At 29, after 15 med school rejections, he's now making online $245,000 monthly.

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• Through his various income streams, including affiliate marketing, YouTube ads, online course sales, and coaching, he averages around $197,700 per month.

• His content spans YouTube, where he has over 650,000 followers, and other platforms like Instagram. All the success stems from his strategic approach to content creation, leveraging tools like Google Trends for affiliate marketing, and offering valuable educational resources through platforms like Kajabi and Zoom for his courses and coaching sessions, respectively.

• He's also the founder of a new start up and is developing Side Hustle Mastery alongside its newsletter.

How did you build a $1.5M/ year online business?

I started uploading to YouTube in 2006, yet my videos were sporadic and lacked a clear focus.

Eventually, I chose to concentrate on the subject that intrigued me the most: finance.

Having been raised in an extremely cost-conscious household, I was always fascinated by devising strategies for better earning, saving, and investing.

In 2018, I launched a new YouTube channel focused on financial guidance.

I committed to posting nearly daily, extending my reach to Instagram and TikTok as well.

However, in April 2020, roughly a month after Covid-19 was recognized as a pandemic, I observed a surge in interest regarding content related to the stimulus package.

That month, I uploaded 20 videos on YouTube discussing the stimulus checks and relief measures.

One of these videos caught fire, bringing in $10,078 in ad revenue and attracting 30,300 new subscribers.

In May, I released 19 videos and earned $15,791 from ad revenue.

By June, I had secured my first sponsorship contract with Foundr, an online educational platform, which paid me $250 for a single TikTok post.

I continued to explore various types of video content to determine what most effectively expanded my audience and drew brand interest.

By November, having clinched another partnership and amassed about 200,000 subscribers, I felt encouraged to introduce my first online course, aimed at teaching others how to launch successful YouTube channels.

Come 2021, I ventured into affiliate marketing, adding a new revenue stream.

I earned $86,000 in January alone, eventually averaging $150,000 per month throughout the year.

How much does each source of income generate?

With over 650,000 followers on YouTube today, my earnings this year have averaged around $197,700 monthly through five diverse income streams, many of which offer passive income.

At one peak, my monthly income soared to $245,000.

The most enjoyable part of the business I've developed is the flexibility it affords me in deciding my work hours and location.

Some days, I might not work at all, while on others, I can work up to 12 hours. On average, my workweek spans about 35 hours.

Next, I'll share the strategies behind building each of my income streams:

1. Affiliate Marketing: 40% of Monthly Income

Affiliate marketing allows me to earn a commission by promoting products or services from other brands.

I incorporate affiliate links within the descriptions of my YouTube videos and on my website.

Whenever someone clicks on these links leading to a brand's product page or completes a purchase, I earn a commission.

To generate passive income via affiliate marketing, it's crucial to embed links within content that's highly targeted and sought after within your niche.

This approach can yield clicks for months, even well beyond the initial posting date.

For instance, I strategically use captions tied to popular search terms, identified through tools like Google Trends.

I secure most of my affiliate partnerships through platforms such as Impact Radius, Partnerstack, and Share-A-Sale.

These platforms are accessible to creators of all audience sizes, offering a way to discover and participate in affiliate marketing programs.

2. Brand sponsorships: 25% of monthly income

With brand sponsorships, companies essentially pay me to mention them in one of my videos or on my website.

Brands typically reach out to me via the email address on my YouTube profile, but I also work with agencies like Spacestation to secure more sponsorships.

Finding a niche helped me grow a loyal and authentic audience, which has been crucial to my success.

I answered Covid-related finance questions that no one else was addressing.

Then I took the concepts with the highest audience engagement and ran with them.

“What I love about the business I’ve built is that the money I make isn’t directly tied to my time,” says Chang. “I can choose when and where I want to work.”

3. YouTube Ads: 25% of Monthly Income

A quarter of my monthly earnings comes from YouTube AdSense ads, which are displayed before or during my videos.

Eligibility for this program requires a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours over the past 12 months.

Upon joining, maintaining regular uploads and tailoring content to what resonates with your audience is crucial for success.

4. Course Sales: Less Than 5% of Monthly Income

My courses, "6-Figure YouTube Academy" and "Personal Brand Masterclass," are offered on Kajabi, a platform that required extensive preparation, research, filming, and editing to launch these courses.

For the YouTube Academy, I meticulously planned the curriculum for each video using Notion, a digital organization tool, and designed slides in Keynote to enhance the video content.

The filming process spanned over a week, during which I produced over a hundred videos.

Editing was a personal task, undertaken with Final Cut Pro X.

5. Coaching: Less Than 5% of Monthly Income

I engage in one-on-one coaching sessions, consulting clients on strategies to enhance their business success.

These sessions provide a valuable opportunity to connect with my audience personally and understand their individual needs.

The coaching is conducted through Zoom, enabling me to work with clients globally. For each 60-minute session, I charge $500.

Additionally, I've been developing StartupWise, a resource platform aimed at supporting new businesses and entrepreneurs.

I'm also in the process of establishing Side Hustle Mastery and its associated newsletter, Hustle Club, to further assist individuals in their entrepreneurial endeavors.