By Emily FonagyAuthor Emily Fonsagy, a writer and blogger, has published more than 1,300 posts on her blog and other platforms since 2010.
But after a series of business failures, including an unsuccessful attempt to sell a $3 million film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, she finally turned to social media to find a way to make money.
“It’s hard to put it in words, but I felt like I had to,” Fonagys says.
“I couldn’t just keep posting, and I couldn’t really do anything.
It just wasn’t working.”
So she launched her own online business, selling consulting services to the likes of Apple, Starbucks, Google, Spotify and others.
She says the strategy paid off with success, and in the last three years, she’s made $100 million from her business.
But while the internet has given her a much-needed outlet to make the money she’s spent on consulting, it’s also been a challenge.
“It’s a lot of work and a lot can go wrong,” she says.
She’s made a habit of asking for money from clients, but the money’s not always coming in.
“If someone wants to pay me back, that’s a good sign, but if they don’t, that can be a big red flag.”
“I was really fortunate that it worked out,” she adds.
“And that I can still earn money doing it.
I’m happy with where I am.””
The best part of it all, I’m not making money off my work.”
She decided to do it all on her own, because she says she’s not good at marketing.
She began by creating a blog for her business, which quickly grew to 1.7 million subscribers.
She then used social media as a marketing tool, building an audience by posting content on her personal website, Facebook and Instagram.
But after a spate of failures in 2014, Fonagos’ business faltered.
Her blog and website were taken down by Twitter, and she wasn’t able to pay her bills.
She was even forced to move out of her home and move in with her parents.
“I started to feel really bad, like I was on the verge of losing everything,” she recalls.
“There were a lot things that were going on with my life that I couldn and would not do anything about, and that really took a toll on me.”
But she had other options.
“When I saw that I could use my business as a platform for people to share their experiences, and they could get money for it, it just made me so grateful,” she explains.
“The best thing about it all is that I’m making money from it.”
Fonagy says she has sold over a million book, movie and other consulting services.
“We have a lot more than just writing,” she continues.
“That’s a big part of my success.”
Fonsagys hopes that by sharing her success with other women in the industry, she can encourage other women to pursue the same path.
“The beauty of the internet is that people are not just doing it for themselves.
There’s so many people doing it and it’s so easy to jump in and just do it,” she notes.
“This is what we can do as a profession, and it is something that can make or break a career.”
“Women in the field of technology have a chance to make their own mark.”