Episode•December 16, 2022•21 min

Brand Monetization with Michelle Jackson | Ep. 180

Michelle Jackson joins Tiffany this week to discuss brand monetization, and how to go about this ethically and successfully as an entrepreneur. About Our Guest Michelle Jackson is the award-winning digital content creator and founder of the Michelle is Money Hungry podcast and website. Connect with Michelle Jackson Website: https://michelleismoneyhungry.com Twitter: @Michlovesmoney Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelleismoneyhungry Connect with Tiffany on Social Media Facebook: Money Talk With Tiff Twitter: @moneytalkwitht Instagram: @moneytalkwitht LinkedIn: Tiffany Grant This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Key Takeaways

1
Ethical monetization requires long-term brand alignment and audience problem-solving
Evaluate partnerships by asking if you'll be happy with them two years later
Affiliates must solve real audience problems and feel natural in your content
Win-win partnerships mean both audience value and creator compensation
2
Passive income is not passive until it's passive
Building passive income requires significant upfront work, strategy, and content creation
COVID demonstrated the value of having established passive income streams already in place
Systems and batching content make passive income sustainable long-term
3
Diversify revenue streams thoughtfully based on your strengths and interests
Michelle generates income through 10 different channels: eBooks, courses, newsletters, coaching, affiliates, sponsorships, brand partnerships, freelance writing, grants, and more
Focus on revenue streams that convert and that you can sustain with genuine interest
Cap activities that drain energy even if lucrative (e.g., freelance writing)
4
Consistent pitching and intentional content strategy drive results
Pitching is essential—treat every appearance as an opportunity to signal openness to partnerships
Batch content creation 2-3 months ahead for efficiency and better brand alignment
Map audience journeys across platforms to guide them through your ecosystem

Tiffany welcomes Michelle Jackson to discuss brand monetization, ethical partnerships, and building sustainable income streams as a content creator and entrepreneur.
Michelle Jackson is an award-winning digital content creator and founder of the Michelle is Money Hungry podcast and website. She won Plutus Awards in 2020 and 2021.

Michelle explains that monetization in the personal finance space requires thoughtful, ethical decision-making. She evaluates partnerships by considering long-term brand alignment and whether affiliates solve real audience problems.

When I partner with a company, two years from now, will I be happy about that partnership?
– Michelle Jackson

She shares the example of ThredUp, which aligned with her values around sustainable fashion but didn't pay cash, highlighting the balance between audience value and creator compensation.

Michelle outlines her diverse revenue streams including eBooks (fiction and nonfiction), the Make Money with eBooks course, the Podcasters Getting Paid Substack newsletter, coaching, affiliates, sponsors, brand partnerships, freelance writing, and grants.

I make money 10 different ways, actually.
– Michelle Jackson

She emphasizes focusing on passive income where possible, noting she prefers waking up to money rather than appointments, and that it took time to identify which streams convert and which she can sustain.

Michelle stresses that everyone needs to pitch and let their ego go. She explains that pitching isn't just formal outreach—it includes how you show up in content and social media.

Real talk, I think everyone needs to pitch. Let your ego go. Go pitch.
– Michelle Jackson

Tiffany demonstrates live by announcing openness to partnerships for Black History Month, showing how podcast appearances themselves can serve as pitches.

Michelle shares that she made money during COVID thanks to passive income streams built years earlier, receiving only one stimulus check and no PPP loans. She had to pivot when in-person events were canceled.

Passive income isn't passive until it's passive, right? It's a lot of work to build out passive income.
– Michelle Jackson

She discusses the challenge of projects like event-hosting and Colorado travel books that became irrelevant during lockdown, and how she's now refreshing evergreen content.

Michelle explains her approach to batching content 2-3 months ahead and mapping audience journeys across platforms. She refers listeners between her Brand Building Lab podcast, YouTube, and other resources intentionally.