, answering an average of five questions per hour.
In 2024, she earned up to $8,700 monthly on the site.
Curl's advice for anyone seeking career success in 2025 is to identify "that one niche that motivates you and generates income."
'I got that advice in 2014'
A decade ago, Curl's former boss from Fine Art Connoisseur advised her to focus on one area of expertise that she enjoys, excels at, and generates the most income.
Curl eventually heeded his words, and in the meantime, she tried buying and selling antiques online and doing appraisals on multiple platforms. However, she soon realized that she was spreading herself too thin.
It took time to send out a package of an item she sold for $30 on eBay. Meanwhile, she regretted missing 10 questions on JustAnswer that could have earned her over $100.
"She says she received advice in 2014 to focus on one lane, but didn't take it until 2017."
'I think trying a lot of things' is key
Curl suggests beginning with some experimentation when determining your most profitable income source.
"She believes that the process of trying many things, making mistakes, and learning from them is crucial to achieving success," she remarks. It was through exploring various websites that she discovered JustAnswer to be the most suitable option for her needs. Many successful entrepreneurs experience similar phases of experimentation and error.
To secure the well-paid gig, the only remaining step, according to Curl, is to "display bravery and a readiness to abandon all else."
To earn extra money online, sign up for CNBC's course on passive income streams, which includes tips for getting started and real-life success stories.
Sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to receive tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.
Make It
You might also like
- Apple CEO Tim Cook reveals he has no plans to retire in the traditional sense, stating that he will always want to work.
- At 18 years old, LeBron James rejected a $10 million offer from Reebok: "I might have shed tears on my way back home."
- Two friends invested $600,000 to launch a business that now generates up to $4.3 million in monthly revenue.
- LinkedIn co-founder billionaire: 3 traits for entrepreneurial success—No. 1 is 'insanely great ambition'
- New research reveals that several high-paying jobs don't require a college degree, with some earning over $100,000.