I Was a Stay-at-Home-Mom for Years—Now I Make Up to $80K a Month

I was four when my mom was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. I found her body. My father had to step in, forced to care for my brother and me as a single father. He wasn't ready—it had been my mom who took care of us.

My dad tried his best, even though things weren't ideal. A year later, once we were cleared by CPS, he moved us out of our aunt's home. We lived in his vehicle for a short period. It was summer, so we thought we were camping. I didn't realize the truth until I was older.

We moved from school to school—I lived in Wisconsin, then we moved to Tennessee for my dad's work. He was an entrepreneur, like my whole family. We find ways to make things work.

Making friends was hard. I didn't want to make friends because I knew I wouldn't be with them for long. If I did make a friend, it was always someone who wasn't the best influence, but they gave me the attention I wanted.

When I was 16, we moved back to Wisconsin. I decided I didn't want to go back to Tennessee. My dad left with my brother, and I lived with my aunt. That's when I met my now ex-husband. I stayed at that school—I was done moving.

My ex-husband and I were together for 17 years. During that time, I became a stay-at-home mom. It was challenging. I secluded myself and didn't practice much self-care. I was always tired and felt like I was constantly cleaning, and doing many things I didn't want to do.

My father always told me I was going to be a star or on TV. I told my friends I would be a model, be on TV, and move to California. They laughed. One day, someone told me I wouldn't be any of that, so I threw my dream away. I didn't have anyone to guide me anyway.

Eventually, I got a part-time job at a school, which allowed me to earn a little extra money for very small luxuries like being able to buy coffee. Then, 2020 happened—COVID hit, and everything shut down. I lost my job, but I started exploring social media marketing and brand deals on Instagram.

I came across a woman who was teaching about these topics. I found it fascinating, so I contacted her and started taking courses. She was incredibly kind. I explained my financial situation, and she offered me a payment plan and a discount.

Soon, I was doing various brand deals with under 300 followers on my Instagram. They sent me free products, which made me happy.

I even did a podcast with that coach, where I was hailed as the poster child of what she had been talking about. But this only lasted a few months. I needed to make enough money to be able to leave my marriage—that's when I came across OnlyFans.

I was browsing online, looking into ways to navigate financial independence, and stumbled upon the app. Curious, I turned to my sister and asked if she knew about it. She thought it was a platform for celebrities, which left me intrigued.

Even though I didn't know much about it, she began researching and let me know that it was a way for me to earn money by creating adult content.

I began creating content straight away—and even without posting explicit content initially, subscribers started flowing in. I began by taking bikini pictures and lingerie shots while selling additional explicit content.

After a year on OnlyFans, I made a decision to start posting explicit content and, around two and a half years into my journey, I began creating sexual content with older men, which was a turning point for me and became my niche. The older demographic was more supportive and kind, making it a smoother path for me.

I've got a good amount of freedom in my life right now. When it comes to money, I've adopted a mindset that it's always flowing in, and I'm big on manifesting what I want. It's been a game-changer, helping me get to where I am now.

I don't waste time thinking about what I don't have—I focus on what I've got, and it seems like more good things keep rolling in.

My days are pretty packed. I'm up at 8:00 a.m. getting ready, posting content online, and then it's a solid 12-hour grind. I'm working on setting some boundaries. Fans might not realize it, but it's a full-time gig, jumping from one platform to the next, and it's time-consuming.

But I'm living the dream and doing whatever feels right. If I'm in the mood to travel, I just book a flight. Right now, I'm hanging out in California and then heading back to Wisconsin. Last week, I was in California and next week, I'm thinking of traveling to Chicago and Vegas.

In my best month ever, I made $80,000, but it fluctuates. If I put in the work, I see the results, it's as simple as that.

I love the adult industry and I don't see myself stepping back anytime soon. Being in front of the camera is my thing. I might venture into Reality TV down the line. Retirement is not on the radar, even when I'm 60.

Over the last few years, I've learned to take constructive criticism, a skill I was never taught before. I've used it to my advantage. My time management has become more efficient. I've honed my communication skills and my ability to speak in front of an audience, primarily in front of the camera, has significantly improved.

I am grateful for the freedom I have. I appreciate everything in my life, especially the simple things like waking up and feeling good.

Looking back, I'd tell my younger self that you can do anything you want. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't. Everyone has a choice and can decide what they want to do with their life. Don't doubt yourself. Stick to what you want to do.

Tiffany Wisconsin, known online as Wisconsin Tiff, is an adult content creator.

All views expressed in this article are the author's own.

As told to Newsweek's associate editor, Carine Harb.

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