Searching for a legit way to make money with affiliate marketing but not sure where to start?
Yeah. Same.
When I first looked into this I was already maxed out. Working, momming, multitasking like a pro but still feeling behind. My days ran on cold coffee, chaos and a to-do list that never seemed to get any shorter.
I did not want a side hustle that drained me even more. I wanted something that gave me time back. Something that actually fit into my real life. I did not want to choose between being financially secure and being present for my daughter. I wanted both. I needed both. And I deserved both.
So affiliate marketing made sense to me. No products to make, no inventory, no confusing tech platforms. Just sharing things I actually use and believe in and getting paid when others found them helpful too. It felt doable.
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me
Was it easy? Not even close. I joined the wrong programs, second guessed myself and had more than a few “what am I even doing?” moments. But I kept going because I could see the possibility. More time, more freedom and a way to work that did not drain the life out of me.
If you are curious about affiliate marketing but not sure where to begin, I wrote this for you.
I am sharing the five things I wish I had known before getting started. The things that would have saved me time, money and a lot of frustration.
Here is the truth. You do not need to do more. You just need a better way to do it. And you cannot give up.
Let me show you what worked for me.
What You Will Find Here
- 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started
- The Mom Behind the Page
- The Bottom Line
The Truth About Getting Started: 6 Things I Wish I Knew
Lesson 1: Posting links is not a business strategy
My first program had me convinced that if I posted three times a day on Instagram and threw affiliate links everywhere, the money would follow. I did exactly that. Nothing happened.
That was my first real wake up call. Affiliate marketing is not about volume. It is about building something properly. You have to actually learn how to do this. There is no shortcut that works long term and anyone telling you otherwise is selling you something.
Lesson 2: Most programs tell you what to do but never how to do it
Pick a niche. Build a funnel. Join a program. Post your links. Boom, you are an Instagram millionaire mom.
That is great marketing. It is not reality.
Most courses I tried either had me copying someone else’s content and calling it my own or gave me a list of steps with zero guidance on how to actually execute them. I spent the first six months of this journey feeling like I had nothing to show for it because I was following instructions that were missing half the information.
Lesson 3: Stop comparing your start to someone else’s highlight reel
I wish someone had told me to stay off social media entirely when I was first starting out.
The posts that catch your eye are “I made 10k in three days” and “this account paid off all my debt in two months” and “I retired my husband ten days after starting.” Yes it all sounds amazing. But that is not how it happened. That is marketing. And when you are brand new and struggling, comparing yourself to that will destroy your confidence faster than anything else.
I found my legitimate education program through Google. Not Instagram. Not a viral reel. Google. And it has been the foundation of everything I have built over the last two years.
Lesson 4: You get what you pay for
I wasted money on courses, guides, cheat codes and even a viral reels booklet being sold by a successful Instagram mom. None of it came close to what a real education platform provided.
Affiliate marketing can have a lower upfront cost compared to other business models and that is true. But low cost does not always mean good value. The program I use cost more upfront than the random courses I had been buying. It also actually taught me something.
I opened an 18 month interest free credit card when I started and put my upfront costs on it. I paid it down with every affiliate commission that came in. That is what worked for me. I am not saying everyone has to do that. But I am saying the investment was worth it and I would do it again without hesitating.
Lesson 5: There Will Be Ups and Downs. Stick With It Anyway.
This is one of the ugly truths nobody leads with.
There will be months where you make a sale every day. There will also be months where you go weeks with nothing. I have been through both and it is frustrating every single time.
My honest advice is to keep going anyway. Persistence is the thing that separates the people who make it from the ones who stop too soon. I remember one month where I made zero commissions and was ready to throw in the towel. The next day I made a single commission of $450 out of nowhere. That is the nature of this business. The people who stay long enough to see that moment are the ones who make it.
Affiliate marketing is about testing, adjusting and learning from what does not work. The people who eventually see real results are the ones who stayed long enough to figure it out.
Bonus Lesson 6: The Right Community Changes Everything
I did not expect this one to matter as much as it did.
Before I found a real community I was navigating all of this alone. Buying courses, following strategies, still feeling lost and second guessing every decision. Wondering if I was even going in the right direction.
Once I found people who were actually doing the same thing, people who understood the frustrations and shared real experience without the hype, everything shifted. I stopped feeling like I was failing privately. I started learning faster, avoiding mistakes I would have made on my own and actually staying motivated on the hard days.
If you are trying to figure this out alone that might be exactly what is holding you back. The right community is not a bonus. It is part of the education.
The Mom Behind The Page
I am Kelly. A 42 year old mom to one seven year old spitfire who is equally as sweet as she is spicy.
I have worked in healthcare for the last 17 years. I even worked my way up into a leadership position which I am genuinely proud of. I actually like my job. I like having a purpose and feeling like I am good at something. I love my coworkers and the mission behind the company I work for.
But it takes 40 plus hours of my time every week.
Which leaves me evenings and weekends with my daughter. Which are already filled with dance, gymnastics and swim. And as a single mom I am not in a position to just not work.
The moment that really hit me was the day my daughter asked to show me something and I told her just a minute, I have to finish something. She asked when. I said when I am done working. She looked me straight in the face and said “ok so never.” (The 7 year old eye roll is real too)
Gut punch. That is when I decided to stop treating this like a side hustle and start building it like a business.
Why I Started Building Online
Think about it. We spend more time at our jobs in a single week than we spend with our kids. That math has never sat right with me.
I found affiliate marketing two years ago while scrolling late one night. I was intrigued and I completely fell for the hype. I made a million mistakes. But I kept going and eventually found my way. Over the past two years I have made thousands of dollars in commissions. Not enough to walk away from a full time job with full time benefits. But enough to know this is real and worth building properly.
Outside of all of this I love to travel. I am also a homebody which is a contradiction I fully embrace. I love to cook and try new healthy recipes but who can afford organic food these days. I love working out but between 40 plus hours of work and raising a daughter on my own, finding the time is its own challenge. I love to write and read, but as seen above, who has the time!
Most of all I love spending time with my daughter. She melts down when she has to go to after school programs. We are getting to a place where she does not need after school care as much but we are not quite there yet for summers. That is the goal I am working toward.
Follow along and watch me build it.
@empowerlifestylefreedom
The Bottom Line
I am not going to sugarcoat this. The first two years of this journey were messy. I wasted money, made impulsive decisions and burned myself out trying to do everything at once on platforms I did not understand.
But I also made real commissions. And I learned what actually works versus what just looks good on Instagram.
The difference between where I started and where I am now is not talent or luck. It is finding a legitimate education platform that finally gave me the full picture and not quitting when it got hard. Although I did take a few breaks…Don’t judge me!
If you are still reading this you are already doing something most people do not. You are doing the research. You are asking the right questions. That matters.
The next step is simple.