Starting and scaling a business is rarely a straight path, and my journey has been no exception. From selling digital art in middle school to building a photography business at 17, and eventually running a multi-six-figure coaching business in just 20 hours a week, I’ve learned so much along the way. If you’ve ever wondered how to build a sustainable, profitable online business while keeping your work hours minimal, this post detailing my online business success story with YouTube is for you!

From Digital Art to Photography: My First Taste of Business

My entrepreneurial journey began early. In middle school, I started selling digital art online, my first experience with making money on my own terms. But it wasn’t until high school that I took my first big leap into business ownership.

At 17, after working at Chick-fil-A for a year and saving my money, I invested in starting my own photography business. While in college, I spent the next four to five years building my photography business from the ground up, often working 50-60 hour weeks.

Launching My YouTube Channel & My First Online Course

In 2018, while still in college, I had a vision. I wanted to reach a broader audience and teach others what I had learned about business and marketing. That’s when I launched my YouTube channel—before I even had a solid plan for what I would do with it.

A year later, after graduating in 2019, I made a bold move and invested $7,000 in a high-level mastermind. That investment was a turning point. I used what I learned to launch my first online course about photography. Within 10 days, that course generated over $5,000 in sales—completely blowing my mind and introducing me to the power of digital products.

At that point, I had been on YouTube for a couple of years but wasn’t seeing the growth I had hoped for. I gave myself an ultimatum: if I didn’t see real traction by the end of the year, I would move on. That challenge pushed me to dive deep into understanding YouTube, the algorithm, and how to leverage it for business growth.

Pivoting My Business & Expanding Beyond Photography

By August 2020, my YouTube channel finally started gaining traction, and by early 2021, I was consistently bringing in 400+ email subscribers a month and making over $1,000 per month in YouTube AdSense revenue. Despite all this growth, I still felt stuck in the photography niche.

I knew I wanted to branch out and teach more about social media marketing and online business, but making the pivot was scary. I decided to take a leap of faith and launched my first non-photography digital products—Instagram Reels templates. To my surprise, they made $5,000 in just a few months. This was proof that I could successfully transition into a new niche.

Shortly after, I created my first full course on Instagram Reels. That launch brought in over $40,000 in revenue and confirmed that online courses were the future of my business.

Scaling to Multi-Six Figures & Working Less Hours

By 2022, my coaching business was thriving. I had officially hit multi-six-figure revenue, all while getting my work hours down to around 20 per week. That year, my husband was able to quit his job, we moved to our dream location in Greenville, South Carolina, and I gave birth to my twins.

A huge factor in this success? YouTube.

YouTube became my number one lead generator. Unlike social media platforms like Instagram, where content has a short lifespan, YouTube videos remain searchable for years. This meant that my videos continued to bring in leads and sales on autopilot, even when I wasn’t actively working.

Why YouTube is a Game-Changer for Business Owners

One of the biggest reasons I’m so passionate about getting more business owners onto YouTube is because it’s an underutilized platform. Unlike Instagram, where your content disappears quickly, YouTube allows your content to work for you long after you post it.

Every video I create acts as an evergreen marketing tool, consistently bringing in new subscribers, email leads, and course sales. This is why I’ve been able to maintain and grow my business while working just 20 hours per week.

YouTube has also opened the doors to speaking opportunities, podcast interviews, and high-level coaching clients. It has truly changed the trajectory of my business.

The Key Takeaways from My Journey

1. Don’t be afraid to pivot. If I had stayed stuck in the photography niche, I wouldn’t be where I am today. It’s okay to evolve as a business owner.
2. Investing in yourself pays off. That first $7,000 mastermind felt like a huge risk at the time, but it completely transformed my business.
3. YouTube is a long-term strategy that works. Unlike other social platforms, YouTube continues working for you long after you post a video.
4. You don’t have to work 40+ hours a week to be successful. When you build a business with the right foundation, you can scale while working less.

If you’re an online business owner looking for a sustainable way to grow your audience and income, I highly recommend incorporating YouTube into your strategy.

Thank you so much for being here and supporting my journey. None of this online business success story with YouTube would be possible without you! If you’ve been thinking about starting your own YouTube channel or launching an online course, I’d love to help you make that happen.

Want to learn more about growing your business with YouTube?

Check out my free training on how to use YouTube to grow your audience and generate consistent sales—without spending hours creating content.