How I ACTUALLY Made Money Online (Not a scam, not “passive income”, not "easy money")

Do you ever feel like you're in a financial rut following the same advice that just isn't working? Do you watch video after video, talking about how to make money online, but all the ways either don't work, require years of experience, or they just plain suck? Well, this is the exact same problem that I had years ago as well. And so in today's video, I'm going to talk about how I actually made money online and this is not going to be a scam. It's not going to be passive income and it's not going to be easy money. These are real deal methods that are realistic for just about anybody out there to make money. And if they changed my life, they can change yours too. So in this video, we're going to be diving into three money making methods that have personally transformed my life. And you'll learn how I went from homeless to making multiple six figures per month, three unconventional ways to make serious cash, the mindset shifts that made it all possible. Now, before we dive in, let me give you a quick rundown of where I started. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, far from it. Actually, I grew up poor, bouncing between trailer parks, section eight housing, and even being homeless at one point. But here's the thing. Those experiences taught me something crucial. I realized that to succeed, you need to go where the opportunity is. And sometimes when everyone else is zigging, you need to Zack. That mindset was the first step in turning my life around. So what are these three magical methods? Well, they're not magical at all. They're just smart ways for you to leverage your time skills and opportunity. Now, before we dive in, if you enjoy this raw, authentic content, go ahead and give it a thumbs up. And it helps me know what type of content that you guys like and what type of content you want me to make in the future. So let's go ahead and break down each one. First up, we've got selling physical items physically or on the internet. Now I know what you're thinking. Shane, isn't everything online these days? Well, sometimes the best opportunities are actually right in front of us in the physical world. And let me tell you a story. Back when I was struggling to make ends meet, I met someone in Western Kansas who is selling eyeglass cleaner at events. Yes. Eyeglass cleaner. Wait, let's hear him out. This is interesting. And they taught me the ropes and I saw an opportunity. And when I moved to Eastern Kansas, I took that knowledge with me and started my own eyeglass cleaner business. And I'd go to state fairs, county fairs, gun shows, RV shows, you name it. I probably went there. And let me tell you, it was a game changer. And my most successful day, I made over a thousand dollars selling eyeglass cleaner. And in one weekend I pulled in over $1,800. That's actually pretty good. Now that might not sound like much to some people, but when you're used to being broke, that kind of money is life changing. But it wasn't just about the money. This experience taught me three crucial lessons. One, go where the opportunity is. Don't wait for it to come to you. At that time in my life, I didn't have a lot of skills and there are no jobs that would have paid me that much to learn in demand skills. People will always need certain products and services and one in demand skill that will never go away. I don't care how good AI gets is going to be communication and specifically sales and learning how to communicate why other people should buy this eyeglass cleaner and how it would benefit them in life was an unbelievably valuable experience and skill to learn. And then three, don't do what everyone else is doing. Sometimes the best opportunity are in the places others overlook. Now, I know selling eyeglass cleaner might not be your thing, but the principle applies to any product. Maybe it's handmade crafts, maybe it's unique food items, and maybe it's a service people need. The key is to find something with high demand and low competition. So how can you get started with this method? Well, you want to identify a product or service that people need, but isn't oversaturated. Or you want to find a product where you can buy it low and sell it high. Because I didn't just make money from eyeglass cleaner. I also learned how to flip items. I've learned how to buy items such as bikes, playstations, controllers, video games, phones, laptops, iPads, et cetera, and then sell them for a much higher price on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace. And then one thing you can do that would really help is to find a mentor or learn from someone who's already successful in that area. So chances are someone in your family or your friend circle buys and sells stuff online. And you can learn a lot just by asking them a few questions on how you could get started. And another thing you could do is buy your stuff locally and then sell it online where there's a bigger pool of buyers. There's lots of different websites you can do that with like offerup.com or Mercari. So this can be an incredible opportunity for you. And honestly buying low and selling high is probably the oldest side hustle known to mankind. Next is to start small, test your products at local events or markets, or try to sell them on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace and sell just a small amount at a time. And then finally you can scale up as you learn what works and what doesn't. And remember the goal isn't just to make a quick buck. It's to learn valuable skills in sales, marketing, and business that will serve you for life. Now let's move on to our second method, tutoring and subjects you excel at. And this one's all about leveraging your knowledge and skills to help others and make good money doing it. Now, in my case, I became an expert at this thing called the PCAT test. That's the pharmacy college admissions test. How? Well, I studied my butt off and got a near perfect score on the test, but it wasn't because I was smart. I did tons of research to find out what the absolute best resources and materials for the test work. And after trying out a bunch of PCAT study materials, I found one Dr. Collins, that was by far the best. Like I'm pretty sure this guy had like an insider in the company because some of the questions he had on his tests were the exact questions that ended up being on the test that I took. Now, once I had that expertise, I started tutoring other pre-pharmacy students and here's where it gets good. I was able to command rates of over a hundred dollars per hour. Yeah, you heard that right over a hundred dollars per hour tutoring as a 21 year old. Now, how did I get away with charging so much? Two things. I had proven results. I'd scored almost perfect on the test myself. And also word of mouth. Once I helped a few students dramatically improve their scores, the word spread like wildfire. And one of my proudest moments was when a student I helped went on to score nearly perfect themselves and many others raised their scores by 20 or even 30 percentage points. And that's the kind of result that justifies high rates. So what are the key lessons here? Become extremely good at something. It doesn't have to be academic. It could be a skill, a software program, anything. And then second, let your results speak for themselves. It's best for you to tutor someone in something that you have proven that you're very good at. And third word of mouth is the most powerful marketing. So just let people know that you're open to tutoring others. And chances are, especially if you do a good job, it's going to spread like wildfire. And finally that's kind of the most important thing is provide exceptional value. And this is something that I've done in every single business that I've ever opened. When you're truly helping people achieve their goals, they're happy to pay you for your expertise. Now how can you get started with tutoring? Well, you want to identify a subject or skill that you're passionate about. And most importantly, you're already very good at, and then you want to study intensively to become an expert at it. If you're not good enough yet. And then you want to start charging people with lower rates to build your reputation and get testimonials. And there's actually a lot of websites out there. You can do this on such as Chegg or Fiverr and then gradually increase your rates as your reputation grows. And remember you don't need to be a genius in every subject. You just need to be better than the people that you're helping. And there's always someone who needs to learn what you already know. And by the way, if you're not sure what you want to do with your career, I do have a seven step guide to choosing your dream career, which you can check out down in the description and the pin comment below. It's completely free. So go ahead and click down there and check it out. And this is my favorite method and it's documenting your journey. And this is the one that's had the biggest impact on my life. And it's something anyone can do. So it really doesn't matter what you're doing in your life. You could be becoming a nurse or you could be learning code, or you could be learning a trade. In all of these cases, what you should be doing is documenting your journey along the way. And when I say document your journey, I'm talking about sharing your experiences, your struggles, your successes, whatever you're going through. And for me, that meant starting a YouTube channel. And I think this is the easiest way to document your journey and get a lot of exposure. And I began by talking about my struggles with college degrees and the education system. So life kind of gave me lemons and I made lemonade out of it. I shared how many degrees were too expensive and didn't even help people land jobs or prepare them for the real world. And basically I was creating content for the younger version of myself and addressing the problems that I used to have. Now I'll be honest at first growth was slow, really slow, but then something incredible happened. I met a mentor who showed me the secrets to growing on YouTube. And after that things started taking off. The real turning point though, that came when I fully committed to being genuine and authentic. I stopped trying to be what I thought a YouTuber should be and just focused on providing real value and the results. Well, now my channel makes multiple six figures per month. Yeah, you heard that right. From documenting my journey and helping others, I now make more in a month than most people make in a year. So what are the key lessons here? Be authentic. People can spot fake from a mile away. Also provide genuine value, focus on solving real problems for your audience. And the easiest way to do this is to just think of the problems that you had a few years ago and you were able to solve. And consistency is key. So success rarely happens overnight. So learn from those who have succeeded before you and a good mentor can save you years of trial and error. Now, how can you get started documenting your journey? Well, first of all, you want to choose a platform and I think YouTube is the best platform for that. And then you want to start creating content consistently and it doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be real. And you want to focus on providing value and solving problems for your audience. And then you want to be patient. Building an audience takes time, but the payoff can be huge. And the common thread here is to go where the opportunity is. And by the way, I have a completely free YouTube crash course. That's going to teach you exactly what you need to know to start and grow a YouTube channel. And you can check that out in the description in the pin comment below. It's completely free. Now you might've noticed a common thread running through all these methods. The idea of going where the opportunity is. In selling eyeglass cleaner, I went to where people were gathering. In tutoring, I focused on high value high demand tests. And in documenting my journey, I created content that filled a real need. And this principle is crucial. There's a common misconception that if a lot of people are doing something, it must be a good opportunity. But often the best opportunities are in places others overlook. So sometimes you need to zag when others zig. Don't be afraid to take the road less traveled. That's often where the real opportunities lie. Now, let me tell you how these methods have changed my life because it's been nothing short of transformational. Today, I'm able to travel the world. I maintain my YouTube channel only having to work four hours a week. Basically all I have to do is record the videos now and then everything else is handled by my team. And I have enough money to retire, but I keep doing this because I love it. I love helping people change their lives in the way that I changed mine. But here's the thing. It's not about money. It's about freedom. The freedom to live life on my own terms, to pursue my passions and to make a real difference in people's lives. Now, I know what some of you might be thinking, Shane, that's great for you, but these methods won't work for me. Or maybe I don't have any special skills or I'm not comfortable putting myself out there. And let me address these one by one. First of all, these methods won't work for me. How do you know if you haven't tried? I started with nothing and if I can do it, so can you. I don't have any special skills. Well, everyone is good at something. And even if you're not, you can become good at something with enough practice and dedication. I'm not comfortable putting myself out there. Well, neither was I at first. But remember, growth happens outside your comfort zone. Start small and build your confidence over time. And the truth is, the biggest obstacle to your success is your own mindset. Change that and you can change your life. So what's your next step? Well, that depends on which of these methods resonates with you most. Maybe it's all three. Now, if you're someone who wants to land a good job, but you have no idea what you want to do, I highly recommend you check out my video where I rank the best Google professional certificates. These are certificates where it's either free or very cheap to try them out. And you can kind of dip your toe in a bunch of different careers and see which one you like the most. And you can check that video out by clicking right here.