How I went from being a broke college student making $1000/month to making multiple 6 figures online
Buckle in, it gets bumpy
My story - a thread:
Buckle in, it gets bumpy
My story - a thread:
Let's start way back
When I was 16 I was super into fitness
After school weights
Would sneak into the community 18+ gym
Had a garage bench press where my buddy and I would blast music and max out every day (lol)
This leads into my first online biz venture
When I was 16 I was super into fitness
After school weights
Would sneak into the community 18+ gym
Had a garage bench press where my buddy and I would blast music and max out every day (lol)
This leads into my first online biz venture
2 years later, freshman year of college my other friend and I started a YouTube channel
We shot vids in the gym, did talking head vids on different topics, and did eating challenges
The most notable was a 10k calorie challenge that I have unlisted on my account
We shot vids in the gym, did talking head vids on different topics, and did eating challenges
The most notable was a 10k calorie challenge that I have unlisted on my account
I'll show it to people at parties/get togethers because it is hilarious
Imagine stuffing your face with 10k calories
Super cringe, but hilarious
Safe to say that our YouTube channel venture died out pretty quickly
We didn't see a penny from it in the ~6 months that we did it
Imagine stuffing your face with 10k calories
Super cringe, but hilarious
Safe to say that our YouTube channel venture died out pretty quickly
We didn't see a penny from it in the ~6 months that we did it
In my 2nd year of college I got into photography
I had the camera from when we filmed videos and decided to put it to good use
(I also took a few photo classes in high school so I wasn't diving in cold)
I had the camera from when we filmed videos and decided to put it to good use
(I also took a few photo classes in high school so I wasn't diving in cold)
Did that for a bit, don't remember much
All I remember is going out downtown and taking long exposures of the local tram
I spent my nights editing random pics in photoshop
Didn't even try to make money from this, but it leads into something I could have monetized like mad
All I remember is going out downtown and taking long exposures of the local tram
I spent my nights editing random pics in photoshop
Didn't even try to make money from this, but it leads into something I could have monetized like mad
As I'm writing this, I JUST bought a new camera for when I'm in Mexico
Might bring some color and aesthetics to the timeline
*Might* even branch into YouTube again
Might bring some color and aesthetics to the timeline
*Might* even branch into YouTube again
Back to the story
Junior year I got deep into editing and making photoshop composites (no need to take my own pictures anymore!)
I started up my Instagram, posted cool pics everyday, got shoutouts from big accounts and grew to around 2k followers
Here are some examples
Junior year I got deep into editing and making photoshop composites (no need to take my own pictures anymore!)
I started up my Instagram, posted cool pics everyday, got shoutouts from big accounts and grew to around 2k followers
Here are some examples
All in all, I could've made some photoshop courses showing how I did it
I had a SUPER engaged following and was growing pretty damn quick
But, one day I just stopped
I ran out of ideas and was just tired of making them every day
They took 3-6 hours to create
I had a SUPER engaged following and was growing pretty damn quick
But, one day I just stopped
I ran out of ideas and was just tired of making them every day
They took 3-6 hours to create
By this point, I was a senior in college
I switched majors 4-5 times and had no idea what I wanted to do
I was working part time at a print shop pulling in about $250 a week
I was living with 6 other guys in a busted up old house
I was still set on avoiding a 9-5 job
I switched majors 4-5 times and had no idea what I wanted to do
I was working part time at a print shop pulling in about $250 a week
I was living with 6 other guys in a busted up old house
I was still set on avoiding a 9-5 job
To make that a reality (working for myself)
I went into overdrive
I was taking a basic coding class in college
Decided to look into how much web developers made
They had a high earning potential (and I could freelance with it) so I dedicated my time outside of class to that
I went into overdrive
I was taking a basic coding class in college
Decided to look into how much web developers made
They had a high earning potential (and I could freelance with it) so I dedicated my time outside of class to that
I ended up learning the next year of my college curriculum (in terms of coding) in less than a month
I was studying HOURS upon HOURS and building out projects like crazy
My plan was to freelance and possibly get a job if I didn't "make it"
I was studying HOURS upon HOURS and building out projects like crazy
My plan was to freelance and possibly get a job if I didn't "make it"
After I felt I was ready I started researching how to freelance
Ended up getting sucked into 2 different things
1. Dropshipping rave clothes
2. Starting an FB ad agency
Tried my hand at both of those
Learned A LOT about online business as a whole
Ended up getting sucked into 2 different things
1. Dropshipping rave clothes
2. Starting an FB ad agency
Tried my hand at both of those
Learned A LOT about online business as a whole
During those times I studied copywriting, more web design, and of course fb ads
Also learned a bit about cold outreach
Got stressed out and quit pursuing those
Decided to start a "real" brand instead
This time I wanted to sell blue light glasses
Also learned a bit about cold outreach
Got stressed out and quit pursuing those
Decided to start a "real" brand instead
This time I wanted to sell blue light glasses
(This is where the fun starts)
I called my dad
Told him I had a grand idea of how I was going to make a million dollars by the time I was 25
Asked if he would loan me $3k to buy a few hundred blue light glasses, cases, and cleaning cloths
I called my dad
Told him I had a grand idea of how I was going to make a million dollars by the time I was 25
Asked if he would loan me $3k to buy a few hundred blue light glasses, cases, and cleaning cloths
Surprisingly, he believed me LOL
Very grateful that he gave me that opportunity
(I paid him back + more btw)
But, after 3 months of waiting for the shipment, me failing hard at selling them, wasting a shit ton of money on courses and ads
I was in mental turmoil
Very grateful that he gave me that opportunity
(I paid him back + more btw)
But, after 3 months of waiting for the shipment, me failing hard at selling them, wasting a shit ton of money on courses and ads
I was in mental turmoil
I had 2 more years of college since I switched around so much
I wasn't making a CENT online
I was about $8000+ in credit card debt
I was about $20k in debt from school loans
I was making chump change at my part time job
I was absolutely fucked (or so I thought)
I wasn't making a CENT online
I was about $8000+ in credit card debt
I was about $20k in debt from school loans
I was making chump change at my part time job
I was absolutely fucked (or so I thought)
I took about a month to wallow in my own self pity
Dropped out of college because I was tired of wasting money
Decided to commit fully to web design (freelancing again)
And, decided to start filling out web design job applications as a backup plan
Dropped out of college because I was tired of wasting money
Decided to commit fully to web design (freelancing again)
And, decided to start filling out web design job applications as a backup plan
I hit up some friends and family to get a few cheap jobs under my belt
Started cold outreach and literally reached out to anyone and everyone
I would write places down as I was driving around town and reach out to them when I got home
I started seeing some traction...
Started cold outreach and literally reached out to anyone and everyone
I would write places down as I was driving around town and reach out to them when I got home
I started seeing some traction...
But it wasn't nearly enough to sustain me
Ended up getting a job offer as an entry level web designer
Took the job and kept grinding my freelance stuff
Learned some processes from the job that I could implement freelancing
Ended up getting a job offer as an entry level web designer
Took the job and kept grinding my freelance stuff
Learned some processes from the job that I could implement freelancing
Eventually I started out-earning my job
Ended up quitting after ~7 months of being there
My freelancing gig was doing well... I had accomplished my childhood dreams of working for myself
All was well again
I started providing different services & stepped my game up
Ended up quitting after ~7 months of being there
My freelancing gig was doing well... I had accomplished my childhood dreams of working for myself
All was well again
I started providing different services & stepped my game up
Then, I stumbled upon this side of Twitter
Started studying some of the accounts and decided I could teach web design
Since I started, it's become much more than that
I've met great people
I'm no longer tied to one business model
(I can talk about whatever I want)
Started studying some of the accounts and decided I could teach web design
Since I started, it's become much more than that
I've met great people
I'm no longer tied to one business model
(I can talk about whatever I want)
And it seems like the future is moving in the direction of creators, so I'm glad to be here with all of you
Hopefully I can teach you something along the way whether it be online business or personal growth related
Grateful for everyone I've met here so far
Hopefully I can teach you something along the way whether it be online business or personal growth related
Grateful for everyone I've met here so far
As I mentioned I teach web design
I actually teach everything I've done up to this point
- how to create sites WITHOUT coding
- how to freelance with that skill
- how to grow on twitter to get more clients + open up more opportunities
3 courses for $35 https://gum.co/web-design-wealth
I actually teach everything I've done up to this point
- how to create sites WITHOUT coding
- how to freelance with that skill
- how to grow on twitter to get more clients + open up more opportunities
3 courses for $35 https://gum.co/web-design-wealth
If you enjoyed this thread and want to pass the story along
Scroll to the top and hit that RT button on the first tweet
Until next time
- Dan
Scroll to the top and hit that RT button on the first tweet
Until next time
- Dan