That’s the dream, right?

No dragging your butt out of bed at an ungodly hour, sitting in traffic, being stuck inside an office all day, and slaving away your life for a measly paycheck.

Instead, wake up whenever you feel like it, saunter over to the laptop in your skivvies, and sip a cup of java while you “work.” Take a vacation whenever you want, spend time with your loved ones, and travel the freakin’ world.

Hell, yeah…

Too bad it’s just a fairytale, though. We’ve all seen the scammy ads about making $80 an hour filling out surveys, starting your own online store in a “virtual mall,” making megabucks from reselling old crap on eBay or Amazon. There are a gazillion different variations, all of them promising you easy money, all of them stoking your hope of a better life, all of them a little too ridiculous for you to believe in, even though you really, REALLY want to believe.

But you’re not a fool. You know they’re not telling you the truth. It can’t be as easy as they make it sound.

And you’re right. I’ve made my living on the Internet for eight years now, and while it’s certainly nice, there’s also a lot nobody is telling you. Not because it’s a secret, but because most people don’t actually want the truth. They want to believe it’s easy, fun, straightforward.

If anything though, it’s the opposite, and that brings us to the first lesson:
More

You started your blog because you want people to read it.

You want your blog to connect with people. You want your content to reach a wide audience. You want to build a base of fans that gobble up powerful word you wrote.

And yes, at some point, you also want to make money from your blog either by offering courses, sell a product or service, or as an affiliate.

Because let’s face it … as much as you love to write, you didn’t start your blog as a journaling project. (If you did, this article isn’t for you.)

But here’s the thing … if you want your writing to connect with people, you need to connect with them first.

And the best way to connect with anyone is to talk to them — as in, one-on-one.

That’s why every blogger should offer coaching.

Yes, even you. Even if you don’t think you can.
More

You’ve seen their posts on social media…

Bloggers boasting about their seven-figure businesses, telling you how much they love their work, their clients, and their lives.

They tell the tales of their premium coaching packages and the waiting list of clients eager to whip out their credit card.

It seems like an awesome gig, and you’d love a coaching business of your own, but these posts frustrate the hell out of you. Because you’re nowhere near where those guys are.

They have built their blogs. They have built their brands. They have built their audiences. All they need to do to get clients is send an email to their thousands of subscribers.

But you? You’re just getting started.

Nobody knows who you are, you barely have an audience and, frankly, you barely have a blog. You’re nowhere near ready to launch into coaching … right?

Wrong. And here’s why …
More

Will it all be worth it?

You can’t help wondering sometimes.

Every spare minute, you’re glued to your computer, reading, writing posts, doing all you can to grow your blog and build your audience — all on the shaky promise that someday your efforts will pay off and you will make money blogging too.

But sometimes, that someday feels far out of reach. Sometimes, you can’t help wondering whether that day will ever come, or whether you’re just wasting your time.

Well, hang in there, my friend. Because you never know what kinds of opportunities your blog can bring you.

And they might take time, but for all you know, they might be right around the corner.

To prove it, I asked 24 of my blogging friends to share the coolest, craziest opportunities their blogs made happen in their early days — that is, before they amassed a huge following and made a fortune off their blog.

Ready to dive in?
More

Hands up if you’ve ever seen headlines like these:

“Why I Quit My Job to Travel the World”

“Man Who Quit 9-to-5 Job Makes $1 Million While Traveling the World”

“3 Ways to Quit Your Job and Travel the World Without Going Broke”

My guess is that you have, because I see these headlines around everywhere. I’ve even written a few of them (hint: the last one).

And let me guess …

When you see a headline like that, you’re a bit skeptical. You check Google Analytics and with your meager traffic, you can’t imagine ever being able to quit your day job to go on an epic adventure, let alone make money while doing it.

But I have news for you.

It’s possible.

Not only that, but more bloggers than ever are doing it.

They’re doing it without having to pinch pennies, without having to stay in cheap, bed-bug-ridden hostels, and without going broke.

In this article, we’ll meet 16 bloggers who  are doing this exact thing. We’ll take a look at how their blogs make money, where they’re choosing to spend their time, and even the downsides of building a location-independent lifestyle.

Let’s jump in.
More