Once upon a time, I dragged myself to a 7-to-5 job every single day. (Because who actually works just a 9-to-5?!)
I made money only when I was chained to my desk, trading precious hours of my life for a paycheck. The only time I earned while simultaneously having fun was during my measly two weeks of vacation each year.
When I finally got fed up with that soul-crushing routine, I figured out a completely different way to live and support my family and my adventures. I launched two online businesses, Rascal Rides and Femme Cyclist, both centered around my biggest passion: cycling!
By building multiple passive income streams, I’ve created a life where I earn money while volunteering at my son’s school, shredding mountain bike trails, exploring new places with my family, and yes, even while I’m fast asleep at night.
Want to know exactly how I make that money? Here’s the breakdown.
Affiliate Marketing
Over the last five years, I’ve made $893k with affiliate marketing, and it’s by far my favorite way to make money online.
When I first started Rascal Rides, I was actually selling physical products (kids bikes). I quickly discovered that dealing with inventory, shipping, and customer service issues was not my cup of tea.
Changing course, I switched to affiliate marketing. Instead of selling products myself, I simply recommend products I genuinely love and earn a commission when people buy through my links.
Affiliate marketing is something that ANYONE can do. Have a product you LOVE?! See if the brand has an affiliate marketing program, or if it’s sold on Amazon, you can send folks there. Every time someone uses your affiliate link, you’ll make a percentage of the sale.
The key is to only recommend stuff you actually use and really love, or to provide honest reviews on products you test. People can sniff out and respond to honesty and authenticity.
Ways that I share affiliate links are in product reviews on my websites (and YouTube), in my email newsletter, and by sharing recommendations in my Instagram stories.
Advertising
Any time you have content that is getting eyeballs, you have the opportunity to place ads on that content.
Both of my websites (Rascal Rides and Femme Cyclist) have display ads (I use Mediavine). Additionally, YouTube runs ads on my videos and that makes some advertising income as well. This has provided me $235k over 5 years.
Running ads on your content is an easy passive source of income, but you have to be careful not to over-do it. Do you like those websites with a bajilion ads? Neither do I.
Digital Products
Digital products are items you sell and deliver electronically–e-books, templates, PDFs, courses, etc. These are a fantastic source of passive income, because you spend the time to make the product once and then can deliver it indefinitely with no additional expense.
My digital product sales are cycling training plans. I’m a USA Cycling coach, and rather than solely providing 1:1 coaching (which is not passive), I’m able to create and sell pre-made plans.
I’ve only been offering these for a little over a year, and have made $12k on pre-made training plans thus far. I haven’t used any advertising (yet!), just sharing on social media and email.
The beauty? I built them once, and they continue selling while I’m out riding my bike.
Other Smaller Stuff
I’m a big beleiver in diversifying your income and creating multiple income streams. While non of these make me a ton of money individually, every $20 or $50 payout adds up over the course of a year.
- Amazon Influencer Videos – You know all of those Amazon packages that get delivered to your house every month? I make short, simple, and honest review videos on them and post to Amazon. When folks watch and buy, I get a small commission. I started with only cycling products, but now I just review everything.
- Print-on-demand merch – I design and sell t-shirts, calendars, and other simple merchandise on the Femme Cyclist store. I don’t carry any inventory, or ship any items. Everything is printed and fulfilled by Printful or Printify.
Non Passive Sources Of Income
Passive sources of income are my favorite (who doesn’t want to make money while they sleep or ride their bike or go on vacation?!?!), but non-passive income has it’s place too.
In addition to the income sources I’ve listed here, I also make money with custom training plans, 1:1 coaching, and brand sponsorships. These are a topic for another day and another article, but it’s important to recognize that you can (and should!) mix both passive and active income streams in your business.
Ready To Get Started?!
What’s your hobby or passion? Baking? Kayaking? Reading books? Whatever it is, you can turn it into a business that makes money while you live your best life.
Yes, really! I did it, and I had no special background or education. In fact, I started out when it was still hard to find a lot of this information online (and before AI could help me).
I’ve documented the exact roadmap I used to build my online businesses—the same blueprint you can follow to create your own freedom-based business.
Ready to escape the 9-to-5 trap and start earning money from your passions? Grab my Online Business Quick Launch Guide and take the first step toward your new life today. 👇
About The Author
