Small Moves, Big Results: How I Made $1,000 in Passive Income in 10 Hours
There was a stretch in my career when my calendar was packed, but my energy was gone.
Between public meetings, high-stakes projects, and being "on" all the time, I realized I had nothing left for me. I needed a creative outlet that had nothing to do with real estate, politics, or performance.
So I started designing journals.
Not for money. Not to launch a business. Just for me.
My background is in architecture and development—I used to sketch and create every day. But the higher I moved up in local government, the more that part of me disappeared.
One evening, I sat down and designed a journal in Canva. Then I created a few more using BookBolt and uploaded them to Amazon KDP. I followed a self-paced course and figured it out as I went.
I didn't post about it. I didn't tell anyone. I didn't check back.
Months later, I logged into an old savings account and saw unexpected deposits: over $1,000 from journals I'd completely forgotten I uploaded.
That was the moment I realized something:
The move doesn't have to be loud to be powerful. It just has to be made.
This is what I mean by strategic moves - small, intentional actions that compound over time.
“Sometimes the quietest moments lead to the biggest shifts.”
Here’s what I learned from that season:
1. Creativity is not a luxury.
Designing journals gave me peace when everything else felt heavy. Don’t wait for things to calm down before you do something for yourself.
2. Small actions add up.
I spent maybe 10 hours total creating those 15 journals. I didn’t promote a thing. But I still made money because I made a move. This is the foundation of my Momentum Method: Action creates momentum. Momentum creates clarity. Clarity creates income.
3. You can build income without burnout.
You don’t need to be everywhere, do everything, or overthink the entire process. You need a simple start that fits your life right now.
Why This Matters (Even If You Never Design a Journal)
Here's what that $1,000 taught me:
You don't need a big idea to build income. You need one small, strategic action.
That KDP experiment became the foundation of how I approach everything now, including leaving my 9-5 to help other women monetize their corporate skills.
The same principle applies whether you're:
Creating a digital product
Launching a consulting offer
Building a service business
Small, consistent moves create momentum. Momentum creates clarity. Clarity creates income.
You don't need more hours. You don't need a perfect plan. You need to make ONE move today that your future self will thank you for.
Tools I Used:
BookBolt – KDP research and layout tool ($9.99/month). This made keyword research and formatting so much easier. Try it free for 3 days.
Amazon KDP Complete Program – The step-by-step course I followed to learn KDP. Worth every penny if you're thinking about low-content publishing.
Canva – My go-to design tool for journals, social media, lead magnets, everything. The free version works great, but Pro is worth it. Try Canva Pro free for 30 days.
I wasn’t planning to leave my job when I started. I just needed something for me. Something creative. Something quiet.
It wasn’t a big payday, but it was proof that I could make money without constantly trading my time. That small win gave me momentum. And for the first time, I started to imagine:
What if all my money didn’t come from meetings, approvals, or someone else’s calendar?
What if the things I created while sitting at my kitchen table could support my future?
That moment didn't change everything, but it changed me.
I started to imagine: What if all my money didn't come from meetings, approvals, or someone else's calendar? What if the things I created at my kitchen table could support my future?
That small win gave me the confidence to eventually leave my government job and build a business helping other working women do the same—turn their corporate skills into income without quitting their 9-5s.
You already have valuable skills. You already know how to solve problems. You just need to make the first move.
Your Next Move:
If you're ready to identify YOUR most valuable skill and create your own income stream, I created a free resource to help.
Get the free Skills-to-Money Audit →
It takes 20 minutes and shows you:
✓ Which corporate skill you can monetize first
✓ Who needs it right now
✓ Your first small move to get paid
Because the move doesn't have to be big. It just has to be YOURS.
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- Nicole
Helping Women Turn Corporate Skills Into Income (Without Quitting Their 9-5)