She Accidentally Made $5 Million from a Spreadsheet—and Changed the Way People Think About Side Hustles

It didn’t take a business degree or a massive audience. It wasn’t a startup pitch or some complicated blueprint. It was just a regular woman, alone in her bedroom, making quirky videos about spreadsheets—and somewhere along the way, she stumbled into millions.

That’s not an exaggeration. Kat Norton turned a basic Excel spreadsheet into a multi-million dollar empire. She didn’t have a team. She wasn’t famous. She just had an idea that most people would’ve laughed off. But instead of second-guessing it, she went all in. And her story flips everything you think you know about side hustles and online success.

The wild part is she wasn’t trying to be viral.

Kat had a background in corporate finance. Excel was part of her daily grind. One day, she thought it might be fun to teach spreadsheet tips in a fast, funny, and entertaining way. So she filmed a few TikTok videos and uploaded them without expecting much.

Then the views rolled in. People loved her style. She was goofy. She danced. She made dry topics feel fresh and relatable. And in a sea of boring tutorials, her videos felt like a breath of fresh air.

Within months, she wasn’t just gaining followers—she was building a real business.

And not just any business. A course that taught Excel in a way people actually wanted to learn. The course alone pulled in millions.

Yes, millions.

And no, this wasn’t a fluke. It was proof that the weirdest, smallest ideas can spark massive income if you lean into what makes them different.

Over 40 percent of working Americans had some form of side hustle in 2023, based on recent studies. People are no longer relying on one income stream. And they’re not all trying to become influencers or celebrities either. They’re taking the tools and skills they already have and turning them into small products, courses, or services that actually solve real problems.

Kat didn’t reinvent Excel. She didn’t even change what it does. She changed the way people feel about using it. That’s what made her approach take off.

And there’s a huge lesson buried in that.

Let’s break it down with a few key takeaways:

• Start small with what you know

You don’t need to invent something new. You just need to look at what people already struggle with and make it easier for them. Whether it’s cleaning hacks, budgeting templates, or productivity systems—there’s always someone who would pay to skip the learning curve.

• Niche is everything

Kat didn’t go wide. She went deep. Instead of trying to teach all software, she focused on Excel. That clarity helped her reach exactly the right people without wasting time or energy.

• You can earn without being an expert

You don’t need credentials or a certificate to teach what you know. If you’ve used something enough to solve your own problems, chances are you know enough to help others do the same.

The magic in her story is how ordinary it feels. She wasn’t aiming for a million-dollar launch. She just wanted to share something she was good at—and did it her way.

Most people wait too long trying to make things perfect before they put anything out there. Kat’s success proves that progress beats perfection every single time.

Right this second, someone’s scrolling through Google hoping to find a done-for-you system, a cheat sheet, or anything that takes the guesswork out of their day. That’s where the gold is.

The question is whether you’ll give yourself permission to start.

If you’ve ever thought, I’m good at this, but I don’t think anyone would pay for it—you might be dead wrong.

People are buying spreadsheet templates, cleaning planners, grocery trackers, budgeting sheets, digital flashcards, and micro-courses about the most specific topics imaginable.

The truth is, most people don’t want to learn everything from scratch. They just want shortcuts that actually work. If you’ve got a system, tool, or method that’s helped you, there’s a high chance it can help others.

And that’s all Kat did. She shared what she knew in a fun way. She stayed consistent. She trusted that her weird little idea had value. And it paid off.

Over five million dollars worth of value, to be exact.

Here’s how you can start your own version of that success:

• Make a list of three things you’re really good at
• Check if people are already selling something similar on sites like Etsy or Gumroad
• Find the gap—what can you do differently or better
• Turn your idea into a downloadable product or course
• Launch it before you overthink it

You don’t need fame. You don’t need tech skills. You don’t even need a big budget.

You just need the guts to take your idea seriously.

And maybe a spreadsheet.

Because who knew a few rows and columns could turn into millions?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

╰⪼ This is a true story based on verified reports and real interviews. Kat Norton’s journey has been featured in trusted media sources like Business Insider and Forbes.