Michelle’s quick note: Hello! I have a great article by Suzi Whitford. She is a blogger who grew her income from $0 to $17,000 per month. Today she explains exactly how she achieved that in just one year.
I used to get dressed up, put on makeup, and go to a quiet office surrounded by adults. It was nice for a while. My college sweetheart and I married right after graduation and both worked as Industrial Engineers for large companies. But I always knew I wanted to stay home once we started having kids.
After a few years in the corporate world, I became pregnant. After our first daughter was born, I began life as a stay-at-home mom. I loved it. The first year was wonderful. Then, when our first child was only 11 months old, we found out we were expecting again. Our family—and our financial needs—were growing fast.
Deep down I missed adult interaction and wanted to contribute financially again. Motherhood was fulfilling, but with two small children we would need to tighten our budget unless I found a way to earn from home. My confidence had also taken a hit after long days of diaper changes, household chores, and growing another baby. I needed an outlet.
I started a journey that I had no idea would lead to making more than $17,000 per month.
Related content: The Best Blogging Courses & Resources That Helped Me Make $5,000,000
My Attempts to Earn from Home
I explored many ways to make money from home: Fulfilled by Amazon, direct sales, selling handmade crafts, and photography. Each option proved too time-consuming or too rigid for my situation. I needed something flexible that I could do during naps or after the kids went to bed.
Amazon FBA required too much inventory at home; direct sales relied on hosting parties—something I was awful at—and crafts and photography were areas where I was only mediocre. While some of these side hustles can be lucrative if managed correctly, they didn’t meet my constraints.
I also wanted to avoid businesses that required thousands of dollars to start. Then I found Pinterest posts about making money with a blog—and it caught my attention.
I’m quite technical; I can build websites quickly (I used to code in college) and I enjoy tinkering on a computer. Blogging seemed perfect: flexible, low startup cost, and something I could grow from home around an unpredictable schedule.
Related content: The Ultimate Guide To Making Money Blogging – How I Earn Over $50,000 A Month Online
How I Chose My Blogging Niche
I started a family lifestyle blog in 2015 that was very personal—mostly a diary of life with my little one. I made a few hundred dollars through affiliate marketing, but nothing steady. I realized that if my blog were to become a business, it needed to help others. It couldn’t just be a personal journal; it had to offer practical guidance and inspiration.
I went back to the drawing board and decided to leverage my Industrial Engineering background. In manufacturing I wrote standard operating procedures—why not write step-by-step guides for the online world?
I’m not a naturally brilliant writer, but I do know how to create clear instructions. I’m dry and not very funny. I even tried guest posting on a large site and was turned down, which was humbling.
Two weeks before my second daughter was born, I launched my current blog focused on helping moms in my situation reclaim their voice and contribute while staying home. For six months I worked late into the night and got up early to write and learn. If others had built successful blogs, I believed I could too.
Related: How To Start a WordPress Blog – Full Tutorial
What I Focused On Before Monetizing
For six months I made almost no money. Instead, I prioritized growing my email list, publishing high-quality content, and listening to readers to understand their struggles so I could build products they needed.
- I created multiple freebies to grow my email list. Many failed, but a few succeeded and helped me reach over 2,000 subscribers.
- I guest posted on other sites to increase traffic, invested in Tailwind to grow Pinterest, and studied SEO, social media, and site design relentlessly.
- I wrote pillar posts and networked on social media late into the night. Growing a blog from scratch is hard work, but I was committed.
We had three options: my husband could continue his long hours until retirement, I could return to corporate work, or I could make the blog succeed. I chose to dedicate myself to the blog.
My First Month Earning Over $1,000
After months of audience-building and research I took a month off to write an ebook. My launch had mistakes, but in the first month I made over $1,000 from ebook and affiliate sales. That first four-figure month proved my work could scale.
I was thrilled—my efforts were finally producing results. Though the hourly return was still small, I loved helping readers and had launched my first successful product.
Focusing on the 20% That Produces 80% of Results
In the months that followed I continued growing my list, creating content, and promoting my products. Income rose from $1,000 to over $4,000. I invested in courses that increased my affiliate revenue and taught me smarter strategies.
Readers loved my ebook but wanted more hands-on help, so in August I launched the Blog by Number course on Teachable. The course expanded on the ebook with step-by-step videos and added guidance that saved people months of trial and error.
Find the small percentage of actions that drive most of your results, then double down on them.
If Google+ isn’t working but SEO drives traffic, focus on search. If Pinterest delivers most readers, prioritize that channel over others. The initial months are experimentation—once you identify your 20%, growth accelerates.
How to Decide Which Product to Create
Here is a simple framework for creating an online product:
- Create blog posts or freebies and test them. Some will flop—expect that.
- If a freebie performs well and grows your list, follow it with a small product like an ebook or printable.
- If the small product sells, you’ve validated demand.
- Then expand into a course, masterclass, or membership to scale revenue.
Using a Lean/Kaizen mindset, experiment with smaller offerings before committing months to a large course that might not sell. Start small, test quickly, and iterate.
Making Over $9,000 in One Month
Joining small mastermind groups introduced me to other bloggers. I partnered with another mom blogger to create an ebook about Amazon affiliate strategies; together we combined audience and expertise. The ebook grossed over $5,500 and contributed to a month where combined launches and promotions produced over $9,000.
Collaborations and networking can be powerful growth drivers for product launches.
Tips for Running a Successful Sale
Short promotions can drive significant bumps in revenue. Best practices I learned:
- Set an end date so people feel urgency.
- Prepare your audience in advance instead of surprising them last minute.
- Clearly communicate product value to improve conversions.
Good times to run sales include holidays, blog milestones, back-to-school, summer promotions, monthly specials, or bundling with other products.
How I Reached $17,000 in One Month
December matched November at roughly $9,000, and I assumed that was my plateau. At the end of December I launched a high-performing opt-in freebie—the 12 Month Blog Plan—which added several thousand subscribers. With a larger list and a well-timed promotion in January celebrating my blog’s one-year anniversary, prepared readers converted at higher rates.
On January 18th I ran a carefully promoted sale for Blog by Number. Because my audience already understood the course’s value, conversions were strong. January’s income surpassed $17,000—far beyond anything I imagined for a one-year-old blog. My monthly revenue has continued to grow since.
Celebrate Small Wins
Hard work, consistent experimentation, and perseverance can lead to remarkable results—even while raising young children. I struggled to find time and nearly quit several times, but celebrating small victories kept me motivated. I’m grateful for every sale and every new student, and I quietly root for their success.
Blogging helped us pay off debt and build a better future for our children. I’m now pregnant with our third child and excited (and nervous) to manage blogging with three little ones under four. If I can do it, you can too.
Author bio: Suzi Whitford is a former Industrial Engineer turned stay-at-home mom who helps other moms start successful blogs by sharing time management tips and practical blogging advice.
Are you interested in starting a blog?