This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Heather Freeman. Her Facebook page Coffee. mom Repeat. boasts 850,000 followers and brings in six figures a year. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Heather Freeman
What was your day job (or other sources of income) when you started your job? side hustle?
Before you become one influencerI was a part-time insurance agent and a stay-at-home mom.
When you started yours side hustleand where did you find the inspiration for it?
I started “Coffee. Mom. Again.” Facebook page in 2013, then called Mom's Time Out. I started posting affiliate links there in 2016. It wasn't until 2018 that it went viral after I posted a funny video of an 80s facial exercise. That same year, I officially changed the name of my Facebook page to Kafe. mom Repeat. after I passed 100,000 followers. I thought the name was more fun and cool.
I started monetizing my content as one influencer because I knew I wanted more out of life for my family – from being able to travel to living in a better home – and I wanted more time at home with my daughter. My then-husband worked hard to provide for the family financially, and I wanted to relieve him of some of that burden.
What were some of the first steps you took to get yours side hustle from the ground?
My cousin told me how her husband made his money affiliate marketing — sharing links with online sellers and earning commission from sales. I found it very interesting and picked his brain. He explained how it worked and I decided to apply to the Amazon Associates program, as it was the only one I knew of at the time.
I started posting on my little meme site and made $100 in my first month. From there, I started researching everything I could on Pinterest and Google. Affiliate Marketing and the influence was still very new, so it was a lot of trial and error.
I have built a reputation with my followers so they know what I'm promoting to them is a good product. I share real-life reviews of products I love and post constantly.
In 2023, I started using the influencer marketing platform Mavely to create affiliate shopping links to share with my followers. Mavely has played a huge role in my success because it has expanded my ability to earn commissions from various online retailers that my followers love, with hundreds of brand partners to choose from.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during your build? side hustleand how did you navigate them?
Online algorithms, for sure! It is challenging to see that one post will reach 500,000 people while another will only reach 2,500. This has been a challenge to deal with so my followers still see what I post.
In addition to Facebook posts, I have a email list where I'll highlight some amazing steals of the day. I also sometimes link in my stories on Instagram.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly income? How much did the side hustle earn?
In the beginning, I was consistently earning $100-$150 per month. Only in 2019 did it start to reach four and five figures. To date, I average $14,000 per month. My biggest month, I made almost $30,000, and my lowest (recently) was $8,900.
What do you like most about this business?
of flexibility! I can go on vacation tomorrow if I want, and I just need to make sure my laptop is with me so I can still work. I've been able to work in the middle of the ocean, from a resort in the Maldives, and fly high in the air while traveling.
What is your advice to others hoping to get started successfully? side hustle or their businesses?
Just start and Do not be afraid to regularly reassess your game plan. You will have days where you succeed and others where you absolutely fail, but as long as you keep trying, you will find what works for you. Success also doesn't happen overnight. You need patience – and lots of it!