How I Tripled My Income During the Pandemic
Opportunity is out there if you’re willing to take it
I always wanted to reach a certain income mark before I turn 25 — but there was no way to get there. It would take me many years to work up the corporate ladder and achieve that result. And even if I change my job and get a pay hike, it simply won’t meet my income goal before the next few years.
But in September 2020, I took steps to change this.
In just four months, I tripled my income. One stream even pays me even more than my corporate paycheque.
My intention of writing this isn’t to tell you that there’s a make-money-quick scheme, but that there exist opportunities you can tap into. You can change your life around in a few months if you really want.
Here’s how I did it, and I’d love for you to steal this.
1. Corporate job
Most people on the internet criticising corporate jobs have never done one. Having experienced working in both a start-up and a multinational, I pay strong emphasis that they can help you personally and professionally.
I know that on some days you’re going to work donkey hours and still get that same paycheque. Your appraisal may suck, and the job market requires tough skin.
But it’s not always about toxic culture and bad bosses; it’s about thriving culture and empowering leaders. It’s given me a platform to grow immensely, while enhancing my problem-solving skills and creativity.
There’s also plenty of vacation and healthcare benefits. Pursuing passions also don’t come at an additional cost when doing a corporate job. You don’t have to worry about your fixed bills when you have the safety net of a fixed income.
When I work on my side hustle after a tiring day — it feels blissful. My side hustle comes under leisure instead of jumping from one job to another.
Proportion of my monthly income earned: 30%
Weekly Effort: 40–50 hours
My advice to you
Don’t form a negative mindset of the corporate sector without first trying it.
Apply for a job which matches your skill-set. Find a company which has a culture that most resonates with you. We live in an exciting time when one can work from large corporations to places you can enter wearing t-shirts and shorts — make the most of it!
Also, stay for a while. Don’t judge too quick if you’re making an impact or if a job is exciting. Your first one year in an organisation is all about learning to get the hang of things. All good things take a little time.
2. Writing online
I started blogging in May 2015 when I dropped 50 lbs and wanted to tell the world how to lose weight without losing their soul.
After that, I wrote about my solo travels and fitness on Instagram and built an audience of 11,000 followers. Similarly, writing for the same topics on Quora built my audience to a whopping 58,000 followers when I wrote less than 300 answers in 5 years.
In September 2020, I wrote on Medium. In my first month, I earned $8. Today, it's a 3-digit income by pumping out an average of 8 articles a month. I aim to be more consistent and take this upwards, but my priority is to improve my skill.
I don’t stress about followers or number of articles or money; I write to develop my craft of writing. Writing online has empowered me drastically to see a future in this side-hustle.
Sometimes you feel that your passion isn’t good enough for the world to see, but when it gets applauded, it feels like a ray of sunlight on a gloomy day. It makes battling your negative inner voice, dealing with rejections, and getting out in the world worth it.
While writing is fun and enriching and can one day result in passive income, it needs a lot of time to reach that stage. You’re improving every time you write, and you have to write a lot to be an excellent writer. You need to be consistent even when you don’t want to be and when you’re not earning a penny.
This income stream is the slowest path to success, but also the most fulfilling one.
Proportion of my monthly income earned: 3%
Weekly Effort: 5 to 10 hours
My advice to you
Writing online for the sole purpose of money can make you do silly things like focus only on trending topics or trying to win the algorithm, which will suck in a lot of your time and drain your energy in return. You will also hamper your creative muscle in this process.
Write online for the joy of writing, for discovering other talented writers, reading enriching pieces, and being a little selfish — by carving a path towards your own writing journey.
Of course, your second source need not be just writing but can be any skill you’re good at/want to be good at. Just get out there and do it. There isn’t a better time than right now.
3. Writing for others — Ghostwriting
This is the most lucrative income stream I currently have.
Ghostwriting is writing for somebody else and not taking any credit for it. You’re the writer, but it’s their name in the byline.
People are busy… aren’t we all? Some really want to write a blog or publish a book, but just don’t know how to write. For the art of penning down their knowledge, they are ready to pay you heavily for it.
That being said, there are many types of clients in the market. I’ve been approached to write 50 pages for $50 and even for $500.
Currently, I’m paid 3 times my salary every month by putting in 1/4th the work.
While the general advice is to settle for low until you get better, with my corporate job I just don’t have the time to settle for low. This is a choice I’ve made. If you don’t have a demanding job, you can charge low in the beginning and eventually climb up.
My favourite part about ghostwriting is that it’s super lucrative. And my second favourite bit is that I get mentored by top professionals who are doing exceedingly well in their career. I get to learn from their expertise, journey, and get advice for my own.
That being said, ghostwriting involves a lot of ghosting by clients too!
Be ready to follow up each day for weeks if not months for your contract to pass through. This is one place you’ll have to keep your ego aside.
Proportion of my monthly income earned 67%
Weekly Effort: 5 to 10 hours
My advice to you
Don’t chase too many clients for the heck of money. One client who you have a great relationship with can be more rewarding (emotionally and monetarily) than having multiple clients.
As a writer, the quality of what you deliver must always be a priority as opposed to the quantity of clients under your belt.
You can find clients on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr or reach out via Linkedin.
Here’s how you can start
“The real joy in life comes from finding your true purpose and aligning it with what you do every single day.” — Tony Robbins
6 months ago, I would’ve never imagined the opportunities that exist in the current market. The pandemic has moved the world online. I personally feel that right now is the best time to be anybody you want to be.
You can turn around your finances, and your work life, starting now.
Here is what I recommend to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be:
- Decide: Do you want extra income as a side hustle or want various sources as your principal work?
- Explore: What skills do they require in the market and what can you offer? Learn about people who are currently experts in what you aspire to do.
- Apply: Apply your skills on platforms, apply for jobs, always be on the look for opportunities.
- Execute: If your skill is filmmaking, always keep a collection of samples. This will only happen if you’re constantly filmmaking. Your clients want to see your work, and you will always have to be better than your last piece. This will only happen if you’re constantly creating.
Best of luck.
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