How I Went From $9/Hour at a Chemical Factory to $40,000 in a Single Day

Have you ever looked at your paycheck, then looked at the dangerous, exhausting work you were doing, and thought, “There has to be a better way”?

I’ve been there. I remember staring at a paystub that barely covered my bills, knowing I was risking my health every single day at a chemical factory for just $9 an hour.

I was one of nine kids. I grew up poor. I was a college dropout. On paper, I wasn’t supposed to succeed. But I knew I couldn’t stay stuck in that factory forever.

Today, life looks a lot different. I’ve been a ClickBank Platinum seller for years, I’ve mastered the crypto markets, and I’ve had the privilege of mentoring thousands of students. But I never forget where I started.

People often ask me how I made the leap—how I went from the factory floor to generating $40,000 in a single day.

It wasn’t magic. It was a specific set of choices. Here is my story, and the lessons I learned that can help you fast-track your own freedom.

My $40,000 “Aha” Moment

My journey didn’t start with a lucky break; it started with a hustle. I was dabbling in everything I could find online, including eBay, but the real shift happened when I discovered Affiliate Marketing.

It clicked for me: I didn’t need to invent a product, store inventory in my garage, or deal with angry customers. I just needed to connect people with products they already wanted.

I started promoting $37 eBooks on ClickBank. It was slow going at first, until I decided to master paid advertising.

In a move that changed my life forever, I managed to get a product I was promoting onto the front page of AOL (yes, that dates me a bit, but the principle stands!). The traffic floodgates opened.

In one single day, I cleared $40,000 in profit.

I remember looking at the numbers and saying, “Forget going into work, man!” And I meant it. Within nine months, I had tripled my factory salary with my online business. I walked away from the 9-to-5 grind and I have never looked back.

3 Rules I Used to Build My Empire

I’ve been in this game for over 20 years. I’ve seen countless “gurus” come and go, rising fast and crashing hard. The reason I’m still here comes down to three critical mindset shifts I made early on.

1. I Didn’t “Find” Time, I Made It

When I started, I wasn’t a bachelor with endless free time. I was working full-time and raising four young kids. I was exhausted. But I realized that saying “I don’t have time” is just an excuse for “it’s not a priority.”

I stopped watching TV for an entire year. I worked on my business before my shift, during my lunch breaks, and late at night after the kids were asleep.

The Lesson: Short-term sacrifice leads to long-term freedom. If you want to live like no one else, you have to work like no one else for a while.

2. Build a Brand, Not a “Guru” Cult

I see so many marketers trying to make themselves the star of the show. I advise against this. If your business is 100% reliant on your face and personality, it becomes impossible to sell and difficult to pivot.

If I branded myself solely as the “Crypto King” and the market shifted, I’d be stuck. Instead, I focus on building value-based brands and systems.

The Lesson: Build a business that can survive without you. That is how you create true equity and an asset you can one day sell.

3. Chase “Continuity,” Not Just High Tickets

Making a big sale feels great. But making a sale that pays you every single month? That is wealth.

My strategy evolved from selling one-off products to creating programs with monthly continuity. Whether it’s software tools or ongoing coaching, I combine high-ticket upfront prices (for commitment) with a monthly subscription model.

The Lesson: One-time sales keep the lights on. Recurring revenue builds the lifestyle. Always look for affiliate offers or business models that include rebills.

The Bottom Line

The most dangerous thing you can do as an entrepreneur is suffer from “Shiny Object Syndrome.” I have stuck with the same core business model—selling digital products and affiliate marketing—for over two decades.

I didn’t jump ship when the next big thing came along; I just refined my craft.

If you are tired of the daily grind and ready to take control of your income, take it from me: It doesn’t matter where you start—even if it’s a $9/hour factory job. What matters is that you start, you sacrifice the unnecessary, and you stick with it until it works.

Let’s get to work.