When I first started my secret blog back in 2018, I did what most of us do: I binged advice from business coaches, marketing gurus, and YouTube rabbit holes.

And wow… some of that advice was downright silly.

Honestly? Some of it was complete BS. 😅

Fast forward to today, after building my cozy online business into a six-figure income stream, I can confidently say…

You have permission to completely ignore the following “tips.”

Let’s dive in. 🥰 

 

 

Related Reads:

• 7 Passive Income Ideas for Introverts Who Hate the Camera
• How to Organize Your Squiggly Creative Brain
• How to Start a Profitable Blog in 2025

 

 

For my visual learners:  

 

 

 

1. “Passive income is the dream.”

Ah yes, passive income.

The magical promise that money will flow into your account while you nap lol…

Here’s the truth → nothing in online business is 100% passive.

Unless you’re investing money into the stock market or index funds (and letting compound interest do its thing), there will always be some level of work involved.

Even if you build an online course or an evergreen funnel, there’s:

• Upfront work (creating the product, setting up tech)
• Ongoing work (updating, answering customer questions, tweaking funnels)

Passive income is possible, but it’s really “front-loaded work with ongoing maintenance.” Not a set-it-and-forget-it money tree.

 

 

2. “Just use trending sounds to grow on Instagram.”

Please, no.

Trends are fun, but they’re not a strategy. You don’t want to rely on lip-syncing to audio clips you don’t even like.

Instead, choose music and sounds that actually feel on-brand.

For me, that’s cozy, acoustic vibes (Bon Iver, Alexi Murdoch… you get the picture).

When your content matches your personality instead of chasing trends, you’ll build a more authentic connection.

 

 

3. “Niche down until it hurts.”

Nope. Hard pass. ❌

I know niching is the internet’s favorite business advice, but here’s what actually works: build a brand and a vibe, not just a hyper-narrow niche.

Create content you genuinely enjoy making.

Let your niche evolve naturally as you discover what resonates with you and your audience.

I didn’t pick a niche first; I just started posting, testing, and experimenting.

The niche found me. 🤭

 

 

4. “Find your niche before you start.”

This goes hand-in-hand with the advice above.

And again, I say: no way José.

• Start first.
• Experiment.
• Share what excites you.

See what ✨sparks✨ interest in your audience.

Over time, you’ll refine your focus.

If I had waited to have the “perfect niche,” I’d probably still be waiting.

 

 

5. “You have to talk to the camera to build trust.”

Do videos help? Absolutely. Seeing your face and hearing your voice can speed up the know-like-trust factor.

But do you have to? Nope.

The first few years of my business were built entirely on blogging.

I grew a community of over 4,000 email subscribers without showing my face on camera.

If video makes you panic, start with words.

Write blog posts, emails, or carousels.

Sprinkle in your story, your perspective, your quirks.

People WILL connect with your content, video or no video.

Confidence grows over time. Start where you’re comfortable.

 

 

6. “The more pageviews you have, the more money you’ll make.”

This one sounds logical, but it’s super misleading.

Yes, traffic matters, but pageviews alone don’t equal profit.

Unless you’re running ads on millions of monthly views, pageviews aren’t going to pay the bills.

What actually matters? Your email list.

Most sales happen in the inbox, not on your blog.

A cozy list of 500 engaged subscribers is more valuable than 50,000 pageviews with zero sign-ups.

My blog gets 50k–100k pageviews a month, but ad revenue maxes out around $1,000.

Meanwhile, my email list generates $7k+ months.

Traffic is just the starting point.

Your goal is always: get people off your blog and onto your list.

 

 

7. “You need to be everywhere online to succeed.”

Nope.

This is a one-way ticket to burnout.

Pick one platform. Learn it. Master it.

Stick with it for at least six months to a year before you move on.

For me, 2025 is YouTube.

That’s my home base. Sure, I repurpose content for Instagram and my blog, but my energy is hyper-focused.

Especially when you’re starting out, being “everywhere” just means being stretched thin.

Be somewhere consistently, that’s what works.

 

 

The Bottom Line

There’s a lot of advice swirling around the online business world. Some of it’s helpful. Some of it? Not so much.

Here’s what I want you to take away:

• Passive income takes work.
• Authenticity beats trends.
• Your niche will evolve.
• Video is optional.
• Pageviews don’t equal profit.
• Focus beats being everywhere.

At the end of the day, your business doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

You get to build it in the cozy, introvert-friendly way that works for you.

So post the content. Start the thing.

✨Build the vibe✨

Don’t overthink it, and definitely don’t wait for perfection.

Pinky-promise? 🥰