If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s still possible to make real money blogging in 2025, you’re not alone.
Everywhere you look online, people promise “passive income” and “easy profits” — but for most creators, the reality looks more like endless writing, testing, and tweaking before the first $1 shows up.
In this post, I’m sharing my transparent journey inside Income School’s Project 24, a program designed to help people replace their 9-to-5 income with online business through blogging and YouTube. After joining in 2018, I’ve seen the ups, the downs, and the lessons that no one tells you about — including how I made my first $1.25 from AdSense and what I’m doing to hit the $1,000/month mark.
If you’re serious about building platform-proof, long-term online income through blogging, affiliate marketing, and content creation, this post will show you what it really takes.
The Starting Line: $1.25 and Broken Affiliate Links
When I checked my analytics recently, I saw something both exciting and humbling — my total AdSense earnings came to $1.25. It wasn’t much, but it was proof that something was working. My blog was live, content was being read, and Google was paying attentionIncome School’s Big Challenge –….
But then I made an important discovery: many of my Amazon affiliate links were broken.
Even though I had clicks, I wasn’t getting any conversions. That realization led to one of the most underrated habits of successful affiliate marketers — monthly link audits. Inside the Amazon Associates dashboard, there’s a tool that checks for inactive or outdated links, and I now make sure to use it every month.
Fixing those broken links doesn’t just protect potential commissions — it helps maintain trust with readers who click expecting to land on relevant products. This small, consistent maintenance habit is part of the “unseen work” that turns tiny earnings into scalable income.
Inside Project 24’s Warrior Challenge: 60,000 Words of Momentum
At the start of the year, Income School launched the Warrior Challenge, a short-term accountability sprint for Project 24 members. The goal? Create 60,000 words of content across blog posts and YouTube videos — roughly 30 pieces of content totalIncome School’s Big Challenge –….
Why 60,000 words?
Because consistency is the lifeblood of blogging. Publishing that much content forces you to build momentum and develop a system. Each article or video is another seed planted that can bring traffic and income months down the road.
At my current pace, I’ve written around 17,000 words, which means hitting 60K will require about 2,200 words per day. It’s challenging, but it’s also achievable with structure, focus, and discipline.
Project 24 even gives a small incentive — a digital badge that appears next to your username when you reach the goal. It’s a gamified motivator, but the real reward is the content library you build.
💡 Pro Tip: Don’t obsess over SEO tricks early on. Focus on publishing valuable, search-friendly content consistently. Google rewards helpfulness and persistence more than perfection.
The Truth About “Passive Income”
Let’s clear something up: blogging is not truly passive — at least, not at the start.
Most people picture “set it and forget it,” but the reality looks more like “set it and sweat it.” You work extremely hard in the beginning to create a foundation that can later generate revenue on autopilotIncome School’s Big Challenge –….
Passive income comes after the grind — after you’ve built systems, optimized posts, and learned how to monetize. It’s earned through hundreds of small actions: publishing, updating, testing, and improving.
That’s what Project 24 encourages — work hard for six months, and then let your content compound.
Over time, you’ll notice trickles of traffic becoming streams, and small earnings becoming sustainable income.
💡 Want to skip the trial and error?
Get access to templates, systems, and AI tools that help you publish faster inside the Platform-Proof Profits Membership — where creators turn their traffic into predictable income.
👉 Join today
Building Better Systems: Lessons from Blogging and Business
The Project 24 model is powerful because it emphasizes consistent publishing over manipulative SEO tactics. Instead of chasing backlinks or “black-hat” tricks, the focus is on creating high-quality, useful content that earns attention naturally.
But to sustain that consistency, you need systems. Here’s what I’ve implemented so far:
1. Content Batching
I record multiple YouTube videos and draft several blog posts at once, then schedule them for future release. This “set it and schedule it” workflow prevents burnout and keeps my content pipeline full.
2. Outsourcing Strategically
Recently, I began contracting writers for blog posts. It’s an upfront investment, but it frees up time to focus on strategy, SEO, and monetization. Hiring even one or two freelancers can help you scale faster than doing everything aloneIncome School’s Big Challenge –….
3. Maintenance Before Growth
Sometimes, fixing small issues — like cleaning up a confusing site menu or optimizing your hosting — can do more for your performance than chasing new projects. I learned this firsthand when tweaking my site’s navigation unexpectedly took hours but made the site far easier to browse.
4. Choosing Reliable Tools
I currently host with NameHero, a platform that offers good uptime and support for growing sites. Reliable hosting is a must if you’re building a business asset that depends on traffic.
Expanding Beyond Blogging: The Web Hosting Side Hustle
While Project 24 focuses on blogs and YouTube, I’m also building a web hosting and design business — a natural extension of my online journey.
The idea is simple: use my technical skills to help local businesses in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the northeastern Illinois area build better, mobile-friendly websitesIncome School’s Big Challenge –….
Here’s the vision:
- Design modern, responsive websites for local businesses.
- Offer a hosting service with incentives (e.g., $50 off annual billing for referrals).
- Build recurring income that complements my blogging efforts.
Right now, that business is still in the red — startup costs, hosting fees, and software add up fast. But the goal is clear: land five new clients by the end of March, build case studies, and leverage referrals for compounding growth.
Over time, I want my first blog site to generate enough income to fund the others, creating a mini ecosystem of profitable websites — a true platform-proof income model.
Overcoming Mental Blocks: The Fear of Reaching Out
Interestingly, one of my biggest challenges isn’t technical — it’s psychological.
Having worked in call centers and education, I developed a reluctance to make outbound calls. Reaching out to potential clients feels uncomfortable because I associate it with rejection or negativity.
But success in business requires contact. To grow, I need to overcome that resistance and start proactively networking. Whether it’s phone calls, emails, or local outreach, building relationships is the key to consistent leads.
This mindset applies to blogging, too. Don’t wait for traffic to magically find you — share your content, connect with other creators, and actively market your message.
How Project 24 Shapes Long-Term Blogging Success
What makes Project 24 unique isn’t the promise of instant riches — it’s the focus on long-term skill development.
The framework encourages creators to think in timelines, not viral moments. Members are given a roadmap that helps them progress from learning to earning.
That means:
- Building a library of 30+ quality blog posts.
- Publishing consistent YouTube videos that support your niche.
- Ignoring shiny objects (like AI “shortcut” tools) until you have your fundamentals down.
It’s not glamorous, but it’s sustainable.
When you follow this model, you’re not just making posts — you’re building digital assets that work for you long after you’ve hit publish.
Monetization Strategies That Actually Work
Reaching $1,000/month with blogging is realistic — if you combine multiple income streams:
1. Ad Revenue
Once your blog gains traction, Google AdSense or platforms like Ezoic can turn traffic into steady income. It starts small (like my $1.25!), but grows exponentially with each 1,000 visitors.
2. Affiliate Marketing
Promote tools or products you genuinely use, such as hosting providers, keyword tools, or software relevant to your niche. Fix broken links often and track conversions.
3. Digital Products
Once you’ve built authority, consider launching eBooks, templates, or checklists related to your topic. These assets can multiply your earnings without relying on algorithms.
4. Local Services
If you have web or design skills, use your blog as a portfolio hub for local business services. This dual approach builds trust and adds real-world clients to your digital audience.
Scaling the Vision: Turning One Site into Many
My long-term goal is simple — have my main site generate enough income to fund new projects.
Each new site becomes a testing ground for different niches, traffic sources, and monetization methods. Eventually, this forms a portfolio of blogs that sustain one another.
The beauty of this approach is leverage. When you reinvest profits into hiring writers and designers, your publishing output multiplies — and so does your income.
Instead of chasing viral trends, focus on steady, strategic scaling. Treat your blog like a business, and it will pay you like one.
Final Thoughts: Building the $1K/Month Foundation
Blogging in 2025 isn’t dead — it’s just evolved. The creators who win aren’t the ones chasing quick hacks; they’re the ones publishing consistently, tracking results, and treating content like an asset.
Income School’s Project 24 gives you the structure. But success depends on your execution, mindset, and systems. If you can commit to creating 60,000 words of valuable content, fixing what’s broken, and showing up every week, that $1,000/month milestone becomes inevitable.
So whether you’re just starting your first blog or scaling your fourth, remember this:
Blogging rewards the doers — not the dreamers.
💡 Next Step:
Want to see how I automate my blog and YouTube workflow to create content faster and grow income predictably?
👉 Join the Platform-Proof Profits Membership — get templates, AI tools, and systems that help you turn your content into cash.