How JoelRoac 3×’d His Creator Income in Year 2

Joel just wrapped his second year as a content creator

In year one, he made $57,258 — and we broke down every income stream in our first ever issue right here.

This year?

$173,692

That’s a $116K jump in one year — all self-made, without a team, and built off the momentum of just one breakthrough video

But Joel’s story isn’t just about going viral. It’s about persistence, creative reinvention, and building monetizable systems around your skillset

Let’s break down how he did it in year two: what scaled, what stalled, and what changed everything

📊 The Income Breakdown (Year 2)

Total: $173,692

Here’s where the money came from:

• Creator Services — $89,177

• Brand Sponsorships — $67,478

• Course Sales — $6,460

• Amazon Affiliate Links — $1,081

• YouTube AdSense — $482

• Meta / Instagram Bonus — $13

Not a typo — $13.83 from Meta. Instagram still isn’t paying like it should

🚀 What Worked This Year

1. Creator Services became his #1 stream

Joel sold video services, directed content projects, led a creator retreat, and even worked as a creative director for a few months

One of these gigs brought in more than his old engineering salary — from just this one income stream

2. He tripled his sponsorship revenue

Brands love Joel’s content because it’s built around storytelling and lifestyle, not just product placement. His content is so organic, most people don’t even realize they’re watching an ad

It’s the reason his Gap and Anchor campaigns performed — and converted — so well

3. Courses and Digital Products

He launched The Content Creator Crash Course in year one — but even after he stopped promoting it, it still pulled in over $6K in year two

Like timeless videos, courses and digital products will continue to drive revenue streams year over year

💡 The Mindset Shifts

Joel’s second year wasn’t just more income — it was a total mental transformation. Here’s what changed:

— “Are my daily decisions aligned with who I want to become?”

He stopped trying to be consistent only when inspired and started living like a full-time creator — scripting, editing, publishing like it was a job (because it was)

Many creators initially begin content creation alongside a full time job and need to efficiently dedicate their free time to creation

— He started treating content creation like a craft

He stopped making “motivational content” and started telling stories. And brands noticed. The shift to high-quality, story-first content was the turning point

Creators should understand what resonates in their niche and what doesn’t. Additionally, they need to research their general platform to best position their content to reach new audiences

🎯 Creator Lessons

1. The first big year always comes after the invisible ones — be patient

Joel posted over 70+ Instagram videos, ran a separate Airbnb review channel, and learned multiple editing platforms before anything took off

Expectations of instant success is a recipe for failure

2. Brandable content wins

He rebuilt his entire content strategy around storytelling, voice, and lifestyle — so brands can naturally fit in

3. Creator services = underpriced leverage

Joel’s biggest income stream wasn’t AdSense. It wasn’t affiliate links. It was selling his skills. You don’t need millions of views — just a clear offer, packaged well

4. You only need one video to change everything

That’s how it started: a single Airbnb video. It hit. He kept going

Joel is always attracting new audiences and building his community

Final Word

Joel’s second year proves what we keep saying:

Consistency compounds

Storytelling converts

You don’t need a huge team. You need leverage

He went from side hustle to full-time to six figures in two years — and if you missed year one, you can catch it here https://creatorinpublic.com/p/how-this-creator-made-57k-in-first-year-after-leaving-engineering-career