I earned my first $1 online by writing personal stories. If you think the only way to make money is with your degree, I’m here to give you the good news that you’re wrong. There are a million different ways to succeed in life, but it does start with you wanting that change.

The only way to get to your next level self is if you listen to yourself.

It’s easy to get caught in the vicious cycle of success, but if you don’t think about the life that you truly want, are you really successful?

In my first year as a creator, I made money from different sources: • coaching • writing on Medium • Buy Me a Coffee donations • Affiliate links But the coolest income I got was from a writing gig from a DM on Twitter. Even if you're not sure, start showing up.

This is a reminder that you can get results even if you're confused in your journey. You can feel like you have nothing to offer and still get opportunities.

The first step is learning how to show up because you never know where the money online will come from.

It's so easy to believe that from day 1, you'll know what you want to be known for. But the truth is, you won't. You've gotta do the random things and do the things that don't make sense so that you can carve your own path. Only then you'll learn what to focus on.

This is the online game—learning what you want to focus on. It doesn't have to be permanent, but you have to be clear in that period.

A different take on “niches”: Your “niche” is your personal story. And your story will say: - Who you are - What you stand for - What you believe in The more you can communicate (explicitly or implicitly) this, the faster you can figure out your “niche”

The longer I play the online game, the more I learn that you're only truly successful once you know how to listen to yourself.

In the early stages, you’ll have to decide whether your creative freedom or money is more important to you as a creator. Of course you can have both, but it takes a long time to get there to that point. Until then, use your job to fund your creative freedom.

People will dictate how you should live your life. But only you will know if it’s right for you. Learn how to listen to your inner voice and do things that will make you happy.

By month 3 of freelance writing, I made $10K to confidently leave my job. Your degree doesn’t define your future if you don’t want it to.

You don’t have to use Upwork to become a paid freelance writer. You can find companies that you love and actually write for them.

If you want to be paid well for your writing, you have to be a strong writer. By month 3 of my freelance writing journey, I was getting paid $300+ for an 800-word to 1000-word article. Learn how to write a strong title, arguments, and how to research.

You're only truly successful once you listen to yourself.

n 2021, I managed to write 100+ articles on Medium while working 12-hour shifts as an ER nurse. How I did it: 1. Jot down ideas on the go 2. Write during downtime 3. Edit and publish on my days off You have to learn how to create your own writing schedule.

If you have a strong writing portfolio, this will be a no-brainer for good companies. You’re creating an asset for them (something that will live forever on their website and that is expensive).

I hope that you don’t fall for the narrative that you have to quit your job to be “successful” in life.

Most people will tell you to quit your job to be successful. These days, I divide my time between nursing and my creative endeavours, and I feel pretty successful.