When Amy Landino dropped out of college in 2007, she was carrying $50,000 in student loans and feeling insecure. In a CNBC Make It post, she shared, “None of my friends with degrees had jobs,” she recalled. “And I knew that finishing college would only put me in more debt.”
It was not an easy choice, but with a permanent job as a policy officer, she decided to bet on herself. Little did she know, this gamble would pay off in ways she never imagined.
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As described in the post, it all started with a simple hobby: making videos. “I’ve always loved capturing moments and telling stories,” says Landino. At the time, YouTube was gaining traction and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter were starting to take off.
She started sharing her creations online for fun, without thinking they could become anything more. 15 years later, her passion project has grown into a career that generates $18,000 in passive income every month.
Her first big break came after an unexpected conversation with a friend. “She told me I had a talent for video and social media and that I should think about doing it professionally,” Landino said. That moment sparked the idea that her hobby could be her livelihood.
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She started small, managing social media accounts for local businesses in the evenings and weekends. A year later, she quit her full-time job and focused entirely on her agency.
Landino’s turning point came during a difficult financial period. Revenue for her agency had dried up and she needed a solution. She decided to sell a course where she teaches companies how to create their videos. “I had maybe a few hundred people on my email list,” she said.
“But I sent one email offering a pre-launch discount and I made $1,000 in one day.” That initial success prompted her to complete the course, which she delivered via live webinars over six weeks. Once completed, it became a steady source of passive income.
