Welcome to my 2020 business and life review.
Normally I separate travel and business reflections into two posts, but this year I decided to combine them into one. 2020 was an unusual year that affected almost everyone. It was difficult for many, and I sympathize deeply.
I’m grateful for my life, but 2020 was personally hard. I lost two beloved family members: my grandmother and my dog, Sailor, who had been my constant companion for nearly 14 years.
Family
I debated whether to include a family section in this post since I’m writing about travel and business too. It felt odd to mix them, yet excluding family would leave out an essential part of my life. Good and bad moments coexist, and this year brought both.
I felt conflicted writing about losing two dear loved ones while also covering business and travel. Still, it’s part of the year I lived, so I want to share it.
My grandmother passed away in the summer of 2020 at age 97. She watched us after school when we were kids and lived just behind our building in Chicago, so I saw her often. She didn’t speak much English and I don’t speak Korean, yet she still took English classes into her later years so she could communicate better with us.
I remember she used to make me plain ramen with no seasoning. As a child I didn’t know how to say “add the seasoning” in Korean, so for months I ate bland noodles until I learned to ask for the packet. She thought watery noodles were odd but made them because she believed I liked them; that memory always makes me laugh.
She was also a world traveler and the kindest person I know. I will miss her dearly.
In December 2020 we lost Sailor, my favorite girl. She was my best friend, the sweetest companion, and the best adventure buddy. We adopted her when she was two months old—just after I turned 18 and moved in with Wes. Not long after, my father was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer and had limited time left. Sailor helped me through that grief; she was my comfort through tears and hard days.
Sailor climbed some of the tallest mountains in the U.S. with us, sailed to islands, and joined us at many scenic places. Her death was sudden—she became ill before we could reach a vet. The vet suspected a fast-moving cancer, since she showed no signs just weeks earlier. I’m still processing the loss; she was a huge part of my life for nearly 14 years, and I miss her deeply.
Transitioning to travel and business after that feels strange, but below I share how 2020 unfolded for us on the water and for my business.
Like for most people, 2020 delivered a mix of highs and lows.
Travel in 2020
We began 2020 in the Exumas in the Bahamas. Over the past few years we’ve spent significant time there on our boat, and it’s a magnificent place to be afloat.
In February we sailed to the Dominican Republic for about a month, where we saw whales, rode the Caribbean’s only cable car up roughly 2,500 feet, rented a car to explore the country, and enjoyed many sights.
In March we reached Puerto Rico, and shortly after our arrival the lockdown began. Puerto Rico implemented very strict rules early on—grocery shopping was restricted by license plate days, people were largely confined indoors, and even walking dogs outdoors was severely limited for a time.
We had initially planned to move down the island chain and spend hurricane season in Grenada, but plans changed. We stayed in Puerto Rico for roughly three months while weighing our options. Because we live on a boat, hurricane season poses a special challenge: our insurance forbids staying in the “Hurricane Box.” We needed to decide whether to sail to Grenada (about three days away) or return to the U.S.
Uncertain about how the pandemic would unfold and wanting to be outside the Hurricane Box, we sailed north to the U.S. The 1,300 nautical mile passage took nine days and was our longest. It was just me, Wes, and our two dogs. We reached speeds up to 14.5 knots, encountered a submarine, weathered Tropical Storm Bertha, and even caught fish. The dogs handled the journey well and the passage was memorable.
For hurricane season we stayed several months in Annapolis, Maryland, where we completed a major electrical refit on SV Paradise. We upgraded to lithium batteries and improved our solar array, allowing us to run the watermaker, washer/dryer, water heater, and more off-grid. The team that handled the electrical work was Marine Electric Systems in Annapolis.
Hurricane season ended in November and insurance then required us to head south to avoid winter weather. We made some offshore hops and are now settled in sunny Florida for the moment. Hurricane season returns annually, so we’ll make decisions about next steps when the time comes. We have ideas but aren’t sharing plans just yet.
Living on SV Paradise keeps us fairly self-sufficient and comfortable even while off-grid, which is reassuring in uncertain times.
Note: If you want more frequent updates about life and travel, I share them on Instagram.
2020 Business Year in Review
2020 was a strange year for businesses: some failed, some thrived, and many people started working from home or launching small businesses. I’m grateful to run a business I enjoy and look forward to growing it further.
For privacy reasons I no longer publish exact income numbers, but revenue was solid in 2020. To give context, here are past income milestones from my blogging years:
- 2013: $116,519 — the year I quit my job to blog full-time.
- 2014: $163,929 — my first full year self-employed.
- 2015: $320,888 — the year I stopped freelance work and focused on the blog.
- 2016: $979,321 — the year I launched my first product, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing.
- 2017: $1,536,732.
- 2018: over $1.5 million (I stopped disclosing exact figures after 2018).
It’s wild to realize I’ve been blogging for over nine years. What began as a casual, even anonymous hobby turned into a meaningful business.
If you want to start a blog, I offer a free How To Start a Blog course.
Although I had more free time during lockdowns, I didn’t accomplish as much as I expected. My focus wavered, and I spent a lot of time unproductively, which I’ve learned was a common experience for many in 2020. I did fewer interviews, launched no new projects, and spent minimal time on social media.
Around 2019 I started intentionally slowing my pace after years of 100+ hour weeks. That change helped me avoid burnout and set healthier boundaries with devices and social browsing. I want to remain mindful about how I use time online and not be constantly tethered to a laptop or phone.
Income didn’t grow from 2019 to 2020, but it remained at a healthy level thanks to work I’d done in previous years.
My main revenue streams include:
- Affiliate marketing — the largest portion of income.
- Sponsored partnerships.
- Courses — Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing and Making Sense of Sponsored Posts.
- Display advertising — I use AdThrive.
Three recommended reads from the blog:
- How I Successfully Built a $1,000,000+ Blog.
- How I’ve Made Over $1,000,000 From My First Course Without a Big Launch.
- 10+ Of The Best Free Blogging Resources.
Thank you to everyone reading and supporting this journey.
Affiliate marketing results in 2020
Affiliate income remained strong and largely passive. I plan to improve SEO to rank more posts and expand affiliate revenue and audience reach.
Specific steps I’m taking:
- Plan affiliate offers for 2021 to stay organized and proactive.
- Learn and apply SEO strategies to increase search visibility and traffic.
- Build high-quality funnels that continue to deliver value even when I’m offline.
- Grow overall traffic to reach new readers.
- Analyze popular posts to identify improvement opportunities.
- Explore new affiliate products aligned with reader interests.
If you’re interested in affiliate marketing, I offer a free guide with quick tips to increase affiliate income.
Sponsored partnership results in 2020
Sponsored partnerships started strong early in 2020 but slowed after March as brands paused to assess the situation. Activity rebounded in summer, and by late 2020 I had more partnership offers than I could accept. I expect sponsored work to be strong in 2021, especially in the first months when advertisers are most active.
I also offer a free guide with tips on making money from sponsored posts.
Goals for 2021
I want 2021 to be a year of growth for both myself and Making Sense of Cents. After scaling back in 2019 and much of 2020, I’m ready to refocus.
My goals for 2021:
- Grow Making Sense of Cents. Increase readers and revenue through focused efforts (see items 2 and 3).
- Gain more media features. I’m studying publicity tactics and will share more soon. I also offer a free publicity calendar packed with story ideas and media hooks.
- See SEO-driven growth. After taking an SEO course, I’m applying techniques in hopes of meaningful organic traffic gains.
- Stay at least three months ahead on content. I’m currently about three months ahead and want to maintain that buffer.
- Be more present. My ongoing personal goal is to be more present in daily life.
- Read five books. I’d like to return to reading for pleasure, not just work-related material.
- Learn a new language. I’m refreshing French through Duolingo; I don’t expect fluency but want to improve basic conversation skills for travel.
- Learn to scuba dive. We’re considering adding scuba gear to the boat so I need to get certified and comfortable diving.
I enjoyed compiling this 2020 year-in-review because it helps me reflect on the past year and look ahead. I’ll revisit these notes at the end of the next year to see how things changed.
How was 2020 for you? What questions do you have? Share in the comments below.