2021 was an unexpected year. My initial goal of adding $1,000 as a side hustle income seemed impossible. I was inspired and motivated, but I could not find the way. Then, work, motivation, and mindset came together, and I had a few months when I made over $5,000. Uff! It felt great; my hard work paid off.

To back up a little, I was used to having a good side hustle income as a spokesperson but switched to a volunteer position as spokesperson of a major organization that prevented me from working with brands. Also, I took a break from side hustles to focus on completing a doctorate while keeping my full-time job and fulfilling my mommy duties. Everything was worth it, but my pocket suffered in 2019 and 2020.

2021 Income Goals

In 2021 I was coming from a previous year of almost zero side hustle income and heavy education expenses as I had returned to school to get my doctorate. 

So, I did the math and figured out $1,000 extra a month could get me closer to my financial goals and the lifestyle I wanted for my family.

2021 Actual Income

Ok, I have to admit that 2021 was amazing. After heavily investing in my business and hiring a virtual assistant to help with my new workload, I made double my goal. Remember, this is my side hustle. I have a full-time job. 

Before expenses, I made……here it goes!

$41,330 (over three times my “impossible” goal)

What side hustles do I work to get this money? Well, here it goes:

• Recipe development: $27,651
• Teaching: $7,903
• Nutrition counseling: $1,923
• Digital books: $1,071
• Others: $4,082
• Speaking: $500

To tell you a little bit more about each category?

• Recipe development. I develop recipes for clients’ nutrition programs and websites. I am considered a subject matter expert in Hispanic recipes and culture so it is much easier to be seen as an subject matter expert. This came as I often developed recipes for brands I used to work with. Then I wrote two cookbooks: La Dieta Renal Latina and Mexican Vegan Recipes.
• Teaching: I had to put my doctorate at work! The classes aligned with my area of expertise. I taught medical nutrition therapy to dietitians, and nutrition and world culture. I also taught one hour of social media for healthcare professionals. 
• Nutrition counseling: one-to-one clients. Mostly women between forty and sixty, which gave tons of inspiration about what topics to write in my blog. 
• Digital goods: Passive income. Hurray! My two books are placed on Amazon and my blog. No advertising, solely passive income. 
• Others: sorry, I put together random sources of income and it is hard to see where the money came from :/ But this were things like a list of culturally appropiate foods for my client to include in their blog posts (to make the blog more culturally diverse-love the effort!).

Lessons Learned

It was amazing to see how my different skills came together. Crazier is that now, at the beginning of 2022, I will be doing social media for my recipe development client. I have always combined media and recipe development for the Hispanic market for those of you who do not know me.

Be creative and use your expertise to make yourself unique.

In 2021 I worked too much, and I pulled myself in too many different directions. At the end of 2021, I finished a couple of projects and cut the amount of teaching. I am placing my energy in creating more passive income. I had a tough time letting things go, but I know it was the right move.

2021 Actual Expenses

In 2021 I invested heavily in my business to switch to a business model with more passive income sources. In addition, I invested in a business coach, which was the craziest thing I have ever done, and in several courses to learn more about blogging and social media, the core of my new business model.

Last,  I also hired a virtual assistant because of my busy life.

How much money did I spend? An unbelievable $16,477.  Maybe a little too much. I am definitely looking closer to my expenses in 2022, but I learned a lot, and I am now ready to make my business explode!

My most considerable expense was my assistant, followed by professional development, website expenses, and tools to create content. 

I honestly feel I am now in a much better position than last year. So, let’s see how 2022 goes for me!

What are your income goals for 2022?

2022 Goals

The main goal is to transform active into passive income. My blog is up and running, which could lead to ad revenue (I hope to grow enough to qualify for Mediavine by the end of the year). My nutrition blog could also bring other passive income sources, such as more book sales.

In addition, my new course will be available soon. If you are a blogger and are looking to promote your blog through social media, please check it out!

Nutrition for Instagram Bloggers Made Easy -Available March 15, 2022.

Please feel free to contact me for any reason! I would love to tell you more about what I do, collaborate with you, or talk to you about anything you have in mind. The best way to reach me is to send me a DM on my Instagram account- @evolvingdietitians.