The TRUTH About PASSIVE Income

10 years ago, I started my first online side hustle.  I got the idea in my head after reading a book called the 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss.  Today, I feel like I am a living example of this book.  I was inspired by the stories of people all over the world who are on a journey to make money while they sleep.  I decided that this lifestyle was worthy of pursuit and worthy of my time and I hope you do the same.

Were those first 10 years all glory?  Of course not.  In fact, the first 6 years were a lot of struggle and failure!  It was like being on a roller coaster that only went down.  Luckily, I stuck with it because I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.  Now, I too make money while I sleep.  

In 2019, I was able to retire and hire my dad.  He comes from a different generation, like most parents, where what they had to do to earn a living was work a 9 to 5 and climb the corporate ladder until they had enough money to retire.  Things have changed a lot since that era.  For example, pensions aren't even around anymore!  

My dad manages the financial side of my affiliate business.  Anytime we get a check over $1,000 he shoots me a very excited text.  This is funny to me because I’m used to seeing these numbers all of the time.  Getting checks like this has changed how I see money.  I remember when we used to go out to eat, I would always look at the right side of the menu before the left; I always made sure the price was in my range before deciding on a dish.  Now, when I go to a restaurant, I order whatever looks good.  Because I’m used to generating money all day everyday, my perspective on money has changed drastically. 

Contrary to what you might see on internet ads, are people flashing their wealth.  They show off their fancy lamborghinis and say this is what $10,000 looks like.  Let me tell you, you don't have to be a douchebag to make passive income.  Unfortunately, shady people have kind of taken over the concept of making passive income and they run a lot of ads to make this lifestyle look artificially wealthy.  This hustle is not about walking around with big wads of cash or driving the coolest cars, it's about being an entrepreneur and creating a successful online business.

I live in a van and am a minimalist at this point in my life; I don't feel the need to show off my wealth with material items.  Every online business should have an effort that makes them unique.  Each one of my businesses has a philopatric purpose to where the profit goes.   This makes for a much better business story and makes making money feel great.  

I've had conversations with people that I've coached who are afraid to make a lot of money because it has a bad connotation these days.  That being said, if you are making money the right way, it should never feel bad.  One of my college professors once told me that if you want to be a millionaire, you must help a million people.  

I’m so incredibly grateful for where I’m at today.  I think some people may be confused as to why I’m not flexing my profits.  I have even had some of my friends ask me why I don’t buy myself some nice stuff like a home or fancy clothes.  Although passive income is super amazing, I do consider it one of the riskiest ways to make money.  When you work a 9 to 5, there's stability.  You will get your paycheck unless you screw up so badly that you get fired.  You never know how much your next paycheck will be when making money from the internet.  I hope I can continue to make money passively, but I can't count on it being around in the next 10 years.  Social media platforms can pop up and disappear overnight!  I always have to stay on my toes. 

With all that being said, do I think it's too risky?  No, I don't think so, especially when you think about one concept — diversification.  If COVID taught us one thing, it's that even stable 9 to 5 jobs are at risk, a risk that is out of our control.  Even before COVID, I had family members lose jobs that they thought they were going to retire from.  If all of your income is tied up in one source, it is susceptible to risk.  

How would an extra $500, $1,000, or even $10,000 change your life?  How much harder would you have to work to get a $10,000 bonus at your current job?  Probably a lot.  In the internet world, it could happen in a month.  Making money is hard and there is a lot to learn.  But the journey and pursuit of it is amazing.  I encourage you to try.  The lifestyle I have right now feels like I’m cheating at life.  Here I am, currently 32 years old, in Key West Florida having the time of my life and making the most money I've ever made while working the least I've ever had.  

My journey is evolving and changing; I want to help, I want to teach, and I want to make posts like this that inspire you to try something new.  I can't wait for you to change your life.  

Peace.  

I make new content every single week, so be sure to subscribe to my Youtube and follow my Instagram @brambilabong and TikTok at @AdrianBrambila. I also have tons of resources and courses on my website that you won’t want to miss. Head over to www.adrianbrambila.com to learn more about what I do and how I live a financially free life.