This is me in 1995, a 28-year-old self-made millionaire who thought he had money figured out. I’d built a thriving business empire consisting of multiple shops and warehouses. Then, almost overnight, the internet made it irrelevant. I had two choices: give up or adapt. You know me — I wasn’t about to quit. So I threw myself into learning everything about making money online and, like most people today, I fell for the hype. I tried every method out there and, guess what, none of them were as easy as people said. But through trial and error, I cracked the code and rebuilt my businesses — but this time with the internet at the core of my strategy.
Fast forward to today, and making money online isn’t just important — it’s essential. That’s exactly why I’m making this video. I spent years testing, failing and refining — losing millions, making millions and learning what actually works. Now, with this knowledge, I can help you avoid all the mistakes and fast-track your success. So, if you’re tired of false promises and ready to commit for the next 6 to 12 months to build something real, this is for you.
No gimmicks, no BS — just the process that actually works. All right, so this is the online wealth wheel, and whether you realize it or not, you’re already on it. There are three main stages that define where people are in their journey to making money online, plus a secret fourth stage that only a few ever reach — we’ll discuss that one at the end. Let’s kick things off with stage one.
This is where everyone starts: with no side hustle — and sadly, 55% of people never start at all. Inflation is making everything more expensive and, let’s be real, relying on a single paycheck is more dangerous than ever. So if having a side hustle is essential, why do 55% of people still avoid it? Because the online space is a jungle. It’s full of ads pushing “proven” methods that confuse more people than they help.
The key to starting the right way is picking a method that suits your skills, budget and lifestyle. If you already have a skill like video editing, graphic design, coding or even setting up Discord servers, people pay great money for these services — and there’s no shortage of demand. But what if you don’t have a skill to sell or simply don’t want to deal with clients? That’s where product-based businesses come in. One of the best options is selling products online without ever holding inventory yourself — but I’ll get into this in more detail later.
That brings me to running a failing side hustle. I’m classing a failing side hustle as earning less than $50 per month online. Sadly, 28% of people are trapped here. A lot of people won’t like me saying this, but it has to be said: it’s almost never your side hustle that’s flawed or doesn’t work — you’re most likely just not putting enough time and effort in. I know that’s hard to hear, but this isn’t really your fault. It’s due to something called shiny object syndrome. This happens when you constantly jump from one trendy online money-making method to another without committing fully to any of them.
One week it’s drop shipping, then print-on-demand, then selling books on Amazon KDP, then trading stocks, then starting a social media agency. The truth is: all the online money-making methods I just mentioned DO work — but each requires a different level of time and commitment. And you’ll never get anywhere by constantly switching. It’s like that classic diagram of miners digging for gold only to give up right before striking it rich. Instead of pushing through, they abandon their progress, start fresh somewhere else, and waste all their initial effort — repeating the cycle over and over again.
If you get stuck in this pattern, like the 28% of people, you need to recognize it and simply pick a method — and stick to it. Forget the idea of a perfect side hustle. Just pick one that’s easy to start and has potential to scale. If you don’t have a high-income skill to sell, I’ll make this simple for you: in all my years of experience, the thing that has made me the most money online is e-commerce. So I recommend you focus on that — but not in the way most people do.
A lot of beginners assume starting an online store means dealing with inventory, suppliers or complex setups — but that’s not the case anymore. That’s because you can now use AI-built Shopify stores. Instead of spending weeks setting everything up like I did back in the day, you can now use a free tool called Build Your Store to launch a fully automated store that would normally cost $200 to $300 to set up — but this does it for free in minutes. You just enter your name and email, pick a niche like fashion, tech or pets, and the AI chooses winning products, designs your store and makes it look professional from day one.
If you want to go through this process completely for free, just click the link in the description and it’ll walk you through everything. It syncs directly with Shopify, giving you access to a 3-month Shopify trial for only $1 per month. But what about making sales? Well, the biggest mistake people make with e-commerce is giving up too soon. This is usually because they don’t want to deal with inventory or fulfillment. That’s why the free AI store builder also shows you how to integrate a tool called AutoDS — which works like an autopilot system on a plane. It imports trending products, updates pricing and images, and even ships orders directly to your customers. This means you don’t need to touch inventory, package anything, or negotiate with suppliers. You focus on traffic and sales — the system handles the rest.
Full disclosure: AutoDS are long-term supporters of this channel. But even if they weren’t sponsoring this video, I’d still recommend them. You can easily create a buzz by making videos about your products on TikTok for free. If you get 100K views and just 1% of people buy a $10 product, that’s $10,000 in revenue. So if you’re serious about escaping the failing side hustle trap, choosing a simple, automated model like this gives you the best chance of success. No more bouncing between ideas — just commit, launch, and scale.
Stage three is running a successful side hustle. Believe it or not, only 16% of people who start making money online ever earn more than $50 per month. This group makes anywhere from $51 to $10,000 per month. Of course, the higher end is what I’d call “successful.” So what are these 16% doing differently? There are some clear patterns that separate those who struggle from those who succeed — and I’m breaking them down into four steps you can follow.
Step 1: Stop trying to appeal to everyone.
Casting a wide net does the opposite of what you think. If you appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one. Before you start promoting your store, clearly describe your ideal customer: age, interests, struggles, and what content they consume.
Step 2: Stay consistent.
Most people go all-in for a few weeks and disappear when results don’t come fast. The key is consistency over perfection. Small daily actions make the difference: posting content, replying to comments, and testing product descriptions and images.
Step 3: Show, don’t just tell.
Most marketing fails because it doesn’t make the benefits clear. If you’re selling custom gaming controllers, don’t just post gameplay clips. Show the controller, explain the added features, and compare it to a regular controller so people instantly understand why it’s better.
Step 4: Build trust with social proof.
People need proof before they spend money. Record unboxing videos, ask friends to test products, and use real photos — avoid only using stock images. People want to know exactly what they’ll receive.
Now, the secret stage — stage four: running an elite side hustle. Fewer than 1% ever reach this level. What sets them apart? One word: reinvesting.
As soon as you start making money, reinvest part of it. Most people think the goal of making money is spending it on nice things, but the real power of money is using it to make more. Early on, the best investment isn’t stocks — it’s your own business. Upgrade your tools, invest in marketing, and outsource small tasks. Even something simple like paying someone to design a logo or film content can elevate your business. If you start reinvesting early, you’ll already be ahead of 99% of people.
If you’re ambitious but lazy, I’ve left that video up there — but don’t click yet. Make sure to subscribe if you want to grow your wealth. Okay, I’ll see you over there.
And here’s something most people overlook: momentum. Once you take consistent action, even if the results feel small, momentum begins to work in your favor. At first, it feels like pushing a boulder uphill — slow, heavy, frustrating. But eventually, the boulder reaches the peak, and from that point forward the effort required drops dramatically while the results multiply. That’s when you start experiencing what people call “overnight success,” which is really just the visible moment after months of invisible work. The hardest part is staying committed long enough to reach that tipping point. But if you stay patient, stay consistent, and keep refining instead of quitting, the growth that once felt impossible suddenly becomes inevitable.
