How Surprisingly Easy It Is to Make Your First $100K (And Why You Should Start Today)
pp, and wondered, “How do people make $100,000? Like… actually?” — you’re not alone.
Most people think $100K requires some massive breakthrough or being “lucky” or knowing the right people. But here’s the truth that took me way too long to learn:
Your first $100K doesn’t come from genius. It comes from starting.
It comes from doing the thing you've been putting off. The business idea you keep talking about. The service people already ask you for. The product you think someone else will eventually build.
And once you get moving, you start realizing something almost shocking:
It’s actually way easier than you think.
Not “effortless,” not “instant,” but simple. Achievable. Real.
Let’s break it down with real-world examples, real numbers, and a whole lot of motivation to finally get you moving.
Why $100K Isn’t the Mountain You Think It Is
Quick math that might change your entire mindset:
$100K a year = $274/day
$100K a year = $8,333/month
$100K a year = $192/hour (if you work 1 hour a day selling a product, not labor)
Or, even simpler:
Sell a $30 product → 9 sales/day
Sell a $100 service → 3 clients/day
Sell a $500 offer → 17 per month
When you see it broken down, $100K stops feeling like some impossible number and starts looking like a math problem you can actually solve.
Most people never do this step — they only see the big scary number. When you shrink it down, it becomes digestible. Trackable. Real.
Real People Hitting $100K With Simple Ideas
Here are a few very normal, very real examples:
1. The Dog Treat Lady Who Started in Her Kitchen
She began with $300 in supplies and a cottage-food license. Started selling at markets. Then online.
Her first month: $1,200
By month 6: $9,800
Year 1 total: $104,000
No factory. No employees. No “brand strategy.”
Just starting.
2. The Bro Who Turned Pressure Washing Into a $100K Year
He wasn’t special. Not a marketing genius. Just someone who bought a $350 starter pressure washer, put signs around town (“DIRTY DRIVEWAY?”), and posted before/after photos on Facebook Marketplace.
10 months later he was clearing $8–12K/month.
Was he tired? Yes.
Was it complicated? Nope.
Did he overthink it? Not even once.
3. The 20-Something Selling Digital Templates on Etsy
Zero inventory. Zero shipping. Zero risk.
She created:
a budget planner
a wedding template
a few business forms
At first, she made $200/month. Then she had one product blow up through Pinterest traffic. Suddenly she crossed $11K in a month.
Digital products are not magic. They’re just leverage. And anyone can make them.
4. The Guy Who Started a Consulting Side Hustle
He knew how to do one thing really well: finding retail distributors for products.
So he packaged it as a service.
He didn’t build a fancy website. He didn’t spend $10K on branding. He DM’d and emailed companies offering help with distribution strategy.
Two clients paid $2,500 each.
Another paid $10,000 for a 3-month contract.
Boom: first $100K year.
See the Pattern Yet?
None of these people:
❌ invented a new technology
❌ raised funding
❌ waited for “perfect timing”
❌ knew exactly what they were doing at first
They just started.
The Hardest Part of Making $100K Is… Actually Beginning
This is where most people get stuck.
They think:
“I need a better logo first.”
“I need to research for a few more weeks.”
“I need everything perfect before I launch.”
“What if someone judges me?” (they won’t — and if they do, they’re not customers)
But here’s something very human and honest:
Your business will grow faster from imperfect action than from perfect planning.
You need momentum, not perfection. You need feedback, not theories.
Every entrepreneur I know who makes multi-six figures or more has the same story:
“I just started. I figured it out as I went.”
$100K Is Usually Just One Offer Away
Pick one:
✔ A $49 digital product
Sell 2/day → $100K/year
✔ A $500 service
Sell 17/month → $100K/year
✔ A $20 product
Sell 14/day → $100K/year
✔ A $1,000 coaching or consulting package
Sell 8/month → $100K/year
✔ A pet treat brand, dog accessory, or niche-specific product
Sell 10–30 units/day (very normal for even a small Shopify store)
You don’t need 50 offers. You need one clear thing people are willing to pay for.
Why Most People Never Hit $100K — The Real Reason
Not because they’re not smart enough.
Not because they don’t have money.
Not because the market is too crowded.
The real reason?
They wait too long to start, and quit too early after they do.
They expect success in 30 days and give up at day 45.
Meanwhile, people who push through that ugly middle period skyrocket.
If You Want That First $100K, Do This Today (Seriously, Today):
1. Choose the simplest version of your idea.
Cut it down to the minimum version you can sell.
No fancy branding. No perfect website.
2. Put it in front of real people.
DM potential customers.
Post in local groups.
Post on TikTok, even if it feels cringe. (Everyone starts cringe.)
3. Charge actual money.
Not $10.
Not “pay what you want.”
Pick a real price and stick to it.
4. Build momentum, not masterpieces.
Done > perfect.
Small steps > huge plans.
Progress > pride.
Let’s Be Real: $100K Is Life-Changing
It gives you:
breathing room
savings
freedom to quit a job
confidence
the sense that “wow, maybe I can do this entrepreneur thing…”
And once you hit $100K once, you can hit it again. And again.
It’s like your brain unlocks a new level of belief.
That’s why making your first $100K matters — not because of the money, but because of who you become in the process.
So… Why Not You? Why Not Now?
Every single person who ever built a six-figure business started out exactly where you are right now:
unsure
nervous
excited
slightly overwhelmed
and finally ready to stop waiting
You don’t need permission.
You don’t need everything figured out.
You definitely don’t need perfection.
You just need to take the first step — today, not tomorrow.
Because the difference between people who make $100K and people who don’t is simple:
One decided to start. The other didn’t.
And if you’re reading this, you’re closer to that first $100K than you’ve ever been.
Now go build the thing.