When people find out I’m a YouTuber, the first question they almost always ask is, “How much do you make from YouTube ads?” There’s this huge assumption that for creators, all of our income must come from those ads that play before and during our videos.
But what if I told you that YouTube ads are actually one of my smallest income streams?
That’s the honest truth. The money that actually supports this channel and my ability to keep creating for you—the vast majority of it—comes from other places. Places I’ve built deliberately, like assembling a ship piece by piece, over several years.
For so long, the main goal for every creator was to grind until you hit the requirements for the YouTube Partner Program, get monetized, and start earning that ad money. And let’s be clear, AdSense is a fantastic milestone. But building your entire business on it is like building a house on a foundation of sand. Ad rates are unpredictable, views go up and down, and your entire livelihood is at the mercy of an algorithm you have zero control over. It’s like trying to sail a ship using only a weather vane for a rudder—your direction changes with every unpredictable gust of wind.
I realized early on that to build a lasting career here, I couldn’t just be a YouTuber; I had to become a business owner. And that meant one thing above all else: diversification. And the craziest part? I run this entire business by myself. I have no employees or major costs outside of the software I use and the products I review. Now, I have recently started a new travel channel, and obviously, the travel has expenses, but that story is for another day. The business I’m breaking down today is a lean, one-person operation.
So today, I’m going in order, from the biggest slice of my income pie all the way down to the smallest. I’m going to be radically transparent, sharing the strategy and the story behind each one.
Income Stream #1 – Affiliate Marketing
Kicking things off with the single biggest source of my revenue: affiliate marketing. On its own, this is a six-figure income stream per year, and it’s one of my favorite business models because it’s semi-passive and a perfect win-win.
The concept is simple: I recommend a product I use, you purchase it through my unique link, and I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. When I first started, I was like a store clerk just pointing at a shelf of products—I threw a bunch of Amazon links in the description and hoped for the best. My first few months, I think I made less than $50.
The game completely changed when I shifted my strategy to become a guide. Instead of just pointing to products, I created a full tutorial on “How to Build a WordPress Website for Real Estate Agents.” In it, I showed my entire workflow, step-by-step. Naturally, the hosting service and the widget were the heroes of that story.
That one video did well because it was niche-focused and it solved a huge problem. Over a few years, the monthly recurring commissions from the software, which all started from a YouTube video, have grown to over $9,000. It works because it’s like planting a fruit tree; you do the hard work of planting it once, and then with a bit of maintenance, it produces fruit for years to come.
My advice here is to focus on value first. Pick a handful of tools that are indispensable to you. Then, create your best content teaching people how to build something with those tools. That’s how you turn affiliate marketing into a serious, consistent income stream.
Income Stream #2 – Coaching
Coming in at number two is my coaching program, another six-figure income stream. Now, this is a model I’ve refined over several years. I used to build stand-alone courses, but a static course is like a printed map—useful when it’s made, but it quickly becomes outdated in a world that’s always changing.
My coaching program is like a live GPS. It allows me to go live with group members a couple of times per month, and I can be very up to date on what is happening today. I get excited to share what’s working right now. It’s fresh, current, and provides a transformation that’s just not possible from watching free videos alone.
It’s the difference between watching workout videos and having a personal trainer. It’s not just about giving advice; it’s about providing a roadmap, accountability, and a supportive environment. Then I pack the program with fresh resources—tutorials, guides, and strategies—as I create them. The private Facebook group also allows me to answer questions and provide quick solutions. It’s the most direct and often most fulfilling way to serve my most dedicated audience members.
Income Stream #3 – My Own Digital Products
Coming in at number three is one of the most powerful and scalable income streams: selling my own digital products, primarily through ebooks.
I was terrified to make my own product for years. I had this vision of a massive, 20-hour video course, and the pressure was too much. The breakthrough came when I decided to start small. I identified the single most common question I got in my comments and created a simple, 20-page ebook that solved that one specific problem.
I set up a store on Fourthwall and priced my first ebook at $19.95. I’ll never forget waking up to see that people had bought it. It was proof that my audience trusted my expertise.
That small win gave me the confidence to create more. Now I have a small library of ebooks, each tackling a specific pain point. Because they’re digital, the profit margins are incredibly high, and they sell 24/7 through my Fourthwall store. It’s like having a silent, digital sales team that works for you around the clock, even while you sleep.
If you want to do this, listen to your audience. What questions do they ask over and over? Create a high-value checklist or a short ebook that solves that one problem. Start small, get a win, and build from there.
Income Stream #4 – YouTube Shopping
Income stream number four is a newer but incredibly powerful one: YouTube Shopping. This makes up a smaller portion of my revenue, but it’s growing fast.
This is different from dropping affiliate links in the description. With YouTube Shopping, it’s like having a personal shopper built right into the video. When I’m showing my YouTube setup, a shopping icon can pop up, and you can see a list of the exact camera and microphone I’m using right there on the screen, without ever leaving the video.
This is a game-changer because it answers the question, “What gear is that?” in the most seamless way possible. Instead of having to go hunt for a product later, viewers see something they like, and with one or two clicks, they can purchase it. It’s totally frictionless.
I use this primarily for my studio setup. I did a studio tour video where I tagged every single piece of equipment. That video has become an evergreen source of income. My advice is, as soon as you’re eligible, connect a store and start tagging relevant products. You don’t need to do a hard sell. Simply make the products available for those who are curious.
Income Stream #5 – YouTube Ad Revenue
Last but not least, we have the income stream everyone thinks is number one: YouTube Ad Revenue from AdSense. For me, this is one of the smallest portions of my total income.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m incredibly grateful for it. Getting monetized is a rite of passage. It’s that first moment where you feel like, “Wow, I can actually get paid for making videos.”
However, it is by far the most volatile income source. Your ad revenue depends on your CPM, which is how much advertisers pay per thousand views. This number can swing wildly. It’s like the price of fish at the market—it changes daily based on demand, the season, and what advertisers want. You can have the same number of views one month and the next, but get paid a completely different amount.
That volatility is precisely why it’s at the bottom of my list. I see AdSense as the foundation. It’s the first floor of the house you’re building. It’s a wonderful bonus, but it is a terrible roof. Relying on it entirely is a recipe for anxiety. My advice is to absolutely work towards monetization. But the day you get in, you should immediately start thinking about building your second income stream.
So, there you have it. The five pillars of my business, in order from biggest to smallest: affiliate marketing, my coaching program, my own digital ebooks, YouTube Shopping, and finally, YouTube Ad Revenue.
The traditional ads are just one piece of a much larger, more stable puzzle. The real, sustainable business is built on a multi-pronged approach that provides value to your audience in many different ways.
And if you’re serious about building a business like this and want my direct help creating your roadmap, the best place to start is my coaching program. I’ll put a link for that right at the top of the description below. And if you’re looking for a great first step, you can check out my library of ebooks on my Fourthwall store, also linked below.
Conclusion
None of this happened overnight. This was the result of years of consistent work, of learning from my mistakes, and of slowly adding one brick at a time to the ship. I started with just ads. Then I learned how to do affiliate marketing properly. Then I got the courage to launch a small ebook. Then I started tagging products. Then I built out a coaching program.
The goal should never be to just get views. The goal is to build a real, resilient business that serves an audience you care about. You’re not trying to build a small raft that only works on a calm pond; you’re building a sturdy ship that can weather any storm and support you for the long run. You don’t need millions of subscribers to do this. You just need to start.
Hey there! Just a quick heads-up: some of the links on this site are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase (including through the Amazon Associates program), at no extra cost to you. Occasionally, products featured here are gifted by brands.
I also use AI tools to help research and create content for you! While I love sharing strategies to help you succeed, please remember that everyone's journey is unique—individual results vary, and there are no guarantees. Thanks so much for stopping by!
