In 2015, at age 26, I was laid off from my six-figure job as a copywriter. It felt like a major setback at the time. But looking back, it was the motivation I needed to become my own boss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Immediately after my layoff, I was asked to be a bridesmaid for two weddings.\u00a0<\/strong>But rather than feeling stressed, I saw an opportunity. I had been a bridesmaid almost a dozen times before, and not only did I enjoy it, I was also\u00a0good<\/em>\u00a0at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I posted a bridesmaid service ad on Craigslist \u2014 and received over 300 inquiries. Some people had close friends who couldn’t make their wedding day, others didn’t need a full-service wedding planner, but wanted some help planning logistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s how Bridesmaid for Hire<\/a> was born in 2015. After serving more than 125 weddings, I’ve been able to use my brand to create three passive income streams that generate more than $5,100 a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s a closer look at each of the income streams:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Passive income earnings: <\/strong>$3,000 a month<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have been\u00a0blogging<\/a>\u00a0about wedding planning since 2011. I love sharing behind-the-scenes looks at my life and business with my 100,000 social media followers and 40,000\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0subscribers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last year, after talking to some influencer friends, I started a new income stream making money as a brand affiliate through platforms like Amazon Affiliate Program<\/a> and RewardStyle<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How it works is that I share products \u2014 jewelry, dresses, shoes, purses, makeup and beauty products \u2014 that I would wear to a wedding on social media, my website and weekly newsletters. Each time someone clicks on the link and makes a purchase, I earn a percentage of the sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I spend about 20 minutes each week searching for products and creating content around them. I keep a running list of items I actually use and enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Passive income earnings:<\/strong> $2,000 a month<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2017, I created my first course to teach people how to start a wedding business. During the pandemic, I released other courses on personal branding, public speaking and how to get unstuck in your career. Now I offer a total of five online courses<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When developing a new course, I think about the areas that I am an expert in, and I ask my audience what they are most interested in. I typically do this by sending them surveys and polls, either on social media or through my newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Putting together the framework of the course can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on how in-depth I go. I use iMovie or CapCut on my phone to film and edit the course videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also use an email marketing platform called\u00a0FloDesk<\/a>\u00a0that costs $228 a year, and a hosting platform called\u00a0Thinkific<\/a>\u00a0that costs $948 a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monthly passive income earnings:<\/strong> $100 a month<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have written three books<\/a>. My first, “All My Friends Are Engaged,” is about what inspired my business. “Always a Bridesmaid for Hire” is about my experience growing my company, and “Finally the Bride,” is about what I learned from planning my own wedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “All My Friends Are Engaged,” was released through an online publisher. I worked with a traditional publishing company in 2018 for “Always a Bridesmaid for Hire,” which paid me a flat fee to write it, and I don’t earn royalties from any sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With “Finally the Bride,” I wanted to take more ownership of the process. I released a new chapter every month (a traditional publisher wouldn’t have been able to support that), and I get to keep 100% of the profits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I use a free platform like Reedsy<\/a> to format the book, and Canva<\/a> to design the cover. I set the price below $10 to make sure it’s affordable and accessible to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As my business continues to grow, I’m always searching for new and innovative ways to make more passive income. That way, I can minimize how many hours a week I work and maximize how much money I bring in every month.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In 2015, at age 26, I was laid off from my six-figure job as a copywriter. 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Sharing products I love<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. Creating online courses<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Writing eBooks<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n