Walking away from my job in Corporate America was one of the hardest decisions Iβve ever made. (You can read the full story here.) While it was an adjustment I’ve come a long way since then. Here are 6 ways I’ve made money since leaving Corporate America. Let’s see how you can make money remotely!
A twenty-minute drive would put me in a pleasant office park, an inoffensive cubicle, and in an ergonomically correct chair. Iβd open some emails, then head to the cafe with a co-worker and choose from one of many healthy breakfast options. Back at my desk, Iβd take a few meetings, answer more emails, possibly argue with a director (yep, Iβd do that on occasion), and then take lunch. Iβd have a late-day snack—maybe more coffee (just for fun)—and then Iβd wrap up and head home.
Doesnβt that sound like a perfect Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesdayβ¦? Every day felt like that.
For some people, it would be a dream come true, and for a long while, it was my dream job. I loved the people–still do–and generally enjoyed my work. While I wasnβt particularly challenged, it was a secure and comfortable existence.
Iβm always a little skeptical about comfort. Last week that company laid off 150 people. There are never guarantees.
Goodbye Cubicle, Hello Open Road
While I was fortunate to work on great projects with great people, that level of βsecurityβ kept me complacent, and the paycheck kept me from exploring other possibilities.
When the opportunity to travel the country in an RV presented itself, it was time to say, βGoodbye cubicle, hello open road.β But I didnβt leave because I was overworked and underpaid (another Corporate America epidemic), I left because I was under-creative and would never earn any more money than what someone else dictated.
So I hit the road and decided that I would explore other income possibilities—something that truly scared me. The transition hasnβt been easy, but worth it. Iβm growing in ways that were never possible in a cubicle.
How To Make Money Remotely
While Iβm still figuring things out, here are 6 ways Iβve made money since leaving Corporate America. I hope these ideas help you if youβre exploring new work opportunities.
Income #1: A Random Acting Gig
I found my first βjobβ within eight weeks of becoming a full-time RVer. You can read theΒ How To Find Remote Work but hereβs a quick summary: while grounded in Oregon due to storms, I found four short-term job possibilities by searching on Craigslist. I followed up on an acting gig for both me and Bryce in an educational video about being foster parents.
Iβm not trying to influence you to become an actor. Iβm trying to show how simply searching on Craigslist can lead to job opportunities, especially if youβre willing to stay in one place for a while. Heck, you can even find remote jobs on Craigslist if you want to keep traveling.Β
Money made: We made $100 for 1-hour of work and then spent it on a fancy steak dinner (something we hadnβt done in a long time).
Pros: It was relatively easy and fun, and didnβt require a long-term commitment.
Cons:Β Short-term jobs are a great way to supplement income, but not a long-term income solution.
*Side note: neither of us is an actor, although Iβve done some bit parts for charity, and Bryce is shockingly hilarious at improv!
Income #2: Blog WriterΒ
Every so often, I spot a job opportunity in a Facebook group, like when I found a blogging job for an RV rental company. Β At the time, I had written only five blog posts on our very sparse blog. Luckily, they liked at least two of the articles—whew!
Then I found another RV rental company that I was more aligned with and they paid more! I wasnβt able to keep both jobs since they are competitors.
Money made: Company #1 – $75 per article; Company #2 – $200 per article
Pros: There are many benefits to blogging for someone else. First, I get paid for skills I want to develop anyway—woohoo! Additionally, you have an opportunity to be featured as a blogger and link your blog to theirs, often resulting in increased traffic.
Cons: I have to turn in one blog article each week. If Iβm not feeling creative, writing can be difficult. Also, if youβre building your own brand, any work you do for others is time away from your own business. Β Β
*Side note: I was barely a βrealβ blogger at this point. It proves that you donβt have to have all of the skill sets to land a job, just enough along with some determination.
Income #3: Pinterest Virtual Assistant
This is an example of a pin on Pinterest.
Like many people, I didnβt think Pinterest was a βthingβ anymore. I couldnβt have been more wrong. When an RV friend asked if I knew anyone who wanted to be a Pinterest Virtual Assistant, I nominated myself. By then I learned that Pinterest was critical to building a business, so I jumped at the chance to learn it.
Pinterest is NOT a social media platform. Itβs a search engine like Google, and a critical platform to grow a business. A ββpinβ is linked to a URL that leads people back to your website, vlog, or other business (see image above). Bloggers and entrepreneurs often outsource Pinterest management to an expert. A Pinterest VA can do everything from creating and βpinningβ pins, and analyzing client accounts to improve them.
Money made: $15 per account, per week (1-hour average per account). Earnings can be as high as $250 per month, per client, depending on the level of service you offer to Pinterest clients.
Pros: Itβs fairly easy to do once you get the hang of it, but thereβs a bit of a learning curve to start.
Cons: Can be tedious (at least for me—some people love it!). As a nomad, you have to have great internet connectivity because the platform is image-heavy, and download speeds are critical.
Income #4a: Online Training – Part 1 – Course Development
I spent twenty (plus) years as a corporate trainer, manager, and coach. When I left my job, I really wanted a break from training to explore other things. But I know training really well which made it hard to resist a training development contract that I learned about through another Facebook group.
Money made: $1,500 one-time, plus $75 per month for course email management.
Pros: It’s only a 30-minute course and I love the organization. If I do good work, they said they’d hire me for more work.
Cons: This was my first major deliverable outside of a corporate structure, so I have to be self-motivated. 30 minutes of training might sound light, but thatβs about a 20-30 hour job. Do the math and youβll see that the hourly pay isn’t great. Lastly, again any work I do for others is time Iβm not spending on my own business.
*Side note: Do you see a trend that Facebook is a great place to network and find work?
Income #4b: Online Training – Part 2 – Pinterest CourseΒ
I met Bryanna Royal, an RVer, wife, and mom of four who runs Virtual Powerhouse, a social media strategy company. She has Pinterest training for VAs that she hires. I saw potential in packaging and selling it to help others grow their Pinterest accounts, so I helped her redesign it and test it with a small group of bloggers. We charged hardly any money since it was a beta test but now sell it as an on-demand course. It was all about using Pinterest to boost your website or business traffic.
Money made: $262.50 and $25.00 for a customer referral fee. The income earned for the on-demand course has yet to be determined.
Pros: I saw the potential in her training and loved helping her take it to the next level. We co-created a product that added huge value to the group we trained as they are getting triple the growth rate in their subscribers!Β
Cons: None.Β
Income #5: Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is when you promote someone elseβs product or service and earn a percentage of the sale.
I’m just now dipping my toe into the affiliate marketing pool, therefore the income is hardly worth sharing. I bring it up though because it has so much potential, and I plan to grow this income stream this year.
Money made: $38.59 from Amazon affiliate sales and $15 from my friend Liz Wilcoxβs book, Tales From The Black Tank. This book is no longer available, unfortunately!
Pros: Even though itβs small, seeing some money come in is exciting! The potential is huge. And if you align with products and services that solve problems for the people who like your brand, youβll increase credibility and loyalty.
Cons: Not a lot of cons other than choosing good affiliates, learning how to do it, and marketing it well. Also, be careful not to slap any old product on your website, or push it onto your readers, as you might youβll lose credibility and potential subscribers.
Income #6a: Selling My Own Products – Digital
I lead a mastermind group with some blogger friends. We meet twice a month and hold each other accountable for goals. Itβs been a fantastic support system.
One of the members, Liz Wilcox, who ran the Virtual Campground, suggested we put together an RV Holiday Bundle of products to sell.
Awesome idea—except for one problem—I didnβt have a product to sell!
I thought I had busted my butt before, but it was childβs play compared to the frenetic pace I worked to produce an online training course, called How To Transition To Remote Work, in record time. It was exhausting yet rewarding when we actually made something that people wanted to buy!
The best part is that I have talked to several people who bought our products, and heard how it helped them with their current problems. How amazing is that?
You can sign up here for my Free Remote Work Training.
Money made: $426.40 (the total made was just over $4,000, but we split it eight ways with other product contributors).
Pros: Creating your own products as a blogger/online business is one of the coolest things ever! Nothing beats being your own boss, creating your own products, and setting your own hours.
Cons: Being your own boss, creating your own products, and setting your own hours is a myth if you do it 24-7. Work-life balance gets pretty skewed and boundaries get blurry when you work for yourself. Iβm working on this.
Income #6b: Selling My Own Products – Physical
This almost didn’t make the cut because Iβm NOT doing a great job of selling my art. However, I did sell two pieces—on a fluke—at an art auction in Bend, Oregon.
Let me explain what I make. I collect random objects from our travels—pieces of wire, springs, plastic thingies, and toys/parts from thrift stores—then I deconstruct them and reconstruct them into new forms. Itβs such a fun art form because I never know whatβs going to emerge.
In Oregon, I was thumbing through the local paper and saw that an art show fundraiser was happening the next day. Luckily, I was able to enter two pieces just before the deadline.
Shockingly, there were exactly two people who wanted my art and I sold both pieces!
Money made: $55 total ($110 total, but I split the proceeds with the organization).
Pros: Holy cow, people like my art and want to pay me for it! Crazy! Both people told me they would have paid double if the auction prices had gone up.
Cons: Iβm producing more than Iβm selling, and while I know I can sell more, that would require another investment of time. I would like to get something going, except I think you can see a theme in this blog post–right?
I’m doing too much and itβs not all sustainable.
How Will I Earn Income Going Forward?
This past year I wanted to experiment with different ways of earning income, and I accomplished that.
Now Iβm evaluating what I should actually spend my time on and what will lead to both income AND satisfaction.
So far hereβs my plan:
1. Earn consistent income from our More Than A Wheelinβ blog. We are currently redesigning our site to improve user experience, add more valuable content, and increase affiliate sales.
2. Relaunch and sell my How To Transition To Remote Work online course.
3. Keep blogging for one other company for predictable income, but I want to phase that out later this year.
4. Two stretch goals for later in the year:
a. Conduct workshops and/or public speaking. I love in-person training. Itβs what I enjoy most and people get a lot of value from them. More to come on the topic, when, and where.
b. Develop a second digital product–more to come on that.
Additionally, Iβd like to phase out working for others this year, if possible. And if time permits, Iβd like to keep creating art, and possibly sell it (more for fun).
Final Thoughts On How You Can Make Money Remotely
Itβs still a year of exploring but with more focus than last year. Itβs unstable and scary at times, but thatβs part of the journey, too.
I hope Iβve provided you with some ideas on searching for remote work. I also recommend better knowing what you want and need first, followed by a targeted search. These are just some of the ways you can make money. The 6 ways I made money after leaving corporate America are just a few of the options that are available to anybody. Get out there, and find the one for you.
To assess your skills in more depth, click here to take my Free Remote Work Training. In this training, you will learn how you have more skills than you think to do many remote work types.
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Look at you go! π Keep on keepin’ on!
Thanks Sarah – I just keep wheelin’ friend π
Thanks, Camille! I’m at that scary part of RVing, wondering how I’m going to make enough money to travel, as repairs have already hit my savings HARD! You’ve given me some new ideas I’m going to put to immediate use! PS – I’ll be keeping my eyes open for toy parts to bring you on my way to The Summit!
Hey Shelley-I believe you totally have what it takes to fund this lifestyle. You are really creative with your income ideas and a talented photographer. I’m glad this post gave you some more ideas. Can’t wait to meet up in February and yes I always love receiving cool toy parts π
Great breakdown Camille. Love your goals for the year. Very similar to mine!!
Thanks Liz-and why doesn’t it surprise me that our goals are similar? #soulsistas
You are the consummate entrepreneur! The good news? An excellent entrepreneur always has their eyes and ears open to possibilities. The bad news? An excellent entrepreneur always has their eyes and ears open to possibilities. I gave myself one year to enjoy being without focus and follow every path that held a draw. Welcoming possibilities is a critical entrepreneurial skill. Now comes the more challenging task. What’s the intersection between what my heart longs for and practically, what I can accomplish. You seem to be in that pivotal moment, as I am. Love following your journey.
Hi Britt-yeah totally know what you mean. I didn’t allow myself the time to rest and chill before diving in, and I wish I had. I feel like now that I have momentum I need to keep it going. But it’s more fun now anyway. I’m less stressed about things so am enjoying the journey. Thanks for following our journey and it’s been great to meet you in person this week! FYI I think finding the intersection between your heart and practicality is where the gold is.
Really great post! I love how you’re keeping it real and aren’t afraid to experiment. You’re a great public speaker, so I also see that happening in the future for you. Thank you for sharing these tips.
Joy thank you so much for checking out the article. Yes a giant experiment is a great way to describe it. I do hope to get more public speaking gigs–so I’m glad you think so ;).
Great article, Camille. I believe one of the biggest concerns about leaving the cushy 9-5 job is not being able to fund the journey so that you’re able to enjoy the adventure and not have the financial cloud looming overhead. Thank you for the great ideas on how to fund the dream. The best part is that both you and Bryce are living the full-time RV dream. You’re doing it…and doing it well! You’re learning, growing, stretching yourself, and you’re just getting started. It’s so exciting and inspiring to watch you succeed. Can’t wait to see you again at The Summit!
Hey Michele thanks for reading! Yes it’s been a huge learning curve and really uncomfortable at times. But an amazing experience and I’m so thankful to be able to explore at this point in my life. I’m looking forward to hearing how RV life and life in general is going for you too and am excited to see you at the summit too!
Wow, Camille, incredible and relatable. Thank you for the bio on your journey as I am at the beginning of my own. Left the company I worked for due to lack of appreciation for what I brought to their business and although they wanted me to stay they never corrected their mistake. So forward I move.
I look forward to being able to actually meet all of you as we all share a common goal in life. Love reading what you post and hope to grow my own at that same time. Keep Wheelin’!!
Hi B-thank you for checking out our site! I’m so glad that you found my story relatable, but also sad about your experience with your company. It’s so frustrating when you work hard and put your all into something and then you’re not appreciated. Good for you for not accepting anything less than what serves you, and congratulations on making the move toward your goals. I look forward to meeting you on the road! Indeed Keep Wheelin!’ π
Hi Camille! My friend Stacie Smith sent me a link to this post. She said you guys went trekking together. Anyways, myself, my husband and our 4yo have been traveling in an RV for 9 months now. I also left corporate America and never want to look back. Iβm just starting to look for remote work so we can actually settle in rural CO. Thanks for these suggestions and it is so nice to hear your humble perspective on this experience. Good luck on your journey!
Hey Gabrielle – so funny I was literally just thinking about Stacie when this post popped up! I was wondering how she was doing since we haven’t talked for a while. How odd is that? Anyway thanks for reaching out. It’s awesome to learn about and meet other RVers. We’ll be in Colorado in May and we hope throughout the summer, so maybe we can meet up. I’m glad that my post gave you some ideas. I have a number of resources on remote work coming out in March. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks again for reaching out and hope to meet in person!
Leaving our medical/dental/vision 100% paid + $3000 toward any copayment or payments for anything med/dental/vision related is really hard to swallow. I donβt want to grow old in a cubicle with 5 weeks vacation a year!!
Hey Patty oh boy do I know how hard it is to leave behind those comforts! Health insurance was definitely one of the harder issues to tackle. I held on really tight to that and many financial benefits for nearly 5 years before pulling the rip cord (as we liked to call it). The fear of letting go was the hardest, then the transition and adjustment period was uncomfortable and scary. Then finally a nomadic life became quite normal and we’re managing to figure things out. It was necessary for me to take that leap of faith, because the scarier part was as you said, “I didn’t know growing old in a cubicle with 5 weeks vacation.” So well put.
Thanks Camille! Really enjoyed this post. I’m just beginning to explore the possibilities of working and living in an RV fulltime. We’ve been full timing for 1 year now.. Lupe and I met you at the 2018 Bash, and I’ll be at the RV Entrepreneur summit later this month. Can’t wait for that!!
Hey Bert yes of course, I remember meeting you and Lupe. And I’m excited to cross paths again at the RVE Summit. I’m glad you enjoyed this post. I plan to write more like this as it’s a passion of mine and it seems that others enjoy it too. I look forward to hearing how your your remote work and travel journey turns out!
appreciate the humor & sheer transparency you’ve offered. thanks for it all, Camille. I’ve been dabbling for over a year with my blog and for several years with the “leave corporate america”
Hey thanks Lola – I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed reading it. Experimenting with a blog can be daunting in the beginning. But if you enjoy it, just keep at it. One day suddenly everything clicks.
Camille, I’ve noticed many of the bloggers want to get away from working for others. But I’m interested in working freelance for other blogs. What do you recommend as a good way to make those connections?
Hey Lorraine yes you can absolutely be a freelance writer for other bloggers or companies who hire contract writers. Do you already have samples or a resume that shows you are a content writer? You can contact different companies/bloggers you’d like to write for. You can also search online on sites like Flexjobs, Upwork, and LinkedIn. I find that networking in your own community or Facebook groups is a great way to find opportunities as well.