I Make $13K/Month at Age 24 💸

Kelsey Rodriguez is an oil painter and YouTuber who will make over $150K this year -- thanks to a risky bet to pursue her passion for art.

I interviewed Kelsey to learn how she got started, how she makes money, and the breakdown of her revenue across all her income sources.

Check out the full video on YouTube (embedded below), or keep reading for highlights from our conversation.

How She Got Started

In 2020, Kelsey Rodriguez was studying political science in college -- but then the pandemic hit. When her internship plans fell through, she decided to spend the summer pursuing her love of art.

She started a YouTube channel to document her journey, and saw steady growth -- until her channel really took off in 2022:

Kelsey's Revenue Breakdown

Kelsey's revenue has grown alongside her channel.

2023's annual revenue was $110K, while 2024 is on track for $150K to $160K.

The bulk of Kelsey's revenue comes from sponsorships on her YouTube channel -- up to $7000/mo. YouTube's AdSense ads bring in up to $3800/mo.

Coaching is a growing income stream, and can deliver up to $4000/mo.

Sales of her artwork, workbooks and Notion templates bring in up to $1500/mo, while affiliate marketing brings in up to $200/mo.

Future Plans

Going forward, Kelsey plans to ramp up her mentoring services -- teaching people how to grow their art businesses. She plans to scale this part of the business and reach more aspiring artists.

But she also plans to promote her own artwork more, using Instagram to display her art prints.

Congrats Kelsey on your success, and look out for more business breakdowns in the coming weeks!

—Pete