Last week, I pulled down $13 with 4 posts. That's a 3x improvement over last month's average. A week ago I set out to prove that blogging could be a business, even if the work was a slog. While true, the journey tests you.
Success isn't every post mooning like a memecoin. It's writing anyway, especially when you're frustrated, bored or tempted to binge anime instead.
I have the privilege to work 40 hours a week. With the right time management, a blog on the side can bear fruit. I try to remind myself often, growth requires patience.
With that in mind, let's look at the numbers.
Here's what my June earnings look like so far on the Hive blockchain.
| Post Title | HBD | HP | Total Payout (USD) | Your Share (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| If AI Can Replace Half of Entry-Level Jobs | 0.571 | 2.423 | $1.20 | $0.60 |
| How I Stack 5 Passive Income Ideas | 6.845 | 29.027 | $14.42 | $7.21 |
| How I'm Bootstrapping a Business with $1/Post | 4.037 | 16.630 | $8.39 | $4.20 |
| This is the Number One Way to Ruin Any Weekend Plans | 0.986 | 4.184 | $2.08 | $1.04 |
| Total | 12.439 | 52.264 | $26.09 | $13.04 |
Note: Author share is 50% of the total post payout on Hive.
The response to my business posts exceeded my expectations, all the more because I didn't have any. I think I wrote the next post about AI in response to that. I follow the conversation so it was a natural segue. I feel like some posts write themselves.The attention to detail in writing is one source of pride. Sometimes, when something I feel strongly about generates enough emotion, only my strongest and simplest words follow. That often makes a successful blog post.
A simple post on stacking passive income outperformed everything else. That’s the power of momentum and a clean narrative.
When I look back at the posts and their rewards, I feel like a business owner, a boss. When you are able to make something people value, you become invaluable yourself. Priceless.
I once learned a framework from a creator whose content speaks for itself. His model is simple. He shares and knows things. He calls it CICA, which stands for:
Consume Ideate Create Amplify
Writing is my strength, so I pour my time into it. I tend to give the rest scraps of energy, by comparison. But if I’m serious about treating this like a business, I need a system that doesn’t leave parts of the process behind.
That clarity keeps my time on budget. I don't overspend. In fact, I want to spend more time on what's important, like the rewrite. Many agree, the magic is in it.
I understand magic when I demystify riddles and puzzles like this.
I consume nonstop: conversations, memes, videos, articles, shows, games, anime. Ideas pour in. But many times, I skip steps. I decorate the cake without mixing the batter. I scrutinize one part and forget the rest. It's not sustainable.
Juggling tires the jester.
Then what's my answer? A good recipe can guide anyone.
Time each step. Then adjust based on what slows me down or gets results.
My idea for a fix flows naturally from the problem. I spend time too much time on different steps, sometimes the wrong ones. Then, why not spend an equal amount of time for all the steps?
Gradually, I would learn which processes take more and less. I could account creatively according to my needs. Time management may be the only suitable place for "cooking the books" or creative account methods.
As I write, I see the opportunity at scale. A timed to-do list could help anyone avoid burnout or block. Give every step a slice of time. Then, remix the recipe as needed.
It's no secret. Highlighting tasks in green gives us all a unique satisfaction. So I’m doubling down on systems.
I count only a week on this journey so far, but it's evolved over the years since my start. This is my business and my business finally agrees with me.
In the end, I put in this effort because I see what happens with a solid plan. You can accomplish anything.
This isn’t even my blog’s final form.
But it’s getting stronger. And I’m getting sharper.
Every post, every list, every week.
It grows as I make more effort. As I check items off the list, my satisfaction and ambition grows. The rewards just sweeten the deal. I didn't plan to dig deep into this. I only posted 4 times last week, made a couple bucks.
But the opportunity to look at the bigger picture is hard to resist as a photographer and writer.
What part of your creative process do you avoid?
Drop a comment. Maybe how you make your peace with it can help me make mine.
