{"id":18003,"date":"2024-02-09T15:47:29","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T15:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/young-money-interview-4-charlie-from-college-life-made-easy\/"},"modified":"2024-05-24T19:39:42","modified_gmt":"2024-05-24T19:39:42","slug":"young-money-interview-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/young-money-interview-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Money Interview #4 &#8211; Charlie From College Life Made Easy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If there's one fact I've mentioned time and time again on WebMonkey it's that&nbsp;<strong>you can always find a way to make money online&nbsp;<\/strong>or by using technology.<\/p>\n<p>It doesn't matter if you turn to the <a title=\"The Best Gig Economy Jobs \u2013 Make Extra Money On The Side\" href=\"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/gig-economy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">gig economy<\/a> or to more <a title=\"13 Location Independent Job Ideas \u2013 Say Goodbye To The Office\" href=\"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/remote-jobs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">location independent jobs<\/a>, with enough know-how and determination, it is possible to increase your income by working online.<\/p>\n<p>I've been slowly <a title=\"The Road To A $100\/Month Blog \u2013 Making Money Through Blogging\" href=\"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/making-money-with-blogging\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">growing my blogging income<\/a> and trying to take WebMonkey more seriously, so I was incredibly excited to have Charlie, one of the co-founders of <a href=\"https:\/\/collegelifemadeeasy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">College Life Made Easy<\/a>, agree to take part in my Young Money Interview series.<\/p>\n<p>Not only in Charlie a full-time blogger running an absolutely incredible blog catering to college students, she also uses a variety of other side hustles to make money every single month!<\/p>\n<p>Now, if you've missed the other guests on my Young Money Interview series, I highly recommend checking them out:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Kyle from Financial Wolves on website flipping.<\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Young Money Interview #2 \u2013 Nathan From Millionaire Dojo \u2013 eBay Flipping\" href=\"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/young-money-interview-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nathan from MillionaireDojo on eBay selling.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Young Money Interview #3 \u2013 Todd From Invested Wallet \u2013 Blog Profits\" href=\"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/young-money-interview-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Todd from Invested Wallet on profitable blogging.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But, if you're up to speed and ready to see how Charlie from College Life Made Easy makes all of her income through blogging and various side hustles, read on!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>About Charlie, College Life Made Easy, & Side Hustling:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3320 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/charlie-college-life-made-easy.jpg\" alt=\"charlie-college-life-made-easy\" width=\"215\" height=\"215\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My pen name is Charlie. I\u2019ve lived in quite a few places, but I\u2019m currently residing on the West Coast in the Portland metro area. I\u2019m one of those people who find overcast days to be deeply satisfying.&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m a free spirit, a low-key hippie, and my path to entrepreneurial success has been a bit unconventional.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What I value most in life is freedom, or the ability to do <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">whatever I want, whenever want<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For college, I went to a very crunchy school for massage therapy. The choice was an impulsive decision (I submitted my application riiiight before admissions closed). I had also never even received a professional massage in my life&nbsp; up to that point.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After taking a gap year, I still wasn\u2019t sure what I wanted to do for a career.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what I did know was that&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I wanted a career that paid well.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I wanted to be able to minimize work hours so I could maximize my free time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I didn\u2019t want to spend a long time in school.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My leap in the dark panned out, and I even had a knack for body work. My first massage job out of school paid $25\/hr, and I was making $40\/hr within 9 months.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Was it my calling in life? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No, but I appreciate that I got what I needed from the job and more. I learned invaluable lessons (about other people and myself) from working in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My career as a licensed massage therapist gave me so many personal freedoms which is what facilitated the discovery of my true passion, and I\u2019ll always be grateful for that!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Starting College Life Made Easy:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>I started College Life Made Easy in 2016, and it originally started as a coupon blog for college students.<\/p>\n<p>However, there isn't a massive demographic for student coupons, so the blog sort of morphed into more of a college lifestyle blog.<\/p>\n<p>I still wanted to help college students manage their finances, and College Life Made Easy has plenty of awesome freebies, coupons, and information on <a href=\"https:\/\/collegelifemadeeasy.com\/category\/college-tips\/scholarships\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">college scholarships<\/a> to help students save money.<\/p>\n<p>SEO drives a lot of my search traffic, and the College Life Made Easy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.ca\/esycollegelife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pinterest account<\/a> currently has more than 23,000 followers. In terms of SEO research tools I've used Google Keyword Planner and the chrome extension <a href=\"https:\/\/keywordseverywhere.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Keywords Everywhere<\/a> to find low competition keywords I can write about.<\/p>\n<p>College Life Made Easy is monetized through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediavine.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mediavine ads<\/a>, sponsored posts sometimes, and affiliate links, and has allowed me to make blogging into my full-time job.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that I\u2019ve transitioned into blogging full time, it\u2019s fun to say that I\u2019m retired from the traditional 9-5 at the ripe age of 25!&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Other Side Hustles:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to side hustles, I like to take a diversified approach. So there are a few different avenues I like to use to make extra money. My three main squeezes are the ones I\u2019ll focus on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For one, I enjoy using an app called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fieldagent.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Field Agent<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The app offers cash for completing different tasks within the surrounding local area.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tasks vary, but for example, a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> job might want you to audit a display in a store by taking pictures and answering a few questions. Another will have you try a product and provide feedback.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What I really like about Field Agent is that it\u2019s easy to use, and they pay via direct deposit. Plus, there\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">no minimum<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> balance to cash out.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another way I made money on the side with is a survey website called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.prolific.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Prolific<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It\u2019s different than any other survey website that I\u2019ve used, and in a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">really<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> good way.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The surveys on Prolific are actually studies that are being conducted by researchers, which can make things more interesting. Studies pay pretty decently compared to how long they take to complete as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best part about Prolific is that you\u2019re always compensated for the time you spend completing a survey (so long as you provide quality answers). If there\u2019s a study available for you take, you already qualify for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I never have to deal with getting kicked off a survey for \u201cnot qualifying\u201d after answering a bunch of questions, and that is SO refreshing!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The third is a side hustle blended with a passion project. I have an Instagram page called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/olderlabs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Older Labs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and it\u2019s been my jumping point for creating a <\/span><b>small retail brand<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3322 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/olderlabs-instagram.png\" alt=\"olderlabs-instagram\" width=\"258\" height=\"370\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s basically what it sounds like &#8211; a page where the theme is old Labrador Retrievers. I created a website for Older Labs where I sell clothing via <a title=\"How to Start a Dropshipping Business in 48 Hours \u2013 My Dropshipping Guide\" href=\"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/go\/Dropshipping-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dropshipping<\/a>. I\u2019ve also printed up batches of stickers and I ship those out myself.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>When & Why Did You Start?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I first started using Field Agent in the fall of 2018. I don\u2019t remember exactly where I first heard about it, but it might have been on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/beermoney\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">r\/beermoney<\/a> actually. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I also started using Prolific around the same time.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I began those side hustles because I was doing research for an article about easy ways for college students to make money. Of course, before making any recommendations, I need to take them for a test drive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s safe to say they passed my review as I haven\u2019t stopped using them yet!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I started the Older Labs Instagram page in June of 2017. I opened my online store for it in the spring of 2018.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The inspiration for the page was my senior dog, Knuckles, who was 16 at the time. I saw there were hundreds of Instagram accounts dedicated to sharing pictures of puppies, but there weren\u2019t really any for dogs on the other end of the spectrum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Old dogs need some love and appreciation too! I felt there was potential for the senior dog niche and I seized the opportunity to fill the void.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Okay, but <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Labradors in particular right?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I went with senior Labs because:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019re the most popular dog breed in America.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I wanted to create a clear and concise theme for the page.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>Results:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With Field Agent and Prolific, I\u2019ve consistently made an extra couple hundred dollars a month. And that\u2019s just with casual use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ll usually check the Field Agent app when I\u2019m about to go to the store to see if there are any jobs in the same area. Prolific I\u2019ll check when I remember to (which is not the best way to optimize earnings).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If I was on top of my game more with those two streams of income, I could have easily doubled those earnings. I\u2019ve learned that there\u2019s a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/prolific-assistant\/ocfncbnofopjedoepmekajbgdenadepp?hl=en-US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chrome extension<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that alerts you when there is a new Prolific study is available &#8211; it\u2019s very handy!&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Running my Older Labs account has also been a great way to connect with other people all over the world. The bonding over a mutual love of old dogs can be beautiful and heartbreaking at times.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Running an online store and figuring out dropshipping has taught me a lot, too. It\u2019s something new for me and I'm enjoying the challenge of figuring it out.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Wins & Losses:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outside of growing my blog to a full-time job, the biggest win for my side hustles has simply been watching the the community around Older Labs grow. The hashtag I started on Instagram has over <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/explore\/tags\/olderlabs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">71,000 uses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> right now. That\u2019s a little mind blowing to me!&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I feel like I hit the nail on the head with the idea. All the interest around it is very encouraging.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My biggest loss was investing in a logo for Older Labs way too early. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being excitable and impatient, I got ahead of myself. I paid a pretty penny for the work of a professional graphic designer, and while h<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e was great to work with and I loved the design, I wish I had held the reigns a little longer on that decision.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the logo is beautiful, ironically my best performing design is something I whipped up myself. Live and learn, but that was a painful lesson for my wallet.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What Advice Do You Have For Other Young Entrepreneurs?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019d like to think that you can learn almost anything online. You don\u2019t have to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wish <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for something<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, because you can accomplish it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mind is a powerful thing. Seriously. As inconsequential as it sounds, it all starts with believing that you can and will be successful. Not only that, but you deserve to be successful.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, start now. However you can, whenever you can. Keep learning and apply your knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experiment over time. What\u2019s working for you? What\u2019s not working?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The original way I imagined how things would work VS what actually did is vastly different. So, be flexible and willing to change your strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you have something that\u2019s working, don\u2019t become stagnant. The only certainties in life are taxes, death, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> impermanence. You need to be constantly adapting to changes for continued success.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Becoming complacent will steadily but surely kill a thriving endeavor. Celebrate your wins, but keep in mind that nothing is permanent.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your end goal is making money, then <strong>focus on what people already have an interest in<\/strong>. You can do what other people are doing, but don\u2019t think that you can do the exact same thing and experience the same amount of success. Find a way to make your &#8216;thing' different!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do keyword research to get a better understanding of what people want, assess the competition, and then capitalize on less saturated niches!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Final Thoughts:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>I'd like to thank Charlie for taking the time to be a part of my Young Money interview series.<\/p>\n<p>I find it truly inspiring that Charlie is able to make a full-time income from blogging even though she's just recently graduated from college. The fact that she can also find the time to make a few extra hundred dollars every month from her side hustles&nbsp;<em>and&nbsp;<\/em>grow a considerable social media following for her ecommerce brand is remarkable.<\/p>\n<p>I think Charlie's entrepreneurial success really highlights the fact that you can earn income online in so many different ways. As long as you take Charlie's suggestion and focus on serving the needs of a market while differentiating yourself from the competition, you can start to make progress in your industry\/niche.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"How to Start a Successful Blog \u2013 A Guide to Blogging as a Beginner\" href=\"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/blogging-beginner-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Starting a successful blog<\/a> or online venture will be a tough journey, don't get me wrong, but the rewards are certainly worth it if you put in the effort and continue to adapt to challenge.<\/p>\n<p>I highly recommend checking out Charlie's blog if you are currently in college and looking for some very useful resources, and definitely check out College Life Made Easy on their socials!<\/p>\n<p>Catch you guys in the next one!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If there&#8217;s one fact I&#8217;ve mentioned time and time again on WebMonkey it&#8217;s that&nbsp;you can always find a way to make money online&nbsp;or by using technology. It doesn&#8217;t matter if you turn to the gig economy or to more location independent jobs, with enough know-how and determination, it is possible to increase your income by&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":100,"featured_media":18006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[132,142,160],"class_list":["post-18003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogging","tag-online-money-making","tag-side-hustles","tag-young-money"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":138,"label":"Blogging"}],"post_tag":[{"value":132,"label":"Online Money Making"},{"value":142,"label":"Side Hustles"},{"value":160,"label":"Young Money"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/young-money-interview-4.jpg",640,426,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Tom Blake","author_link":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/author\/thisonlineworld\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":138,"name":"Blogging","slug":"blogging","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":138,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":35,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":138,"category_count":35,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Blogging","category_nicename":"blogging","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":132,"name":"Online Money Making","slug":"online-money-making","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":132,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":41,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":142,"name":"Side Hustles","slug":"side-hustles","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":142,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":38,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":160,"name":"Young Money","slug":"young-money","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":160,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18003"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/100"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18003"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18003\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}