They Laughed When I Started, But Now I Make $10,000 a Month!

I still remember the way they laughed. You know the kind of laugh where you can just feel the doubt in it? My friends, my family, even people I barely knew—they all had that look, like I was completely out of my mind. “That’s not a real job,” they’d say. “You can’t actually make money doing that, right?”

Honestly? I wasn’t even totally sure myself. But there was this little voice in my head telling me, “You have to try. Just see what happens.” So I did. And man, I’m glad I did.

The Struggle in the Beginning

I’ll be real with you—the first few months? They were tough. Like, really tough.

I was putting in hours and hours, staying up late, missing out on hanging out with friends, and for what? Nothing. My bank account was still at zero. Every day felt like I was just spinning my wheels. I’d sit at my desk, researching, trying new things, and then... nothing. At night, I’d collapse into bed thinking, “Is this even worth it?”

And here’s the kicker—while I was dealing with everyone else’s doubts, I had my own doubts too. It was like a constant battle inside my head.

“Maybe they’re right,” I’d think.

“Maybe I should just go back to a ‘normal’ job.”

“Am I just making a fool of myself?”

But you know what? I’d shake it off. I kept telling myself, “Just one more day. Keep going. You’ll figure it out.”

The First Win—$500 That Changed Everything

Then, out of nowhere, it happened. I made my first $500.

I’ll never forget that moment. I was sitting there, staring at my screen, hitting refresh over and over. “Wait, is this real? Did I actually make money?” It wasn’t a ton, but it felt HUGE. Finally, I had proof that this could work.

And then it hit me—if I made $500, what’s stopping me from making $1,000? Or $5,000? That little win set me on fire. I knew I could do this. I just had to keep pushing.

Figuring Out the Game

Once I realized it was possible, I started really paying attention. I began asking myself, “What’s working? What’s not?”

I’m not gonna lie, I tried a bunch of things that completely flopped. Like that one project I spent weeks on… and it made a grand total of $0. Yeah, that stung. But I learned something from every mistake, and that’s what kept me going.

Slowly but surely, things started to click. I learned how to market myself, how to reach the right people, how to turn my efforts into actual income. And over time, I started seeing those numbers grow. $500 turned into $1,500.

$1,500 turned into $5,000. And then, finally, I hit my first $10,000 month.

It felt surreal. I literally just sat there, staring at the screen, thinking, “Did I really do this?”

The Reaction of Others

And let’s talk about the reactions. Oh boy.

You know those same people who laughed at me in the beginning? Yeah, they were the first ones to reach out once they saw I was actually making money. “Wait, so what exactly do you do?” they’d ask, all curious and wide-eyed.

Funny, right? These were the same people who thought I was wasting my time. Now they were looking at me like I had some kind of secret. It was almost laughable. But you know what? I wasn’t mad. I just smiled and thought, “I told you so.”

But I didn’t feel like some kind of genius. Honestly, I just felt like someone who refused to give up when it got hard.

What I Learned Along the Way

Looking back now, there are a few things I’ve learned that I wish I knew sooner:

People will doubt you—until you prove them wrong. At first, they’ll laugh. Then, they’ll ignore you. And eventually, when you start winning, they’ll be asking you for advice. Funny how that works, huh?

Consistency beats talent. I wasn’t the smartest, the most skilled, or the most naturally talented. I just showed up. Every single day. That’s what matters.

Failure is part of the process. I failed so many times I lost count. But here’s the thing—if I had quit after the first failure, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

What About You?

I’m sure some of you reading this have an idea in your head right now—something you really want to try, but you’re afraid of what people might think. Maybe people are already laughing at you.

And you know what? Let them. Seriously.

Because here’s the deal: if you stick with it, they’ll stop laughing. And when that day comes, you’ll be the one who’s smiling.

So, if you’re standing on the edge, wondering whether or not to take the leap, here’s my advice: Just start. Don’t overthink it. Just do it.