2021 Business Review | How Much I Made The Year I Had A Baby

TL;DR

Justine’s business relied most heavily on freelancing, while YouTube remained a solid earner and sponsorships emerged as a promising new revenue stream. Maternity leave reduced active work and slowed affiliate marketing, freelancing, and digital-product income, but revenue began recovering as she secured childcare, resumed work, and published more consistently. Read on for a breakdown of each income stream and the strategies that supported her return.

Transcript

for the past couple of years every single month i have been documenting exactly how much revenue i have made running my own business online full time and so i thought it might be nice to do a whole year review of how much income and expenses i have brought in running my business and this one is going to be pretty special because 2021 not only are y... Read More

Key Insights

• 💦 Analyzing revenue streams: Justine assesses income sources like affiliate marketing, freelance work, digital products, YouTube, and sponsorships.
• 🍃 Impact of maternity leave: The fluctuation in income during maternity leave showcases the challenges of balancing work and motherhood.
• 👶 Embracing new opportunities: Justine explores new ventures like sponsorships to diversify income streams and enhance business growth.
• 😫 Setting up passive income: Justine highlights the significance of passive income streams for financial stability and long-term success.
• ❓ Content strategy for growth: Justine's focus on content creation and frequency contributes to increased revenue from platforms like YouTube.
• 👨‍💼 Balancing work and personal life: Justine shares insights on managing postpartum anxiety, juggling business responsibilities, and prioritizing self-care.
• 🪡 Learning from challenges: Justine's experience with income fluctuations during personal transitions underscores the resilience needed in entrepreneurship.

Questions & Answers

Q: How much did Justine make during the year she had her first baby?

The excerpt does not provide a total annual income figure. It explains the relative performance of her revenue streams, identifying freelancing as a top earner, YouTube as a solid money maker, and sponsorships as a growing source of income.

Q: What were Justine’s main business revenue streams?

Her revenue streams included affiliate marketing, freelance work, digital products, YouTube advertising, and sponsorships. Freelancing had long been a major earner, while sponsorships became a promising new addition.

Q: How did having a baby affect Justine’s business income?

Maternity leave reduced the time she could spend actively promoting affiliate links, completing freelance work, and developing digital products. These streams slowed before beginning to recover as she obtained childcare, felt more like herself, and returned to work.

Q: Why did Justine’s freelance income fall during maternity leave?

Freelancing required her active participation, so she stopped taking freelance work around the birth of her daughter. She later added projects back gradually as she returned to work.

Q: Why did affiliate marketing continue earning money while Justine worked less?

Affiliate marketing functioned as a passive income stream because her links remained in YouTube descriptions, Instagram posts, and her blog. She could still receive a small commission when someone used a link and converted, although earnings declined when she promoted the links less actively.

Q: Why was YouTube a strong revenue source for Justine?

Justine attributed stronger YouTube performance to having more subscribers, producing more content, and focusing on content strategy. Batch filming, greater publishing frequency, and a more consistent schedule helped make YouTube a solid money maker.

Q: How did Justine’s digital-product income change during maternity leave?

Digital products generated her least revenue and had not been a major business focus. That income slowed substantially during maternity leave, then increased later as childcare support helped her return to work.

Q: What role did sponsorships play in Justine’s business?

Sponsorships were a new revenue stream that gained momentum after FinCon and produced a notable spike later in the year. Justine expected them to become increasingly important while she learned which brands and offers felt appropriate for her audience.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Justine, a self-employed business owner, reviews her 2021 income and expenses after having her first baby.

• She analyzes different revenue streams like affiliate marketing, freelance work, digital products, YouTube, and sponsorships.

• Despite challenges like maternity leave and postpartum anxiety, Justine highlights the importance of multiple income streams and new business endeavors.