They knew little to no English.

My parents were immigrants — it was their first time in a foreign country.

Yet somehow they were sold on the “American dream”

Study, work, get a job, buy a house and retire.

That’s what I was taught growing up.

By my parents and by society.

Both my parents and teachers alike told me to do well in school, choose a high-paying major, and become something respectable like a doctor, engineer, or lawyer.

I didn’t know any better and followed that all the way through to buying a house.

I felt a deep sense of accomplishment buying my own house in my 20’s in New York City, where real estate ranks among the most expensive in the world.

But I was so exhausted.

I hated my boring, repeat the same thing everyday 9-5 cycle just so I could pay the bills.

I started seeing all these other social media folks online making hundreds of thousands of dollars online, traveling, doing all sorts of creative things.

I am an extremely creative person and I almost forgot that while working the 9-5.

It just numbs you, you know?

After work I didn’t wanna do any of the creative cr*p.

I just wanted to scroll and go to sleep.

But one day while scrolling, I thought: “Why can’t I do the same thing all these other people online are doing?”

So I did what many people are afraid to do now.

Maybe you’re one of them.

And that was to start.

I thank the Lord everyday that I was able to wake up from the matrix.

It can be scary in the beginning, but I’m here to hold you hand through it.

It’s not as hard as you think it is.

Before we begin:

1. The 2024 Productive Ramadan Planner is now available on Eternah. I personally designed this planner from scratch implementing all my productivity hacks for the daily pages. It has everything you need to maximize your time during the blessed month. I have been using this religiously for the past 3 years.

2. Subscribe to my new Youtube Channel. Currently in the process of translating my writing to a video format (I know some of you guys don’t like reading :p) and am so excited to show you guys what’s coming!! P.S. My old youtube channel is no longer in use. I will be using this one going forward.

If You Don’t Create Something, You Are Not In Control

We’re living in a time where creating your future is quite literally a keyboard stroke away.

The traditional 9-5 is out, and the new digital economy is in.

Listen up ladies, we are not going to be trading our labor or looks for money.

You are going to harness the power of your intellect and creativity, and embrace your femininity to carve your own unique path in the digital landscape.

“So how do I make money online?”

Isn’t it funny how they don’t teach you this in school yet now, more than ever, we are practically living in the digital world.

The secret lies in starting your own business.

Create a product and find customers.

Of course there’s so much more we can go into and I’ll be covering that as these letters progress.

But there’s a deeper layer, especially for women in the digital space.

We have the unique ability to connect, empathize, and communicate in ways that resonate deeply.

This is where content creation becomes a powerful tool.

It’s not just about writing words, but also storytelling, engaging, and nurturing a community.

Here’s the formula:

1. Create content with Heart: Write content that speaks to yourself. Content that takes your insights, experiences, and expertise into play. Remember if you can connect with one person, you can connect with a hundred thousand.

2. Effort in Visibility: Put in the effort to get your content seen. This step is often overlooked but is key.

3. Gain a Following: As people resonate with your content, they will follow you. Here, your femininity becomes a superpower. Women are natural community builders and nurturers of relationships. Leverage this to grow your following.

4. Develop a product: Solve your own problems, create solutions for it. Use your insights and understanding of your audience to create a product that meets their needs. As a woman, your empathy and attention to detail can lead to products that not only solve problems but also impact lives.

5. Market with Authencity: If no one knows about your product, how would they buy? Storytell and create a narrative that your audience can relate to.

And that my friends is the new way of generating wealth.

The crazy part is that all of this is relatively new. You’re not late to the party. The market is not saturated.

5 Digital Career Paths

The digital world opens up a ton of possibilities.

It’s like a garden with different fruits and vegetables, each with their own delicious tastes.

We can cultivate this garden that not only provide for our worldly needs but also align with our values and natural strengths.

I’m going to lay out 5 digital career paths you can take and I’ll put them in order from what I think is beginner level to advanced.

Remember your first goal is to build a following so you have an audience to market to.

1) Collaborating With Established Creators or Brands

Your profile is your digital resume.

I can’t count how many creators have reached out to me about graphic design or social media growth services.

I grew two brands to over 100k followers each in under a year.

Just for giggles I tested out my growth strategies on another page and it gained 20k followers in two weeks.

I don’t advertise any social media or design services because I simply don’t have the time to work with brands now. Currently I have a team under my supervision that creates content for the select few clients I do choose to work with.

They are paying premium prices.

And I did zero advertising to land these high-paying clients.

All I did was have a bomb feed & bomb growth tactics.

Skills recommended:

Focus on developing skills that can grow your own personal brand.

• Social media growth

• Photography

• Copywriting

• Brand design

• Sales funnels

• Content research

• Email marketing

• Creating websites

• Generating leads

I would advise you to choose one and learn it. Then implement it for yourself. And repeat.

The reach of your digital presence is really important. More visibility means more potential opportunities.

As you build and showcase these skills, not only will some creators and brands start noticing you, but you’ll also find yourself in a better position to reach out to others for working with them.

2) Start a Service Business

If you already have a skillset that has gotten you results you can go straight into this.

Or you can take what you learn from working for other brands, turn it into a business, and help others do the same.

This is a client business. You should be charging a premium for this type of service.

Here are some key types of services businesses:

• Digital marketing: With businesses constantly seeking to establish their online presence, offering digital marketing services can be highly rewarding. This includes SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and more.

• Coaching: This is about guiding clients in implementing a skill or system, rather than doing the work for them. It’s more about advising and strategizing. This could range from business consulting to personal development coaching, depending on your expertise.

• Agency: An expanded version of freelancing. You manage a team (employees or contractors) who deliver for you. This allows you to offer a broader range of services and handle a larger volume of work.

3) Affiliate Marketing

This is nice to have as a side-income.

I’m a bit biased against this as a full-time thing because I know the effort and work it takes all for making a few bucks.

I also know people who’ve been doing this for the past 7 years but only now are they realizing the power of creating your own brand. They regret not starting sooner.

I say this because you don’t have access to the customer after you make a sale unless you have an email capture before sending them to the product (which I highly recommend).

If you don’t know, affiliate marketing is when you recommend a product to people and if they buy it through your link, you get a slice of the sale.

Should you consider it? I think it’s a good stepping stone for beginners. You don’t need your own product or even a lot of expertise to get started.

Here’s how I would go about it:

• Create content: post things related to the product you are promoting

• Grow your audience: work on attracting more people to see your content

• Promote the product: share the affiliate product with your audience

This is what all of those “Amazon Must-Have” reels and tik-toks are.

Going this route lets you dip your toes into the world of online business with little to no risk.

You can use this to practice and learn while you’re developing your own skills or products.

Just remember not to get too comfy with affiliate marketing. Use it as a learning experience, side income and start creating your own product.

4) Creating and Selling Digital Products

Once you’ve got a good number of people following you, it’s time to think about digital products.

This is a great way to make money.

My advice? Start creating a digital product as soon as you can. It may not be perfect but that’s okay. You will learn and get better.

Start with growing your audience in the area you are most passionate about.

Create a digital product that solved a problem in your life and start selling it. The authenticity in solving a real problem makes your product more relatable and valuable.

You can even offer extra services to customers who buy.

Now don’t get this confused with the Master Resell Rights (MRR) digital products you see flooded on Instagram.

I’m seeing a lot of people get sucked into this and complaining to me in the dm’s.

I would advise against selling these types of digital products.

The reason?

Authenticity and market fatigue. MRR products can dilute your brand's authenticity because they’re not unique to your experiences or insights.

They're often overused in the market, leading to a kind of fatigue among consumers who see the same products everywhere. This saturation can make it harder for your product to stand out.

Instead, focus on offering original digital products.

Take the time to learn how and create it. Don’t be lazy.

I guarantee you will learn so much in the process. Keep me in your du’as when this happens.

For instance: if you can sell ten of your unique digital products each day at $15, you’re looking at making six figures a year.

They key is to drive traffic to your page.

Imagine this: if you post engaging content around your product that is seen by just 1,000 people, and a portion of them share it with their networks — each having between 100-1,000 followers — the potential reach for your content multiplies significantly.

And if your message is compelling, then you could make more then ten sales a day even with a modest audience size.

Don't forget, not every viewer will buy immediately. But if they follow you, they become potential future customers.

Building this audience is crucial for long-term success, far more so than relying on the fleeting gains from MRR products.

5) Branching into Physical Products

I personally would not start here as you need an upfront investment that some may not be willing to take the risk on.

What you can do instead: after you’ve made some sales with your digital product, sell physical products complimentary to your digital business.

Choose items that align with what you’re already doing.

For instance, I created the 2024 Productive Ramadan Planner.

It’s not just a random physical product, it directly relates to my niche of Islam and productivity. And I personally believe in it and use it.

Going this route is a super move, but keep in mind it’s not as straightforward or initially profitable as digital products or services.

This is a good for adding value and depth for your brand.

Which Path Should I Choose?

When deciding on a digital career path, think about how it connects to your own life story and what you’ve learned along the way.

If you’re someone who’s always loved sharing stories or ideas, start vlogging your day to day (people eat this up) as your knack for communication and your rich life experiences can make content creation a natural fit.

If your journey has made you adept at understanding and navigating the complex world of social media, a social media management path may be ideal.

If you’re a student or you find joy in teaching whether formally or informally, creating digital courses or coaching services could be your calling.

It will take time to get to where you want to be.

That’s perfectly fine. Be okay with it!

Go ahead and start creating and selling your product or service. It’s alright if it’s not perfect as first.

Failing is part of the learning process.

Gain valuable life experiences that you can turn into profit.

Doing nothing will only leave you stuck in a cycle of working for others.

Keep moving forward. Even if it’s a small baby step.

That’s all I got for now friends.

Thanks for making it this far.

Until next time.

مع حبي (with love)

— Saufiyah ♡