How I earn $7k/month online, as a single mom with mental health disorders
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Fiona WongFrom Burlington, NC, USAFounder of Wild Pixel Marketing LLC
Business Model: Freelance$7,000monthly revenue$4,500monthly profitAll info self-reported by intervieweePublished March 26, 2020Reviewed and edited by Rita Epps
Who are you and how do you make money online?
I’m Fiona and I’m the founder of Wild Pixel Marketing.
This started as a virtual assistance business where I do a lot of behind the scenes work for several businesses. Imagine a business owner having a meltdown right before a big launch.
I’m the person that fixes everything and does preventative maintenance so they don’t fall apart.
When I first started as a virtual assistant, I didn’t take it seriously as saw it as pocket change. I bid on Upwork tasks and made a few hundred dollars here and there.
Even when I only made $20/hour, it eventually adds up.
I got serious about being a virtual assistant when I separated from my ex-husband.
He kicked me and the kids out.
I was very suddenly a single mom, living in a state where I didn’t know anyone…
…and dealing with my mental health disorders at the same time.
I’m clinically diagnosed with schizo-bipolar, BPD, and PTSD.
These days, I bring in roughly $6,000-$7,000 per month.
I spend about $2,000 per month on expenses (software and a coach). This includes my website, website host, newsletter service, Skillshare, and a course I’m taking.
I’m not sure what I want to do next, but I’m currently working on a group program for aspiring freelancers to help them bridge the gap between cheap clients and consistent $5k months.
Its first launch brought in $1,000 in revenue earlier this year. Otherwise, I’m taking it slow and exploring all the options available to me while I have consistent income.
I don’t want to rush and commit to something I might not love in a few years.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
My workdays typically depend on how I’m feeling.
I mentioned having bipolar type schizoaffective disorder…
…which means that my moods and energy ebb and flow.
I can feel it in my bones when it’s going to be a slow day for me.
On the slow days, I take my time waking up, watch TV, hang out with my kids and dogs, and journal.
I’ll make breakfast, do some yoga, and spend time doing the things I love in business, such as blogging.
Then I’ll take my time with client work, reminding myself that it’s not a race.
The joy of having only three clients means that I’m rarely bogged down with work.
On the livelier days, I’m up at 6am, walking my dogs, eating breakfast, and hitting work time ASAP.
It’s also important for me to take care of my mind, body, and overall health because…
…when you’re self-employed, it’s difficult to make up sick days.
I stretch my hands, get monthly massages and float therapy – this prevents migraines and nerve pinches from sitting at my laptop all day – and try to do yoga daily.
What’s your backstory and how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I’ll be honest – for a long time, I truly believed that I was as worthless as a lot of people in my life told me.
I got kicked out of college…
… and the only job I ever had was being a professional dominatrix – which was fun until I got pregnant.
I also did a term in the Marine Corps but I didn’t care for it. The skills I learned there didn’t translate well to the workplace anyway.
My first virtual assistant gig was labeling porn for a company I found on Craigslist.
They paid $35/hour and a $250 bonus if you labeled over 800 videos that week.
This was my first introduction into the world of being a virtual assistant.
And I was hooked.
The opportunities were endless.
I started trying to do anything to make money online.
Eventually, I decided that virtual assistance was great because I was able to do so many different things, like blogging, social media management, community management.
And I decided to turn that into a small business.
People will pay you for just about anything.
For example, Redditors have told me there is no way people hire me for more than $50/hour to answer emails or $150 to write an 800-word blog post.
But, people do simply because they don’t want to do it themselves.
You won’t find these people in the slave labor subreddit but they definitely exist.
And as you’re reading this sentence, they’re looking for someone, right now, to do this exact job for that exact pay (or more!)
When my ex and I got separated, I knew that I needed to secure retainer clients so I always had my baseline covered.
I ended up renegotiating my contracts to have a flat fee retainer and a sales commission. That way, I can work with fewer clients and I never have to worry about an income cap.
