From Imminent Demonetization to The Top 6% — An Uplifting Story
My lost and found passion you can learn from…
My heart sank to the floor and right down through it.
All I did was open one stupid email.
One.
The contents were repulsive. Frightening, too might I add.
It was from The Medium Partner Program. The big guys. Corporate.
Whatever you want to call them, I’m sure you’ve felt the rush of adrenaline at first sight of their name; stamped across the email notification.
Usually, I’m ecstatic to find out that I’ve been curated or recommended. An email from the head honchos used to be a good thing.
But since they’ve gone and toyed with my emotions, I never know what to think when I see them in my inbox…
The email heard around the world
(More like my personal one).
I won’t keep you waiting, here’s a screenshot of the email. You don’t need to read it, I’ll make sure to fill you in:
“Hi there,
We’re writing today to notify you that the Medium account associated with this email address is at risk of being removed from the Partner Program.”
So friendly, isn’t it? They should’ve said,
“Yo dude. You suck at writing and we’re kicking you out of the money-making club.”
All humor aside, the reality is, that I was completely at risk of losing my monetization status.
It was scary. I had no clue this was coming!
To sum up my story in a sentence or two, I joined the Medium Partner Program in May of 2021.
I wrote one article.
When I came back with a fierce determination at the literal start of 2022, I went try-hard and began churning out content…
…to less than 50 followers.
Yeah, if you read the email, they wanted to kick me out for not being “popular” enough.
I feel like I’m back in high school or something.
100 followers
Medium’s requirement of 100 followers to remain in the partner program isn’t the most intense stipulation in the world.
It is when they email you two weeks before the deadline and you have less than 50 though, let me tell you.
How on Earth am I supposed to double my followers in two measly weeks?
I immediately resorted to deeming it impossible. Soon after, I decided to do something about it. What is that you may ask?
See for yourself…or don’t.
I wrote an article about it! I mean c’mon, what else was there to do?
Next thing ya know, people started flooding in by the masses just to read my article and keep me monetized.
Okay, not flooding, but people helped!
Thank you to anyone who supported and followed me during my time of need. Y’all rock!
Demonetization? More like Top 6%
Days before the deadline had passed, I exceeded the 100 follower mark.
That month alone (March), I went on the earn $204.71
I’ve read from many other creators on this platform that only 6.2% of writers earn more than $100 in any given month. I’ve also heard 8%, but 6 sounds better to me.
Take it with a grain of salt if you will, who really knows.
Nonetheless, this should show you that anyone can accomplish whatever they set out to do.
Had I not immediately turned around to publish that article — after being digitally slapped across the face by a corporate entity — I may have never entered the domain of the top earners.
If you can call it that…
Making money online doesn’t have to be hard. For me, it was honestly unexpected. If you want to try it for yourself, grab my first freebie.
Final thoughts
It may seem as if this is an empty story of just another wannabe writing guru, but I encourage you to look deeper.
Aside from my story, there are extractions to be made that will go on to benefit your journey. Even if you aren’t a creator.
The theme that echos through the aforementioned tale: Persistence.
Through thick and thin, it is important to slash through the vines. I fear this may be confused with consistency. Although that is a facet of persistence, it remains more important to never give up.
You can be defeated and be consistent. Persistence, in my opinion, withholds a winning attitude and a strong frame of mind.
Takeaway
Where ever you find yourself, no matter what anyone says, keep going.
Here’s how:
- Block out the noise
- Keep doing what you do, pivot if needed
- Never say never
Good luck!
P.S.: You should probably get my posts in your inbox. Do that here! Medium provides a killer opportunity to earn $$ for what you know. If you’d like to try it for yourself, sign up for a membership! It supports all of the writers and it’s only $5 per month. Plus, you get the chance to profit like I did when I made over $300 in less than 3 months! By using this link, you’ll be supporting me at no additional cost. If you do that, let’s be homies!
