Passion Economy Examples

1. Bird Watching HQ (Blogging & Live Streaming Backyard Birds)

Scott Keller, an insurance agent, who became a “secret” bird blogger, is an excellent passion economy example.

Scott started Bird Watching HQ in 2016. The idea was originally to create a site more generally about birding, but since he had a new baby daughter, he was not able to go on the frequent trips required to spot rare birds.

So he pivoted his focus, turning his one acre suburban backyard in Ohio into a bird friendly environment, with the aim of attracting wildlife that he could observe from home. He soon began live streaming the bird feeder camera feed on his website, where he wrote detailed blog posts about bird related topics.

While he hoped that the blog might take off and he would be able to focus on his passion full time, he did not initially see a way to make this dream financially viable. Over time though, he began monetizing his site using display ads, affiliate product links, and selling eCommerce products.

Eventually the hard work began to pay off.

2. Sarah Lavender ASMR (YouTube Partner Program)

Sarah Lavender, known as SarahLavenderASMR on YouTube, is a Texas-born creator who lives in Mexico. After graduating college and working in mechanical engineering for two years, Sarah began posting ASMR videos on YouTube at the end of 2019. 

ASMR, a tingling sensation triggered by soft sounds and whispers, has seen exponential growth as a content category in recent years, as people turn to these videos for their relaxing and soothing quality.

After balancing being an engineer with YouTube for a year, Sarah said she decided to “take the plunge” in November 2020, and became a creator full time.  

2021 YouTube Partner Program Earnings

She has since also branched out using Patreon and brand sponsorships to diversify her income.

3. BudgetGirlGoods (Selling Budgeting Spreadsheets on Etsy)

 In 2021, Sarah Wilson decided to take her budgeting advice one step further and sell the exact same budget tracker that she originally made for herself on Etsy’s online marketplace.

From January to December 2021, Wilson sold more than 1,000 budget and net-worth tracking sheets, and her account brought in over $10,200, according to documentation she shared with Insider. In addition to people finding her budgeting templates organically through search, she drives traffic to her Etsy shop from her YouTube Channel, where she links to her shop below budget videos. 

4. MN Millennial Farmer (Documenting YouTube, Podcast, Merchandise)

Zack Johnson spends his days growing corn and soybeans on the family farm where he and his ancestors grew up, but his biggest paycheck stems from his side hustle on YouTube that captures it all.

Johnson declined to comment on actual revenue numbers, but told CNBC Make It that this year, the MN Millennial Farmer social media brand will make him at least five times more money than his actual crops.

The MN Millennial Farmer brand now includes YouTube videos, public speaking engagements, farm tours, merchandise and the recent debut of the “Off The Husk” podcast, backed by Farmers Business Network, his biggest sponsor to date.

5. Nate O’Brien (YouTube, Affiliate Marketing)

Eventually, this side business began to take off, and by 2019, two years after launching his channel, O’Brien was earning around five figures a month on YouTube, he said.

That same year, he dropped out of college and decided to go all in on YouTube.

Now, he earns money each month from the platform through Google-placed ads that play in his videos as well as via affiliate marketing, among his other side hustles. 

To start earning money directly from YouTube, creators must have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past year. Once they reach that threshold, they can apply for YouTube’s Partner Program, which allows creators to start monetizing their channels through ads, subscriptions, and channel memberships.

O’Brien has several videos with more than 1 million views. But how much income does he earn from his videos each month?

O’Brien broke down how much his channel has earned in 2021 through the Partner Program:

2021 YouTube Partner Program Earnings

6. Michelle “Meech” Lovelace (Luxury Personal Shopper)

Michelle Lovelace, a New York and Atlanta-raised retail veteran, only started her own styling and shopping business in April 2021, but she said she’s already making a healthy six-figure salary by working with clients including rappers Cardi B, Moneybagg Yo, Roddy Ricch, and Lil Uzi Vert. She’s emerged as one of the more visible of a new generation of personal shoppers that pursue rare pieces and stoke their businesses through Instagram posts and DMs.

Before starting her own business, Lovelace worked at The Webster in Beverly Hills. It was during this time at The Webster that Lovelace also learned about rare sourcing, which changed everything for her. From that she became aware of Hermès Birkin market. “I didn’t know that you couldn’t just walk into an Hermès store and get a Birkin,” says Lovelace. “But I made a goal to sell just one.”

She started researching them extensively and posting them to her IG page, and eventually a client in New York who was a hairdresser DM’ed her and said she was interested in buying one. The transaction wasn’t immediate, but Lovelace took her time explaining the different options and educating the client about price and different details. She ended up selling her a Birkin 30 in rose azalee for around $20,000, and more famously, she secured 5 Birkin bags for Kanye West, which were given as a gift to this then girlfriend, Julia Fox, and her 5 friends.

7. James Condon “The Stradman” (YouTube)

James Lucas Condon, more commonly known as TheStradman on YouTube, owns not only multiple Lamborghinis, but a variety of other high end luxury cars as well. He isn’t a doctor. He doesn’t run a company. His job is something not even a college could teach.

After leaving college, James pursued a job that wasn’t by any means his dream, but was at least a start. After a limited amount of time, discovering that he was being paid less than others who weren’t as skilled, he decided to quit his job, expecting to then be offered a raise. But there was no raise and now no job. This tragic yet expected outcome, however, was what would later lead him to being one of the world’s lucky supercar owners.

The automotive guru has more than 3 million subscribers on his channel. The rise of an ordinary automobile lover to one of the most influential YouTube personalities in the world. There was a point in James Neese’s life when he was homeless and jobless. However, TheStradman didn’t let disappointment stop him from achieving what he has, today. He is an inspiration to millions around the world and we are surprised that the makers at Netflix haven’t already launched a Netflix original based on TheStradman’s journey to the top.

8. Al Bladez (Lawn Care, YouTube)

Al Bladez has been mowing overgrown yards for free and sharing these transformations on his Al Bladez YouTube Channel.

9. His & Her Money (YouTube, Conference Speaking, eBooks)

 Once high-school sweethearts, Talaat and Tai McNeely started their life together with substantial debt. They had worked hard together to change that—raising three children in the process—and they wanted to share their experience in hope that it might help others. So the couple launched a YouTube channel, His & Her Money.

The channel was a quick success, earning them $6,000 the first year to $30,000 the second. Today their business brings in over half a million dollars annually, and YouTube is a primary source of that revenue. Beyond the monetary success, Talaat and Tai are humbled by the messages they receive from viewers all over the world. Some celebrate how they have increased Black representation in the financial literacy industry, other viewers say the channel has helped them to realize their own financial freedom. Some even write to share that His and Her Money has helped to save their marriage.

Talaat and Tai now frequently speak at conferences, offer financial courses, and an ebook, but they still credit YouTube as the driving force in building their company and achieving their goals, while helping countless others to do the same.

10. The Global Barber (YouTube, Conference Speaking, eBooks)

When Chris Bossio opened his first Headlines barber shop in Tampa, Florida, the aftermath of the 2008 recession resulted in a slow start for the business. Chris spent downtime teaching new techniques to other barbers in his shop. His business partner suggested he create a YouTube channel, and his very first video connected with thousands of viewers who also wanted to learn barbering skills. That is when things started to change.

Headlines began to see an uptick in business, as each new video brought more views and subscribers, which led to more customers at the barbershop.

In less than five years, Chris was able to expand with seven additional Headlines shops, and more than 70 barbers turning out 3,500 cuts a week. He also manages a line of hair care products called Tomb45. When the COVID-19 pandemic threatened small businesses around the world, Chris says his YouTube channel and customers from his channel were instrumental in helping him keep the lights on. He also still regularly uploads tutorials to his YouTube channel, for his hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Chris credits the fans and followers he has amassed through YouTube for still filling the chairs of his shops all over town today.

11. See Jane Drill

Leah Bolden has always loved working with her hands. When she began a career in construction, she faced discrimination from male coworkers, but never let it deter her. After decades on the job, Leah pivoted to teaching, and eventually posted her first videos on YouTube—tips on plumbing, electrical, and other common home repairs.

Initially, her goal was simply to create free videos that everyone could understand and feel empowered to replicate. In 2015, a video of tricks for using a tape measure went viral, quickly racking up over 18 million views. That is when Leah realized what a powerful tool YouTube could be.

Today, Leah is a full-time YouTube creator with nearly 1 million subscribers, sponsorships, and a new line of branded tools in the works. She attributes over 65% of her income to YouTube. But the most rewarding thing is regularly hearing from subscribers who say her videos have empowered them to do their own repairs, which they otherwise simply could not have afforded to source out. Others say her videos have helped them excel in their apprenticeships or jobs. Leah says that knowing her work is helping so many others is what makes it special.

12. Made with Lau

When Randy Lau’s business was shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he and his wife worried about how they would afford to continue living in the Bay Area with a baby on the way. Randy decided he could put his engineering degree and tech background to use while home, filming his dad—Chung—making his favorite Chinese recipes.

After filming a few videos with his dad, Randy officially launched their channel, Made With Lau, in September of 2020. On November 15, Randy was notified that they were eligible to monetize the channel, and the next day he was elated to earn $3.57. By March 2021, Made With Lau was earning around $10,000 a month. Today, the family earns around 60-75% of their monthly income through the YouTube channel. Randy hired a translator to help with subtitles and an editor to produce more content. The family is talking with publishers about creating their first cookbook.

Of all the things Randy has done in his career, he says this feels like the most successful and fulfilling. Not only are the Laus building a successful business, they are growing closer together and preserving their family’s culture in the process.

12. Trenton & Heath

When brothers Trenton and Heath Potter bought a shoe shop with their father in 2014, what started as a side-project quickly turned into a career. The business had always relied on local patrons, but the brothers knew there must be other ways to share their knowledge and reach more customers. In May of 2019, they uploaded their first video to YouTube.

The brothers soon saw an uptick in business—from around $100,000 in revenue to more than $500,000 in the first year. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the brothers say they were fortunate to already have so much traction on YouTube. They feel that YouTube was essential in keeping them afloat, attributing as much as 95% of current business to their YouTube channel and its 250,000-plus subscribers.

One of the most satisfying experiences for Trenton and Heath is hearing how they have inspired others. Some are prompted to shop more thoughtfully, buying quality shoes built to last decades rather than a year or two. Others have opened shoe businesses, or started their own shoe-themed YouTube channels—impacts the brothers never imagined.