I went snowboarding just under 100 days last year – and I work full time
Well, Sort of- I make a full time income anyways (and then some).
So the question is, how did I do it?
I’m in my 30s. I live near several world class resorts.
and I don’t work at the resort- or anywhere in the resort town.
Because the truth is – there’s not a lot of money working on resort or working at a resort town.
On top of that, to be frank, I’m not exactly in the age category where bunking with 20 year olds makes a whole lot of sense anymore.
Plus I have two dogs, and a husband, so we need our own house and a yard.
You don’t actually need a degree to do any of these jobs either. In fact all you really need is a lap top and a little bit of perseverance.
Sound too good to be true? Well – the truth be told it’s not always all roses and daisy’s doing what I do you have to have a little bit of grit and self motivation.
I do several things to make an income – some things pay higher than others and some take a little more stress than others.
Some are a bit more instant cash payouts and some are slow and steady.
Here’s the kicker – none of these are actually jobs. They all require being your own boss. Which sounds terrifying – but the truth is. Once you learn how to make money 100% for yourself once, the rest comes pretty easy.
Marketing Agency
My primary business is a marketing agency. I’ve done this the longest and it’s what I’ve got really good at. Essentially my role in this is helping small businesses get leads for their companies using social media. This is done by running online ads on Facebook, Google, YouTube, and Instagram, etc. with attractive ad hooks, lead magnets and other tools to entice prospective customers to interact with their business.
How I Got Started: I got my start by learning the basics of digital marketing through online courses and free resources available on platforms like HubSpot Academy and Google Digital Garage. I practiced by offering my services to local businesses at discounted rates or even for free, in exchange for testimonials and case studies. Over time, as I developed a portfolio, I was able to increase my rates and scale my business.
Why It Works: Running a marketing agency allows for flexibility—you can work from anywhere, as long as you have a laptop and an internet connection. Plus, there’s a huge demand for businesses that need help generating leads for their business. Once you learn the skills and prove your worth, you can charge premium prices for your services.
How to Learn: If you’re interested in starting a marketing agency, begin with courses from reputable sources like Google, HubSpot, and Coursera. Additionally, joining online communities of digital marketers on platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn, or Facebook groups can provide valuable insights and networking opportunities. Personally, I hired mentors so that I could have people walk me through campaigns and provide support when something wasn’t going as planned.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is another income stream that allows me to snowboard nearly every day in the winter time. It’s a business model where you earn a commission by promoting other business’ products. So you don’t have to create your own product- or even manage that customers. There’s a few ways you can do this- one is by sharing sharing affiliate links on your blog, social media, or through email marketing. The other is by finding businesses that are selling a product and asking them if you can get a commission if you sell one of their products – or even just generate them as a lead. The first one is a bit easier and payments are automatic because when someone makes a purchase through your link, you earn a percentage of the sale. The second option is a bit more complicated as you do need systems in place to ensure you’re getting paid for your work.
How I Got Started: I started with affiliate marketing by joining affiliate programs that aligned with my interests, particularly in the outdoor and adventure sports niches. I created content around products I genuinely used and loved, providing honest reviews and guides on my blog and social media channels. Over time, as I built trust with my audience, my affiliate income grew.
Why It Works: Affiliate marketing is appealing because it’s a low-barrier entry business. You don’t need to create your own products or handle customer service. It also scales well—once your content is out there, it can generate income passively for years.
How to Learn: To get started with affiliate marketing, research affiliate programs in your niche on platforms like ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, and Amazon Associates. There are plenty of free and paid resources available and courses on Udemy, which can guide you through setting up your affiliate marketing business.
Creative Services (Ad Copy, Video, and Scripts)
Another income stream I rely on is providing creative services to businesses. I help with ad copy, video and video scripts. A lot of people aren’t creative – and they need the help of creatives to create offers and language that is going to entice buyers.
How I Got Started:
When I first started my marketing agency I had to get really good at writing copy and making scripts. It’s the driving force behind having winning ads that sell things. I read a book called StoryBrand by Donald Miller and this taught me everything I needed to know about writing copy. Eventually I needed to start creating video sales letters and webinars so I picked up One To Many by Jason Fladlien and began selling video scripts and sales letters for businesses.
Why It Works: Creative is the most important part of a winning ad campaign. If business owners aren’t creative – they can’t sell things using the internet. If businesses aren’t using the internet to sell- they are kinda’ SOL.
How to Learn: To build your skills in creative services, consider taking online courses on platforms like Skillshare or MasterClass, which offer classes taught by industry professionals. Practicing your skills by creating content for your own projects or offering free or low cost trial work for local businesses can also help you build a portfolio and gain practical experience.
Conversational AI Bots
Finally, I also work with conversational AI bots, which are becoming increasingly popular as businesses look to automate their customer service, administrative tasks and sales processes. These bots can handle everything from answering customer inquiries to guiding users through sales funnels, saving businesses time and resources. This is probably one of my easiest sells i’ve ever done.
How I Got Started: I actually got hooked up with a company who white labels AI bots call Admin Hero. These guys basically do all of the work for me- and I just have to reach out to businesses asking if they have leads or admin tasks they need handled. Almost any successful business says yes.
Why It Works: Conversational AI bots are a simple yet highly needed service that many businesses are eager to adopt, especially in the e-commerce and service industries.
How to Learn: To get started with conversational AI, you can explore tutorials and courses on platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and even YouTube. You can also check out Admin Hero’s website as they have a pretty good explainer video on their landing page. The funny thing – I made that video. Told ya I do creative services 😉
If ya wanna’ learn more, don’t hesitate to join my online community where I can answer questions on demand.