Earn 160,000 USD per month even working 5 hours a week

Graham Cochrane (USA) is the author of How to Get Paid for What You Know and a business coach with more than 2,800 clients worldwide. On CNBC, he shares the process of starting a business and how to have a good passive income without working too much.

Since childhood, I have loved music and always wanted to be a musician. However, I pursue my dream in a more realistic way – working as a sound engineer during office hours and producing freelance music for artists in my spare time.

However, in 2009, at the age of 26, I lost my job and decided to make my side job my main job. At first, my husband and I were quite struggling. I only make 800 – 1,000 USD per month. Meanwhile, my wife brings in 500-1000 USD from photography work. In addition to the income from self-employment, we had to live off of savings and food stamps. We also have children. That’s when the economic pressure really comes in.

So, later that year, I decided to start a music blog called The Recording Revolution to make money. I realized that having an Internet presence would help me meet more clients.

It took a while for me to learn how to make a profit. Now, I’m earning more than ever. The Recording Revolution generates $40,000 in revenue per month. I also make 120,000 USD per month from online coaching. I teach clients exactly what I did to make The Recording Revolution a success.

At 38, I’ve achieved the unthinkable: Working just five hours a week at both jobs. The rest of the time, I spend with my family.

How did I turn my passion into a business?

I started a blog and a YouTube channel for Recording Revolution to share what I know about music and get more clients for the production. Initially, I posted 3 blogs on the website and one video on YouTube per week. I share quick, detailed tutorials on recording techniques, editing, and product reviews, and interviews with musicians and other producers.

During my first year of using YouTube, I noticed an increase in daily views from 60 to 2,000. As viewership grew, I saw an opportunity to monetize my content.

In the beginning, I made 200 – 1,000 USD per month by enabling in-video ads and promoting more products. To get these deals, I actively send traffic statistics and viewership characteristics to the brands that my video audience likes. I suggest promoting their products in YouTube videos or placing banners on my blog.

By 2010, I had found the key to making my business more attractive. It is creating digital products, like eBooks or online courses. In it, I’ll teach people the valuable skills I’ve acquired throughout my career.

How do I make 160,000 USD per month from passive income?

In April 2010, I created and sold my first online course – teaching how to use the famous Pro Tools recording software for $45. I use Screenflow screen recording software to record actions, and voice over to describe how Pro Tools works.

Before the video, I outline what I want to share and in what order, and then take 3-4 hours to shoot and edit. Friends suggested I advertise the course via email. To attract subscribers, I also give away eBooks. When I sold my first online course, I had 500 subscribers.

In 2012, I started downsizing the production. Currently, I sell dozens of online courses, priced from 67 to 397 USD.

In 2021, after quitting daily content production, The Recording Revolution brought in $40,000 per month. For the past 6 months, I have a passive income of $120,000 per month from selling courses, personal training and affiliate marketing commissions.

From October 2018 to September 2019, my business reached 1 million USD in revenue. Currently, about 2,800 business owners are using my coaching products. My goal is to help them grow their online business with fewer hours.

Ha Thu (according to CNBC)