My proudest paycheck isn’t what you’d expect

Last year, I set an ambitious goal: write everyday for an hour for the month of January.

I was excited and a bit intimidated. But, what I didn’t know is that this month long stint would lead me to my proudest paycheck to date. I cried tears of joy when I read the final amount.

Here’s how much I made:

A screenshot from my Medium account at the end of January 2021.

Surprised by the amount?

Let me explain why $0.28 means way more to me than any of the monetarily greater paychecks I made last year.

I’ve been interested in making money online for some time now. I frequently watch videos and read articles with some variation of the title “How Much Money I Made in 2021.” I especially appreciate when creators are transparent with their income from platforms like YouTube, Medium, and Substack.

From 2019 to 2020, I gave content creation a chance. My brother and I built a podcast featuring conversations with notable activists, entrepreneurs, and academics with the ultimate aim of ending polarization. And while we reached over a million people across 80 countries with our conversations, we have yet to get monetization down pat.

I’ve been hungry to squeeze out even just a few cents from the growing online income piggy bank ever since. I’ve craved proof that what I’ve created online is worth others time and money.

During the month of January 2021, I wrote and published 7 pieces (some of my best writing to date), reaching ~2,000 readers and netting $0.28.

Thanks to Medium’s Partner Program and a critical shoutout from a creator friend, I accomplished two of my goals in one month: writing every day for a month and making money online.

I write this brief essay not to boast; instead, I hope it serves as a reminder to celebrate the small wins. Here’s to doubling down on what brings us joy this year.

With love,

Asher