How Michelle Schroeder-Gardner Built a $760K Passive Income Blog While Sailing the World

From Hobby Blog to $760K Annual Income

In 2011 Michelle Schroeder-Gardner started a simple financial blog to track paying off her student loans. What began as a writing hobby quickly grew into a structured side business. Within two years she was earning more each month from her site than from her full-time analyst salary.

Early Growth and Revenue Streams

After publishing daily posts and guest articles to build traffic, Michelle landed her first paid sponsorship at six months. She followed with display ads and affiliate links. By year two she cleared her student debt, quit her day job, and worked full-time on her blog.

Monetization Breakdown

Michelle now divides her revenue between affiliate marketing (50%), display advertising, and digital course sales (20%). She uses an ad network to run auto-generated ads and partners with brands through affiliate links in posts that remain discoverable months later.

Scaling with Courses and Email

In 2016 she launched two courses on Teachable that have generated over $1M in revenue. Her email list of 130K subscribers drives course enrollments and affiliate conversions without ongoing work. She spends less than 10 hours per week creating fresh content.

Location-Independent Lifestyle

With financial independence reached, Michelle and her husband now travel full-time on their sailboat and have a newborn daughter. Passive income streams let them explore new waters without worrying about a 9-5 schedule or internet access.

Key Strategies and Results

• Diversify: blend affiliate, ads, courses
• Evergreen content: posts earn for years
• Work upfront: build assets then maintain
• Engaging voice: write as you speak
• Invest in email: high ROI channel

Conclusion

Michelle’s journey shows how a focused blog can become a six-figure passive business. By front-loading work, testing revenue channels, and nurturing an audience, anyone can build a location-independent income.