When Amy Landino dropped out of college in 2007, she was carrying $50,000 in student loans and was uncertain. In a CNBC Make It post, she shared, “None of my friends with degrees were landing jobs,” she recalled. “And I knew finishing my degree would only bury me in more debt.”
It wasn’t an easy choice, but with a stable job as a public policy assistant, she decided to bet on herself. She didn’t know that this gamble would pay off in ways she could never imagine.
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As detailed in the post, it all started with a simple hobby: making videos. “I’ve always loved capturing moments and telling stories,” Landino said. Back then, YouTube was gaining traction and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter were starting to take off.
She began sharing her creations online for fun, never thinking they could become something more. Fast forward 15 years and her passion project has blossomed into a career generating $18,000 monthly in passive income.
Her first big break came from an unexpected conversation with a friend. “She told me I had a knack for video and social media and should think about doing it professionally,” Landino said. That moment sparked the idea that her hobby could be her livelihood.
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She started small, running social media accounts for local businesses during evenings and weekends. A year later, she quit her full-time job and went all in on her agency.
Landino’s turning point came during a tough financial stretch. Revenue for her agency had dried up and she needed a solution. She decided to sell a course teaching businesses how to create their videos. “I had maybe a couple hundred people on my email list,” she said.
“But I sent out one email offering a prelaunch discount and I made $1,000 in a single day.” That initial success pushed her to complete the course, which she delivered via live webinars over six weeks. Once finished, it became a steady source of passive income.
